[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 96 (Wednesday, May 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28727-28729]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12304]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2011-0011]
Notice of Request for a New Information Collection (Food Safety
Education Campaign--Tracking Survey)
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to request a new
information collection for a tracking survey associated with the
upcoming Food Safety Education Campaign.
FSIS is giving the public 30 days to respond instead of the normal
60 days because of the need to expeditiously conduct the tracking
survey so that the Food Safety Education Campaign will be able to begin
in July as planned.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before June 17,
2011.
ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this
notice. Comments may be submitted by either 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. Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line 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, Room 2-2175, George
Washington Carver Center, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mailstop 5272,
Beltsville, MD 20705-5272.
Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must
include the
[[Page 28728]]
Agency name and docket number FSIS-2011-0011. Comments received in
response to this docket will be made available for public inspection
and posted without change, including any personal information, to
http://www.regulations.gov.
Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, go
to 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: John O'Connell, Paperwork Reduction
Act Coordinator, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW., Room 6065, South Building, Washington, DC
20250, (202) 720-0345.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Food Safety Education Campaign--
Tracking Survey.
Type of Request: New information collection.
Abstract: FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the
functions of the Secretary as specified in the Federal Meat Inspection
Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601, et seq.), the Poultry Products Inspection
Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451, et seq.), and the Egg Products Inspection
Act (EPIA) (21 U.S.C., et seq.). FSIS protects the public by verifying
that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, not
adulterated, and correctly labeled and packaged. FSIS, in partnership
with the Ad Council, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, has developed a new national public
service advertising campaign to educate the public about the importance
of safe food handling and how to reduce the risks associated with
foodborne illness. FSIS is seeking approval of an information
collection to help evaluate the impact of the campaign. The collection
will take the form of a survey of members of the target audience, and
will help gauge awareness of the advertising, attitudes regarding safe
food preparation, and self-reported prevention behaviors. The survey
will be fielded once prior to launch of materials, and then again 9-12
months following launch to monitor any shifts over time.
After receiving a briefing on foodborne illness and USDA priorities
for the public education campaign, the Ad Council and JWT conducted an
audit of existing research and statistics surrounding the issue and
prevention behaviors. Following this review, the Ad Council and JWT
conducted consumer research to better understand perceptions of
foodborne illness and safe food handling behaviors held by the target
audience. These research sessions were conducted with OMB approval in
November 2010. Next, the Ad Council and JWT developed a communications
strategy based on research findings that clearly articulates the
proposed approach to communications.
JWT then developed creative concepts--scripts, graphical
treatments, etc.--that stem directly from the communications strategy.
These concepts were qualitatively tested with members of the target
audience in March. Finally, before the release of the advertising
campaign in July, the Ad Council, on behalf of FSIS, will conduct a
tracking study to monitor awareness of the campaign as well as any
changes in perceptions of foodborne illness and reported safe food
handling behaviors.
The campaign targets parents, ages 20 to 40, who are caregivers for
children between the ages of 4 and 12. Parents have been identified as
the target audience because they are most likely to be preparing food
for themselves and others, and they have an incentive to listen to food
safety messages and adopt or change their behaviors as a result.
The survey will be administered using a national random digit dial
phone methodology in both English and Spanish. Each respondent will
answer questions about their attitudes about food safety, their
awareness of the risks of foodborne illness, their own efficacy with
regard to preventing foodborne illness, and their own use of safe food-
handling practices. The public service announcements (PSAs) will also
be described to respondents in order to gauge recognition of the ads in
market.
Once the post-wave survey is fielded 9-12 months after the
benchmark survey, the Ad Council will compare results to identify any
shifts in attitudes, awareness, or behaviors that occurred while the
PSAs were in market.
FSIS has made the following estimates based upon an information
collection assessment:
Estimate of Burden: FSIS estimates that it will take respondents an
average of 15 minutes per year and non-respondents an average of 2
minutes per year to respond.
Respondents: Consumers.
Estimated No. of Respondents: 7,200.
Estimated No. of Annual Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 500 hours.
Copies of this information collection assessment can be obtained
from John O'Connell, Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, Food Safety
and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence, SW., Room 6065, South
Building, Washington, DC 20250, (202) 720-0345.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of FSIS's
functions, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information, including
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection techniques, or other forms of
information technology. Comments may be sent to both FSIS, at the
addresses provided above, and the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, DC 20253.
Responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of
public record.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
The United States. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race,
color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political
beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all
prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who
require alternative means for communication of program information
(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's Target
Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TTY).
To file a written complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office
of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TTY).
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that the
public and in particular 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_&_policies/Federal_Register_Notices_Index/index.asp.
FSIS also will make copies of this Federal Register publication
available through the FSIS Constituent Update,
[[Page 28729]]
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 our constituents and stakeholders. The Update is
communicated via Listserv, a free e-mail subscription service
consisting of industry, trade, and farm groups, consumer interest
groups, allied health professionals, scientific professionals, and
other individuals who have requested to be included. The Update also is
available on the FSIS Web page. Through Listserv and the Web page, FSIS
is able to provide information to a much broader, 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_&_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: May 16, 2011.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2011-12304 Filed 5-16-11; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P