[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 46 (Thursday, March 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13999-14000]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5664]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 46 / Thursday, March 8, 2012 /
Notices
[[Page 13999]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2011-0033]
Notice of Availability and Opportunity for Comments
(Establishment Guidance for the Selection of a Commercial or Private
Microbiological Testing Laboratory)
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability and opportunity for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing
the availability of policy guidance for federally inspected
establishments in the selection of commercial and private
microbiological testing laboratories. FSIS has posted this policy
guidance on its Web page http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/Compliance_Guides_Index/index.asp#Micro.
FSIS encourages establishments that prepare meat, poultry, or
processed egg products to follow the criteria in the guidelines in
selecting commercial or private microbiological testing laboratories
and in determining their capability to provide accurate and reliable
results. Regulated establishments are required to enter into commerce
food products that are safe and not adulterated or misbranded.
Establishments that select laboratories that do not apply appropriate
testing methods or maintain effective Quality Control or Quality
Assurance (QC/QA) practices may not receive reliable or useful test
results from the laboratory and run the risk of producing food that is
unsafe.
DATES: Written comments may be submitted until May 7, 2012.
ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments regarding
any aspect of this document, including but not limited to: Content,
readability, applicability, and accessibility, and will revise the
guidance document as warranted. 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
(USDA), FSIS, OPPD, RIMD, Docket Unit, Patriots Plaza 3, 1400
Independence Avenue SW., Mail Stop 3782, 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-
3700.
Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2011-0033. 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: Evelyne Mbandi, Deputy Director, Risk,
Innovations, and Management Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Food Safety and Inspection Service, Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E. Street
SW., Mail Stop 3782, Washington, DC 20250-3700; email:
evelyne.mbandi@fsis.usda.gov; phone: (301) 504-0897.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
FSIS is issuing a guidance document to provide criteria to
establishments producing meat, poultry, and processed egg products for
selecting a commercial or private laboratory to analyze establishments'
samples. Regulated establishments are ultimately responsible for the
laboratory's testing methodologies and practices performed on their
behalf.
An FSIS-regulated establishment may perform microbiological testing
for various reasons, including, but not limited to the following:
Fulfilling regulatory requirements, supporting on-going verification of
the establishment's HACCP plan, supporting decisions made in the
establishment's hazard analysis, evaluating the effectiveness of the
establishment's sanitation program, or complying with purchase
specifications or requirements.
FSIS encourages establishments to use this guidance for selecting
commercial or private laboratories and for ensuring that
microbiological testing performed on their behalf meets their food
safety needs. FSIS also welcomes comment on this compliance guideline,
which will be revised as needed.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
The U.S. 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
FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page
located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Federal_Register_Notices/index.asp.
FSIS will also 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. In addition, FSIS offers an electronic mail
[[Page 14000]]
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: March 5, 2012.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-5664 Filed 3-7-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P