 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FSIS to Hold Meat and Poultry Inspection Seminars for International Government Officials
The agency will host the last of three Meat and Poultry Inspection Seminars for International Officials in Washington, D.C., from Sept. 8 to 25.
This 3-week seminar will provide an overview of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), pathogen reduction, import/export policies and procedures, equivalence and animal production. There will also be field visits to import and export locations as well as processing and slaughter plants.
This seminar will be held at the River Inn Training Facility in Washington, D.C. It's designed to help familiarize international government officials with U.S. inspection regulations and procedures used by USDA to assure that the nation's meat, poultry and egg products are safe, wholesome and properly labeled.
Fluency in English is required. Participation is limited to 35 individuals.
For more information, visit at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/
2009_Meat_&_Poultry_Inspection_Seminars/index.asp.
Register for Web Outreach Seminars
To promote a uniform understanding of FSIS regulations, the agency launched a six-part series of Web outreach seminars for plant owners and operators-especially those of small and very small plants.
The agency will host the third seminar, In-Plant Validation of Food Safety Interventions in Beef Products, on Sept. 10.
This seminar will illustrate methods of determining the effectiveness of food safety interventions in small and very small beef establishments.
Three 90-minute sessions will be offered via net conferencing at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. (EST) to accommodate plant owners and operators nationwide.
To register, go to http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/
Regulatory_Web_Seminars/index.asp.
E-mail questions about upcoming outreach seminars to FSIS.Seminars@fsis.usda.gov.
Register for Codex Public Meeting
The Office of Food Safety and the Agricultural Marketing Service will co-sponsor a public meeting to receive comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 15th session Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV).
The meeting is scheduled for Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon at USDA's South Building, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Room 2068, Washington, D.C.
Pre registration is required. For more information, contact Doreen Chen-Moulec at (202) 205-7760 or doreen.chen-moulec@fsis.usda.gov.
Documents related to the 15th session of the CCFFV will be accessible on the Codex Alimentarius Web site at http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
Export Requirement Updates
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes in export requirements for the following countries:
Complete information can be found at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/
Export_Information/index.asp.
FSIS Builds Plant Outreach Through a Spanish Food Safety System Workshop
The agency continues to provide food safety information and training to a widely dispersed and diverse audience, such as Spanish-speaking operators of small and very small plants.
The agency, in partnership with the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, held a successful workshop on How to Be Prepared for a Food Safety Assessment in your Establishment.
This workshop, presented in Spanish, prepared small plant owners and operators for an assessment by the agency's enforcement, analysis and investigation officers. Sixteen people representing the meat and poultry slaughter/processing industry, as well as representatives of the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture and academia attended the workshop.
The workshop covered myriad topics including the agency's regulations, sanitation/disinfection programs, guidelines for pathogens, sampling procedures and analysis, aseptic techniques and hands-on classroom activities.
The discussion highlighted the importance of having an effective sanitation and sampling program to produce wholesome and unadulterated meat and poultry products.
To view the laboratory activities and interviews go to http://academic.uprm.edu/eleon/
Instituto/Videos.html.
Recent Policy Updates
FSIS issues notices and directives to protect public health. The following policy updates were recently issued:
- Notice 58-09, Manufacture of Animal Food or Uninspected Articles at Official Establishments.
- Notice 59-09, Certification Statements on Egg Products Inspection and Grading Certificates, FSIS Form PY-200.
All notices and directives are available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/index.asp.
USDA to Host 2010 Food Safety Education Conference
USDA and NSF International are hosting the Food Safety Education Conference, Advancements in Food Safety: Trends, Tools and Technologies, March 23-26, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta.
For more information, visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Atlanta2010.
Get Answers at AskFSIS
AskFSIS is a Web-based technology and policy question-and-answer forum on topics such as exporting, labeling, inspection, programs and procedures.
In addition, AskFSIS offers Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds that link back to the Q&As. Visit http://askfsis.custhelp.com/ to find the answers to your questions.
Recently posted topics include: Directive 6410.1
Tips to Prevent Foodborne Illness During Severe Weather
Severe weather events can mean power outages, floods and other problems that can affect the safety of food. Knowing what to do before and after a weather event can help you reduce your risk of illness.
FSIS offers tips to keep food safe, even when the weather isn't. Check them out at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/
Preparing_for_Weather_Emergency/index.asp.
Learn about other basic food safety principles by visiting our fact sheets at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/index.asp.
New Podcasts
Tune in to podcasts on selecting, handling and preparing meat and poultry products to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
This week, FSIS released podcasts helpful to consumers as well as plant owners and operators.
- Food Safety at Home: Be Food Safe - Clean (Spanish)
- Industry: Import Permit Policies - Part 4
Check out these new podcasts at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_&_events/
Podcasts/index.asp.
Spanish language consumer podcasts are available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/En_Espanol/
Podcasts_SP/index.asp.
Updates on FSIS Testing for E. coli O157:H7
Weekly updates for the agency's raw beef E. coli sampling program are posted to the FSIS Web site.
For comparative 2008 and 2009 results, go to http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/
Ground_Beef_E.Coli_Testing_Results/index.asp.
Ask Karen
Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen", the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov.
|
Last Modified:
August 28, 2009 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
To view PDF files you must have Adobe Reader installed on your computer.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
