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FSIS' New Technology Information
Table Now Available on FSIS' Web Site
Brief summaries and descriptions of new technologies that FSIS has
received and reviewed for use in federally inspected plants are now
available on its Web site. The technologies listed are those which
the agency has had "no objection" to use in FSIS-inspected
establishments.
New technologies have resulted in significant improvements in the
safety of meat and poultry in recent years. The Web site is part of
FSIS' continuing effort to encourage further improvements and innovation
in food safety technology.
FSIS defines "new technology" as new or new applications
of equipment, substances, methods, processes or procedures affecting
the slaughter of livestock and poultry or processing of meat, poultry
or egg products. Steam vacuums, steam pasteurization and antimicrobials
are all examples of advances in food safety technology that have occurred
in recent years.
Increased public and industry awareness of the new technologies now
available will allow plants additional options in improving the safety
of meat, poultry and egg products.
This new information resource is available at: www.fsis.usda.gov/
Regulations_&_Policies/
New_Technology_Table/. To obtain additional
information about these listed technologies, contact the new technology
staff at FSIS.Technology@usda.gov
APHIS and FSIS Respond to Office of Inspector General
BSE Report
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and FSIS released
a joint statement on August 24 responding to the report and recommendations
from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) regarding the enhanced
BSE surveillance program.
The OIG report made 19 recommendations on specific program issues.
USDA agreed with the recommendations and had already implemented several
actions to address the recommendations in the report. In most instances,
while a specific action might have been noted, the recommendations
required routine monitoring or ongoing action. Processes have begun
for those ongoing activities that will be conducted throughout the
program. Four of the recommendations were more specific, and have
been completely addressed.
The BSE surveillance program is designed to obtain samples from targeted
cattle from the populations considered at highest risk for BSE. In
a little more than two months, APHIS sampled more than 42,600 high-risk
cattle with no positive test results.
In the statement, Administrator Ron DeHaven of APHIS and Acting Administrator
Barbara Masters of the FSIS said, "We appreciate OIG's report
on the early phases of our BSE enhanced surveillance program. We are
committed to ensuring that our BSE surveillance program yields accurate
and reliable information for the general public, for industry, and
for our trading partners. Since the single case of BSE was found in
Washington state last December, we have worked hard to be transparent
in our prevention, surveillance, and eradication efforts, with the
objective of ensuring that we have the benefit of expertise from around
the country and the world. We are committed to making changes wherever
necessary to ensure the integrity of our efforts." To
view the entire statement and to
learn more about BSE prevention efforts please visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov/
Two Opportunities Remain to Attend E. coli
O157:H7 Workshops
The final workshops on new directives designed to strengthen E.
coli O157:H7 prevention procedures will be held August 28 and
September 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are designed for operators
of small and very small federally-inspected plants, state-inspected
plants, federal and state inspection personnel, members of academia
and other interested parties.
The remaining workshops are scheduled as follows:
- August 28: Crown Plaza Philadelphia, 1800 Market Street, Philadelphia,
Pa. 19103, (215) 561-7500
- September 11: The Ambassador, 3100 I-40 West, Amarillo, Texas
79102, (806) 358-6161
To pre-register to attend the workshops, call (866) 553-3052 or visit:
www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events
National Advisory Committee Seeking Membership Nominees
USDA is seeking nominees for membership on the National Advisory Committee
on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI).
Membership is drawn from a broad range of groups interested in food
safety, including producers, processors, exporters and importers of
meat and poultry products, as well as those in academia, federal and
state government officials and consumers. All of these groups are
encouraged to nominate candidates as it is important for the NACMPI
to represent diverse constituencies. Committee appointments are made
by the Secretary of Agriculture.
Names of nominees and their typed curricula vitae, or resume, should
be sent to Dr. Barbara J. Masters, Acting Administrator, FSOS, USDA,
Room 405-Aerospace Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington,
D.C. 20250-3700. The application must be postmarked no later than
September 5, 2004.
Applications are also available online at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/
NACMPI_Nominations/index.asp
Upcoming Codex
Public Meetings
Public Meeting on Processed
Fruits and Vegetables. A public meeting will be held
on August 31, 2004, to provide information and receive public comments
on agenda items that will be discussed at the 22nd Session of the
Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables (CCPFV) September
27 - October 1, 2004, in Alexandria, Va. The public meeting will be
co-sponsored by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service and FSIS.
The public meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Room 3501,
South Building, USDA 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, D.C.
The agenda items to be discussed at the public meeting include: consideration
of Codex Draft Revised Standards for various processed fruit and vegetable
products and proposals for Amendments to the Priority List for Standardization
of Processed Fruits and Vegetables.
To submit comments or to receive copies of documents on the agenda,
contact the FSIS Docket Room, Docket #04-025N, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102, Cotton
Annex, 300 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700. The documents
and complete agenda are also available electronically at http://www.codexalimentarius.net/
Public Meeting on Nutrition and Foods for Special
Dietary Concerns. A public meeting will be held on Thursday,
September 9, 2004 to provide information and receive comments on agenda
items and draft United States positions for the 26th Session of the
Codex Alimentarius Commission's Committee on Nutrition and Foods for
Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) to be held November 1-5 in Bonn, Germany.
The public meeting will be held from 1 to 4 p.m., in the FDA Auditorium
(1A003), Harvey Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway,
College Park, MD. The agenda items to be discussed are: Guidelines
for Use of Nutrition Claims (Dietary Fibre); Guidelines for Vitamin
and Mineral Food Supplements; Standards for Processed Cereal-Based
Foods for Infants and Young Children; Standards for Infant Formula;
and Advisory Lists of Nutrient Compounds for the Use in Foods for
Special Dietary Uses Intended for Use by Infants and Young Children.
Interested parties must pre-register and present a photo ID at the
door. To pre-register, please send your name, organization, mailing
address, phone number and e-mail address to nancy.crane@cfsan.fda.gov
by September 1.
The USDA Food Safety Mobile: Taking
Food Safety Education on the Road
The USDA Food Safety Mobile travels continuously throughout the U.S.
to educate consumers about the risks associated with mishandling food
and steps they can take to reduce their risk of foodborne illness.
The next stops for the Food Safety Mobile are:
- Sep 3-6, 2004 Hopkinton State Fair (Contoocook, NH)
- Sep 8, 2004 Elementary School (Sanbornton, NH)
- Sep 9, 2004 Shriner's Hospital for Children (Springfield, MA)
- Sep 10, 2004 Elementary School (Rutland, MA)
Library of Export Requirement Updated
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes
in export requirements for Cayman Islands, Chile, Egypt, France, Malaysia,
Mexico, Romania and Russia. Complete information can be found at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/Export_Information
Featured Office of the Week: Evaluation & Enforcement
Division
The Evaluation and Enforcement Division (EED) takes the lead for FSIS
in initiating criminal, civil, and administrative sanctions for violations
of FSIS laws and regulations. Quarterly Enforcement Reports summarize
the enforcement actions FSIS has taken to ensure that products that
reach consumers are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled. For more
information visit: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/OPEER/
THIS WEEK'S HOT WEB LINKS
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Last Modified:
March 28, 2006 |
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