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FSIS to Hold Regulatory Education Sessions for Small and Very Small Plants
FSIS will hold regulatory education sessions for the owners and operators of small and very small plants in Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin, New York and California.
The sessions will cover a regulatory walk-through of the sanitation standard operating procedures, hazard analysis and critical control point and rules of practice regulations.
The regulatory education sessions will be held at the following locations:
- Tuesday, August 22, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., at the Embassy Suites Dallas Market Center, 2727 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75207;
- Wednesday, August 23, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., at the Sheraton Atlanta Downtown, 165 Courtland Street, Atlanta, Ga. 30303;
- Tuesday, September 12, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., at the Howard Johnson Hotel, 3841 E. Washington Avenue, Madison, Wis. 53704;
- Thursday, September 14, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., at the MCC Building Auditorium, University of Texas J.J. Pickle Research Campus, 3935 West Braker Lane (on the southwest corner of MOPac (Loop 1) and Braker Lane), Austin, Texas 78759;
- Tuesday, September 19, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., at the Crown Plaza Albany Hotel, State and Lodge Streets, Albany, N.Y. 12207; and
- Wednesday, September 20, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., at the Embassy Suites Hotel Los Angeles – Covina, 1211 E. Garvey Street, Covina, Calif. 91724.
To register by phone, call (800) 336-3747. Online registration forms can be found at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105024449/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/
Outreach_Sessions_SVS_Plants/index.asp.
FSIS Seeks Comments on Technical Service Center Operations
FSIS is seeking comments as part of its efforts to improve its Technical Service Center (TSC) operations. FSIS is particularly interested in improving TSC programs that assist small businesses.
FSIS is reviewing the organization, operations and services provided by its TSC in Omaha, Neb., with the intent of improving TSC programs that provide technical advice, guidance and information to FSIS personnel, the regulated industry and the general public.
The agency is accepting comments until August 30, through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105024449/http://www.regulations.gov or by electronic mail at FSIS.RegulationsComments@usda.gov.
The related Federal Register notice is available on FSIS’ Web site at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105024449/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/
regulations_&_policies/2006_Notices_Index/index.asp.
FSIS Posts Second Quarterly Progress Report on Salmonella Testing of Raw Meat and Poultry Products
FSIS posted to its Web site on August 11, the second quarterly progress report on Salmonella testing of selected raw meat and poultry products. This quarterly report provides preliminary data for the months of April through June 2006.
In February 2006, FSIS posted in the Federal Register its intention to publish results quarterly and to change how it used the results from its Salmonella verification sampling program for meat and poultry establishments as a way to enhance public health protection.
FSIS is now providing results from individual Salmonella verification sample tests the agency regularly conducts at meat and poultry establishments to establishments that have asked to be informed of various tests.
The quarterly report is available on FSIS’ Web site at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105024449/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science
/Q2_2006_Salmonella_Testing/index.asp.
FSIS Remains Focused on Risk-Based Inspection Plans
As announced during the town hall meeting in June, FSIS is currently in the conceptual phase of an initiative to make its meat and poultry inspection system more risk-based in order to better protect the public. The agency is taking a transparent approach as this initiative progresses from concept to policy.
“We want our employees to know that the lines of communication are open,” said Dr. Barbara Masters, FSIS administrator, during her opening remarks at the meeting. “We think that it’s imperative that we receive your continuous feedback as we move toward implementing a more robust, risk-based inspection system.”
The agency outlined the basic features of a predictive risk-based inspection (RBI) model in its July 2004 vision paper titled, Fulfilling the Vision: Initiatives in Protecting Public Health. This model allows FSIS to improve resource allocation by considering the inherent risks and risk control effectiveness of the many meat and poultry establishments it inspects. Since then, FSIS has continued developing and refining these ideas. In November 2005, FSIS addressed the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI), to provide committee members with an update on the agency’s progress toward a risk-based inspection system. In May 2006, the agency addressed NACMPI again with ideas on measuring establishment risk control effectiveness for risk-based inspections.
This initiative was described by Dr. Masters as a major structure built on a strong foundation with three pillars providing support. The pillars are FSIS employees, industry and consumers. "These three pillars taken together maintain the system’s integrity."
The agency has created a Web site to provide greater access to information on RBI as well as provide input on this important initiative. For more information about RBI, visit FSIS’ Web site at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105024449/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations
_&_policies/Risk_Based_Inspection/.
FSIS Issues Notice on Food Defense Sampling
FSIS issued Notice 49-06, titled, Food Defense Sampling for the National School Lunch Program.
This notice announces that beginning the week of August 14, FSIS will coordinate with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service and the Food and Nutrition Service to conduct a pilot program of food defense sampling for the national school lunch program.
Under the pilot program, FSIS personnel will initially collect samples of fine ground beef that the agency will test for threat agents. FSIS will sample product at official establishments and warehouses located in the participating states of Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey and South Dakota. In the future, the agencies may expand the pilot to address additional products.
Notice 49-06 is available on FSIS’ Web site at
https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105024449/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/
Notice_49-06/index.asp.
Export Tip of the Week
With the reopening of the Japanese market, it is imperative that product is accurately certified. This entails the collaborative efforts of industry and government.
It is ultimately the exporter’s responsibility to provide accurate information with respect to the export documentation required.
However, FSIS inspection officials and USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) export verification managers must work together to check export certificates to assure the information on documents is accurately reflected.
Plant managers must also assure that quality system assessment export verification (EV) program manuals are appropriately amended to reflect Japan’s new requirements prior to producing product destined for Japan. The bottom line is that Japan and other countries have indicated a very low tolerance for port-of-entry violations of their regulations.
Plant managers, exporting agents, FSIS inspection officials and AMS managers of EV programs must work more closely than ever before to assure that product is appropriately certified, not only for Japan but for any other country requiring an EV program, prior to its departure from the United States.
Visit FSIS’ Web site at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105024449/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/ Export_Information/index.asp to learn more about requirements for exporting products to other countries.
Export Requirement Updates
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes in export requirements for the following:
- Australia
- Chile
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- St. Lucia
- Taiwan
- Ukraine
Complete information can be found at: https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105024449/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/
Export_Information/index.asp.
FSIS Re-Issues Notice on Foreign Animal Diseases and Reportable Conditions
FSIS issued a revision to Directive 6000.1 on August 3, to provide public health veterinarians (PHVs) instructions to follow when they believe that animals may have foreign animal diseases (FADs), or when PHVs observe symptoms of FADs or other reportable conditions.
This directive titled, Responsibilities Related to Foreign Animal Diseases (FADs) and Reportable Conditions, was revised to combine the two lists of reportable diseases into a single list and to add lagomorph (rabbits) diseases to that list. This is necessary to correspond with changes made by the World Organization for Animal Health.
FSIS Directive 6000.1, Revision 1, is available on FSIS’ Web site at
https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105024449/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/
FSISDirectives/6000.1Rev1.pdf.
“Browse by Subject” Name Change
FSIS has changed the name Food Security & Emergency Preparedness to Food Defense & Emergency Response in the left “Browse by Subject” navigation on FSIS’ Web site.
Updated pages explain in greater detail how FSIS helps industry and governments prepare for, respond to and recover from emergency situations.
To learn more about food defense & emergency response, visit FSIS’ Web site at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105024449/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/
Food_Defense_&_Emergency_Response/index.asp
Avian Influenza (AI
Want to know the latest information on avian influenza (AI)?
Information about USDA’s avian influenza efforts can be found at www.usda.gov/birdflu and at the U.S. government’s comprehensive Web resource, www.pandemicflu.gov.
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Last Modified:
August 14, 2006 |
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