[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 154 (Monday, August 11, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 42901]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-21123]



[[Page 42901]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 304, 308, 310, 320, 327, 381, 416, and 417

[Docket No. 97-047N]


Availability of Guidelines for Escherichia coli Testing

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of revised guidelines.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has made 
revisions to the ``Guidelines for Escherichia coli Testing for Process 
Control Verification in Cattle and Swine Slaughter Establishments'' (E. 
coli-1) and ``Guidelines for Escherichia coli Testing for Process 
Control Verification in Poultry Slaughter Establishments'' (E. coli-2). 
The revised guidelines are available from FSIS.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the guidebooks are available from the Public 
Outreach Office, Room 1180, South Agriculture Building, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700. To obtain a copy, 
please mail your request indicating the number (i.e., E. coli-1 or E. 
coli-2) and title of the document to the Public Outreach Office at the 
above address; or FAX to (202) 720-9063.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Patricia Stolfa, Assistant Deputy 
Administrator, Regulations & Inspection, Office of Policy, Program 
Development and Evaluation, Food Safety and Inspection Service at (202) 
205-0699, FAX (202) 401-1760.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 25, 1996, FSIS published a final 
rule, ``Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point 
(HACCP) Systems,'' (61 FR 38806). The new regulations (1) require that 
each establishment develop, implement, and maintain written sanitation 
standard operating procedures (Sanitation SOP's); (2) require regular 
microbial testing for generic E. coli by slaughter establishments to 
verify the adequacy of the establishments' process controls for the 
prevention and removal of fecal contamination and associated bacteria; 
(3) establish pathogen reduction performance standards for Salmonella 
that slaughter establishments and establishments producing raw ground 
products must meet; and (4) require that all meat and poultry 
establishments develop and implement a system of preventive controls 
designed to improve the safety of their products, known as HACCP 
(Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points).
    As appendices to the final rule, FSIS included guidelines for E. 
coli testing. These guidelines outline the sampling and microbial 
testing procedures that would meet the regulatory requirements and may 
be helpful to microbiologists or analytic laboratories.
    On May 13, 1997, FSIS published the final rule, ``Pathogen 
Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) 
Systems,'' (62 FR 26211). In light of some revisions to the E. coli 
testing requirements, FSIS has revised the guidelines. The new 
guidelines, ``Guidelines for Escherichia coli Testing for Process 
Control Verification in Cattle and Swine Slaughter Establishments' (E. 
coli-1) and ``Guidelines for Escherichia coli Testing for Process 
Control Verification in Poultry Slaughter Establishments'' (E. coli-2), 
are available from FSIS (see ADDRESSES).

    Done at Washington, DC, on: August 7, 1997.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-21123 Filed 8-8-97; 8:45 am]
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