[Federal Register: February 6, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 25)]
[Notices]
[Page 6109-6110]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06fe03-15]
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[[Page 6109]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 03-005N]
Listeria Risk Assessment Technical Meeting--Notice of
Availability and Public Meeting
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability and announcement of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing
the availability of, and requesting public comment on, its draft risk
assessment for Listeria in deli- and hot dog-type meat and poultry
products that are exposed to the environment post-lethality. FSIS
conducted this risk assessment, addressing both Listeria monocytogenes
and Listeria species (spp), to examine the effectiveness of testing
food contact surfaces and sanitation on product contamination and the
subsequent risk of illness, and to evaluate the effectiveness of other
interventions (e.g., post-processing interventions). In addition, the
frequency of testing food contact surfaces, as proposed in the proposed
rule on Performance Standards for the Production of Processed Meat and
Poultry Products, was specifically addressed.
FSIS also is holding a public meeting to discuss the technical
design and assumptions that were used to create this draft risk
assessment.
DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 26,
2003. The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The draft risk
assessment will be available in the FSIS docket room (address below)
and will be posted to the FSIS Web site at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.fsis.usda.gov on
or before February 14, 2003.
Submit written comments on the draft risk assessment on or before
February 21, 2003.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Washington Plaza
Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle, Washington, DC 20005. Telephone: (202) 842-
1300.
A tentative agenda is available in the FSIS docket room (address
below) and on the FSIS Web site at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/Notices02.htm
Please send written comments on the draft risk assessment to the
FSIS Docket Room, Docket 03-005N, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food
Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102 Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street,
SW., Washington, DC 20250-3700. All comments and the official
transcript of the meeting, when they become available, will be
available for viewing in the FSIS docket room.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Moshe Dreyfuss at (202) 205-0260.
Registration for the meeting will be on-site. No pre-registration will
be accepted. Persons requiring a sign language interpreter should
notify Ms. Sheila Johnson by February 12, 2003 at (202) 690-6498.
Notify Ms. Johnson as soon as possible if other special accommodations
are required.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
FSIS administers the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry
Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act. The
Agency's activities are intended to prevent the distribution in
domestic and foreign commerce, as human food, of unwholesome,
adulterated, or misbranded meat, poultry, and egg products, including
products that may transmit diseases or that may be otherwise injurious
to health.
On February 27, 2001, (66 FR 12589) FSIS issued proposed
regulations to require that each establishment that produces ready-to-
eat meat and poultry products test food contact surfaces for Listeria
spp., in order to verify the efficacy of its sanitation standard
operating procedures, unless it has incorporated one or more controls
for Listeria monocytogenes into its HACCP plan. Under the proposed
regulations, food contact surface positives for Listeria would trigger
mandatory product testing. In November 2002, FSIS issued a directive
outlining additional steps to be taken by U.S. Department of
Agriculture inspectors to ensure that establishments producing ready-
to-eat meat and poultry products are taking the necessary steps to
prevent contamination with Listeria.
FSIS has recently completed an extensive, scientific risk
assessment on Listeria to determine how the pathogen may contaminate
meat and poultry products during production and packaging processes.
The draft risk assessment will provide important additional data that
the Agency will use in developing a final regulation concerning the
reduction and control of Listeria in processing plants producing ready-
to-eat products, and a new directive to replace Directive 10,240.3
(Microbial Sampling of Ready To Eat Products for the FSIS Verification
Testing Program), if appropriate, as a consequence of the final rule.
FSIS requests comment on this draft risk assessment and will hold a
public meeting to discuss and seek input on it on February 26, 2003, at
the Washington Plaza Hotel (See ADDRESSES above).
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to better ensure
that minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this
notice, FSIS will announce it and make copies of this Federal Register
publication available through the FSIS Constituent Update. FSIS
provides a weekly Constituent Update, which is communicated via
Listserv, a free e-mail subscription service. In addition, the update
is available on-line through the FSIS web page located at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/update/update.htm.
The update is used to provide
information regarding FSIS 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 Listserv 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 the Listserv and web page,
FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more diverse
audience.
[[Page 6110]]
For more information, contact the Congressional and Public Affairs
Office, at (202) 720-9113. To be added to the free e-mail subscription
service (Listserv) go to the ``Constituent Update'' page on the FSIS
Web site at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/update/update.htm. Click on the
``Subscribe to the Constituent Update Listserv'' link, then fill out
and submit the form.
Done at Washington, DC, on: January 31, 2003.
Linda M. Swacina,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-2942 Filed 2-5-03; 8:45 am]