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FSIS Releases New Food Safety and Public Health Initiatives
On July 14, Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Elsa Murano released "Fulfilling the Vision: Initiatives in
Protecting Public Health," a document that reviews recent successes and builds on the course laid out last year to
improve the prediction and response to food safety challenges in order to further reduce the incidence of foodborne illness.
In 2003, Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman challenged the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to
find creative and effective ways to continue to improve the safety of U.S. meat, poultry and egg products
to better protect public health. FSIS, the public health agency of USDA, and its workforce of over 7,600
inspection and veterinary personnel regulate the safety of these products in approximately 6,000 plants
nationwide.
Fulfilling the Vision presents a list of accomplishments for 2003, which included, enhancement to
BSE safeguards, the development of new FSIS employee training programs, strengthened food security measures
and modernization of enforcement activities. The document also introduces a number of new initiatives to
continue FSIS' mission of ensuring food safety.
In this document, FSIS has developed additional initiatives to continue in its pursuit of improving food
safety. These include developing innovative ways to anticipate and predict food safety risks, considering
risk in regulatory and enforcement activities, supporting the development of a mathematical model to
estimate the illnesses caused by various food commodities and associate program outcomes to public health
surveillance data, and lastly, improving food safety beyond our borders by harmonizing food safety education,
information, and communication.
The complete document, "Fulfilling the Vision: Initiatives in Protecting Public Health,"
| PDF can be found at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081004065632/http://www.fsis.usda.gov.
FSIS' First Ever Teaching Webcast Reaches Hundreds
FSIS is constantly looking for ways to use available technology to further the agency's critical outreach
efforts to industry and the general public. As part of this effort, FSIS conducted its first ever instructional
webcast from New York City on July 10, during the sixth in a series of workshops on E. coli O157:H7 directives.
Thanks to the webcast technology, not only were the 45 owners and managers of small and very small meat
processing facilities in attendance able to participate, but also nearly 150 plant managers and employees
across the country were able to partake in the live meeting via webcast. Those who participated in the
webcast were able to watch the meeting in progress, as well as ask questions in real time through their
computers. Organizations such as the National Meat Association and the Southwest Meat Association assisted
FSIS prior to the meeting by encouraging their members to log into the webcast and participate.
FSIS continues its series of teaching workshops around the nation through September 2004 for small and very small
plants on new directives designed to strengthen E. coli O157:H7 prevention procedures.
The workshops are scheduled on Saturdays from 9 am to 2 pm. FSIS officials will present the materials in the directives
to operators of small and very small federally-inspected plants, state-inspected plants, federal and state inspection
personnel, members of academia and other interested parties. The three FSIS Directives to be covered during the sessions are: Directive 10,010.1 Revision 1 (PDF Only),
Microbiological Testing Program and Other Verification Activities for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Raw Ground Beef
Products and Raw Ground Beef Components and Beef Patty Components; Directive 6420.0 (PDF Only),
Verification of Procedures for Controlling Fecal Material, Ingesta, and Milk in Slaughter Operations;
and Directive 5000.2 (PDF Only),
Review of Establishment Data by Inspection Program Personnel.
- Date: July 17
- Meeting Location: Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza, 300 "J" Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 446-0100
To pre-register for this weekend's workshop in Sacramento, Calif., please call (202) 690-6520 or e-mail
renee.ellis@fsis.usda.gov.
You may also register for this workshop and all future workshops by calling (866) 553-3052 or via FSIS' Web site:
www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events
Reminder: FSIS Seeks Comments on Upcoming New Technology Web Site
FSIS issued a Federal Register notice (Docket No. 04-003N) on June 17, 2004, requesting comments
on the types of information it intends to post on its Web site regarding new food safety technologies that
meat and poultry establishments may implement.
The posted information will focus on new technologies currently under review, or that have already been
reviewed, by the agency. Comments are being sought specifically regarding the value to the public, as
well as the potential costs and negative effects that this information would have if made available to the
public. The notice is available
at www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/04-003N.htm.
All submissions must include the agency name and docket number (04-003N) and be received by July 19, 2004.
Comments may be submitted to: Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection
Service, 300 12th Street, S.W.., Room 102 Cotton Annex, Washington, D.C. 20250 or through the federal
eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov.
NACMCF Subcommittee on Scientific Criteria for Redefining Pasteurization to Meet
The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) Subcommittee on Scientific
Criteria for Redefining Pasteurization will hold public meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 27 & 28,
2004 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., and on Thursday, August 29, 2004 from 8:30a.m. - 12:00p.m., at the
Aerospace Building, 901 "D" St., S.W., Room 369, Washington, D.C.
If you would like to attend any of these meetings, please contact Karen Thomas, Advisory Committee Specialist,
at (202) 690-6620. Please note that due to increased security measures at the Aerospace Center, all persons
wishing to attend must RSVP in advance.
Featured Office of the Week
The FSIS Zoonotic Diseases & Residue Surveillance Division provides leadership in identifying food safety
concerns associated with transportation, marketing, and the pre-slaughter preparation of livestock and
poultry by monitoring and evaluating public health hazards (chemical, physical and microbial) associated
with animal populations. The group applies epidemiological and hazard analysis principles that promote
public health by helping to prevent, reduce, control and test for hazards in a HACCP-based environment.
Library of Export Requirement Updated
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes in export requirements for the following countries:
- Australia
- Japan
- Mexico
- Philippines
Complete information can be found at:
www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/Export_Information/
THIS WEEK'S HOT WEB LINKS
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