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FSIS Moves Ahead on Rulemaking for Use of "Natural" in Labeling
FSIS submitted today an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR), "Use of the Voluntary Claim 'Natural' in the Labeling of Meat and Poultry Products," to the Federal Register for publication as early as the week of Sept. 7. The agency is using the notice to solicit further public comments as FSIS seeks to define the conditions under which it would permit the voluntary claim "natural" to be used in the labeling of meat and poultry products.
FSIS has reviewed a high volume of comments that expressed divergent views on the use of the claim "natural" following the December 2006 public meeting. Therefore, the agency is seeking additional comments to clarify and resolve issues surrounding the "natural" claim, including how best to coordinate FSIS' regulation of "natural" claims with the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) voluntary "naturally raised" marketing claim standard.
Look to future issues of FSIS' Constituent Update for more information.
Register for Codex Public Meeting
The Office of Food Safety and the Agricultural Marketing Service will co-sponsor a public meeting to receive comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions for discussion at the 15th session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV).
The meeting is scheduled for Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon at USDA's South Building, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Room 2068, Washington, D.C.
Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact Doreen Chen-Moulec at (202) 205-7760 or doreen.chen-moulec@fsis.usda.gov.
Documents related to the 15th session of the CCFFV will be accessible on the Codex Alimentarius Web site at http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.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 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/
Export_Information/index.asp.
FSIS to Hold Meat and Poultry Inspection Seminars for International Government Officials
The agency will host the final 2009 Meat and Poultry Inspection Seminar for International Officials in Washington, D.C., from Sept. 8 to 25.
This 3-week seminar will provide an overview of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), pathogen reduction, import/export policies and procedures, equivalence and animal production. There will also be field visits to import and export locations as well as processing and slaughter plants.
September's seminar will be held at the River Inn Training Facility in Washington, D.C. It's designed to help familiarize international government officials with U.S. inspection regulations and procedures used by USDA to ensure that the nation's meat, poultry and egg products are safe, wholesome and properly labeled.
Fluency in English is required. Participation is limited to 35 individuals.
For more information, visit
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/
2009_Meat_&_Poultry_Inspection_Seminars/index.asp.
FSIS to Host Web Outreach Seminars
To promote a uniform understanding of FSIS regulations, the agency launched a six-part series of Web outreach seminars for plant owners and operators-especially those of small and very small plants.
The agency will host the third seminar, In-Plant Validation of Food Safety Interventions in Beef Products, on Sept. 10.
This seminar will illustrate methods of determining the effectiveness of food safety interventions in small and very small beef establishments.
Three 90-minute sessions will be offered via net conferencing at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. (ET) to accommodate plant owners and operators nationwide.
To register, go to http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/
Regulatory_Web_Seminars/index.asp. E-mail questions about upcoming outreach seminars to E-mail questions about upcoming outreach seminars to
FSIS.Seminars@fsis.usda.gov
Recent Policy Updates
FSIS issues notices and directives to protect public health. The following policy update was recently issued:
All notices and directives are available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/index.
New Podcasts
Tune in to podcasts on selecting, handling and preparing meat and poultry products to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
This week, FSIS released podcasts helpful to consumers as well as plant owners and operators.
- Food Safety At Home: Food Irradiation (Spanish)
- Industry: Import Permit Policies - Part 4
Check out these new podcasts at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_&_events/
Podcasts/index.asp.
Spanish language consumer podcasts are available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/En_Espanol/ Podcasts_SP/index.asp.
USDA to Host 2010 Food Safety Education Conference
USDA and NSF International are hosting the Food Safety Education Conference, Advancements in Food Safety: Trends, Tools and Technologies, March 23-26, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta.
For more information, visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Atlanta2010.
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. Visit http://askfsis.custhelp.com/ to find the answers to your questions.
Recently posted topics include: Directive 6410.1
Updates on FSIS Testing for E. coli O157:H7
Weekly updates for the FSIS raw beef
E. coli sampling program are posted to the agency's Web site.
For comparative 2008 and 2009 results, go to
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/
Ground_Beef_E.Coli_Testing_Results/index.asp..
Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill
- Clean: When preparing food, wash hands and surfaces often.
Separate: Don't cross-contaminate.
- Cook: Cook food to safe minimum internal temperatures as checked with a food thermometer.
- Chill: Promptly refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
For more helpful tips to prepare a safe and wholesome meal, go to
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/index.asp
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Last Modified:
September 4, 2009 |
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