13112 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 47 / Friday, March 10, 1995 / Notices

Done at Washington, DC, on February 28,

1995.

Michael R. Taylor,

Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety.

[FR Doc. 95–5830 Filed 3–9–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P

[Docket No. 95–009N]

Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis

and Critical Control Point (HACCP)

Systems—Notice of Scientific/

Technical Conference and Request for

Papers

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and

Inspection Service (FSIS) will hold a

scientific/technical conference, ‘‘New

Technology to Improve Food Safety,’’ on

April 12–13, 1995, at the Holiday Inn

O’Hare Airport, Rosemont, Illinois. The

purpose of the conference is to discuss

ways of developing and subsequently

introducing new technologies to

improve food safety.

ADDRESSES: Papers should be to sent to:

Dr. Pat Basu, Director, Technology

Transfer and Coordination Staff, Science

and Technology, FSIS, USDA, Room

302 Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20250.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Pat Basu at (202) 720–8623.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

February 3, 1995, FSIS published a

proposed rule ‘‘Pathogen Reduction;

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control

Point (HACCP) Systems’’ (60 FR 6774).

In that document, the Agency proposed

a number of regulatory changes

applicable to Federal- and Stateinspected meat and poultry

establishments. The proposed changes

were designed to reduce the occurrence

and numbers of pathogenic

microorganisms in meat and poultry

products, thereby reducing the

incidence of foodborne illness

associated with the consumption of

these products.

In the proposed rule, FSIS stated its

intent to review its current policies and

procedures governing review and

approval of in-plant technologies that

improve the safety of meat and poultry

products, and to convene a public

meeting to gain information on ways the

Agency might improve its role in

fostering and overseeing the

implementation of such technologies.

FSIS believes that the development and

proper use of technology can contribute

significantly to improving the safety of

the food supply. FSIS recognizes that

members of the regulated industry have

complained that some of the Agency’s

control mechanisms stifle innovation,

potentially impeding progress that

could improve food safety. The Agency

also recognizes consumer groups’

concern that technologies be proven

effective and safe before use, and that

the scientific processes used by FSIS to

evaluate technologies be open to public

scrutiny and participation. To discuss

these issues, FSIS is hosting a scientific/

technical conference.

The first conference, ‘‘New

Technology to Improve Food Safety’’

will be held on April 12–13, 1995, at the

Holiday Inn O’Hare Airport, 5440 North

River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018, (708)

671–6350. The conference will begin

each day at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:30

p.m. on April 12th; at noon on April

13th.

Conference Agenda

The conference will consist of three

sessions as follows:

Session I: ‘‘The Role of Innovation in

Enhancing the Safety of Meat and Poultry

Products’’

Speakers will give examples of new food

safety technologies that have been

introduced.

Session II: ‘‘Models for Government

Facilitation of Technology Development and

Transfer’’

U.S. Government representatives and a

representative from a foreign country will

discuss various government models used in

the United States and abroad to encourage

the development and implementation of new

technologies.

Session III: ‘‘New Technologies for Reducing

Pathogens, Especially Escherichia coli

O157:H7’’

Speakers will address promising new

technologies developed to reduce food

pathogens.

Thomas J. Billy, Associate

Administrator, FSIS will moderate and

be joined by a panel consisting of:

Patricia Stolfa, Associate Deputy

Administrator for Science and

Technology, FSIS; Gene Lyons,

Research Leader, Richard Russell

Research Center, Agricultural Research

Service; a consumer representative; and

an industry representative.

At each session, invited speakers from

FSIS, other government agencies,

industry, and academia groups will give

presentations relevant to that session’s

topic. At Sessions I and III, selected

participants that have sent papers to

FSIS (see below for details of paper

submission) will give a 5 minute

presentation. Finally, the panel will

have an opportunity to ask the

presenters questions.

Submission of Papers

For Sessions I and III, interested

persons may submit a paper to FSIS. For

Session I, FSIS solicits papers detailing

experiences and examples of innovative

technologies that have improved food

safety. For Session III, FSIS solicits

papers presenting information on new

technologies for reducing pathogens,

especially Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Papers should present information

pertaining to effectiveness and cost of

the technology, employee safety, and

consumer acceptance of the technology.

Session II consists of presentations from

representatives from U.S. government

agencies and a representative from a

foreign country, and papers will not be

presented.

Selected persons submitting papers

will be invited to give a 5 minute

presentation summarizing their paper. If

the same subject is covered in more than

one paper, FSIS will have the authors

combine their presentation for a single

5 minute presentation or select the first

paper submitted on the issue and have

that author give a presentation.

All papers must be received by March

31, 1995, to be considered for the

conference. Please indicate if the paper

is for Session I or Session III. Two

copies of each paper should be

submitted (See ADDRESSES), along with

hard copies of any slides to be used in

the presentation.

Availability of Information

After the conference, the panel will

prepare a report of the proceedings

addressing the issues presented. This

report will include information on how

FSIS can assist in the development and

introduction of new technologies to

improve food safety. Any reports by the

panel, transcripts of the conference, and

copies of all the papers received will be

available in the FSIS Docket Clerk’s

Office, Room 3171, South Agriculture

Building, Food Safety and Inspection

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Washington, DC 20250.

Attendance and Hotel Reservations

Please call Ms. Betsy Kogan at (202)

205–0699 if you plan to attend the

conference. Additionally, FSIS has

reserved a block of rooms at the hotel

for $85 per night. Reservations may be

made by contacting the hotel at (708)

671–6350.

Done at Washington, DC, on March 6,

1995.

Michael R. Taylor,

Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety.

[FR Doc. 95–5995 Filed 3–9–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P