[Federal Register: November 24, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 226)]
[Notices]               
[Page 66164-66165]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24no99-35]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 99-051N]

 
Equivalence Evaluation Process for Foreign Meat and Poultry Food 
Regulatory Systems

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing a 
public meeting on December 14, 1999 to (1) report the Pathogen 
Reduction/HACCP equivalence status of each country that exports meat or 
poultry to the United States, (2) explain the rationale for acceptance 
of alternative PR/HACCP sanitary measures, and (3) receive additional 
public comments on the state of FSIS equivalence activities.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on December 14, 1999, from 1:00 
p.m. to 6:00 p.m. No preregistration is necessary.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in the Federal Room, 
Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle NW (at Massachusetts Avenue 
and 14th Street), Washington, DC 20009, (202) 842-1300. Attendees 
requiring sign-language interpreters or other special accommodation 
should contact Mr. Clark Danford (identified below in FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT) by November 30, 1999. Transcripts of the meeting 
will be available in the FSIS Docket Office, Room 102, 300 12th Street, 
SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Clark Danford, Acting Director, 
International Policy Division; Office of Policy, Program Development, 
and Evaluation; (202) 720-6400, or by electronic mail to 
clark.danford@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FSIS published a notice in the Federal 
Register of March 12, 1999 (64 FR 12281) announcing the availability of 
a document that describes the Agency's process for evaluating foreign 
meat and poultry inspection systems to determine whether they are 
equivalent to the United States' inspection system. FSIS solicited 
public comments on this document and held a public meeting on April 14, 
1999, to discuss the equivalence evaluation process. The comment period 
ended May 11, 1999. This notice announces a follow-up public meeting to 
(1) report the Pathogen Reduction/HACCP equivalence status of each 
country that exports meat or poultry to the United States, (2) explain 
the rationale for acceptance of alternative PR/HACCP sanitary measures, 
and (3) receive additional public comments on the state of FSIS 
equivalence activities.

Departmental Regulation 4300-4

    FSIS has considered, under Department Regulation 4300-4, ``Civil 
Rights Impact Analysis,'' dated September 1993, the potential civil 
rights impact of this notice on minorities, women, and persons with 
disabilities. FSIS anticipates that this notice will not have a 
negative or disproportionate impact on minorities, women, and persons 
with disabilities. Notices generally are designed to provide 
information and increase public awareness of important policy 
developments. Public involvement in all segments of policy development 
is important. Consequently, in an effort to better ensure that 
minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this 
notice of a public meeting, FSIS will announce the publication of this 
Federal Register notice in the FSIS Constituent Update. 
    FSIS provides a weekly FSIS Constituent Update, which is 
communicated via fax to over 300 organizations and individuals. In 
addition, the update is available on line through the FSIS web page 
located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. The update is used to provide 
information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal 
Register notices, FSIS public meetings, recalls, and any other types of 
information that could affect or would be of interest to our 
constituents. This constituent fax list consists of industry, trade, 
and farm groups, consumer interest groups, allied health professionals, 
scientific professionals, and other individuals that have requested to 
be included. Through these various channels, FSIS is able to provide 
information to a much broader, more diverse audience than would 
otherwise be possible. For more information or to be added to the 
constituent fax list, fax your request to the Agency's Congressional 
and Public Affairs Office, at (202) 720-5704.


[[Page 66165]]


    Done at Washington, DC, on November 18, 1999.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-30604 Filed 11-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3460-DM-P