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National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods
Minutes of Plenary Session: June 4, 2007
USDA Cafeteria
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20002

Dr. Curt Mann, NACMCF Chairperson and USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety, opened the meeting at 9:30 am on Monday, June 4, 2007. Both the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, Dr. Robert Brackett, Director, Food and Drug Administration/Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, made opening remarks. Dr. Mann mentioned how valuable the NACMCF is to the sponsoring agencies and expressed appreciation regarding the willingness of members to share their valued expertise and time in support of the activities of the Committee. He cited the accomplishments of the 2004-2006 Committee, including the completion of the following two reports: "The Analytical Utility of Campylobacter Methodologies" and "Response to the Questions Posed by the FSIS Regarding Consumer Guidelines for the Safe Cooking of Poultry Products." Both reports are available on the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) website, and have been published in the Journal of Food Protection.

Presentation of Final Work Charges
Dr. Robert Brackett presented the final version of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) charge for the Subcommittee "Parameters for Inoculated Pack/Challenge Study Protocols" on behalf of Dr. Donald Zink, Chair of the Subcommittee. The Subcommittee is asked for its guidance on the appropriate criteria that must be considered for an inoculated pack/challenge study, based on the science involved; the appropriate uses of mathematical growth and inactivation models; the limitations in applying results of an inoculated pack/challenge study of one food to another similar food; developing a decision tree to aid in the design of an appropriate inoculated pack/challenge study; and identify the basic knowledge, skills, education, training, experience and abilities necessary for a multidisciplinary work group or individual to be qualified to design, conduct or evaluate inoculated pack studies.

Dr. Uday Dessai, Chair of the Subcommittee "Determination of the Most Appropriate Technologies for the FSIS to Adopt in Performing Routine and Baseline Microbiological Analyses" presented the final version of this work charge. Dr. Dessai highlighted the major areas of the charge and reviewed the six charge questions. He indicated that the charge is aimed at providing FSIS with advice on what new technologies exist and which ones could complement or replace those currently used at FSIS. Speed of the methods, cost effectiveness, multiple pathogen detection, and looking at process control indicators will be considered. In evaluating the technologies the Subcommittee should consider criteria such as sensitivity, adaptability to various matrices (food, human clinical samples), enumeration, microbial species identification/serotype, PFGE, and any other methods that would potentially determine the virulence of an organism. Advantages and disadvantages of newer technologies will also be evaluated. Dr. Dessai indicated that it will be left to the Subcommittee whether to start addressing the charge by focusing on new technologies for laboratory testing, or on application to in-plant/in-field type of testing for process control.

Public Comments
No comments were received from members of the public.

Close
Dr. Curt Mann adjourned the meeting at 1:37 pm on Monday June 4, 2007.

6-4-07 NACMCF Meeting Participants
  • Vice-Chairperson: Dr. Robert Brackett
  • NACMCF Members:
    • Dr. Gary Ades
    • Dr. Scott Brooks
    • Dr. Peggy Cook
    • Dr. Uday Dessai
    • Dr. Daniel Engeljohn
    • Dr. Timothy Freier
    • Dr. Walt Hill
    • Dr. Michael Jahncke
    • Dr. Julie Ann Kase
    • LTC Robin King
    • Dr. Stephen Knabel
    • Ms. Barbara Kowalcyk
    • Dr. Joseph Madden
    • Dr. Alejandro Mazzotta
    • Dr. Jianghong Meng
    • Dr. Eli Perencevich
    • Ms. Angela Ruple
    • Ms. Virginia (Jenny) Scott
    • Dr. Robert Tauxe
    • Dr. Irene Wesley
  • NACMCF Executive Committee: Dr. LeeAnne Jackson, FDA Liaison
  • FSIS Staff Members
    • Ms. Gerri Ransom, Executive Secretary
    • Mrs. Karen Thomas-Sharp, Advisory Committee Specialist
    • Dr. Evelyne Mbandi, Technical Assistant to NACMCF


Last Modified: October 3, 2007

 

 

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