35720 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 113 / Monday, June 13, 2022 / Notices 

1The difference in the percent positive between 

imported and domestic may be attributed to 

imported Siluriformes fish typically being frozen, 

whereas domestic Siluriformes fish are typically 

fresh. 

Total Burden Hours: 104. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2022–12595 Filed 6–10–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–03–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

[Docket Number FSIS–2022–0009] 

Siluriformes Fish Salmonella Sampling 

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMMARY: The Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing 

that, starting July 13, 2022, it will 

suspend its current FSIS Salmonella 

sampling program for Siluriformes fish 

and fish products based on consumer 

cooking practices, lack of recent 

outbreaks attributed to Siluriformes fish, 

and low percent positives detected. 

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

July 13, 2022. FSIS will suspend 

Salmonella sampling in domestic and 

imported Siluriformes fish and fish 

products on July 13, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: 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 commenters the ability 

to type short comments directly into the 

comment field on the web page or to 

attach a file for lengthier comments. Go 

to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow 

the on-line instructions at that site for 

submitting comments. 

• Mail: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Food Safety 

and Inspection Service, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 

3758, Washington, DC 20250–3700. 

• Hand- or Courier-Delivered 

Submittals: Deliver to 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Jamie L. 

Whitten Building, Room 350–E, 

Washington, DC 20250–3700. 

Instructions: All items submitted by 

mail or electronic mail must include the 

Agency name and docket number FSIS– 

2022–0009. Comments received in 

response to this docket will be made 

available for public inspection and 

posted without change, including any 

personal information, to https://

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, Washington, 

DC 20250–3700. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Rachel Edelstein, Assistant 

Administrator, Office of Policy and 

Program Development by telephone at 

(202) 205–0495. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On December 2, 2015, FSIS published 

the final rule, Mandatory Inspection of 

Fish of the Order Siluriformes and 

Products Derived from Such Fish 

(https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/ 

files/media_file/2021-02/2008- 

0031F.pdf), that established a 

mandatory inspection program for 

Siluriformes fish and fish products. The 

final rule codified in regulations the 

provisions of the 2008 and 2014 Farm 

Bills, which amended the Federal Meat 

Inspection Act, making Siluriformes fish 

an amenable species under FSIS 

jurisdiction and inspection. 

As discussed in the final rule (80 FR 

75590, 75593), FSIS considered the 

public health implications presented by 

Siluriformes fish in developing the 

regulations. FSIS also published the 

‘‘Assessment of the Potential Change in 

Human Health Risk associated with 

Applying Inspection to Fish of the order 

Siluriformes’’ (https://

www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/ 

media_file/2021-02/Silurifomes-RA.pdf) 

that assessed the food safety risk 

associated with consuming Siluriformes 

fish in the United States. The purpose 

of the risk assessment was to provide 

predictions of the public health benefits 

(e.g., reduction in foodborne illnesses) 

that might accompany the 

implementation of a mandatory 

inspection system. The risk assessment 

identified Salmonella as a hazard of 

primary concern because: (1) It is the 

foodborne pathogen associated with 

Siluriformes fish (McCoy et. al., Journal 

of Food Protection 74(3):500–16, 2011); 

(2) there were more available data for 

assessing the risk of human illnesses 

associated with Salmonella and 

assessing the effectiveness of an FSIS 

regulatory strategy for this hazard than 

other potential pathogens; (3) its 

occurrence in domestic processing 

facilities and retail catfish is 

documented; (4) its presence in 

Siluriformes fish imported to the United 

States is documented; and (5) Centers 

for Disease Control and Prevention 

identifies catfish as the vehicle 

associated with a 1991 outbreak of 

Salmonella Hadar. 

In the final rule (80 FR 75590, 75607), 

FSIS announced that it would conduct 

sampling and testing of Salmonella in 

Siluriformes fish and fish products to 

determine the national baseline 

prevalence and levels of Salmonella on 

raw Siluriformes fish. 

Current Salmonella Sampling Program, 

Results, and Conclusions 

FSIS began testing domestic 

Siluriformes fish and fish products for 

Salmonella in May 2016 using the 

procedures outlined in FSIS Directive 

14,010.1, Speciation Residue and 

Salmonella Testing of Fish of the Order 

Siluriformes from Domestic 

Establishments (https://

www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsisdirectives/14010.1) and began testing 

imported Siluriformes fish and fish 

products, using the procedures outlined 

in FSIS Directive 14,100.1, Speciation, 

Residue, and Salmonella Testing of Fish 

of the Order Siluriformes at Official 

Import Inspection Establishments 

(https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsisdirectives/14100.1). 

