[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 208 (Tuesday, October 28, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 55996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28429]



[[Page 55995]]

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Part III





Department of Agriculture





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Food Safety and Inspection Service



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9 CFR Chapter III, et al.



Retraction of an Announcement Concerning Nonfood Compounds and 
Proprietary Substances; Final Rule and Sanitation Requirements for 
Official Meat and Poultry Establishments; Comment Period Reopening; 
Proposed Rule

Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 208 / Tuesday, October 28, 1997 / 
Rules and Regulations

[[Page 55996]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Safety and Inspection Service

9 CFR Chapter III

[Docket No. 97-062N]


Retraction of an Announcement Concerning Nonfood Compounds and 
Proprietary Substances

AGENCY: Food and Safety Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Policy statement.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a 
retraction of an announcement that was mailed to chemical manufacturers 
and other businesses and posted on the FSIS Internet site. This 
announcement incorrectly stated that FSIS is discontinuing its policy 
of approving all nonfood compounds and proprietary substances prior to 
their use in official meat and poultry establishments. Although FSIS 
did recently publish a proposal to revise its sanitation regulations, 
some of which govern the use of certain nonfood compounds, the Agency 
has not proposed to revise its policy of approving all nonfood 
compounds or proprietary substances prior to their use in official 
establishments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patricia F. Stolfa, Assistant Deputy Administrator, Regulations and 
Inspection Methods, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department 
of Agriculture (202) 205-0699.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On September 11, 1997, the FSIS Compound and Packaging Review 
Branch mailed a notice to chemical manufacturers and other businesses 
announcing a change of address. Included with that notice was a 
facsimile of the first page of a proposed rule, incorrectly identified 
as FSIS Docket No. 96-037P, announcing that the Agency was 
discontinuing its policy of approving all nonfood compounds and 
proprietary substances prior to their use in official meat and poultry 
establishments. Around the same time, this facsimile also was posted on 
the FSIS Internet site. There is, in fact, no such proposed rule.
    On August 25, 1997, FSIS published a proposal to convert to 
performance standards the sanitation requirements for meat and poultry 
establishments (FSIS Docket No. 96-037P; ``Sanitation Requirements for 
Official Meat and Poultry Establishments''; 62 FR 45045). In this 
document, FSIS proposed to eliminate the regulations requiring that 
certain nonfood compounds, such as sanitizers and pesticides, be 
approved by the Agency prior to their use in official establishments. 
FSIS did not propose, however, to discontinue its policy of approving 
all other nonfood compounds or proprietary substances prior to their 
use in official establishments.
    FSIS is currently considering how to proceed in regard to its 
policy of preapproving nonfood compounds and proprietary substances. In 
general, prior approval requirements are inconsistent with the Agency's 
recently finalized HACCP requirements. FSIS will publish in the Federal 
Register a notice explaining any future revisions to its prior approval 
policy for nonfood compounds and proprietary substances.
    FSIS is in the process of directly notifying each business that may 
have been mailed the inaccurate notice of proposed rulemaking in order 
to clarify the Agency's current policy in regard to nonfood compounds 
and proprietary substances. FSIS is publishing this retraction to 
clarify its policy for other businesses and individuals. Also, in order 
to address any confusion regarding the published sanitation proposal, 
FSIS is reopening the comment period for that proposal elsewhere in 
this issue of the Federal Register (FSIS Docket No. 96-037R, 
``Sanitation Requirements for Official Meat and Poultry Establishments; 
Comment Period Reopening'').

    Done in Washington, DC: October 22, 1997.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator, Food Safety Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 97-28429 Filed 10-22-97; 4:50 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-M