[Federal Register: April 2, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 63)]
[Notices]
[Page 15525]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02ap02-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 02-003N]
Puerto Rico Conference on Animal and Egg Production Food Safety
AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), is co-sponsoring, along with the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR),
a Conference on Animal and Egg Production Food Safety. The conference
is to be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico on July 9-11, 2002. The
conference grows out of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 225-00-8002
among FDA, FSIS, and UPR, which was signed on December 7, 2000. The MOU
provides a framework for all parties to collaborate on mutually agreed
upon scientific and regulatory activities that pertain to products that
are within the jurisdiction of FDA and FSIS. These activities are
intended to support and encourage understanding of science-based
regulatory systems in the countries of the Americas and to lead to
enhanced cooperation among regulatory authorities. This conference is a
part of the Action Plan between FSIS and FDA in support of the MOU. It
is intended to serve as a model for future conferences. This conference
should help to establish Puerto Rico as a Food Safety Center of
Excellence for the Caribbean, and possibly all of Latin America, in
animal and egg production food safety.
DATES: The meeting will be held July 9-11, 2002. On July 9, the
registration will begin at 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. On July 10-11, 2002, the
meeting will be held 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Caribe Hilton San Juan
Hotel, San Geronimo Grounds, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901, (787) 721-
0303.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To register for the meeting, contact
either Mary Harris, Food Safety and Inspection Service, in Washington,
DC (202) 690-6497, fax No: (202) 690-6500, or e-mail:
mary.harris@fsis.usda.gov, or Dr. Edna Negron, University of Puerto
Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, (787) 265-5410, fax No. (787) 265-5410 or
e-mail: ed__negron@rumad.uprm.edu.
If you require a sign language interpreter or other special
accommodations, please notify Ms. Harris at the above phone number on
or before June 27. For technical information about the conference,
contact Harry Walker, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Animal
Production Food Safety Staff, FSIS (202) 720-4768 or by e-mail
harry.walker@fsis.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Puerto Rico Conference will review the status of food safety at
the food animal production level, provide an update on industry quality
assurance activities, and touch on research in support of animal
production food safety practices. The conference will provide an
opportunity for discussion of (1) what additional educational efforts
are needed to improve food safety at the animal production level and
(2) the gaps in research to address food safety at the animal
production level. In developing the agenda, the Federal cooperators
have been joined by industry and academia. These groups will also play
important roles in the conference.
Participation in the conference will be limited to available
seating (approximately 250 people). The target audience for the
conference includes representatives from food safety regulatory
agencies, animal producers, animal producer organizations,
veterinarians, animal scientists, agricultural educators, extension
agents, researchers, consumers and others with interest in food safety.
Additional Public Notification
Pursuant to Departmental Regulation 4300-4, ``Civil Rights Impact
Analysis,'' dated September 22, 1993, FSIS has considered the potential
civil rights impact of this notice on minorities, women, and persons
with disabilities. Therefore, to better ensure that these groups and
others are made aware of this meeting, FSIS will announce it and
provide copies of the Federal Register publication in the FSIS
Constituent Update.
The Agency provides a weekly FSIS Constituent Update, which is
communicated via fax to over 300 organizations and individuals. In
addition, the update is available on line through the FSIS web page
located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. The update is used to provide
information regarding Agency policies, procedures, regulations, Federal
Register Notices, FSIS public meetings, recalls and any other types of
information that could affect or would be of interest to our
constituents/stakeholders. The constituent fax list consists of
industry, trade, and farm groups, consumer interest groups, allied
health professionals, scientific professionals and other individuals
that have requested to be included. Through these various channels, the
Agency is able to provide information with a much broader, more diverse
audience.
For more information and to be added to the constituent fax list,
fax your request to the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, at
(202) 720-5704.
Done at Washington, DC on: March 28, 2002.
Margaret O'K Glavin,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 02-7916 Filed 4-1-02; 8:45 am]
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