FSIS Constituent Update - Sept. 10, 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:

Chile

European Union

Hong Kong

Malaysia

Morocco

Peru

Russia

Switzerland

Complete information is

currently available at:

www.fsis.usda.gov/OFO/

export/explib.htm

Volume 5, Issue 33

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

 Sept. 10, 2004

Protecting Public Health Through Food Safety

FSIS Constituent Update

 After School Food Safety

It’s that time again- back to school. It is also the time to be aware of food

safety when it comes to after school snacks for kids. If your child is home

alone for an hour or two after school, how can you make sure they are protected

from dangers in the kitchen?

These days, many kids don’t just open a bag of chips – some make cookies

from scratch; others use a microwave to heat up instant noodles or soup.

Sound safe? Not if the cookie maker tastes the raw homemade cookie dough

because that could lead to Salmonella poisoning. Heating soup in the microwave

isn’t safe if the cook isn’t tall enough to reach the microwave and spills hot

soup on himself. That’s a major cause of serious burns in children.

 “There’s a great hunger for accurate information,” says USDA Under Secretary

for Food Safety Dr. Elsa Murano. “People want to know how to keep their

families safe and healthy. Education is not a substitute – but a complement –

to strong food safety policies and programs. Education serves to alert the

public about hazards that exist and can be addressed by safe food handling

and food selection.”

Before you let young cooks have the run of the kitchen, USDA advises you to

make time for a “Food Safety Workshop” with your children. Walk them

around the kitchen — explain how to safely use the microwave and teach them

some basic food safety tips. Get more information on after school food safety

at: www .fsis.usda.gov/food_safety_education/

food_safety_education_programs/
FSIS Constituent Update - Sept. 10 , 2004 2 Congressional & Public Affairs Office

THIS

WEEK’S

HOT WEB

 LINKS

Hazard Analysis and

Pathogen Reduction

www.fsis.usda.gov/science/

hazard_analysis_&_pathogen_

reduction/

Science Guidebooks

and Methods

www.fsis.usda.gov/science/

Guidebooks_&_Methods/

Food Safety Educator

www.fsis.usda.gov/

News_&_Events/

Food_Safety_Educator/

Revised Pizza Q’s & A’s to

Address the Names of NonTraditional Pizza-Like Products

and Modified Cheeses

Last Opportunity to Attend E.

coli O157:H7 Workshop

The final workshop on new directives designed to strengthen E. coli O157:H7

prevention procedures will be held this Saturday, September 11 from 9 a.m. to

2 p.m. in Amarillo, Texas. These sessions are designed for operators of small

and very small federally-inspected plants, state-inspected plants, federal and

state inspection personnel, members of academia and other interested parties.

Saturday’s workshop will be held at:

The Ambassador Hotel, 3100 I-40 West, Amarillo, Texas 79102,

(806) 358-6161

To register to attend the workshop, call (866) 553-3052 or visit:

www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events.

Earlier this year, in response to a petition from industry, FSIS rescinded the

pizza with meat standard of identity. In the absence of a pizza with meat standard,

the prevailing regulations on naming meat and poultry products apply. In order

to assist manufacturers with changes to labeling, FSIS issued guidance in the

form of questions and answers on its Web site. After further consideration,

FSIS has determined that a clarification of the guidance on naming conventions

for certain non-traditional pizza-like products is needed. This modification relates

to the continued use of the “common or usual” names for traditional pizza products.

Additional questions have been added to the previous guidance and a modification

to a previous question has also been made to clarify naming conventions. The

clarification and the previous guidance document are available at: http://

www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/Revised_Pizza_Questions_01-

018F/
FSIS Constituent Update - Sept. 10, 2004 3 Congressional & Public Affairs Office

Featured

Office of the

Week

FSIS Proposes Equalizing

Requirements for Supervisory

Visits

FSIS has issued a proposed rule harmonizing the requirements for supervisory

visits at certified foreign establishments with those of domestic plants.

The proposed rule amends FSIS regulations to require foreign inspection agencies

to conduct supervisory visits at intervals sufficient to verify that the establishment

remains eligible for certification to export to the United States. The new language

reestablishes the frequency requirement as “periodic supervisory visits.”

Comments regarding this proposed change must be received on or before October

18. Written comments may be submitted to the FSIS Docket Room at the U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102 Cotton

Annex, 300 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-3700. Please reference

docket #03-033P. Any comments received will be available for public inspection

in the FSIS Docket Room from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

and will be posted at www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRDockets.htm.

New Speech Available Online

The Labeling & Consumer

Protection Staff (LCPS)

develops policies and inspection

methods and administers

programs to protect consumers

from misbranded and

economically adulterated meat,

poultry and egg products. For

more information visit:

On August 10, 2004Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Merle Pierson

spoke at the International Association for Food Protection’s 91st Annual Meeting

in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Pierson presented an overview of USDA/FSIS’ role,

strategy and outcomes in protecting the safety of food products. He also discussed

the recently released document Fulfilling the Vision: Initiatives in Protecting

Public Health, a plan to further improve food protection systems. In addition,

Dr. Pierson presented the results FSIS has achieved through the use of science,

risk assessments, and its close collaboration with partners. To read this speech

please visit: www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Speech_081004_Pierson/

The Labeling and

Consumer

Protection Staff

For Comments and Questions Contact Editor at:

fsisupdate@fsis.usda.gov (202) 720-9113

www.fsis.usda.gov/About_ FSIS

labeling_&_consumer_protection/