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FSIS Unveils New Food Security Checklist for Industry
FSIS has released an industry self-assessment checklist for food security. The voluntary "Industry Self- Assessment
Checklist for Food Security," provides plants with a constructive way to evaluate their security plans to prevent
intentional contamination of their products, helping to ensure safe and secure food and protection of public health.
The self assessment checklist contains questions covering the following important areas:
- Food Security Plan Management
- Outside Security
- Inside Security
- Slaughter and Processing Security
- Storage Security
- Shipping and Receiving Security
- Water and Ice Supply Security
- Mail Handling Security
- Personnel Security
The checklist and instructions on how to use it are available on FSIS' Web site at:
www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Security_&_Emergency_
Preparedness/Security_Guidelines/.
This self assessment is based primarily on the Food Security Guidelines for Food Processors,
published by FSIS in 2002 and is available on FSIS' Web site.
FSIS Training Materials are Now Available Online
The training materials used in FSIS' Food Inspector, Public Health Veterinarian, and Food Safety Regulatory Essentials
(FSRE) training courses are now available on FSIS' Web site at: www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Employees/Online_References/.
These entry-level training programs have a strong scientific, regulatory and public health focus that provides participants with
the knowledge base they need to carry out FSIS' important public health mission. Each training program contains multiple training
modules that will be updated to reflect FSIS policy changes.
The Food Inspector training materials are located at: www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Employees/
Slaughter_Inspection_Training/.
The Public Health Veterinarian training materials can be found at: www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Employees/
Public_Health_Veterinarian/.
The Food Safety Regulatory Essentials are posted at: www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Employees/
Food_Safety_Regulatory_Essentials/.
New Food Safety Directives Issued to Personnel
FSIS has revised directives 5420.1 - 5420.8, which detail the emergency procedures those personnel in the agencies
various program areas must follow when a Threat Condition Yellow, Orange or Red is declared by the Department of Homeland
Security. In addition, the revised directives establishes how threat condition declarations will be communicated to personnel,
provides specific instructions to personnel on how to respond to threat condition declarations, and identifies procedures to
effectively address and resolve security concerns in order to ensure food security and protect public health.
The directives can be viewed at: www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/5000_Series-Program_Services/.
FSIS has also released directive 6000.1, which provides Public Health Veterinarians (PHVs) instructions to follow when they
suspect that animals may have Foreign Animal Diseases (FAD), or when PHVs observe symptoms of FADs or other reportable conditions.
This directive may be viewed at: www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/6000.1.pdf.
Upcoming Public Meetings to Address Codex Committees
Codex Committee on Fats and Oils. On Tuesday, February 1, the Office of the Under Secretary
for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) will hold a public meeting to provide information and receive comments on agenda items that will be discussed at the
19th Session of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils, in London, United Kingdom, on February 21-25, 2005. The public
meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Conference Room 1A-002 of the Harvey Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint
Branch Parkway, College Park, Md.
Codex Committee on Food Hygiene. On Wednesday, February 2, the Office of the Under Secretary for
Food Safety, USDA and the Food and Drug Administration, HHS will hold a public meeting to provide information and receive
comments on all issues coming before the 37th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene, which will be held in Buenos
Aires, Argentina, March 14 - 19, 2005. The public meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Conference Room 1A001 of
the Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, Md.
Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products. On Wednesday, February 9, the Office of the Under
Secretary for Food Safety, USDA and the Food and Drug Administration, HHS will hold a public meeting to provide information
and receive public comments on agenda items that will be discussed at the 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Fish and
Fishery Products, February 28 through March 4, in Cape Town, South Africa. The public meeting will be held in Room 2B-047
of the Harvey Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, Md.
For further information about the upcoming public meetings contact Syed Amjad Ali, International Issues Analyst, U.S. Codex
Office, FSIS, Room 4861, South Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Ave. S.W., Washington, DC, 20250, or by phone at
(202) 205-7760 or by fax at (202) 720-3157. Agenda items for all of the meetings can be found at
www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
The USDA Food Safety Mobile: Taking Food Safety Education on the Road
- Jan. 29-30, 2005: Holtville 58th Annual Carrot Festival (Holtville, CA)
- Feb. 18-21, 2005: Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival (Indio, CA)
Library of Export Requirements Updated
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes in export requirements for Barbados, Cuba, the European Union, Mexico, Russia and Serbia. Complete information can be found at:
www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/
Export_Information/
THIS WEEK'S HOT WEB LINKS
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