[Federal Register: November 4, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 213)]
[Notices]
[Page 64268-64269]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04no04-18]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety Inspection Service
[Docket No. 04-031C]
Nominations for Membership on the National Advisory Committee on
Microbiological Criteria for Foods
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA.
ACTION: Correction.
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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service published a document in
the Federal Register on October 22, 2004, concerning Nominations for
Membership on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological
Criteria for Foods. Correction: In the Federal Register of October 22,
2004, Volume 69, Number 204, on page 62017, in the first paragraph and
SUMMARY, the following sentence should have appeared: ``Persons from
State and Federal governments, industry, consumer groups, and academia,
as well as all other interested persons, are invited to submit
nominations''. Please note that ``consumer groups'' and ``all other
interested parties'' had been inadvertently omitted from the sentence
that originally appeared. The Agency is publishing this corrected
notice and will accept nominations 30 calendar days from the date of
the publication of this corrected notice.
This corrected notice announces that the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting nominations for membership on the
National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods
(NACMCF). Nominations for membership are being sought from individuals
with scientific expertise in the fields of epidemiology, food
technology, microbiology (food, clinical, and predictive), risk
assessment, infectious disease, biostatistics, and other related
sciences. Persons from State and Federal governments, industry,
consumer groups, and academia, as well as all other interested persons,
are invited to submit nominations. Members who are not Federal
government employees will be appointed to serve as non-compensated
special government employees (SGEs). SGEs will be subject to
appropriate conflict of interest statutes and standards of ethical
conduct.
DATES: The nominee's typed resume or curriculum vitae must be received
by December 4, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent to Ms. Karen Thomas, Advisory
Committee Specialist, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room
333 Aerospace Center, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20250-3700.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Karen Thomas, Advisory Committee
Specialist, at the above address or by telephone 202-690-6620 or FAX
202-690-6634.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The NACMCF was established in March 1988, in response to a
recommendation in a 1985 report of the National Academy of Sciences
Committee on Food Protection, Subcommittee on Microbiological
[[Page 64269]]
Criteria, ``An Evaluation of the Role of Microbiological Criteria for
Foods.'' The current charter for the NACMCF and other information about
the Committee are available for viewing on the NACMCF home page at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/NACMCF/index.asp.
The Committee provides scientific advice and recommendations to the
Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services
concerning the development of microbiological criteria by which the
safety and wholesomeness of food can be assessed. For example, the
Committee assists in the development of criteria for microorganisms
that indicate whether food has been processed using good manufacturing
practices.
Appointments to the Committee will be made by the Secretary of
Agriculture after consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to ensure that recommendations made by the Committee take into
account the needs of the diverse groups served by the Department.
Membership shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with
demonstrated ability to represent minorities, women, and persons with
disabilities.
Given the complexity of issues, the full Committee expects to meet
at least once yearly, and the meetings will be announced in the Federal
Register. The subcommittees will meet as deemed necessary by the
chairperson and will be held as working group meetings in an open
public forum. The subcommittee meetings will not be announced in the
Federal Register. FSIS will announce the agenda and subcommittee
working group meetings through the Constituent Update available on-line
at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. NACMCF holds subcommittee working group
meetings in order to accomplish the work of NACMCF; all work
accomplished by the subcommittees is reviewed and approved by the full
Committee during a public meeting of the full Committee, as announced
in the Federal Register. The subcommittee may invite technical experts
to present information for consideration by the subcommittee. All data
and records available to the full Committee are expected to be
available to the public at the time the full Committee reviews and
approves the work of the subcommittee.
Appointment to the Advisory Committee is a two-year term; renewable
for a total of three consecutive terms. Members must be prepared to
work outside of scheduled Committee and subcommittee meetings, and may
be required to assist in document preparation. Committee members serve
on a voluntary basis; however, travel reimbursement and per diem are
available.
Regarding Nominees Who Are Selected
All nominees who are selected must submit a USDA Advisory Committee
Membership Background Information form AD-755, available on-line at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FSISForms/AD-755.pdf.
In particular to their appointment, SGEs must complete the Office
of Government Ethics (OGE) 450 Confidential Financial Disclosure
Report, as new entrants before rendering any advice, or prior to their
first meeting. All members will be reviewed for conflict of interest
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 208 in relation to specific NACMCF work charges.
Financial disclosure updates will be required of members before each
meeting. Members must report any changes in financial holdings
requiring additional disclosure. OGE 450 forms are available on-line
at: http://www.usoge.gov/pages/forms_pubs_otherdocs/fpo_files/forms/fr450fill_03.pdf
.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that the
public and in particular minorities, women, and persons with
disabilities, are aware of this notice, FSIS will announce it both on-
line through the FSIS Web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov and the NACMCF Web page at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/NACMCF/index.asp.
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 in Washington, DC, on: October 29, 2004.
Richard Van Blargan,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 04-24602 Filed 11-3-04; 8:45 am]