. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/360
5 December 2000
(00-5245)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, whereapplicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Poultry
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Performance Standards for On-line
Antimicrobial Reprocessing of Pre-Chill Poultry Carcasses (10 pages)
5. Description of content:  The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to
amend its poultry products inspection regulations to allow, on a voluntary basis, the on-line
reprocessing of pre-chill carcasses that are accidently contaminated with digestive tract
contents during slaughter. FSIS is proposing that, to permit this on-line reprocessing of
visibly contaminated birds, the treated carcasses must meet pre-chill performance standardsfor Salmonella and E. coli that are significantly lower than the existing criteria for verifying
process control for E. coli and the pathogen reduction performance standards for Salmonella
for chilled poultry. The proposed change will allow contaminated poultry carcasses,
including turkeys, to remain on the main processi ng line for treatment, rather than having to
be moved off the main line. Birds with no visible contamination may undergo the same
antimicrobial treatment, but they will remain subject to the Agency's pathogen reduction
performance standards and process control criteria already in place for raw chilled product.Birds whose entire carcass is affected with contamination or are mutilated will not be
permitted to be processed on-line. Under this proposal, establishments doing on-line
antimicrobial reprocessing will need to do so in accordance with the Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Point (HACCP) system requirements in 9 CFR part 417.
6. 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           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 65 FR 75187,
1 December 2000 (Available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.G/SPS/N/USA/360
Page 2
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined.
11. Final date for comments:  30 January 2001
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  Food Safety and Inspection
Service, USDA  [    ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  Detailed
instruction on where and how to send comments is in the body of the full text - which will
be sent upon request to the address in paragraph 12.
12. Texts available from: [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
ATTN: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 10271400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Tel:  (202) 720-2239
Fax:  (202) 690-0677
E-mail address:  ofsts@fas.usda.gov