[Federal Register: June 18, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 117)]
[Notices]
[Page 34119-34121]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18jn04-52]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 04-003N]
New Technology Website Contents
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice with request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service is requesting comments
on the types of information that it intends to post on its Web site
regarding the use of new technologies in the production of meat,
poultry, and egg products. Specifically, FSIS intends to post
information about new technologies that are under review, or that have
been reviewed, by the Agency. The Agency seeks comments about the value
of the information to the public and the costs and other detrimental
effects to a company if this information is made publicly available.
FSIS is publishing this notice as part of its ongoing effort to
increase public and industry awareness of new technologies and to
foster their use by small and very small plants.
[[Page 34120]]
DATES: The Agency must receive comments by July 19, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROM's, and hand-or
courier-delivered items: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 300 12th Street, SW.,
Room 102 Cotton Annex, Washington, DC 20250.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions at that site for
submitting comments.
All submissions received must include the Agency name and docket
number 04-003N. All comments submitted will be available for public
inspection in the FSIS Docket Room at the address listed above between
8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The comments also will
be posted on the Agency's Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRDockets.htm
.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Bobby
Palesano, Acting Director, New Technology Staff, Office of Policy and
Program Development, FSIS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 2932,
South Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington,
DC 20250-3700; telephone (202) 205-0675, fax (202) 205-0080.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
FSIS has a longstanding interest in technologies used in meat and
poultry establishments and egg products plants. FSIS believes that the
development and proper use of technology can contribute significantly
to improving the safety of the food supply, especially with regard to
reducing the threat posed by pathogenic microorganisms.
On February 11, 2003, FSIS published a notice in the Federal
Register titled ``FSIS Procedures for Notification of New Technology''
(68 FR 6873). This notice established new, flexible procedures to
actively encourage the development and use of new technologies in meat
and poultry establishments and egg products plants.
Six months later, on August 12, 2003, Dr. Elsa Murano, Under
Secretary for Food Safety, United States Department of Agriculture,
announced the formation of the New Technology Staff (NTS). Located
within FSIS, the NTS is charged with reviewing new technologies that
companies intend to employ in the processing of meat, poultry, and egg
products to ensure that the use of these technologies is consistent
with Agency regulations, and that the technologies will not adversely
affect product safety, inspection procedures, or the safety of FSIS
inspectors.
On February 19, 2004, FSIS posted on the FSIS website at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oppde/op/technology/guidance.htm
document titled
``Guidance Procedures for Notification and Protocol Submission of New
Technology.'' This guidance document is intended to assist
establishments in determining whether they need to notify FSIS of new
technologies that they propose to use in meat and poultry
establishments and egg products plants, and to provide guidance on when
to submit protocols for in-plant testing of new technologies. These
guidelines replaced the procedures specified in FSIS's February 11,
2003, Federal Register notice.
FSIS defines ``new technology'' as new, or new applications of,
equipment, substances, methods, processes, or procedures affecting the
slaughter of livestock and poultry or processing of meat, poultry, or
egg products. Steam vacuums, steam pasteurization, and antimicrobials
are all examples of advances in food safety technology that have
occurred in recent years. New technologies have resulted in significant
improvements in the safety of meat and poultry products in recent
years.
Because of its desire to share information and to encourage small
and very small plants to utilize new technologies, FSIS is considering
posting on its Web site information on new technologies that are the
subject of notifications or protocols that the Agency has received. The
summaries would provide brief descriptions of the new technology
notifications or protocols from industry. The summaries would include
the submitter's name, a brief description of the new technology, and
the status of the submission.
There are 5 status categories: (1) Pending (the notification is
under review), (2) Objection Letter Issued (an aspect of the technology
requires study), (3) Notification Information Inadequate (the
notification does not include adequate information), (4) No Objection
Letter Issued (the Agency has no objection to use of the new
technology), and (5) Protocol Approved for In-plant Trial (the
submitter will be studying an aspect of the use of the technology). The
Agency intends to indicate the status of each pending submission.
The following are examples of new technologies and how they may
appear on the Web site:
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Summary of the notification/
Company name protocol Status
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XYZ.................. Direct application of a No Objection
biological agent as an Letter Issued.
antimicrobial in processing of
poultry.
YZX.................. Application of a chemical agent Pending.
as an antimicrobial processing
aid on raw beef carcasses.
ZXY.................. Application of new substance as Notification
an antimicrobial food additive Information
on fully cooked product. Inadequate.
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The Agency recognizes, however, that a new technology notification
or protocol may contain proprietary information. Therefore, the Agency
requests comments on what information on new technologies it should
make publicly available and on ways to protect proprietary information.
For example, FSIS requests comments on the possibility that, if a
submitter is concerned about the disclosure of proprietary information
or a trade secret contained in the notification or protocol, the
submitter could prepare and submit to FSIS both a confidential business
information (CBI) version of the document and a public version. The CBI
version would specify the information that the submitter considers to
be proprietary or trade secret. If none of the information in the
submission is proprietary or trade secret, and the submitter has no
concerns about disclosing it, then only a public version of the
document would need to be submitted to FSIS.
FSIS is requesting comments on the information that it intends to
post on its website regarding the submissions of new technologies.
Specifically, the Agency is seeking comments on the value of this
information and on the costs and other detrimental effects to a company
if this information is made publicly available. FSIS will not begin to
regularly post information about new notifications and protocols until
after the comment period has ended, and it has evaluated and responded
to all comments received.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to
[[Page 34121]]
ensure that the public and in particular minorities, women, and persons
with disabilities, are aware of this notice, FSIS will announce it on-
line through the FSIS web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov.
The Regulations.gov website is the central online rulemaking portal
of the United States government. It is being offered as a public
service to increase participation in the Federal government's
regulatory activities. FSIS participates in Regulations.gov and will
accept comments on documents published on the site. The site allows
visitors to search by keyword or Department or Agency for rulemakings
that allow for public comment. Each entry provides a quick link to a
comment form so that visitors can type in their comments and submit
them to FSIS. The website is located at http://www.regulations.gov.
FSIS also will 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, recalls, and other types of
information that could affect or would be of interest to our
constituents and stakeholders. The update is communicated via Listserv,
a free e-mail subscription service consisting of industry, trade, and
farm groups, consumer interest groups, allied health professionals,
scientific professionals, and other individuals who have requested to
be included. The update also is available on the FSIS web page. Through
Listserv and the web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a
much broader, more diverse audience.
Done at Washington, DC, on June 15, 2004.
Barbara Masters,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 04-13863 Filed 6-17-04; 8:45 am]