Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113; FAX: (202) 690-0460
April Demert

National Advisory Committee On Microbiological Criteria For Foods To Hold Public Meeting

WASHINGTON, August 7, 2003-- The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will address several food safety issues at their public meetings Aug. 19-22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

The committee will discuss protocols for FSIS’ ongoing microbiological baseline studies of raw meat and poultry products, performance standards for broilers (young chickens) and ground chicken, the scientific basis for establishing safety-based “use-by” date labeling for refrigerated ready-to-eat foods and scientific criteria for redefining pasteurization.

The full committee will meet Aug. 20 from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. and Aug. 22 and from 8:30 a.m. until noon. Subcommittee meetings will be held on August 19, 20, and 21. The committee and subcommittee meetings are open to the public and will be held at the Hotel Monaco, Athens Room, 700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004. Additional information about the meeting will be available on the FSIS website at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/ophs/nacmcf/.

Those interested in making presentations, submitting technical papers or providing comments for the meetings should contact Karen Thomas at (202) 690-6620. Individuals who require a sign language interpreter or other special accommodations for the meeting should also contact Karen Thomas by August 12.

Written comments about the meeting may be submitted to: FSIS Docket Room, Docket #03-028N, Room 102, Cotton Annex Building, 300 12^th St., SW, Washington DC 20250. Comments may also be faxed to (202) 205-0381.

The NACMCF provides scientific advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on public health issues involving the safety and wholesomeness of the U.S. food supply, including development of microbiological criteria, review and evaluation of epidemiological and risk assessment data and methodologies for assessing microbiological hazards in foods. The committee also provides advice to the Departments of Commerce and Defense.

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NOTE: Access news releases and other information at the FSIS web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov.

For Further Information, Contact:
FSIS Congressional and Public Affairs Staff
Phone: (202) 720-9113
Fax: (202) 690-0460

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