From May 2016 through the end of 

Fiscal Year 2020, FSIS collected and 

analyzed 3,970 samples of domestic and 

imported Siluriformes fish and fish 

products for Salmonella. FSIS 

published a report, Data Summary of 

Siluriformes Fish Testing: A Five-Year 

Review, FY 2016–2020, that discusses 

the results of the data. The report can be 

found at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/ 

sites/default/files/media_file/2022-03/ 

SiluriformesFishDataSummaryReport_

03292022.pdf. 

As discussed in the report and shown 

in Table 1 (below), of the 3,970 samples 

of domestic and imported products 

tested, 80 samples tested positive for 

Salmonella. Domestic Siluriformes fish 

were an average of 3.53 percent positive 

for Salmonella, imported Siluriformes 

fish were an average of 0.32 percent 

positive for Salmonella.1


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 113 / Monday, June 13, 2022 / Notices 35721 

While Salmonella is present on 

Siluriformes fish, there is limited data to 

support Siluriformes fish attribution to 

any Salmonella illnesses or outbreaks, 

except for the 1991 outbreak identified 

in the risk assessment. Most 

Siluriformes fish are consumed fully 

cooked, which could explain the limited 

number of illnesses and outbreaks 

associated with this product. Based on 

consumer cooking practices, lack of 

recent outbreaks attributed to 

Siluriformes fish, and low percent 

positives detected, FSIS has concluded 

that Salmonella does not pose a 

significant health hazard in Siluriformes 

fish. Given that Salmonella does not 

pose a significant health hazard in 

Siluriformes fish, FSIS intends to 

suspend its current Salmonella 

sampling in domestic and imported 

Siluriformes fish. FSIS will, however, 

continue to test Siluriformes fish for 

residues as part of our National Residue 

Program. 

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 

website located at: https://

www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/federalregister-rulemaking/federal-registernotices. 

FSIS will also announce and provide 

a link to this Federal Register 

publication 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 website. Through the website, 

FSIS can 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: 

https://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 

In accordance with Federal civil 

rights law and USDA civil rights 

regulations and policies, the USDA, its 

Agencies, offices, and employees, and 

institutions participating in or 

administering USDA programs are 

prohibited from discriminating based on 

race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity (including gender 

expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, political 

beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior 

civil rights activity, in any program or 

activity conducted or funded by USDA 

(not all bases apply to all programs). 

Remedies and complaint filing 

deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means of communication for 

program information (e.g., Braille, large 

print, audiotape, American Sign 

Language, etc.) should contact the 

responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET 

Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and 

TTY) or contact USDA through the 

Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–8339. 

Additionally, program information may 

be made available in languages other 

than English. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, AD– 

3027, found online at https://

www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-aprogram-discrimination-complaint and 

at any USDA office or write a letter 

addressed to USDA and provide in the 

letter all of the information requested in 

the form. To request a copy of the 

complaint form, call (866) 632–9992. 

Submit your completed form or letter to 

USDA by: (1) mail: USDA, Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20250–9410; (2) fax: 

(202) 690–7442; or (3) email: 

program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Paul Kiecker, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2022–12663 Filed 6–10–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Huron-Manistee Resource Advisory 

Committee 

AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture 

(USDA). 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Huron-Manistee 

Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) 

will hold a public meeting according to 

the details shown below. The committee 

is authorized under the Secure Rural 

Schools and Community SelfDetermination Act (the Act) and 

operates in compliance with the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The 

purpose of the committee is to improve 

collaborative relationships and to 

provide advice and recommendations to 

the Forest Service concerning projects 

and funding consistent with Title II of 

the Act as well as to make 

recommendations on recreation fee 

proposals for sites on the HuronManistee National Forests, consistent 

with the Federal Lands Recreation 

Enhancement Act. General information 

can be found at the following website: 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-withus/secure-rural-schools. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on July 

12, 2022, 6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m., Eastern 

Daylight Time. All RAC meetings are 

subject to cancellation. For status of the 

meeting prior to attendance, please 

contact the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will have two 

locations. For Oscoda County, the 

meeting will be held at 107 McKinley 

Road, Mio, Michigan 48647. For 

Wexford County, the meeting will be 

held at 1755 S Mitchell Street, Cadillac, 

Michigan 49601. 

Members of the public also have the 

option to join virtually by dialing 1– 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICESEN13JN22.000</GPH>

Table 1. Results of testing for Salmonella in domestic vs. imported Siluriformes fish 

Domestic 

Import 

Total 

Positive 

74 

6 

80 

Negative 

2,023 

1,867 

3,890 

Total 

2,097 

1,873 

3,970 

%Pos 

3.53% 

0.32% 

2.02%