FSIS Constituent Update - June 25, 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 countries:

Guatemala

Honduras

Singapore

Complete information

can be found at:

www.fsis.usda.gov/OFO/

export/explib.htm

Volume 5, Issue 25

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

June 25, 2004

Protecting Public Health Through Food Safety

FSIS Constituent Update

The U.S. Department of Agriculture signed a Memorandum of Understanding

(MOU) with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on June 24,

2004. The MOU, which binds the signatories to a set of goals, was signed by

USDA Under Secretary for food Safety Dr. Elsa Murano and PAHO Director

Dr. Mirta Roses Periago. PAHO is a regional office of the World Heath

Organization that works to improve the health and living standards of the

countries of the Americas.

The MOU goals are:

• Increase the availability and facilitate the trade of safe food, particularly

meat, poultry and egg products in the Western Hemisphere;

• Promote greater participation of countries with small-and mediumsized economies in the international standard-setting processes;

• Enhance program coordination to reduce redundancy among programs

with common objectives, procedures and communications;

• Promote interaction between scientists and government food safety

officials; and

• Facilitate the coordination and sharing of resources between the

participants necessary for program management, scientific

investigation, standard-setting and to reach consensus on issues of

common concern.

USDA and PAHO currently collaborate on several projects through strategic

alliances to increase and improve food safety, animal health and trade. The

MOU is effective immediately and will be in place for the next three years.

USDA Signs MOU with the Pan

American Health Organization
 FSIS Constituent Update -June 25, 2004 2 Congressional & Public Affairs Office

THIS

WEEK’S

HOT WEB

 LINKS

Advisory

Committee Reports

www.fsis.usda.gov/

regulations_&_policies/

advisory_committee_reports/

index.asp

Ask Karen

www.fsis.usda.gov/

food_safety_education/

ask_karen/

index.asp#Question

To Contact the Constituent Update Editor

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

FSIS Seeks Comments on New

Technology Web Site

FSIS issued a Federal Register notice (Docket No. 04-003N) on June 17,

2004, requesting comments on the types of information it intends to post

on its Web site regarding new food safety technologies that meat and poultry

establishments may implement.

The posted information will focus on new technologies currently under

review, or that have already been reviewed, by the agency. Comments are

being sought specifically regarding the value to the public, potential costs

and negative effects that this information would have if made available.

All submissions received must include the agency name and docket number

04-003N and be received by July 19, 2004. Comments may be submitted

to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and

Inspection Service, 300 12th Street, S.W., Room 102 Cotton Annex,

Washington, D.C. 20250 or through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at

www.regulations.gov.

The notice in its entirety is available on FSIS’ Web site at www.fsis.usda.gov/

OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/04-003N.htm.

FSIS issued an interim final rule (Docket No.96-006F) amending the

regulatory standard of identity for “Beef with Barbecue Sauce” and “Pork

with Barbecue Sauce.”

The final rule modifies raw and cooked meat yield requirements for “beef

with barbecue sauce” and “pork with barbecue sauce,” enabling producers

to be more commercially competitive with producers of other meat and

sauce products that do not have similar requirements.

The rule becomes effective on July 23, 2004 and is available in its entirety

on FSIS’ Web site at www.fsis.usda.gov/oppde/rdad/FRPubs/96-

006F.htm.

BBQ Sauce Interim

Final Rule Now Available

Note: Constituent Update will not publish on Friday, July 2 but we

will be back Friday, July 9. Have a happy and safe Fourth of July.
FSIS Constituent Update - June 25, 2004 3 Congressional & Public Affairs Office

Featured

Office of

the Week

The Technical

Service Center

Locations Announced for July

E. coli O157:H7 Workshops

FSIS is holding a series of teaching workshops around the nation through

September 2004 for small and very small plants on new directives designed to

strengthen E. coli O157:H7 prevention procedures. The workshops are

scheduled on Saturdays from 9 am to 2 pm. 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. The three FSIS directives to be covered

during the sessions are: Directive 10,010.1 Revision 1, Microbiological Testing

Program and Other Verification Activities for E. coli O157:H7 in Raw Ground

Beef Products and Raw Ground Beef Components and Beef Patty

Components; Directive 6420.0, Verification of Procedures for Controlling

Fecal Material, Ingesta and Milk in Slaughter Operations; and Directive 5000.2,

Review of Establishment Data by Inspection Program Personnel.

The following workshops scheduled for June and July are as follows:

Date Meeting location

June 26 Renaissance Boulder Suites Hotel at Flatiron

 500 Flatiron Blvd.

Boulder, Colo.

 (303) 464 – 8400

July 10 The Westin New York at Times Square

270 West 43rd St.

New York, N.Y.

(212) 201-2700

July 17 Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza

300 “J” Street

Sacramento, Calif.

(916) 446-0100

July 24 Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center

16625 Swingley Ridge Road

Chesterfield, Mo.

(636) 532-5000

To pre-register for this weekend’s workshop in Boulder, Colo., please call

(202) 690-6520 or e-mail renee.ellis@fsis.usda.gov. You may also register

for this workshop and all future workshops by calling (866) 553-3052 or via

FSIS’ Web site: www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events

The Technical Service Center

(TSC) serves as the agency’s

hub for technical assistance,

advice and guidance

regarding the implementation

of national policies,

programs, systems and

procedures.

The TSC also acts as a

liaison and conduit to

exchange information and

provide guidance to a variety

of groups, including plant

owners and operators, trade

group representatives,

consumer groups and any

other group or individual

who has questions about

issues related to the

regulation of meat, poultry

or egg products.

For more information on the

TSC please visit their Web

site at www.fsis.usda.gov/

OFO/TSC/ or call the TSC

toll-free at 1-800-233-3935