FSIS Constituent Update - May 7, 2004 1 Congressional & Public Affairs Office

Export

Requirement

Updates

The Library of Export

Requirements has been

updated to reflect changes

in export requirements for

the following:

Canada

European Union

Mexico

Nicaragua

Poland

Russia

Complete information can

be found at:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

OFO/export/explib.htm

Volume 5, Issue 19

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

May 7, 2004

Protecting the Public Health by Significantly Reducing Foodborne Hazards from Meat, Poultry and Egg Products

FSIS Constituent Update

FSIS to Hold Workshops on E.

coli O157:H7 Regulations

From May through September 2004, FSIS will hold 11 instructive workshops

to discuss information in three recently revised and released FSIS directives

dealing with E. coli O157:H7. 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; Directive 6420.2 Verification of Procedures for

Controlling Fecal Material, Ingesta, and Milk in Slaughter Operations; and

Directive 5000 Review of Establishment Data by Inspection Program

Personnel will be among the topics discussed. The workshops are scheduled

on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. They will present the materials in the

directives to operators of small and very small federally inspected plants, state

inspected plants, federal and state inspection personnel, members of academia

and other interested parties. More details will be published soon.

The locations and dates of the E. coli O157:H7 workshops are:

Toledo, Ohio May 22

Los Angeles, California June 5

Miami, Florida June 12

San Antonio, Texas June 19

Boulder, Colorado June 26

New York, New York July 10

Sacramento, California July 17

St. Louis, Missouri July 24

Montgomery, Alabama July 31

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania August 28

Amarillo, Texas September 11
FSIS Constituent Update -May 7, 2004 2 Congressional & Public Affairs Office

THIS

WEEK’S

HOT WEB

 LINKS

Speeches and

Presentations

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

News_&_Events/

2004_speeches/

Production and

Inspection

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

fact_sheets/

Production_&_Inspection_Fact_Sheets/

Seasonal Food

Safety

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

fact_sheets/

Seasonal_Food_Safety_Fact_Sheets/

NACMCF Subcommittees Meet

The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods

(NACMCF) Subcommittee on Criteria for Refrigerated Shelf-life Based on

Safety will hold public meetings on May 11-13, 2004 from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00

p.m., and on May 14, 2004, from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., at the Aerospace

Building, 901 “D” St., S.W., Room 369, Washington, D.C. 

If you would like to attend any of these meetings, please contact Karen

Thomas, Advisory Committee Specialist, at (202) 690-6620. Please note due

to increased security measures at the Aerospace Center, all persons wishing

to attend must RSVP.

FSIS is proposing to establish January 1, 2008, as the uniform compliance

date for new food labeling regulations that are issued between January 1,

2005, and December 31, 2006. The purpose of this uniform compliance date

is to minimize the economic impact of labeling changes by providing for a

more orderly industry adjustment to new labeling requirements. For more

information go to: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/

regulations_directives_&_notices.htm

Uniform Compliance Date

Proposed

All business, unless operating under federal inspection, are required by law to

register with the USDA if it deals in meat or poultry products in, or for,

commerce. Since 1970, FSIS has required businesses affected by the Poultry

Products Inspection Act and the Federal Meat Inspection Act to maintain

business records and to make such records available to FSIS employees upon

request. Registration information and business records are critical in any FSIS

investigation related to public health, food safety or misbranding of meat or

poultry products. This information is particularly vital in tracing the source

of pathogens and in preventing the spread of foodborne illnesses. The

deadline for all applicable businesses to register with the Agency is

May 24, 2004.

All businesses, including those that are currently registered, must complete

the new form and submit it to FSIS. The new registration FSIS Form 5020-

1 Registration of Meat and Poultry Handlers is available at: http://

www.fsis.usda.gov/forms/

Reminder: Upcoming FSIS

Business Registration Deadline
FSIS Constituent Update - May 7, 2004 3 Congressional & Public Affairs Office

To Contact the Constituent Update Editor

Crystal Straughn crystal.straughn@fsis.usda.gov 202-720-9113

On May 10-14, FSIS officials will participate in the Codex Committee on

Food Labeling (CCFL) meeting in Montreal, Canada. Issues to be discussed

at the meeting include guidelines for the use of health and nutrition claims,

labeling of organically produced foods, country of origin labeling, and

product tracing. The agenda for this meeting can be viewed at: http://

www.codexalimentarius.net/ccfl32/fl04_01e.htm

On May 20, the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Certification

and Inspection (CCFICS) & ad hoc Biotech will hold a public meeting from

2 p.m. - 4 p.m. in Room 107A Whitten Building 1400 Independence Ave.

S.W. Washington, D.C., to receive input into two Codex Circular letters.

Comments received at the public meeting will be used to assist in the

preparation of the U.S. Government’s response to them. For more

information go to: http://www.fsis.usda.gov

Upcoming Codex Committee

Meetings

Featured

Office of the

Week

The Human Health Sciences

Division (HHSD) is under

the Office of Public Health

Science. HHSD provides

scientific leadership in the

application of risk

assessment, management

and communication

principles to safeguarding

public health. The division

coordinates activities of

Public Health and

Epidemiology Liaison

officers, who provide on-site

assistance to state and local

public health officials in the

investigation of foodborne

diseases. For more

information please visit:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

About_FSIS/OPHS/

Human Health

Sciences Division

(HHSD)

Review of Establishment Data

by Inspection Program

Personnel Directive Now

Available

FSIS announces the availability of Directive 5000.2, “Review of

Establishment Data by Inspection Program Personnel.” In December 2003,

the Agency issued Notice 54-03 “Review of Establishment Data by

Inspection Program Personnel” to clarify that FSIS inspection program

personnel have access to a wide range of establishment food safety records

required under the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)

systems regulations. FSIS has revised this notice and is reissuing it as a

directive.

Copies of Directive 5000.2, “Review of Establishment Data by Inspection

Program Personnel,” are available from the FSIS Docket Clerk, FSIS Docket

Room, Room 102, 300 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-3700.

An electronic copy of the document is also available at: http://

www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/