FSIS Constituent Update - April 23, 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

Cuba

Hong Kong

China

Complete information can

be found at:

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

OFO/export/explib.htm

Volume 5, Issue 17

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

April 23, 2004

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

FSIS Constituent Update

USDA Launches ConsumerFriendly Food Safety Web Site

FSIS has launched a redesigned website to give its constituents easier and

faster access to information about food safety. In just a few clicks,

constituents can find the information they need. Visitors can also talk to

“Karen,” a virtual food safety hotline representative. She will instantly

respond to questions about safely storing, preparing and handling meat,

poultry and egg products. Of course, consumers still can call the USDA

Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) with

questions as well.

The FSIS site redesign follows Secretary Ann M. Veneman’s announcement

in January of an aggressive program to enhance the Department’s electronic

capabilities—part of President Bush’s Management agenda.

FSIS Report to the Secretary on

Food Security Initiatives

 “Protecting America’s Meat, Poultry and Egg Products: A Report to the

Secretary on the Food Security Initiatives of the Food Safety and Inspection

Service,” was introduced on April 22. The report details the activities the

agency has undertaken since enactment of Public Law 107-188, which

allows FSIS to use existing authorities to keep the U.S. food supply safe

from intentional contamination. The previous report, released January 2003,

detailed the efforts that the Agency took immediately after the attacks of

September 11, 2001. The improvements in emergency preparedness and

response and increased levels of scientific expertise in biological, chemical,

and radiological terrorism were highlighted by Dr. Elsa A. Murano, USDA

Under Secretary for Food Safety, at the opeong of a new Biosecurity Level

3 (BSL-3) facility in Athens, Ga. Copies of the report will be available on the

FSIS Web site soon.
FSIS Constituent Update -April 23, 2004 2 Congressional & Public Affairs Office

THIS

WEEK’S

HOT WEB

 LINKS

FSIS Laboratories

and Procedures

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

Science/

Laboratories_&_Procedures/

index.asp

Office of Program,

Evaluation,

Enforcement and

Review

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

About_FSIS/OPEER/

index.asp

Food Safety Mobile

Game for Kids

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

Food_Safety_Education/

For_Kids_&_Teens/

index.asp

Reminder: NACMCF

Subcommittees to Meet

The Subcommittee on Scientific Criteria for Redefining Pasteurization

of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for

Foods (NACMCF) will hold public meetings April 27-29 and May

11, 2004. In addition, the NACMCF Subcommittee on Criteria for

Refrigerated Shelf-life Based on Safety will hold public meetings May

11-14, 2004. Both subcommittees will meet at the Aerospace Building,

901 ‘D’ St., SW, Room 369, Washington, DC.

If you would like to attend any of these meetings or need more

information, please contact Karen Thomas, Advisory Committee

Specialist, at 202-690-6620. Due to increased security measures at the

Aerospace Building, all persons wishing to attend must RSVP in advance.

FSIS announced this week that the deadline for all applicable businesses

to register with the agency has been extended to May 24, 2004. 

Unless a business operates under Federal inspection, it is required by law

to register with the U.S.D.A 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 new registration form asks registrants to provide certain information

that was not previously requested, including an e-mail address, phone

number and subsidiaries’ hours of operation. All businesses, including

those that are currently registered, must complete the new form and submit

it to FSIS. The new registration form is currently available and can be

accessed at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/

2004_Notices_Index/index.asp. The form will also be available from FSIS

personnel who visit businesses required to register.

FSIS Extends Registration

Deadline
FSIS Constituent Update - April 23, 2004 3 Congressional & Public Affairs Office

To Contact the Constituent Update Editor

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

A foodborne illness warning from FSIS is appearing this month in an

unexpected—but highly visible—place. It’s printed on the backs of

envelopes in which the Internal Revenue Service will mail tax refunds to

an estimated 15 million Americans in April. The message encourages

consumers to call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline for advice on

preventing foodborne illness.

FSIS Food Safety Message on

Tax Refund Envelopes

Featured

Office of the

Week

FSIS plans and administers a

national import reinspection

program. After the U.S.

Customs Service and USDAAPHIS requirements are met,

shipments imported into the

U.S. must be reinspected by

FSIS at an approved import

inspection facility. FSIS

inspectors carry out

reinspection in approximately

125 official import

establishments. To learn more

about IPS please visit:

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

about_fsis/OIA/index.asp

Import Inspection

Division

New FSIS Food Safety

Publication for Physicians and

Healthcare Officials Available

FSIS, American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, Food

and Drug Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

have developed an updated edition of Diagnosis and Management of Foodborne

Illnesses: A Primer for Physicians and Other Health Care Professionals. In 2001,

FSIS co-sponsored the development of the first edition of the primer. The

second edition includes patient hand-outs and sections on five new topics:

salmonella, toxoplasma, listeria, Hepatitis A, norovirus, and unexplained

illnesses. This educational resource provides doctors and other health care

professionals with information to help them identify and treat cases of

foodborne illness. Health care professionals can receive free copies of the

primer by requesting them from the AMA. Many of the primer resources

are also available on the AMA web site at www.ama-assn.org/go/foodborne.