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Register for Codex Public Meeting on Fats and Oils
The Office of Food Safety and the Food and Drug Administration are co-sponsoring a public meeting to receive
public comments and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 22nd Session of the Codex Committee on
Fats and Oils (CCFO), which will be held in Penang, Malaysia.
The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 9, from 1:30 to 4 p.m., at the Food and Drug Administration,
Harvey Wiley Building, Auditorium (1A003), 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD.
To participate via teleconference, dial (866) 859-5767 and enter passcode 2225276. Documents and agenda items
related to the 22nd Session of the CCFO will be accessible on the Codex website at
www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp. Individuals
are invited to submit written comments electronically to uscodex@fsis.usda.gov.
For more information, contact Marie Maratos at (202) 690-4795 or Marie.Maratos@fsis.usda.gov.
USDA Announces Public Meeting to Seek Comments on Methods of Analysis and Sampling
The Office of Food Safety and the Food and Drug Administration are co-sponsoring a public meeting to receive public
comments and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 32nd Session of the Codex Committee on Methods of
Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) to be held in Budapest, Hungary.
The public meeting will be held on Feb. 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Harvey Wiley Bldg., Rm. 2B047, 5100
Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD. To participate via teleconference, dial (866) 859-5767 and enter passcode
2225276.
Documents and agenda items related to the 32nd Session of the CCMAS are available at
www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
Written comments may also be submitted through uscodex@fsis.usda.gov.
For more information contact Marie Maratos at Marie.Maratos@fsis.usda.gov or (202) 690-4795.
New Salmonella Standards: A Weekly Industry Progress Update
FSIS recently announced that it is tracking industry performance to see if 90 percent of poultry slaughter
establishments would have met updated and tightened Salmonella standards for 2010 if they had been in
effect. (See the Dec. 17, 2010, issue of the Constituent Update at
www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/
Const_Update_121710/index.asp.)
The President's Food Safety Working Group set the goal of having
90 percent of poultry establishments meet tightened Salmonella standards as a tool to reduce human illness
caused by Salmonella.
The final count for 2010 will include sample sets that started no later than Dec. 31, 2010, and complete no later
than March 31, 2011. The table below shows progress as of this week and projects a final "best-case" possible total.
| Plant Category |
Percentage Complete and Passed as of Jan 1, 2011 |
Percentage That Could Complete and Pass by Mar 31, 2011 |
| Young Chickens |
86.7 |
90.2 |
| Young Turkeys |
90.9 |
96.9 |
This represents no change from last week for both young chickens and young turkeys.
Updates on FSIS Testing for E. coli
Weekly updates for the agency's raw beef E. coli sampling program are posted to the FSIS website.
For comparative previous and current year results, go to www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/
Ground_Beef_E.coli_Testing_Results/index.asp.
Export Requirement Updates
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes in export requirements for the following countries:
Complete information can be found at www.fsis.usda.gov/
Regulations_&_Policies/Export_Information/index.asp.
Visit USDA's Blog
Every day, the USDA Blog shares something new about its expansive mission. The blog provides a rich and diverse
look at the work within the department, spanning the nation — and even the world — and highlights the
breadth of USDA programs and the role it plays in the lives of every American.
Go to http://blogs.usda.gov/ and see what's happening within the agency and
across the department.
FSIS Suggests Resources to Reduce Label Review Backlog
Generic Labeling Approval provides flexibility for establishments to use certain labeling without prior approval
for making new labels or modifications to existing labels.
The current backlog of labels is 12 days. In an effort to reduce current backlog and to reduce labeling approval to
7 days or less, the Labeling Program Delivery Division (LPDD) encourages plant owners and operators to take
advantage of FSIS' Generic labeling Regulations on its website at
www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/
Generic_Labeling/index.asp.
(Also see www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/
Label_Responsibilities/index.asp.)
Additionally, LPDD has recently posted several labeling related topics on AskFSIS (http://askfsis.custhelp.com/).
Vet 2011: FSIS Celebrates 250 Years of Veterinary Medicine
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the veterinary profession, and FSIS will be celebrating by acknowledging the
opening of the first veterinarian school in 1767 in Lyon, France.
The agency is the largest employer of veterinarians worldwide and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
is the second. FSIS will host a celebration in Washington, DC, themed Vet 2011. Office of Field Operations
Assistant Administrator Dr. Kenneth Petersen and American Veterinary Medical Association's Executive Vice President
Dr. Ron DeHaven will speak at the ceremony.
Check Out the PHIS Resource Page
Information about the dynamic, user-friendly data analytics system, PHIS, is available on the FSIS website at
www.fsis.usda.gov/PHIS. Read a backgrounder and check out what's new.
FSIS is developing PHIS as part of an effort to collect, consolidate and analyze data. This public health-based
approach is in line with the core principles of the President's Food Safety Working Group.
FSIS Policy Update
FSIS issues notices and directives to protect public health. The following policy update was recently issued:
- Notice 04-11, Pasteurized Egg Products Imported in Bulk Containers from Canada
All notices and directives are available at www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/index.asp.
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Last Modified:
January 21, 2011 |
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