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FSIS Solicits Nominations for the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection
FSIS published a Federal Register notice on December 24, 2008 to announce that the Agency is currently
accepting applications for membership of the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI).
Established in 1971, NACMPI was created to advise and make recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on meat,
poultry and egg products inspection programs.
Membership is drawn from a broad range of groups interested in food safety to include industry, academia, State and
local government officials, public health organizations and consumer organizations. Committee appointments are made by
the Secretary of Agriculture.
The full committee consists of no fewer than 16 and no more than 18 members. Each person selected is expected to serve a
two-year term and existing members are permitted to serve three consecutive two-year terms. The committee generally
meets twice a year and addresses food safety policy issues affecting USDA. To learn more about NACMPI, visit FSIS' Web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/NACMPI/index.asp.
The Agency is accepting nominations until January 23. Nominations should be submitted by e-mail to NACMPI@fsis.usda.gov
or by mail to FSIS Administrator Alfred V. Almanza, in care of Faye Smith at 1400 Independence Avenue S.W.,
Room 1175-South Building, Washington, DC 20250-3700. Applicants may also fax required documents to (202) 720-5704.
The Federal Register notice is available on at
www.fsis.usda.gov/Frame/FrameRedirect.asp?main=https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116013150/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/
2008-0038.htm.
USDA Hosts Codex Public Meeting on Fats and Oils
USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration
announced a public meeting to discuss information and receive public comments on agenda items to draft U.S. positions that will
be discussed at the 21st Session of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO)
of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, to be held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
The public meeting will be held on Monday, January 26 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the back conference area of the South Agricultural
Building's cafeteria located at 1400 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, D.C.
Documents and agenda items related to the 21st Session of the CCFO are accessible at the Codex Web site at www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
For further information about the public meeting, contact Syed Ali at (202) 205-7760 or Syed.Ali@fsis.usda.gov.
Export Requirement Updates
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes in export requirements for the following:
- European Union
- Indonesia
- Switzerland
Complete information can be found at www.fsis.usda.gov/
Regulations_&_Policies/Export_Information/index.asp.
Register for FSIS "How to" Workshops for Small and Very Small Plants
Since 2006, FSIS' Center for Learning has hosted various outreach sessions to review basic regulatory principles with small and
very small plant owners and operators to provide them with information to enhance the design and implementation of their food safety systems.
The Agency will hold a series of "how to" workshops to provide practical tools and methods for proper application and compliance.
These outreach workshops will cover various information such as developing controls for Salmonella and Campylobacter,
establishing effective sanitation practices, developing food defense plans, ensuring humane handling of livestock and conducting product recalls.
Visit www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/
Outreach_Sessions_SVS_Plants/index.asp to register for the following workshops:
- January 12 - Atlanta, Georgia
7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Doubletree Atlanta Northwest Marietta
2055 South Park Place
- January 13 - Atlanta, Georgia
7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Doubletree Atlanta Northwest Marietta
2055 South Park Place
- January 20 - Albany, New York
1:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Albany Marriott
189 Wolf Road
- January 22 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Hilton Philadelphia Airport
4509 Island Avenue
- January 24 - Dallas, Texas
8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Crowne Plaza Dallas Park Central
7800 Alpha Road
Individuals may also register by phone at 1-800-336-3747. Pre-registration is not required but it is highly encouraged.
SignFSIS Video-casts to be Featured on USA.gov and DeafMD.org
FSIS launched SignFSIS in June 2008 to provide consumers with an alternative format to receive food safety
information in written English and American Sign Language. To date, the campaign has produced and posted to the
FSIS Web site 12 video-casts covering food safety topics such as E. coli, food safety during power outages and safe turkey preparation.
Consumers now have two additional portals to view these innovative video-casts - USA.gov and DeafMD.org.
USA.gov is an easy-to-search, free-access Web site with approximately 5 millions links, designed to give consumers a centralized place
to find information from Federal, State, and local government agency web sites. The ASL video-casts will be featured on the
news and media page that includes Federal print and broadcast materials in various formats.
DeafMD.org is recognized as the leading provider of health education and information to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
These two web sites will be invaluable in FSIS' efforts to reach consumers and further its mission.
FSIS is the first agency within USDA to provide this type of service to consumers who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. The video-casts
are appealing to a broader audience as they also feature text captions.
Users can access the video-casts and subscribe for page updates on FSIS' Web site at www.fsis.usda.gov/SignFSIS.
Food Safety During the Super Bowl Party
Many Super Bowl parties go on for several hours where food will often be left at room temperature and can easily allow bacteria
to multiply and cause illness. FSIS offers this food safety guide for the big game.
Personal Foul, Illegal Use of Hands
Clean - Wash hands and surfaces often. Unclean hands are one of the biggest culprits for spreading bacteria.
Blocking
Separate - Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat and poultry apart from cooked foods. The juices from the raw meat
can contain harmful bacteria that cross contaminates other foods.
False Start
Cook - A false start in food safety occurs when partially or undercooked food is served. Color is not a
reliable indicator, use a food thermometer!
Blitz
Chill - Leftovers? Refrigerate or freeze food promptly.
Upon Further Review
You can also be sure that you are making the right call when it comes to - USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854).
FSIS Issues Directives and Notices
FSIS issues directives and notices to enhance the Agency's efforts in protecting public health. The following directive and notices were recently published:
- Notice 02-09 - Requirements Related to Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (Sanitation SOPs) Preventive Measures;
- Notice 03-09 - Nationwide Market Hogs Microbiological Baseline Data Collection Program - Shakedown;
- Notice 04-09 - How to Proceed In Establishments That Have Multiple FSIS Laboratory Confirmed Residue Violations from the Same Source Supplier;
- Notice 05-09 - Measures to Address E. coli O157:H7 at Establishments That Receive, Grind or Otherwise Process Raw Beef Products; and
- Change Transmittal Sheet for Directive 7120.1 - Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of Meat and Poultry Products.
To view all directives and notices, visit www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/index.asp.
Have a Policy or Technical Question - askFSIS
The Agency recently issued Notice 07-08, Using askFSIS, announcing its intent to discontinue service to the
techcenter@fsis.usda.gov and FSIS.labeling@fsis.usda.gov mailboxes.
In its place, FSIS encourages the use of askFSIS, a user-friendly tool to assist with technical and policy-related questions 24 hours a day.
This resource is an interactive tool that will allow users to find answers, submit new questions, track responses and request notification of updates.
If users want to ask about inspection, exporting or labeling procedures - askFSIS is available. For more details about this
feature, visit https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116013150/http://askfsis.custhelp.com or send an e-mail to
askFSIS@fsis.usda.gov.
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Last Modified:
January 9, 2009 |
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