60230 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 198 / Friday, October 10, 2008 / Notices 

1. Should FSIS continue to approve 

label claims based on animal raising 

standards developed by private 

certifying entities and by companies 

themselves if FSIS has reviewed the 

standards and determines that they 

would not render a claim false or 

misleading? 

2. Should FSIS establish any 

performance criteria or standards for 

private certifying entities? Should the 

Agency require that private certifying 

entities be reviewed and approved by 

AMS? 

3. Should FSIS establish minimum 

standards that companies would have to 

achieve to qualify to use certain animal 

raising claims? 

4. For those animal raising claims for 

which AMS has adopted standards, 

should FSIS adopt the AMS standards 

as the minimum standards? 

5. Would the approach outlined in 

this document create any inequities or 

create any problems for companies 

interested in using animal raising claims 

on the labels of their meat or poultry 

products? 

6. What other approaches should FSIS 

consider for evaluating and approving 

animal raising claims? 

Additional Public Notification 

Public awareness of all segments of 

rulemaking and policy development is 

important. Consequently, in an effort to 

ensure that the public and, in particular, 

minorities, women, and persons with 

disabilities, are aware of this notice, 

FSIS will announce it on-line through 

the FSIS Web page located at http:// 

www.fsis.usda.gov/ 

regulations_&_policies/ 

2008_Notices_Index/index.asp. 

FSIS also will make copies of this 

Federal Register 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 Update is 

communicated via Listserv, a free e-mail 

subscription service consisting of 

industry, trade, and farm groups, 

consumer interest groups, allied health 

professionals, scientific professionals, 

and other individuals who have 

requested to be included. The Update 

also is available on the FSIS Web page. 

Through Listserv and the Web page, 

FSIS is able to provide information to a 

much broader, more diverse audience. 

In addition, FSIS offers an e-mail 

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/ 

news_and_events/email_subscription/. 

Options range from recalls to export 

information to regulations, directives 

and notices. Customers can add or 

delete subscriptions themselves and 

have the option to password protect 

their account. 

Done at Washington, DC, on: October 7, 

2008. 

Alfred V. Almanza, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. E8–24191 Filed 10–7–08; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food Safety Inspection Service 

[Docket No. FSIS 2008–0035] 

Sampling and Testing Procedures for 

Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Beef 

Manufacturing Trimmings 

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection 

Service (FSIS), USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing 

that it will hold a public meeting on 

October 14 and 15, 2008, to discuss 

sampling and testing procedures used 

by FSIS and industry for Escherichia 

coli (E. coli) O157:H7 in beef 

manufacturing trimmings and draft 

guidance to industry concerning this 

pathogen. Copies of the guidance 

materials are available on the FSIS Web 

site. 

DATES: The public meeting will be held 

on October 14 and 15, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be 

held from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on 

October 14 and from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

on October 15 at: L’Enfant Plaza Hotel, 

480 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, 

DC 20024, (202) 484–1000. FSIS invites 

interested persons to submit comments 

on the issues addressed at the public 

meeting. FSIS will finalize an agenda on 

or before the meeting date and will post 

it on the FSIS Web page http:// 

www.fsis.usda.gov/ 

News?Meetings_&_Events/. The official 

transcript of the meeting will be 

available for viewing by the public in 

the FSIS Docket Room and on the FSIS 

Web site http://www.fsis.usda.gov/ 

News?Meetings_&_Events/ when it 

becomes available. 

Comments may be submitted by either 

of the following methods: 

Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

online instructions at that site for 

submitting comments. 

Mail, including floppy disks or CD– 

ROMs, and hand- or courier-delivered 

items: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Food Safety 

and Inspection Service, FSIS Docket 

Room, 1400 Independence Avenue, 

SW., Room 2534, Washington, DC 

20250. 

All submissions received must 

include the Agency name and docket 

number FSIS–2008–0035. Documents 

referred to in this notice, and all 

comments submitted in response to this 

notice will be available for public 

inspection in the FSIS Docket Room at 

the address listed above between 8:30 

a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. 

Comments also will be posted on the 

Agency’s Web site at http:// 

www.fsis.usda.gov/ 

regulations_&_policies/ 

2008_Notices_Index/index.asp. 

Individuals who do not wish FSIS to 

post their personal contact 

information—mailing address, e-mail 

address, telephone number—on the 

Internet may leave this information off 

of their comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Preregistration for this meeting is 

recommended. To pre-register, go to the 

FSIS Web site at http:// 

www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/ 

Reg_Ecoli_101408/index.asp. 

For additional information, please 

contact Keith Payne by telephone at 

(202) 690–6522 or by e-mail at 

keith.payne@fsis.usda.gov. Persons 

requiring a sign language interpreter or 

special accommodations should contact 

Keith Payne as soon as possible. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The presence of E. coli O157:H7 in 

raw beef products continues to be a 

concern to FSIS. Based on E. coli 

O157:H7 test results from FSIS, other 

Federal and State entities, and industry, 

E. coli O157:H7 continues to 

contaminate finished product. Controls 

in food safety systems, including 

sanitary dressing procedures, do not 

consistently prevent, eliminate, or 

reduce E. coli O157:H7 to an 

undetectable level. Therefore, testing 

may be a means to ensure that 

contaminated product does not enter 

commerce. The meeting will focus on 

sampling and testing of beef 

manufacturing trimmings for E. coli 

O157:H7. 

