[Federal Register: August 18, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 160)]
[Notices]
[Page 48191-48193]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18au08-25]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS 2008-0024]
Nominations for Membership on the National Advisory Committee on
Microbiological Criteria for Foods
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) is soliciting nominations for membership on the National
Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF).
Nominations for membership are being sought from individuals with
scientific expertise in the fields of epidemiology, food technology,
microbiology (food, clinical, and predictive), risk assessment,
infectious disease, biostatistics, and other related sciences. Persons
from the Federal government, State governments, industry, consumer
groups, and academia, as well as all other interested persons, are
invited to submit nominations. Members who are not federal government
employees will be appointed to serve as non-compensated special
government employees (SGEs). SGEs will be subject to appropriate
conflict of interest statutes and standards of ethical conduct.
The nominee's typed resume or curriculum vitae must be limited to
five one-sided pages and should include educational background,
expertise, and a select list of publications. For submissions received
that are more than five one-sided pages in length, only the first five
pages will be considered.
DATES: The nominee's typed resume or curriculum vitae must be received
by September 17, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Nominations can be sent by mail, fax, or e-mail to Ms. Karen
Thomas-Sharp, Advisory Committee Specialist, USDA, Food Safety and
Inspection Service, Room 333
[[Page 48192]]
Aerospace Center, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-
3700, fax number: 202-690-6634, e-mail address: Karen.Thomas-
Sharp@fsis.usda.gov. Please note, if using an overnight courier use
this address: USDA, FSIS, OPHS, Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, SW.,
Room 378, Washington, DC 20024.
FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this notice.
Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to
type short comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or
attach a file for lengthier comments. FSIS prefers to receive comments
through the Federal eRulemaking portal. Go to http://
www.regulations.gov and, in the ``Search for Open Regulations'' box,
select ``Food Safety and Inspection Service'' from the agency drop-down
menu, then click on ``Submit.'' In the Docket ID column, select the
FDMS Docket Number FSIS-2008-0024 to submit or view public comments and
to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
After the close of the comment period, the docket can be viewed using
the ``Advanced Search'' function in Regulations.gov.
Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROMs, and hand- or courier-
delivered items: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Food Safety and Inspection Service, FSIS Docket Room, 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW., Room 2534, Washington, DC 20250.
All submissions received must include the Agency name and docket
number FSIS-2008-0024.
All comments submitted in response to this notice, as well as
research and background information used by FSIS in developing this
document, will be posted to the regulations.gov Web site. The
background information and comments also will be available for public
inspection in the FSIS Docket Room at the address listed above between
8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Karen Thomas-Sharp, Advisory
Committee Specialist, at the above address or by telephone at 202-690-
6620 or by fax at 202-690-6634.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The NACMCF was established in March 1988, in response to a
recommendation in a 1985 report of the National Academy of Sciences
Committee on Food Protection, Subcommittee on Microbiological Criteria,
``An Evaluation of the Role of Microbiological Criteria for Foods.''
The current charter for the NACMCF and other information about the
Committee are available for viewing on the NACMCF homepage at http://
www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/NACMCF/index.asp.
The Committee provides scientific advice and recommendations to the
Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services
concerning the development of microbiological criteria by which the
safety and wholesomeness of food can be assessed. For example, the
Committee assists in the development of criteria for microorganisms
that indicate whether food has been processed using good manufacturing
practices.
Appointments to the Committee will be made by the Secretary of
Agriculture after consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to ensure that recommendations made by the Committee take into
account the needs of the diverse groups served by the Department.
Membership shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with
demonstrated ability to represent minorities, women, and persons with
disabilities.
Given the complexity of issues, the full Committee expects to meet
at least once yearly, and the meetings will be announced in the Federal
Register. The subcommittees will meet as deemed necessary by the
chairperson and will be held as working group meetings in an open
public forum. The subcommittee meetings will not be announced in the
Federal Register. FSIS will announce the agenda and subcommittee
working group meetings through the Constituent Update, available on-
line at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/2008_Constituent_
Update/index.asp. NACMCF holds subcommittee working group meetings in
order to accomplish the work of NACMCF; all work accomplished by the
subcommittees is reviewed and approved by the full Committee during a
public meeting of the full Committee, as announced in the Federal
Register. The subcommittee may invite technical experts to present
information for consideration by the subcommittee. All data and records
available to the full Committee are expected to be available to the
public at the time the full Committee reviews and approves the work of
the subcommittee.
Appointment to the Advisory Committee is for a two-year term,
renewable for a total of three consecutive terms. Members are expected
to attend all meetings in-person as this is necessary for the
functioning of this advisory committee. But we realize that unexpected
events or extenuating circumstances (e.g., a personal or family
emergency) may result in a member's inability to attend a meeting in-
person, and that attendance through teleconferencing may be necessary.
Since this has been a less than optimal means to contribute to the work
of the committee, members should make efforts to attend all meetings to
the extent that this is possible. In-person attendance is expected but
is not a requirement.
Members must be prepared to work outside of scheduled Committee and
subcommittee meetings, and may be required to assist in document
preparation. Committee members serve on a voluntary basis; however,
travel reimbursement and per diem are available.
Regarding Nominees Who Are Selected
All nominees who are selected must submit a USDA Advisory Committee
Membership Background Information form AD-755, available on-line at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FSISForms/AD-755.pdf.
As new appointees, SGEs must complete the Office of Government
Ethics (OGE) 450 Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, before
rendering any advice, or prior to their first meeting. All members will
be reviewed for conflict of interest pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 208 in
relation to specific NACMCF work charges. Financial disclosure updates
will be required annually. Members must report any changes in financial
holdings requiring additional disclosure. OGE 450 forms are available
on-line at: http://www.usoge.gov/pages/forms_pubs_otherdocs/fpo_
files/forms/fr450fill_04.pdf.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that
minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this
notice, FSIS will announce it on-line through the FSIS Web page located
at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/2008_Notices_Index/.
FSIS also will make copies of this Federal Register publication
available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide
information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal
Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information
that could affect or would be of interest to constituents and
stakeholders. The Update is communicated via Listserv, a free
electronic mail subscription service for
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industry, trade and farm groups, consumer interest groups, allied
health professionals and other individuals who have asked to be
included. The Update is also available on the FSIS Web page. Through
the Listserv and Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a
much broader and more diverse audience.
In addition, FSIS offers an e-mail subscription service which
provides automatic and customized access to selected food safety news
and information. This service is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/
news_and_events/email_subscription/. Options range from recalls to
export information to regulations, directives and notices. Customers
can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the option to
password protect their account.
Done at Washington, DC, on August 12, 2008.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E8-19043 Filed 8-15-08; 8:45 am]
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