Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices 42059 

original certification documents arriving 

at the country’s port of entry, to verify 

that the digital certificate copies align 

with the original certificates arriving 

with the shipment. A Level 2 

eAuthentication account is necessary to 

access the FCL. An eAuthentication 

account is the way for a user to interact 

with USDA Web site portals and 

applications using a verified identity for 

each User ID and profile. Prior to 

implementation of the PHIS Export 

Component, FSIS will provide further 

guidance on this process. 

USDA Export Stamp 

The USDA export stamp bears the 

export certificate number, and is used to 

link the consignment to the 

corresponding export certificate. 

Beginning on the applicability date of 

June 29, 2018, FSIS is changing the 

number of digits in the serial number 

that appears on both the export stamp 

and the corresponding export certificate 

from six to seven numbers. Use of an 

alternative, alpha-numeric unique 

identifier in place of the USDA export 

stamp will be implemented with the 

PHIS Export Component on June 29, 

2018. 

eCert 

In the future, FSIS also intends to 

support electronic export certification 

(eCert) in PHIS. eCert is the governmentto-government transmission of 

certification data and is the electronic 

equivalent of a paper certificate. When 

developed and implemented, electronic 

export certification will allow FSIS to 

transfer certification data directly to the 

foreign government’s competent 

authority’s certification system. 

Group 1 (June 29, 2018) 

• Export Library: 

1. Australia 

2. New Zealand 

3. UAE 

• Non-Export Library: 

1. Afghanistan 

2. Andorra 

3. Bahamas 

4. Bolivia 

5. Burundi 

6. Cape Verde 

7. Cook Islands 

8. Ethiopia 

9. Gambia 

10. Guinea 

11. Liberia 

12. Mozambique 

13. Paraguay 

14. San Marino 

15. Tanzania 

16. Uganda 

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement 

No agency, officer, or employee of the 

USDA shall, on the grounds of race, 

color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity, sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, or political 

beliefs, exclude from participation in, 

deny the benefits of, or subject to 

discrimination any person in the United 

States under any program or activity 

conducted by the USDA. 

To file a complaint of discrimination, 

complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, which 

may be accessed online at http://

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

docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_

12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you 

or your authorized representative. 

Send your completed complaint form 

or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email: 

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–9410. 

Fax: (202) 690–7442. 

Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication 

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center 

at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). 

Additional Public Notification 

FSIS will announce this notice online 

through the FSIS Web page located at 

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

FSIS will also 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. In 

addition, FSIS offers an electronic 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/subscribe. 

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: August 31, 

2017. 

Paul Kiecker, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2017–18848 Filed 9–5–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

[Docket No. FSIS–2017–0028] 

Availability of FSIS Compliance 

Guideline for Minimizing the Risk of 

Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia 

Coli (STEC) and Salmonella in Raw 

Beef (Including Veal) Processing 

Operations 

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability and 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing 

the availability of and requesting 

comments on the updated compliance 

guideline for small and very small 

businesses on reducing STEC and 

Salmonella in beef and veal operations. 

The new guideline will assist small 

and very small beef (including veal) 

processing establishments understand 

and comply with the regulatory 

requirements associated with 

controlling STEC and Salmonella in raw 

non-intact beef products and beef 

products intended for non-intact use. 

The guideline also includes information 

for establishments and retail stores on 

developing and maintaining records 

associated with the production of 

ground beef. 

DATES: Submit Comments on or before 

November 6, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: A downloadable version of 

the compliance guideline is available to 

view and print at https://

www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/ 

topics/regulatory-compliance/ 

compliance-guides-index once copies of 

the guideline have been published. 

FSIS invites interested persons to 

submit comments on this guidance. 

Comments may be submitted by one of 

the following methods: 

Federal eRulemaking Portal: This 

Web site provides the ability to type 

short comments directly into the 

comment field on this Web page or 

attach a file for lengthier comments. Go 

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

the on-line instructions at that site for 

submitting comments. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
42060 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices 

Mail, including CD–ROMs: Send to 

Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection 

Service, Patriots Plaza 3, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., Mailstop 

3782, Room 8–163B, Washington, DC 

20250–3700. 

Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: 

Deliver to Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E Street 

SW., Room 8–163A, Washington, DC 

20250–3700. 

Instructions: All items submitted by 

mail or electronic mail must include the 

Agency name, FSIS, and document title: 

FSIS Compliance Guideline for 

Minimizing the Risk of Shiga toxinproducing Escherichia coli (STEC) and 

Salmonella in Raw Beef (including 

Veal) Processing Operations 2017. 

Comments received will be made 

available to the public and posted 

without change, including any personal 

information, at http://

www.regulations.gov. 