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public 

Meeting 

FSIS will discuss the issues 

associated with the uniformity and 

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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 198 / Friday, October 10, 2008 / Notices 60231 

consistency of sampling and testing 

procedures used by FSIS and industry 

for E. coli O157:H7 in beef 

manufacturing trimmings and to solicit 

comment on how to improve uniformity 

and consistency in such sampling and 

testing. FSIS will also discuss the 

laboratory enrichment procedure that it 

began using in January 2008 (73 FR 

53406; September 16, 2008) and its 

likely impact on sensitivity for 

identifying more positives in beef. 

The discussion will also include the 

draft ‘‘Compliance Guideline for 

Sampling Beef Trimmings for 

Escherichia coli O157:H7.’’ It can be 

found on the FSIS Web page at: 

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/ 

Significant_Guidance/index.asp. FSIS is 

particularly interested in discussing the 

importance of distinguishing the 

occasional or sporadic positive from a 

series of positive results that indicate a 

systemic cause or breakdown of the 

process controls (‘‘high event days’’). 

This determination is important for 

decisions regarding the microbiological 

independence of production lots and 

the disposition of product, as well as the 

necessary feedback loop between 

slaughter operations and further 

processing operations to ensure 

implementation of effective corrective 

and preventive actions. 

FSIS will also discuss the draft 

guidance on the use of labels bearing E. 

coli O157:H7 testing claims (such as 

statements indicating that labeled 

product has been sampled under an N60 

procedure). This guidance is also 

available on the FSIS Web page at 

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/ 

Significant_Guidance/index.asp. Such 

special label claims would be voluntary, 

and FSIS must approve the labels. The 

draft guidance provides information to 

establishments concerning the 

conditions they must meet to be able to 

use such claims on their raw beef 

products. Importantly, the use of such 

label claims could provide the further 

processor with greater assurance 

regarding prior controls for E. coli 

O157:H7 than certificates of analysis 

(COAs) currently provide. Many small 

and very small establishments have 

indicated that they have difficulty 

receiving COAs either from the 

distributor or supplier establishment. 

In addition, presentations will be 

given on the training used by FSIS 

concerning proper sampling procedures 

for E. coli O157:H7 and the training 

developed by industry on N60 sampling 

procedures. FSIS also anticipates that 

the meeting will help identify issues of 

concern about pathogens other than E. 

coli O157:H7, including Listeria 

monocytogenes and Salmonella. 

Additional Public Notification 

Public awareness of all segments of 

rulemaking and policy development is 

important. Consequently, in an effort to 

ensure that minorities, women, and 

persons with disabilities are aware of 

this notice, FSIS will announce it online through the FSIS Web page located 

at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/ 

2008_Notices_Index/. 

FSIS also will make copies of this 

Federal Register 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 constituents and 

stakeholders. The Update is 

communicated via Listserv, a free 

electronic mail subscription service for 

industry, trade groups, consumer 

interest groups, health professionals and 

other individuals who have asked to be 

included. The Update is also available 

on the FSIS Web page. Through the 

Listserv and the Web page, FSIS is able 

to provide information to a much 

broader and more diverse audience. In 

addition, FSIS offers an e mail 

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/ 

news_and_events/email_subscription/. 

Options range from recalls to export 

information to regulations, directives 

and notices. Customers can add or 

delete subscriptions themselves, and 

have the option to password protect 

their accounts. 

Done at Washington, DC on: October 7, 

2008. 

Alfred V. Almanza, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. E8–24216 Filed 10–7–08; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Conejos Peak Ranger District, Rio 

Grande National Forest; Colorado; Rio 

de los Pinos Vegetation Management 

Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, Rio Grande 

National Forest, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The project analyzes salvage 

harvesting of spruce beetle killed and 

infested trees on timber production 

areas in the Rio de los Pinos watershed. 

This project will provide an opportunity 

to improve and relocate the Los Pinos 

Trailhead (Trail #736). This area was 

analyzed under the County Line 

Vegetation Management Project in June 

2005, however changing forest 

conditions have warranted further 

analysis. An EA was initiated in 2007, 

and comments received during scoping 

and controversy surrounding similar 

projects on the Rio Grande National 

Forest indicate that an environmental 

impact statement (EIS) should be 

prepared. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 30 

days from the date of this notice. The 

draft environmental impact statement is 

expected December 12, 2008 and the 

final environmental impact statement is 

expected February 2, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Mr. Jack Lewis, Team Leader, Rio 

Grande National Forest, Conejos Peak 

Ranger District, 15571 CR T.5, LaJara, 

CO 81140. Electronic mail (e-mail with 

subject, Rio de los Pinos comments) 

may be sent to comments-rockymountain.rio-grande-conejospeak@fs.fed.us and a FAX may be sent 

to (719) 274–6301. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Same as above. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose of this action is to 

implement the Rio Grande National 

Forest’s Forest Plan by making live and 

dead timber available to the timber 

industry as part of the Rio Grande 

National Forest’s timber sale program. 

This proposal has been initiated 

because existing conditions vary from 

the Desired Conditions defined in Forest 

Plan MAP 5.13. This disparity indicates 

a need for improved forest stand 

conditions, reforestation of areas 

severely impacted by spruce beetle, 

reducing long-term fuel buildup in areas 

severely impacted by spruce beetle, 

salvage of dead trees before they lose 

their economic value, and provision of 

wood products to benefit the local and 

regional economy. 

When seeking to reduce the standing 

dead fuel component, the goal is to 

reduce the duration and intensity of a 

potential wildland fire, thus influencing 

the severity of its impact. Standing dead 

fuel is expected to become heavy down 

fuel within 20–50 years. 

Proposed Action 

The Rio Grande National Forest 

proposes to salvage Engelmann spruce 

trees that have been killed by, or are 

infested with, spruce beetle. 

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