[Federal Register: October 10, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 198)]
[Notices]
[Page 60230-60231]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10oc08-33]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS 2008-0035]
Sampling and Testing Procedures for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in
Beef Manufacturing Trimmings
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing
that it will hold a public meeting on October 14 and 15, 2008, to
discuss sampling and testing procedures used by FSIS and industry for
Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 in beef manufacturing trimmings and
draft guidance to industry concerning this pathogen. Copies of the
guidance materials are available on the FSIS Web site.
DATES: The public meeting will be held on October 14 and 15, 2008.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on
October 14 and from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 15 at: L'Enfant
Plaza Hotel, 480 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20024, (202) 484-
1000. FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on the issues
addressed at the public meeting. FSIS will finalize an agenda on or
before the meeting date and will post it on the FSIS Web page http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/
Meetings_&_Events/. The official transcript of
the meeting will be available for viewing by the public in the FSIS
Docket Room and on the FSIS Web site http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/
Meetings_&_Events/ when it becomes available.
Comments may be submitted by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions at that site for submitting comments.
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-2008-0035. Documents referred to in this notice, and all
comments submitted in response to this notice 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, except Federal
holidays. Comments also will be posted on the Agency's Web site at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/2008_Notices_Index/
index.asp.
Individuals who do not wish FSIS to post their personal contact
information--mailing address, e-mail address, telephone number--on the
Internet may leave this information off of their comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pre-registration for this meeting is
recommended. To pre-register, go to the FSIS Web site at http://
www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Reg_Ecoli_101408/index.asp.
For additional information, please contact Keith Payne by telephone
at (202) 690-6522 or by e-mail at keith.payne@fsis.usda.gov. Persons
requiring a sign language interpreter or special accommodations should
contact Keith Payne as soon as possible.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The presence of E. coli O157:H7 in raw beef products continues to
be a concern to FSIS. Based on E. coli O157:H7 test results from FSIS,
other Federal and State entities, and industry, E. coli O157:H7
continues to contaminate finished product. Controls in food safety
systems, including sanitary dressing procedures, do not consistently
prevent, eliminate, or reduce E. coli O157:H7 to an undetectable level.
Therefore, testing may be a means to ensure that contaminated product
does not enter commerce. The meeting will focus on sampling and testing
of beef manufacturing trimmings for E. coli O157:H7.
Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting
FSIS will discuss the issues associated with the uniformity and
[[Page 60231]]
consistency of sampling and testing procedures used by FSIS and
industry for E. coli O157:H7 in beef manufacturing trimmings and to
solicit comment on how to improve uniformity and consistency in such
sampling and testing. FSIS will also discuss the laboratory enrichment
procedure that it began using in January 2008 (73 FR 53406; September
16, 2008) and its likely impact on sensitivity for identifying more
positives in beef.
The discussion will also include the draft ``Compliance Guideline
for Sampling Beef Trimmings for Escherichia coli O157:H7.'' It can be
found on the FSIS Web page at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Significant_
Guidance/index.asp. FSIS is particularly interested in discussing the
importance of distinguishing the occasional or sporadic positive from a
series of positive results that indicate a systemic cause or breakdown
of the process controls (``high event days''). This determination is
important for decisions regarding the microbiological independence of
production lots and the disposition of product, as well as the
necessary feedback loop between slaughter operations and further
processing operations to ensure implementation of effective corrective
and preventive actions.
FSIS will also discuss the draft guidance on the use of labels
bearing E. coli O157:H7 testing claims (such as statements indicating
that labeled product has been sampled under an N60 procedure). This
guidance is also available on the FSIS Web page at http://
www.fsis.usda.gov/Significant_Guidance/index.asp. Such special label
claims would be voluntary, and FSIS must approve the labels. The draft
guidance provides information to establishments concerning the
conditions they must meet to be able to use such claims on their raw
beef products. Importantly, the use of such label claims could provide
the further processor with greater assurance regarding prior controls
for E. coli O157:H7 than certificates of analysis (COAs) currently
provide. Many small and very small establishments have indicated that
they have difficulty receiving COAs either from the distributor or
supplier establishment.
In addition, presentations will be given on the training used by
FSIS concerning proper sampling procedures for E. coli O157:H7 and the
training developed by industry on N60 sampling procedures. FSIS also
anticipates that the meeting will help identify issues of concern about
pathogens other than E. coli O157:H7, including Listeria monocytogenes
and Salmonella.
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 industry, trade groups,
consumer interest groups, 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 the 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 accounts.
Done at Washington, DC on: October 7, 2008.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E8-24216 Filed 10-7-08; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P