. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/2221 
31 May 2011  
 (11-2730) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  United States 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):  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:  FINAL RULE:   Cooperative Inspection Programs: 
Interstate Shipment of Me at and Poultry Products   Language(s):  English  Number of 
pages:  46 
6. Description of content:  The Food Safety and Inspection Se rvice (FSIS) is amending the 
Federal meat and poultry products inspecti on regulations to establish a new voluntary 
cooperative programme under which State-insp ected establishments with 25 or fewer 
employees will be eligible to ship meat and poultry products in interstate commerce.  In 
participating States, State-inspected establishments selected to take part in this program will 
be required to comply with all Federal sta ndards under the Federal Meat Inspection Act 
(FMIA) and the Poultry Products Inspection Ac t (PPIA).  These establishments will receive 
inspection services from State inspection personnel that have been trained in the enforcement of the FMIA and PPIA.  Meat and poultry products produced under the programme that have been inspected and passed  by designated State personnel will bear an 
official Federal mark of inspection and will be permitted to be distribut ed in interstate or 
international commerce.  FSIS will provide oversight and enforcement of the programme. 
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/2221 
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:  This 
document has been published in the Federal Regi ster and can be found at:  Federal Register 
Volume 76, Number 84 (Monday, May 2, 2011, Pages 24714-24759) or online at "http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Frame/FrameRedir ect.asp?main=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPP
DE/rdad/FRPubs/2008-0039F.htm " 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  1 July 2011 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  2 May 2011 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  1 July 2011 
[ ] 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:   
For further information contact
:  
Office of Policy and Program Development, Room 350-E 
Jamie L. Whitten Building, 1400 Inde pendence Avenue, SW., Washington 
DC 20250 Tel:  +(202) 720-2709 Fax:  +(202) 720-2025 
See also:  http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News _&_Events/NR_041911_01/index.asp
 
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 1027, Washington D.C. 20250;  Tel:  +(1 202) 720 1301;  Fax:  +(1 202) 720 0433;  E-mail:  us.s psenquirypoint@fas.usda.go