. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/USA/2439 
6 August 2012  
 (12-4340) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  Pathogenic microorganisms with focus on food and in water 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Availability of Microbial Ri sk Assessment Guideline: 
Pathogenic Microorganisms with Focus on Food and in Water  Language(s):  English  
Number of pages:  1 
 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-07-31/html/2012-18752.htm   
6. Description of content:  The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are announcing the availability of a guideline for 
conducting microbial risk assessment (MRA).  The guideline will improve transparency in 
the way the two Federal agencies conduct MRA and will promote consistency in 
approaches and methods.  The guideline can a pply in varied situations and will be a 
resource for Federal Government risk assessors, their agents, contractors, and other members of the risk assessment community. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.    
8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[X] None G/SPS/N/USA/2439 
Page 2  
 
  Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [ ] Yes   [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:    
9. Other relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:   
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/Microb ial_Risk_Assessment_Guideline/index.asp  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  31 July 2012 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:  Kerry Dearfield, US Department of Agriculture, Food Safety 
and Inspection Service, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Mail Stop 3766, Washington, DC 20250; E-mail:  kerry.dearfield@fsis.usda.gov;  Tel:  (202) 690-6451;  or, Michael Broder, Office of the Science Advisor, Mail Code 8105-R, US Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460;   E-mail:  
broder.michael@epa.gov;  Tel:  (202) 564-3393 
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   United States 
SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Fore ign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1014, Washington D.C. 20250;  Tel:  +(1 202) 720 1301;  Fax: