. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/USA/2470 
27 September 2012  
 (12-5178) 
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:  Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service 
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):  Ready-to-eat meat and poultry products 
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:  Testing of Product Samples for Listeria monocytogenes :  
Changes in Procedures  Language(s):  English  Number of pages:  4 
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-09-24/html/2012-23462.htm  
6. Description of content:  The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing 
changes in procedures for Listeria (L.) monocytogenes  product sampling programs in 
ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products.  Starting 60 days after issuance of this 
notice, FSIS will increase the number of produc t samples it collects unde r its Routine Risk-
based L. monocytogenes  (RLm) Sampling Program and its Intensified Verification Testing 
(IVT) protocol from three to five samples per sampling unit.  In addition, FSIS laboratories 
will composite the five 25-g product samples from the RLm sampling program, which will increase the sample size of the analyzed test portion from 25 g to 125 g.  The Agency is 
effecting these changes to make its sampling pr ocedures more consistent with international 
practices, to conserve its laboratory resources,  and to improve public health.  FSIS invites 
comments on these changes to its sampling programs. 
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:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text) Annex II of the Guidelines on the Application of General Principles 
of Food Hygiene to the Control of Listeria Monocytogenes  in Ready-to-Eat Foods 
(CAC/GL-61 (2007)) G/SPS/N/USA/2470 
Page 2  
 
  [ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[ ] None Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [X] 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:      
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  24 September 2012 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  To be announced. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  To be announced. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  23 November 2012 
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:  Kristina Barlow, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety 
and Inspection Service, 1400 Independence Av enue SW., Mailstop 3782, Washington, DC 
20250;  E-mail:  kristina.barlow@fsis. usda.gov;  Tel:  +(202) 690 7739 
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:  +(1 202) 720 0433;  E-mail:  us.s psenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov