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Food Safety Agencies Announce Public Meeting to Discuss Foodborne Illness Attribution Estimates
FSIS, FDA and CDC recently announced a public meeting to discuss federal efforts to enhance food safety strategies
through improved use and characterization of foodborne illness source attribution. The meeting will be held in
Washington, D.C., on Jan. 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This meeting, originally scheduled to be held in the South
Building's cafeteria, has now been moved to the Jefferson Auditorium.
Discussions will include federal approaches to food source attribution and outline efforts to develop harmonized
food source attribution fractions to inform food safety strategies. The meeting also will be used to review a draft
strategic plan developed by the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration, which was formed in 2011 to
increase collaboration on analytic projects.
Individuals wishing to attend are encouraged to pre-register. Registration closes on Jan. 25 and can be done online
at www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/meetings_&_events. The deadline to
register to make a public comment during the meeting is Jan. 9.
The meeting will be held at USDA's South Building, Jefferson Auditorium, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington,
D.C. 20250. Non-USDA employees must provide photo identification to enter the building.
For general information, requests to make an oral presentation or to request special accommodations due to a
disability, contact Juanita Yates, FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition , at (240) 402-1731 or
Joan Lindenberger, FSIS, at (202) 720-6755.
Help for Dealing with Plant Emergencies Made Available in Korean
A Korean version of the Small Plant News guidebook, Help for Dealing With Plant Emergencies, is available for
viewing and downloading on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/
News_&_Events/Small_Plant_News/index.asp.
For those plant owners and operators who speak Korean as their first language, this guidebook will assist them in
preparing for, responding to and recovering from some common emergencies that they may encounter at their plant.
An English version of the guide is also available alongside the Korean version.
For more information, contact the Small Plant Help Desk at (877) 374-7435 or e-mail
InfoSource@fsis.usda.gov.
Register for the 2012 Agricultural Outlook Forum
USDA is hosting the 2012 Agricultural Outlook Forum, Moving Agriculture Forward: USDA — Growing, Innovating, and
Celebrating 150 Years, Feb. 23-24, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va.
The forum features 30 breakout sessions spotlighting a range of issues related to global food security, locally
grown foods, fighting foodborne illnesses, sustainability and the farm income outlook for 2012.
To learn more and register for the Forum, visit www.usda.gov/oce/forum/.
Former FSIS Employee Sentenced to Prison
Timothy Louis Holt, a former FSIS employee, who pled guilty last October to one count of wire fraud and one count
of making false statements, was sentenced on Jan. 4 to serve 21 months in federal prison. He was also ordered to
repay the government approximately $187,000.
The charges stem from an FSIS misconduct investigation which revealed that Holt created false academic credentials
that allowed him to illegally receive salary and benefits for more than 6 years.
Export Requirement Updates
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes in export requirements
for the following countries:
- Chile
- Mexico
- People's Republic of China
Complete information can be found at
https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120921172538/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/
Export_Information/index.asp.
Proposed Rule to Streamline Generic Labeling Approval Processes
FSIS proposed a new rule that will allow establishments to label a broader range of products without first
submitting the label to the agency for approval. After the rule goes into effect, FSIS will continue to verify
that labels are accurate, not misleading and in compliance with all labeling features.
Individuals are invited to submit comments electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
www.regulations.gov until Feb. 3. Comments may also be mailed to USDA,
FSIS, OPPD, RIMD, Docket Clearance Unit, Patriots Plaza III, 355 E St., S.W., Rm. 8-164, Washington, D.C. 20024-3221.
All items submitted must include the docket number FSIS-2005-0016.
In addition, webinars on this subject will be held on Jan. 12 and Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. ET on both days. To access the
webinar, go tohttps://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120921172538/https://connect16.uc.att.com/usda/meet/?ExEventID=85277207
and follow the on-screen instructions. For questions, contact Kristin Goodwin at (301) 504-0878 or
kristin.goodwin@fsis.usda.gov.
Register for Webinar on Nutrition Labeling Rule
FSIS is delaying the effective date of the final rule that will require nutrition labeling of the major cuts of
single-ingredient, raw meat and poultry products and ground or chopped meat and poultry products. The original
effective date of the final rule was Jan. 1, but is now delayed until March 1.
The new effective date will ensure that industry has adequate time to comply with the requirements of the final rule.
The Federal Register notice announcing the delay was published to the FSIS website
(www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/
Interim_&_Final_Rules/index.asp).
Webinars on this subject will be held on Jan. 18 and Feb 28 at 2 p.m. ET on both days.
To access the webinar, go to https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120921172538/https://connect16.uc.att.com/usda/meet/?ExEventID=85277207
and follow the on-screen instructions. For questions, contact Kristin Goodwin at (301) 504-0878 or
kristin.goodwin@fsis.usda.gov.
Regulatory Webinar Available on Recalls of Products With Undeclared Allergens
The agency will host a webinar on Jan. 10 and Feb. 7 to provide guidance on addressing a recent increase of products
recalled because of undeclared allergens.
The discussion will focus on the steps establishments can take to prevent the production of items containing
undeclared allergens. Both webinars will begin at 2 p.m. ET.
To access the webinar, go to https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120921172538/https://connect16.uc.att.com/usda/meet/?ExEventID=85277207
and follow the on-screen instructions. For questions, contact Kristin Goodwin at (301) 504-0878 or
kristin.goodwin@fsis.usda.gov.
Updates on FSIS Testing for E. coli
Weekly updates for the agency's raw beef E. coli sampling program are posted on the FSIS website.
For previous and current year results, go to
www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/
Ground_Beef_E.coli_Testing_Results/index.asp.
FSIS Policy Updates
FSIS issues notices and directives to protect public health. The following policy updates were recently issued:
- Notice 74-11, The Process of Setting Up Establishments In PHIS
- Notice 75-11, Manufacture of Animal Food or Uninspected Articles at Official Establishments
- Notice 76-11, Disposition of Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle
- Notice 77-11, Updated: Announcing the Final Rule Requiring Nutrition Labeling of the Major Cuts of Single-Ingredient, Raw Meat and Poultry Products and Ground or Chopped Meat and Poultry Products
- Notice 78-11, FSIS Actions in Establishments That Temporarily Alter Routine Practices During Routine Risk-Based Listeria monocytogenes (RLm) Sampling or Intensified Verification Testing (IVT)
- Notice 79-11, Compositing of Environmental Samples Collected During Routine Risk-Based Listeria monocytogenes (RLm) Sampling
- Notice 80-11, Collecting Supplier Information at the Time of Sample Collection for E. Coli O157:H7 in Raw Ground Beef Products and Bench Trim
- Notice 01-12, Expiration of FSIS Notice 73-10 "Numbering Error on MPI Series Export Certificates"
- Notice 02-12, Export of Product with a Country Label Designation Different From the Export Certificate Designation
- Directive 5010.1, Food Safety Related Topics for Discussion During Weekly Meetings
- Directive 7120.1, Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of Meat, Poultry and Egg Products - Revision 10
All notices and directives are available at www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/index.asp.
Get Answers at askFSIS
AskFSIS is a web-based technology and policy question-and-answer forum on topics such as exporting,
labeling, inspection, programs and procedures.
In addition, askFSIS offers Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds that link back to the Q&As. To
view recently posted topics, visit https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120921172538/http://askfsis.custhelp.com/.
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Last Modified:
January 6, 2012 |
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