. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/USA/2373 
16 May 2012  
 (12-2631) 
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):  Raw beef product 
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:  Changes to FSIS Traceback, Recall Procedures for 
Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Positive Raw Beef Product, and Availability of Compliance 
Guidelines  Language(s):  English  Number of pages:  7 
 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-05-07/html/2012-10904.htm  
6. Description of content:  The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing 
proposed new procedures that it intends to im plement when FSIS or other Federal or State 
agencies find raw ground beef presumptive positiv e for Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7.  
This methodology will enable FSIS to better determine whether the establishments that 
produced the source materials for contaminat ed product have produced other product that 
may not be microbiologically independent from th e contaminated product.  The Agency is 
also announcing its intention to now, as a matter of routine policy, request a recall if an 
establishment was the sole supplier of beef trim source materials for ground product that 
FSIS or other Federal or State agencies fi nd positive for E. coli O157:H7, evidence 
suggests that contamination most likely o ccurred at the supplier establishment, and a 
portion of the product from the originating source lot was sent to other establishments.  This notice also explains that FSIS intends to  determine whether it can make better use of 
establishment results and also intends to conduc t a study to help it identify the source of 
E. coli O157:H7 positive ground beef when the material from multiple suppliers was used 
to produce positive product.  Finally, this notice announces the availability of compliance 
guidelines concerning establishment sampling and testing for shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) organisms or virulence markers and compliance guidelines for E. coli O157:H7 sampled and tested labeling claims.   
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.    G/SPS/N/USA/2373 
Page 2  
 
  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 
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:      
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  7 May 2012 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure Not applicable  
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  6 July 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:   
FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this notice.  Comments may be 
submitted by one of the following methods: 
1.  Federal eRulemaking Portal:  This Web s ite provides the ability to type short comments 
directly into the comment field on this Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments.  Go to http://www.regulations.gov .  Follow the on-line instructions at that site for 
submitting comments.  
2.  Mail, including CD-ROMs, etc.:  Send to Do cket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Food Safety and Inspection Service,  Patrio ts Plaza 3, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 
Mailstop 3782, Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-3700. 
Hand- or courier-delivered submittals:  Deliver  to Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E. Street SW., 
Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-3700. 
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.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov