[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 76210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31069]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
appearing in this section.

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Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 235 / Wednesday, December 6, 2000 / 
Notices

[[Page 76210]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 00-047N]


FSIS: The Next Steps

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will hold a 
public meeting on December 13, 2000, to discuss the Agency's plans to 
continue to improve the quality and effectiveness of its programs and 
to work with establishments in the meat and poultry industry to improve 
their performance under the Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and 
Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations. FSIS believes that, since 
the HACCP-based regulatory approach has now been implemented in meat 
and poultry establishments of all sizes, it is time to plan for these 
improvements. At the meeting, FSIS will provide information and receive 
comments from the public on several major areas in which improvements 
can and should be made. FSIS will carefully consider the input from all 
interested parties at this meeting in formulating a multi-year strategy 
for such program improvements.

DATES: The meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on December 
13, 2000. Written comments must be received on or before January 5, 
2001.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Washington Monarch Hotel, 
2401 M Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037; telephone (202) 429-2400. 
Submit written comments to the FSIS Docket Clerk, Room 102, Cotton 
Annex Building, 300 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3700. 
Interested persons are requested to submit an original and two copies 
of comments concerning this subject. Comments should be sent to the 
Docket Clerk at the address shown above and should refer to Docket No. 
00-047N. Copies of all comments submitted in response to this notice 
will be available for public inspection in the FSIS Docket Room between 
8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain general information about 
the meeting arrangements, contact Ms. Sally Fernandez at (202) 690-6524 
or fax at (202) 690-6519. For more technical program information, 
contact Loren Lange, Special Assistant to the Deputy Administrator, 
Office of Policy, Program Development, and Evaluation, FSIS, at (202) 
690-4039 or fax (202) 205-0058.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulatory requirements mandated by the 
Pathogen Reduction/HACCP final rule (61 FR 33806 et seq.) have now been 
implemented by meat and poultry establishments of all sizes. Although 
some of the establishments have excellent HACCP programs, it is clear 
that other establishments have less effective programs, and that some 
owners and managers may not fully understand their responsibilities 
under the Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures regulations (9 CFR 
416.11-416.17) and HACCP program requirements (9 CFR 417).
    It is also clear that FSIS activities can be improved. Many more 
FSIS personnel need training, more experience, and better feedback in 
HACCP concepts and in the application of FSIS HACCP regulations. FSIS 
personnel also need additional guidance material that they can use to 
better assist small and very small establishments. In addition, FSIS 
must complete regulatory actions that fill in gaps in the HACCP 
framework and the farm-to-table food safety continuum. FSIS needs to 
establish the necessary infrastructure to fulfill its responsibilities 
as a 21st century public health regulatory agency.
    The public meeting is being held to discuss the Agency's current 
thinking on, and public reaction to, themes that will guide the 
Agency's strategies and activities for making system improvements. At 
the public meeting, presentations will be made on HACCP experience and 
accomplishments to date and the Agency's thinking about the concepts 
that are likely to guide its future actions. After the presentations, 
there will be opportunity for further discussion and comment by 
interested parties.

Additional Public Notification

    FSIS has considered the potential civil rights impact of this 
notice on minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. FSIS 
anticipates that this notice will not have a negative or 
disproportionate impact on minorities, women, or persons with 
disabilities. However, notices are designed to provide information and 
receive public comment on issues that may lead to new or revised Agency 
regulations or instructions. Public involvement in all segments of 
rulemaking and policy development is important. Consequently, in an 
effort to better ensure that minorities, women, and persons with 
disabilities are aware of this notice and are informed about the 
mechanism for providing their comments, FSIS will announce it and 
provide copies of this Federal Register publication in the FSIS 
Constituent Update.
    FSIS provides a weekly Constituent Update, which is communicated 
via fax to more than 300 organizations and individuals. In addition, 
the update is available on-line through the FSIS web page located at 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov. The update is used to provide information 
regarding FSIS policies, procedures, information regarding FSIS 
policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS 
public meetings, recalls, and other types of information that could 
affect or would be of interest to our constituents/stakeholders. The 
constituent fax list consists of industry, trade, and farm groups, 
allied health professionals, scientific professionals, and other 
persons who have requested to be included. Through these various 
channels, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more 
diverse audience. For more information and to be added to the 
constituent fax list, fax your request to the Congressional and Public 
Affairs Office, at (202) 720-5704.

    Done in Washington, DC, on November 30, 2000.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-31069 Filed 12-5-00; 8:45 am]
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