FSIS Constituent Update - Sept. 17, 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:

Azerbaijan

Grenada

Guatemala

Hong Kong

Jordan

Mexico

Philippines

Ukraine

Complete information is

currently available at:

www.fsis.usda.gov/OFO/

export/explib.htm

Volume 5, Issue 34

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

 Sept. 17, 2004

Protecting Public Health Through Food Safety

FSIS Constituent Update

FSIS Issues Notice on Humane

Handling Requirements

On September 9, FSIS published a notice encouraging establishments to use a

systematic approach to ensure that they are meeting the requirements of the Humane

Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) during handling and slaughter.

FSIS recommends establishments identify where and under what circumstances

livestock might experience excitement, discomfort or accidental injury while being

handled in connection with the slaughter process. Also, establishments are

encouraged to design facilities and implement practices that will minimize discomfort

and injury in accordance with existing regulations. Plants should periodically evaluate

their system for effectiveness and improve or adjust operations accordingly. FSIS

believes implementing these steps will serve to improve product quality and efficiency

as well as enhance worker safety.

In previous years, FSIS has taken substantial and comprehensive action to ensure

the humane treatment and slaughter of animals in establishments. In 2001, FSIS

was able to hire district veterinary medical specialists to serve as the primary contact

for humane handling and slaughter issues in each district. In 2003, FSIS issued a

directive to provide FSIS inspection personnel additional information on humane

handling verification procedures and to clarify enforcement actions to be taken for

violations.

In February 2004, FSIS implemented the electronic Humane Activities Tracking

program (HAT) to document inspection activities that ensure livestock are humanely

handled in federally inspected facilities. HAT provides FSIS with more accurate

and readily available information on the activities and time spent by inspection

personnel to ensure humane handling and slaughter requirements are met.

For further information contact Lynn Dickey, Ph.D., Director, Regulations and

Petitions Policy Staff, Office of Policy, Program and Employee Development, Food

Safety and Inspection Service, Cotton Annex Building, 300 12th Street, S.W.,

Room 112, Washington D.C., 20250-3700, phone (202) 720-5627.
FSIS Constituent Update - Sept. 17 , 2004 2 Congressional & Public Affairs Office

THIS

WEEK’S

HOT WEB

 LINKS

Hazard Analysis

and Pathogen

Reduction

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

science/hazard_analysis_

&_pathogen_reduction/

FSIS Biographies

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

About_FSIS/

FSIS_Biographies/

Food Security and

Emergency

Preparedness

www.fsis.usda.gov/

food_security_&_emergency_

preparedness/

National Food Safety Education

Month®

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 must be received on or before October 18. Written comments may

be submitted to the FSIS Docket Room, Reference Docket #03-033P, U.S.

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

Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-3700. 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 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRDockets.htm.

September is National Food Safety Education Month®. In 1994, the National

Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) International Food

Safety Council created National Food Safety Education Month® as an annual

campaign to heighten the awareness about the importance of food safety

education. Each year a new theme and training activities are created for the

restaurant and foodservice industry to reinforce proper food safety practices

and procedures. This year’s theme is “Be aware as you prepare.” Materials to

support this year’s theme, and materials from past years are accessible on the

NRAEF Web site at www.NRAEF.org/nfsem. In addition, promotional materials

are available to help make it easier to spread the word about the importance of

food safety education and training during the month of September.

September is the opportunity to reinforce proper food safety training and inform

everyone that food safety is not an option, but an obligation. Consumers need to

know simple steps they can take to prevent foodborne illness. One way is to

advise consumers of the four basic messages, Clean, Separate, Cook, and

Chill. For more information on food safety education visit: http://

www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Safety_Education/.
FSIS Constituent Update - Sept. 17, 2004 3 Congressional & Public Affairs Office

Featured

Office of the

Week

Codex Public Meeting on Ad hoc

Task Force on Fruit and

Vegetable Juices

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA, and the Center for

Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) of the Food and Drug Administration

(FDA), Department of Health and Human Services, are sponsoring a public

meeting to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items that

will be discussed at the Fourth Session of the Codex Ad hoc Intergovernmental

Task Force on Fruit and Vegetable Juices, which will be held in Fortaleza, Brazil,

October 11-15, 2004.

The public meeting will be held on September 15, 2004, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in

Room 1B-042 of the FDA Harvey Wiley Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway,

College Park, Md.

Items to be discussed at the public meeting include: Draft Code General Standards

for Fruit Juices and Nectars; and draft Minimum Brix Level for Reconstituted

Juice and Reconstituted Puree and Minimum Juice and/or Puree Content for Fruit

Nectars.

To submit comments or to receive copies of documents on the agenda, contact

the FSIS Docket Room, Docket #04-029N, U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102, Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street,

S.W., Washington, DC 20250-3700. The documents and complete agenda are

also available electronically at www.codexalimentarius.net.

Persons requiring a sign language interpreter or other special accommodations

should notify Ellen Matten at (202) 205-7760 or by fax (202) 720-3157.

For Comments and Questions Contact Editor at:

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

The Congressional & Public

Affairs Office (CPAO) provides

information products or services

to varied audiences, including

Congress, the media, and

constituent groups. Information

products include news releases

and recall releases, fact sheets,

the FSIS Constituent Update,

reports to Congress, and

speeches. For more information

visit: www.fsis.usda.gov/

About_FSIS/OPAEO/.

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