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Food Safety and Inspection
Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700 |
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Food Safety and Inspection
Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700 |
On January 18, Dr. Mark Mina, Deputy Administrator, Office of Field Operations, FSIS, sent a letter to establishment owners and operators on the District Veterinary Medical Specialists (DVMS) positions. The letter explains the role and responsibilities of the DVMS. Access a copy of the letter at: www.fsis.usda.gov/OFO/da/dvms.htm
Transcripts from the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection public meeting held November 14-15, 2001, in Washington, DC, are now available on the internet. Access the transcripts at: www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/nacmpi/Transcripts.htm
FSIS issued a report on a study conducted to measure changes in consumer knowledge and behavior since the implementation of the Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) final rule. This study is part of a multi-year evaluation being conducted by the Research Triangle Institute (RTI), an independent consulting firm, for FSIS, of the 1996 “Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP) Systems; Final Rule.” The study focused on measuring the changes in consumer knowledge of safe handling practices, consumers' use of safe handling practices (i.e., behavior), and their confidence in the safety of meat and poultry. Access the report at: www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/research/behavior_haccp.htm
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) subcommittee reviewing the use of scientific criteria and performance standards for safe food will hold its first committee meeting February 5-7. The subcommittee is conducting a 14-month study to review the extent to which microbiological performance standards are appropriate means of ensuring the safety of these products in a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)-based system. The subcommittee will also evaluate the scientific bases for existing USDA microbiological performance standards and recommend improvement. The study is sponsored by USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services.
The public portion of the meeting will be held February 5, from 11:00 a.m.-4:45 p.m., at NAS in the Cecil and Ida Green Building, 2001 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington, DC. For additional information, contact Tazima Davis, NAS, at 202-334-1737.
The ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology, will hold the second of two public meetings on February 12, 2002, to discuss items on the agenda for the 3rd session of the Task Force to be held in Yokohama, Japan, March 4-8, 2002. The purpose of this meeting is to review and receive comment on the U.S. draft positions for the 3rd Session of the Task Force. The first meeting was held on January 9. The meeting will be held from 1:00-4:00 p.m. in Room 1409, FOB 8, Food and Drug Administration, 200 C Street, SW., Washington, DC. For additional information, contact the U.S. Codex Office at 202-205-7760. Access meeting information at: www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/codex/new.htm
The notice, which published in the Federal Register on January 29, announces that FSIS is withdrawing the proposed rule, "Prominently Disclosed Product Name Qualifiers,'' which was published in the Federal Register on November 4, 1992. In the 1992 proposal, the Agency proposed to remove certain provisions of the meat and poultry products inspection regulations that require the labeling of meat and poultry products to disclose certain ingredients present in a product through the use of a phrase that qualifies the product name. FSIS now believes that this proposal is redundant with later Agency initiatives and contains a number of errors. Therefore, FSIS is withdrawing the proposal and will rely on the initiatives currently under development to resolve the issues that had been raised in the proposed rule. For additional information, contact Dr. Robert C. Post, Director, Labeling and Consumer Protection Staff, FSIS, at 202-205-0279. Access the docket at: www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/92-005N.htm
On January 29, the notice published in the Federal
Register and an Agency press release was issued
announcing that the Office of the Under Secretary
for Food Safety, USDA, and the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), are sponsoring a public
meeting on February 4, 2002. The purpose of the
meeting is to provide information and receive
public comments on agenda items that will be
discussed at the meeting of the Codex Committee on
Food Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC). The
Committee meeting will be held in Rotterdam, The
Netherlands, on March 11-15, 2002. The public
meeting will be held from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at FDA in
Room 1409, FOB 8, 200 C. St. SW., Washington, DC.
For additional information, contact Patrick
Clerkin, U.S. Codex Office at 202-205-7760. Access
the docket at:
www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/01-047N.htm
*Editor's Note: Attachments are sent with faxed versions of this report only. Links will be provided to electronic copy, when available.
For Further Information Contact:
FSIS Constituent Affairs Program
Phone: (202) 720-9113
Fax: (202) 720-5704
E-mail:
LisaWallenda.Picard@fsis.usda.gov