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[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 146 (Monday, July 30, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36513-36515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16197]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2018-0022]

Availability of Guideline for Minimizing the Risk of 
Campylobacter and Salmonella Illnesses Associated With Chicken Liver

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing 
the availability of and requesting comments on a guideline to assist 
FSIS-regulated establishments, retail food outlets, and foodservice 
entities in minimizing public health risks associated with raw or 
partially-cooked chicken liver. FSIS developed the guideline because 
there have been several recent Campylobacter and Salmonella illness 
outbreaks linked to chicken liver dishes like p[acirc]t[eacute]. The 
guideline represents FSIS's current thinking on this topic and FSIS 
encourages all affected operations to use it. This document does not 
present or describe any new regulatory requirements.

DATES: Submit Comments on or before September 28, 2018.

ADDRESSES: A downloadable version of the guideline is available to view 
and print at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulatory-compliance/compliance-guides-index

[[Page 36514]]

once copies of the guideline have been published.
    FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this notice. 
Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website provides the 
ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this 
web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions at that site for 
submitting comments.
     Mail, including CD-ROMs, etc.: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-
3700.
     Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2018-0022. Comments 
received in response to this docket will be made available for public 
inspection and posted without change, including any personal 
information, to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, 
call (202)720-5627 to schedule a time to visit the FSIS Docket Room at 
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-3700.

For Further Information Contact:  Roberta Wagner, Assistant 
Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development; Telephone: 
(202) 205-0495.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    FSIS is responsible for verifying that the nation's commercial 
supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and 
properly labeled and packaged.
    Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria are among the most frequent 
causes of human foodborne illness in the United States. Currently, 
contamination of raw poultry carcasses and parts cannot be eliminated 
through the commercial production and slaughter practices employed by 
U.S. industry. Contamination can be minimized, however, with the use of 
proper sanitary dressing procedures and by the application of 
interventions during slaughter and subsequent fabrication.
    Salmonella and Campylobacter present on raw poultry carcasses and 
parts will survive if the contaminated products are not subjected to a 
full lethality treatment, such as thorough cooking. In addition, cross 
contamination will occur during preparation when the bacteria are 
spread from the contaminated poultry to food handlers, other foods, or 
objects in the environment.
    There have been several recent Salmonella and Campylobacter illness 
outbreaks linked to chicken liver. From 2000 to 2015, 22 chicken liver-
associated illness outbreaks, with 331 total illnesses, were reported 
to public health authorities in the United States 1 2 3 4. 
Over half of these outbreaks occurred from 2014 to 2015, and 
represented 21 to 34 percent of chicken-related 
outbreaks.5 6 Commonly reported illness outbreak features 
included:
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    \1\ See FSIS Recall 090-2011 available on FSIS's website at 
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/fsis-archives-content/internet/main/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archives/ct_index211a.
    \2\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2013. 
Multistate outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni infections associated 
with undercooked chicken livers--northeastern United States, 2012. 
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 62(44):874-6. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6244a2.htm.
    \3\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2015. 
Notes from the field: campylobacteriosis outbreak associated with 
consuming undercooked chicken liver p[acirc]t[eacute] -- Ohio and 
Oregon, December 2013-January 2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 
64(14):399. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6414a7.htm.
    \4\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2017. Notes from 
the field: outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni associated with 
consuming undercooked chicken liver mousse--Clark County, 
Washington, 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017 Sep 
29;66(38):1027. DOI PubMed.
    \5\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2016. 
Surveillance for foodborne disease outbreaks United States, 2014, 
Annual Report. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/pdfs/foodborne-outbreaks-annual-report-2014-508.pdf.
    \6\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2017. 
Surveillance for foodborne disease outbreaks United States, 2015, 
Annual Report. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/pdfs/2015FoodBorneOutbreaks_508.pdf.
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    (1) Consumption of a blended chicken liver dish (e.g., 
p[acirc]t[eacute]);
    (2) Inadequate cooking of a chicken liver dish; and/or
    (3) Consumption of a chicken liver dish outside the home (e.g., in 
a restaurant).
    FSIS is announcing the availability of a guideline to assist FSIS-
regulated establishments, retail food outlets, and foodservice entities 
in minimizing public health risks associated with raw or partially-
cooked chicken livers and products made from them. The guideline 
represents best practice recommendations by FSIS, based on available 
scientific evidence and practical considerations. FSIS will update the 
guideline as necessary to reflect comments received and any additional 
information that becomes available.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication on-line through the FSIS web page located at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
    FSIS also will make copies of this publication available through 
the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information 
regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register 
notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information that 
could affect or would be of interest to our constituents and 
stakeholders. The Constituent Update is available on the FSIS web page. 
Through the web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much 
broader, more diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email 
subscription service which provides automatic and customized access to 
selected food safety news and information. This service is available 
at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from recalls to 
export information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can 
add or delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password 
protect their accounts.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

    No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds 
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, 
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, 
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to 
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or 
activity conducted by the USDA.

How To File a Complaint of Discrimination

    To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program 
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your 
authorized representative.
    Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, 
or email:
    Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of 
Adjudication, 1400

[[Page 36515]]

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410.
    Fax: (202) 690-7442.
    Email: [email protected].
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC.
Paul Kiecker,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2018-16197 Filed 7-27-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P
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