Reports are due back to the full committee at the end of the year.
The third and fourth days of meetings were set aside for public comments on the FSIS regulatory proposal concerning RTE meat and poultry products. The issues to be commented upon included lethality and stabilization performance standards, requirements for the control of Listeria monocytogenes, revisions to the regulations governing the elimination of Trichina from pork products, and to those governing commercially sterile canned products. The change on canned products, however, was strongly objected to by industry members who said the lack of clear-cut regulatory directives could jeopardize the safety of these products that have for years enjoyed complete public confidence. With respect to the Listeria testing requirements, the concern is that the proposal is too loosely drawn and may open the door to creative labeling, which might bypass the intent of the standard. The date for written comments on these proposals has been extended to July 28th.