Docket: For access to background 

documents or to comments received, go 

to the FSIS Docket Room at Patriots 

Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Room 

164–A, Washington, DC 20250–3700 

between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 

Monday through Friday. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Roberta Wagner, Assistant 

Administrator, Office of Policy and 

Program Development; Telephone: (202) 

205–0495. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

STEC and Salmonella are pathogens 

that are associated with foodborne 

illness from consumption of non-intact 

beef products (e.g., ground beef, 

mechanically tenderized steaks). 

Although the percent positive rates of 

STEC and Salmonella have decreased, 

outbreaks and illnesses continue to 

occur from these products (https://

www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2016- 

outbreaks.html). 

Raw non-intact beef products present 

a significant public health risk because 

they are frequently consumed after 

preparation (e.g., cooking hamburger to 

a rare or medium rare state) that does 

not destroy STEC that has been 

introduced below the product’s surface. 

Given the low infectious dose of STEC 

associated with foodborne disease 

outbreaks and the very severe 

consequences of an STEC infection, 

including serious, life-threatening 

human illnesses (hemorrhagic colitis 

and hemolytic uremic syndrome), raw 

non-intact beef products and those beef 

products intended for non-intact use are 

adulterated within the meaning of the 

Federal Meat Inspection Act when 

contaminated with STEC unless further 

processed to destroy this pathogen (64 

FR 2803). Salmonella does not present 

the same severe health consequences as 

STEC, and FSIS does not have a zero 

tolerance for Salmonella in raw nonintact beef products. However, because 

STEC and Salmonella are hazards that 

have historically occurred in the 

production of non-intact beef products, 

establishments that produce these 

products or products intended for nonintact use must conduct a hazard 

analysis and determine if these 

pathogens need to be addressed by its 

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control 

Point (HACCP) system. FSIS is making 

available the updated compliance 

guideline to assist establishments that 

produce raw non-intact beef products in 

designing a HACCP system to prevent, 

control, and reduce STEC and 

Salmonella to acceptable levels in these 

products. 

The guideline helps establishments 

understand the adulterant status of 

STEC in beef products, how the 

product’s intended use impacts the 

hazard analysis, and to develop ongoing 

verification measures to demonstrate 

that the HACCP system is functioning as 

intended to reduce STEC to below 

detectable levels. In addition, the 

guideline provides updated information 

for establishments responding to STEC 

positive results to strengthen their food 

safety systems so that additional 

positive results do not occur in the 

product. While the guideline focuses 

primarily on STEC policy, the 

procedures described in this document 

to reduce STEC will also assist 

establishments in reducing Salmonella. 

FSIS is also providing information in 

the updated guidance to assist federal 

establishments and retail facilities to 

develop and maintain grinding records 

as required by the final rule, Records To 

Be Kept By Official Establishments and 

Retail Stores That May Grind Raw Beef 

Products (80 FR 79231). 

This guideline incorporates all of the 

above policy updates and includes the 

most current Agency thinking, and 

combines and replaces information from 

the following previously issued 

guidance documents: 

(1) Draft Guidance for Small and Very 

Small Establishments on Sampling Beef 

Products for Escherichia coli O157:H7 

(August 12, 2008); and 

(2) Sanitation Guidance for Beef 

Grinders (January 2012). 

The target audiences for this 

compliance guideline are small and very 

small establishments in support of the 

Small Business Administration’s 

initiative to provide such 

establishments with compliance 

assistance under the Small Business 

Regulatory Flexibility Act (SBRFA). 

However, all FSIS regulated beef 

establishments may be able to apply the 

recommendations in this guideline. 

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 

Web page located at: http://

www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register. 

FSIS also will make this 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 

Constituent Update is available on the 

FSIS Web page. Through the Web page, 

FSIS is able to 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: 

http://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 

No agency, officer, or employee of the 

USDA shall, on the grounds of race, 

color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity, sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, or political 

beliefs, exclude from participation in, 

deny the benefits of, or subject to 

discrimination any person in the United 

States under any program or activity 

conducted by the USDA. 

How To File a Complaint of 

Discrimination 

To file a complaint of discrimination, 

complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, which 

may be accessed online at http://

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

docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_

12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you 

or your authorized representative. 

Send your completed complaint form 

or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email: 

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 6, 2017 / Notices 42061 

Washington, DC 20250–9410, Fax: (202) 

690–7442, Email: program.intake@

usda.gov. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication 

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center 

at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). 

Done, at Washington, DC, August 31, 2017. 

Paul Kiecker, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2017–18847 Filed 9–5–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

[Docket No. FSIS–2017–0021] 

International Standard-Setting 

Activities 

AGENCY: Office of Food Safety, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice informs the public 

of the sanitary and phytosanitary 

standard-setting activities of the Codex 

Alimentarius Commission (Codex), in 

accordance with section 491 of the 

Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as 

amended, and the Uruguay Round 

Agreements Act. This notice also 

provides a list of other standard-setting 

activities of Codex, including 

commodity standards, guidelines, codes 

of practice, and revised texts. This 

notice, which covers Codex activities 

during the time periods from June 1, 

2016, to May 31, 2017, and June 1, 2017, 

to May 31, 2018, seeks comments on 

standards under consideration and 

recommendations for new standards. 

ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested 

persons to submit their comments on 

this notice. Comments may be 

submitted by one of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: This 

Web site provides the ability to type 

short comments directly into the 

comment field on this Web page or 

attach a file for lengthier comments. Go 

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

the on-line instructions at the Web site 

for submitting comments. 

• Mail, including CD–ROMs, etc.: 

Mail to the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA), FSIS, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., Mailstop 

3782, Room 8–163B, Washington, DC 

20250–3700. 

• Hand- or courier-delivered items: 

Deliver to OPPD, RIMS, Docket 

Clearance Unit, Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E 

Street SW., Room 8–164, Washington, 

DC 20250–3700. 

Instructions: All items submitted by 

mail or email are to include the Agency 

name and docket number FSIS–2017– 

0021. Comments received in response to 

this docket will be made available for 

public inspection and posted without 

change, including any personal 

information to http://

www.regulations.gov. 

Please state that your comments refer 

to Codex and, if your comments relate 

to specific Codex committees, please 

identify the committee(s) in your 

comments and submit a copy of your 

comments to the delegate from that 

particular committee. 

Docket: For access to background 

documents or comments received, visit 

the FSIS Docket Room at Patriots Plaza 

3, 355 E Street SW., Room 8–164, 

Washington, DC 20250–3700, between 

8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday 

through Friday. A complete list of U.S. 

delegates and alternate delegates can be 

found in Attachment 2 of this notice. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mary Frances Lowe, United States 

Manager for Codex Alimentarius, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Office of 

Food Safety, South Agriculture 

Building, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW., Room 4861, Washington, DC 

20250–3700; Telephone: (202) 205– 

7760; Fax: (202) 720–3157; Email: 

USCodex@fsis.usda.gov. 

For information pertaining to 

particular committees, contact the 

delegate of that committee. Documents 

pertaining to Codex and specific 

committee agendas are accessible via 

the Internet at http://

www.codexalimentarius.org/meetingsreports/en/. The U.S. Codex Office also 

maintains a Web site at http://

www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/ 

topics/international-affairs/us-codexalimentarius. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The World Trade Organization (WTO) 

was established on January 1, 1995, as 

the common international institutional 

framework for the conduct of trade 

relations among its members in matters 

related to the Uruguay Round Trade 

Agreements. The WTO is the successor 

organization to the General Agreement 

on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). United 

States membership in the WTO was 

approved and the Uruguay Round 

Agreements Act (Uruguay Round 

Agreements) was signed into law by the 

President on December 8, 1994, Public 

Law 103–465, 108 Stat. 4809. The 

Uruguay Round Agreements became 

effective, with respect to the United 

States, on January 1, 1995. The Uruguay 

Round Agreements amended the Trade 

Agreements Act of 1979. Pursuant to 

section 491 of the Trade Agreements Act 

of 1979, as amended, the President is 

required to designate an agency to be 

‘‘responsible for informing the public of 

the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) 

standard-setting activities of each 

international standard-setting 

organization’’ (19 U.S.C. 2578). The 

main international standard-setting 

organizations are Codex, the World 

Organisation for Animal Health, and the 

International Plant Protection 

Convention. The President, pursuant to 

Proclamation No. 6780 of March 23, 

1995, (60 FR 15845), designated the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture as the agency 

responsible for informing the public of 

the SPS standard-setting activities of 

each international standard-setting 

organization. The Secretary of 

Agriculture has delegated to the Office 

of Food Safety the responsibility to 

inform the public of the SPS standardsetting activities of Codex. The Office of 

Food Safety has, in turn, assigned the 

responsibility for informing the public 

of the SPS standard-setting activities of 

Codex to the U.S. Codex Office (USCO). 

Codex was created in 1963 by two 

United Nations organizations, the Food 

and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and 

the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Codex is the principal international 

organization for establishing standards 

for food. Through adoption of food 

standards, codes of practice, and other 

guidelines developed by its committees 

and by promoting their adoption and 

implementation by governments, Codex 

seeks to protect the health of consumers, 

ensure fair practices in the food trade, 

and promote coordination of food 

standards work undertaken by 

international governmental and 

nongovernmental organizations. In the 

United States, U.S. Codex activities are 

managed and carried out by the United 

States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA); the Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA), Department of 

Health and Human Services (HHS); the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), Department of 

Commerce (DOC); and the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA). 

As the agency responsible for 

informing the public of the SPS 

standard-setting activities of Codex, the 

Office of Food Safety publishes this 

notice in the Federal Register annually. 

Attachment 1 (Sanitary and 

Phytosanitary Activities of Codex) sets 

forth the following information: 

1. The SPS standards under 

consideration or planned for 

consideration; and 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES