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.

Notices Federal Register

39068

Vol. 63, No. 139

Tuesday, July 21, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 98–040N]

Meeting on HACCP-Based Inspection

Models Project for Slaughter Plants

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Agency is holding a

public meeting to discuss its HACCPbased Inspection Models Project for

slaughter plants. The morning session

will provide background information on

the Inspection Models Project. The

afternoon session will focus in some

detail on the project’s specific phases

and timelines and will conclude with an

open discussion period.

DATES: The meeting will be held on July

27, 1998, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Washington Plaza Hotel in

Washington, D.C., 10 Thomas Circle NW

(at Massachusetts Avenue and 14th

Street), Washington DC 20005, (202)

842–1300.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: To

register for the meeting, contact Ms.

Jennifer Callahan of the FSIS Planning

Staff at (202) 501–7138 or FAX (202)

501–7642. Attendees who require a sign

language interpreter or other special

accommodation should contact Ms.

Callahan at the above numbers by July

22, 1998.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Inspection Models Project is an

outgrowth of the Agency’s Pathogen

Reduction/Hazard Analysis and Critical

Control Point (PR/HACCP) Systems

Final Rule, published on July 25, 1996.

The PR/HACCP rule calls for the

establishment of a HACCP-based food

safety system to reduce the risk of

foodborne illness from meat and poultry

products.

In a Federal Register Notice of June

10, 1997, FSIS requested public

comments on the design and

development of new inspection models

for slaughter and processing in a

HACCP environment (62 FR 31553).

This notice summarized

recommendations by the National

Academy of Sciences and the General

Accounting Office that FSIS reduce its

reliance on organoleptic (sensory)

inspection and redeploy its resources by

using inspection methods that are based

on the risks inherent in meat and

poultry slaughter operations. To

accomplish these objectives, it is clear

that new inspection methods must be

developed and tested that are consistent

with the meat and poultry inspection

laws and the systems now required by

the PR/HACCP rule. This inspection

models project will help define the

respective responsibilities of FSIS and

the regulated industry in slaughter

establishments operating under HACCP.

The Inspection Models Project will

rely heavily on objective data. Data will

be used to: (1) Measure the

accomplishments of the present

inspection system in slaughter

establishments using data on the

pathology, microbiology, and

wholesomeness of carcasses produced

under the current system; and (2)

measure the effectiveness of the new

inspection models at establishments

where plant personnel will be tasked

with performing slaughter process

control and FSIS inspectors will

rigorously perform oversight and

verification inspection tasks. FSIS will

then have comparable data to evaluate

the models and determine their

effectiveness.

The meeting is open to the public on

space-available basis. Transcripts of this

meeting will be available in the FSIS

Docket Room.

Done in Washington, DC, on July 13, 1998.

Thomas J. Billy,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 98–19324 Filed 7–20–98; 8:45 am]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 98–031E]

Extension of Time Period To Submit

Abstracts of Scientific Papers

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Extension of Time Period to

Submit Abstracts of Scientific Papers.

SUMMARY: In the Federal Register notice

dated July 7, 1998, the Food Safety and

Inspection Service (FSIS) announced it

was soliciting abstracts of scientific

papers for a conference on Technology

to Improve Food Safety’’ to be held on

July 28, 1998, in Washington, DC. The

notice said that the abstracts must be

received no later than COB July 8, 1998.

FSIS would like to extend the date for

submission of abstracts through July 17,

1998.

DATES: The conference will be held from

8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on July 28, 1998.

Abstracts of scientific papers must be

received no later than COB July 17,

1998; the final papers no later than COB

July 20, 1998. Based on the number of

requests for space received by July 17,

1998, FSIS will determine whether it

will be able to make exhibition space

available. The conference will be held

in two sessions: Technologies for

Reducing Pathogens and Technologies

for Detecting Pathogens. Please specify

for which session the paper is intended.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in

the Federal Hall Ballroom of the

Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas

Circle, NW, Washington, DC. Two

copies of the abstracts and final papers

should be sent to Ms. Mary Harris,

Room 6904, Franklin Court Building,

1099 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC

20250–3700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

William J. Hudnall, Assistant Deputy

Administrator, Office of Policy, Program

Development, and Evaluation;

telephone (202) 205–0495 or FAX (202)

401–1760.

Done in Washington, DC, on July 14, 1998.

Thomas J. Billy,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 98–19323 Filed 7–20–98; 8:45 am]

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