WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1735 
21 November 2007  
 (07-5115) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
  
If applicable, name of local government involved:     
2. Agency responsible:  United States Department of Agri culture, Food Safety and Inspection 
Service (FSIS) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numb er(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  Raw beef intended for use in non-intact beef product (e.g., for use in ground 
product in the form of manufacturing trimmi ngs and two-piece chucks; or for use in 
mechanically tenderized or enhanced product in  the form of boxed beef/subprimal cuts of 
beef) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  
Domestic United States and countries ex porting raw beef to the United States 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   
• FSIS Directive 5000.2 , Review of Establishment Data  by Inspection Program Personnel 
(available in English, 3 pages);  
• FSIS Directive 10,010.1 , Revision 1: Microbiological  Testing Program and Other 
Verification Activities for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Raw Ground Beef Products and 
Raw Ground Beef Components and Beef Patty  Components (available in English, 
28 pages); 
• FSIS Notice 17-07 , Follow-up Sampling of Certain Raw Ground Beef Products After an 
FSIS Verification Sample Tests Positive for E. coli O157:H7  (available in English, 
11 pages); 
• FSIS Notice 18-07 , Routine Sampling of Beef Manufacturing Trimmings Intended for 
Use in Raw Ground Beef (availab le in English, 7 pages); 
• FSIS Notice 62-07 , Instructions for Verification Sampling Programs for E. coli 
O157:H7 in Raw Beef Products Scheduling Food Safety Assessmen ts and Intensified 
Verification Testing (availab le in English, 3 pages); 
• FSIS Notice 64-07 , Scheduling Food Safety Assessmen ts and Intensified Verification 
Testing (available in English, 3 pages); 
• FSIS Notice 65-07 , Notice of Reassessment for Escherichia coli O157:H7 Control and 
Completion of a Checklist for All Beef Oper ation (available in English, 5 pages); 
• FSIS Notice 66-07 , Multiple Follow-up Sampling After FSIS Positive Escherichia coli 
(E. coli ) O157:H7 Results (available in English, 6 pages);  and 
 G/SPS/N/USA/1735 
Page 2  
 
  • The 19 October 2007, letter sent from the Unit ed States to countries  regarding additional 
testing programs and procedures th at are to be added regarding E. coli O157:H7 testing. 
(See the above notices and directives for in formation regarding the additional testing 
procedures).  
6. Description of content:  Countries that are eligible to expor t raw beef products to the United 
States must implement these new programs testing for E. coli O157:H7 or approved 
equivalent measures.  These programs are in a ddition to those already implemented to sample 
and test for E. coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef and othe r raw non-intact beef products.  The 
US actions are based on Agency risk assessments that demonstrate that if these mitigations are implemented, pathogens can be cont rolled and the public health protected.  
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. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:  Working Principles for Risk Analysis for 
Application in the Framework of the Codex Alim entarius (16th Edition,  Codex Alimentarius 
Procedural Manual) 
9. Relevant documents and langu age(s) in which these are available:   
FSIS Directive 5000.2 ; "Review of Establishment Data by Inspection Program Personnel"; 
dated 31 March 2004. Available at:  
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/ rdad/fsisdirectives/5000.2.pdf  (available in English); 
FSIS Directive 10,010.1 ; Revision 1; "Microbiologica l Testing Program and Other 
Verification Activities for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Raw Ground Beef Products and Raw 
Ground Beef Components and Beef Patty Compone nts"; dated 31 March 2004.  Available at:  
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/ rdad/FSISDirectives/10.010.1.pdf  (available in English); 
FSIS Notice 17-07 ; "Follow-Up Sampling of Certain Raw Ground Beef Pr oducts After an 
FSIS Verification Sample Tests Positive for E. coli O157:H7"; dated 1 March 2007.  
Available at:  http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPD E/rdad/FSISNotices/17-07.pdf  (available in 
English); 
FSIS Notice 18-07 ; "Routine Sampling of Beef Manufacturing Trimmings Intended for Use 
in Raw Ground Beef"; dated 1 March 2007. Available at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPD E/rdad/FSISNotices/18-07.pdf  (available in English); 
FSIS Notice 62-07 ; "Instructions for Verification Sampling Programs for E. coli O157:H7 in 
Raw Beef  Products"; dated 1 March 2007.  Available at:  
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPD E/rdad/FSISNotices/62-07.pdf   (available in English); 
FSIS Notice 64-07 ; "Scheduling Food Safety Assessme nts and Intensified Verification 
Testing"; dated 12 October 2007.  Available at:  http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPD E/rdad/FSISNotices/64-07.pdf
 (available in English);  G/SPS/N/USA/1735 
 Page 3 
 
 
  FSIS Notice 65-07 ; "Notice of Reassessment for Escherichia coli O157:H7 Control and 
Completion of a Checklist for A ll Beef Operations"; dated 12 October 2007.  Available at:  
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/ rdad/FSISNotices/65-07.pdf  (available in English); 
FSIS Notice 66-07 ;  "Multiple Follow-Up Sampling After FSIS Positive Escherichia Coli 
(E. coli ) O157:H7 Results"; dated 12 Oc tober 2007.  Available at:  
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPD E/rdad/FSISNotices/66-07.pdf  (available in English);  and, 
Codex:  Code of Hygienic Pr actice for Meat, CAC/RCP 58-2005 .  Available at:  
http://www.codexalimentarius.net/ download/standards/10196/CXP_058e.pdf , (available in 
English).   
10. Proposed date of adoption:  20 January 2008  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  21 January 2008 
12. Final date for comments:  20 January 2008 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or  address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body: 
 Dr. William James, (Acting) Assistant Administrator 
 Office of International Affairs  Food Safety and Inspection Service  Room 3143- South Building  1400 Independence Avenue, SW 
 Washington, D.C. 20250-3700 
 Fax:  +(1 202) 690-3856  E-mail:  William.James@usda.gov 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notificati on authority, [   ] Na tional enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
United States SPS National Notification Aut hority, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 
International Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1027, Washington D.C. 
20250;  Tel:  +(1 202) 720-1301;  Fa x:  +(1 202) 690-0677;  E-mail:  
us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov