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Information on New Technologies Available on FSIS' Web Site
FSIS published a Federal Register Notice to announce that it
has posted on its Web site information regarding new technologies for use
in the production of meat, poultry and egg products.
FSIS received these new products and wrote a "No Objection"
letter, meaning the agency does not believe their use will
compromise food safety. The Web site will feature brief
descriptions of the new technologies and the names of the
companies that produce them.
FSIS is working to increase public and industry awareness of
new technologies and foster their use by small and very
small plants.
Ensuring the proper use of new technologies can have a
significant impact in the safety of the food supply,
especially in reducing threats posed by pathogenic
microorganisms.
Past advancements have contributed to significant
improvements in the safety of meat and poultry products in
recent years.
FSIS intends for the availability of the information about
new technologies on its Web site to be especially valuable
for small and very small establishments, which often have
only small or no research budgets or other resources for
exploring new technologies.
The Web site provides a cost-effective way to learn what new
technologies the agency has received.
The new technologies information can be found on FSIS' Web site at
https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081021073940/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations/
New_Technologies/.
Food Defense Workshops to Be Offered via Web Casts
FSIS will offer Food Defense Workshops via Web cast in
November that are targeted to State directors and inspection
staff as well as small and very small establishment owners.
The Web casts are slated for 1-5 p.m. EST November 2, and
from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST November 10.
The workshops are designed to help participants understand a
number of issues including why a food defense plan is
necessary, how to determine where vulnerabilities in
establishments might be, and how to develop a plan to reduce
the vulnerabilities.
The workshops will also include a section
for inspectors on how to use FSIS Directive 5420.1 Revision
2 - Homeland Security Threat Condition Response - Food
Security Verification Procedures. The directive is available
on FSIS' Web site at
https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081021073940/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/
FSISDirectives/5420.1_Rev2.pdf.
The workshops will be conducted by trainers in FSIS' Office
of Food Defense and Emergency Response.
Further information on the workshops,
including registration materials, is also available on FSIS'
Web site at
https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081021073940/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events/.
FSIS Outreach Meeting in California
FSIS will hold a meeting in conjunction with the National
Meat Association in Ontario, Calif., November 2 to discuss
the state of HACCP in small and very small plants. The
meeting is intended to be a listening and outreach session.
Agency Administrator Dr. Barbara Masters, Deputy
Administrator Bryce Quick, District Manager Dr. Neal
Westgerdes and Strategic Initiatives, Partnerships and
Outreach Deputy Director Robert Tynan are scheduled to
attend the meeting and participate in the panel discussion.
The meeting is scheduled to be held at the Ontario Airport
Marriott, 2200 E. Holt Blvd. from 2 to 4 p.m.
Those requiring further information for the session should
contact Robert Tynan at (202) 690-6522 or by e-mail at
robert.tynan@fsis.usda.gov.
USDA Issues Consumer Alert In Advance of Hurricane Wilma
On October 20, the USDA recently released in a consumer
alert fact sheet providing recommendations on how to
minimize the potential for foodborne illnesses that may
arise due to power outages and flooding in advance of
Hurricane Wilma.
Among the recommendations are steps to follow to prepare for
a possible weather emergency. They include:
- Keep an appliance thermometer in the freezer and
refrigerator in order to indicate temperatures.
Knowing the temperatures in the freezer and
refrigerator in case of a power outage can help
determine the safety of food.
- Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can
be purchased.
- Store food on shelves that would be safely out of
the way of contaminated waters in case of flooding.
The fact sheet also includes steps to follow after a weather
emergency. They include:
- Never taste food to determine its safety!
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
- Drink only bottled water if flooding has occurred.
- Discard all food that came into contact with flood waters, including canned goods.
Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers.
- When in Doubt, Throw It Out!
Consumers with food safety questions should call the
toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline
(1-888-674-6854); TTY, 1-800-256-7072. The Hotline is
available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday.
Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
Consumers can also ask safe food handling questions by
logging on to FSIS' online automated response system called
"Ask Karen," on FSIS' Web site at
https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081021073940/http://www.fsis.usda.gov.
The complete consumer alert fact sheet is available online at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081021073940/http://www.usda.gov/2005/10/0450.xml
Export Requirement Updates
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated for the
European Union, and St. Lucia. Complete information can be
found at:
www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations/Export_Information/
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