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Under Secretary Murano Accepts Position
at Texas A&M
USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety Dr. Elsa A. Murano has accepted
the position of Vice Chancellor of Agriculture for the Texas A&M University
System, Dean of the College of Agriculture at Texas A&M University-College
Station and Director of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station.
Dr. Murano submitted her resignation to President Bush, effective
December 3, 2004.
"It has been an incredible privilege and an honor to serve
this President and my fellow Americans as the USDA Under Secretary
for Food Safety," Dr. Murano said. "I can leave Washington
knowing that we have made a significant difference in improving public
health and am confident that our science-based policies will continue
to drive foodborne illnesses down even further.
"I am extremely excited to be going back home to Texas and
to once again be part of the Texas A&M family. I am very much looking
forward to the opportunities that lie ahead, and to working with the
faculty, staff, students, and many stakeholders within Texas, to ensure
that our research, teaching, and extension programs in the agricultural
and life sciences are second to none, in total fulfillment of the
university's mission as a land-grant university."
"As the Undersecretary for Food Safety, her experience and
dedication to the scientific process have contributed greatly to the
U.S. Department of Agriculture and those qualities will serve her
well in her new responsibilities," said Agriculture Secretary
Ann M. Veneman.
Dr. Murano, a native of Havana, Cuba, is the first Hispanic American
to have served as Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA. She will
also be the first Hispanic American, and first woman, to serve in
her new position at Texas A&M University.
Codex Coordinating Committee Report Now Available
The 8th Session of Codex Coordinating Committee for North America
and the South West Pacific, Apia, Samoa (CCNASWP) was held October
19-22. The report on this meeting is available at: www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/
Delegate_Report_8NASWP/. The meeting was attended by 11 member countries:
Australia, Canada, Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia,
New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and the
United States. The session was preceded by a workshop on October 18
for national Codex committees and contact points, and another workshop
was held on October 21 by the Chair of the Codex Committee on Food
Import/Export Inspection and Certification Systems on traceability/product
tracing.
National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection
(NACMPI) to Hold Public Meetings
The National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI)
will hold public meetings on Nov. 16-17, 2004. NACMPI will divide
into three subcommittees on the first day to work on the issues discussed
during the full committee meeting.
The full committee will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 16-17
at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town, 1767 King Street Alexandria, Va.
22314. Subcommittees will hold public meetings on Tuesday, Nov. 16
from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Participants at the meeting will discuss and
seek comments on the following topics:
The meeting agenda
is available at www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/NACMPI.
If you would like to submit comments on agenda topics please send
them with the agency name and Docket #04-038N to: FSIS Docket Room,
Docket #04-038N, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102
Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700. Comments
can also be submitted online at http://www.regulations.gov.
For questions regarding submission of comments or technical information,
contact Robert Tynan at (202) 690-6522 or by email at robert.tynan@fsis.usda.gov.
Codex Task Force Report Now Available
The Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force for Fruit and
Vegetable Juices and Nectars consisting of 103 individuals representing
19 countries, one international intergovernmental organization, and
three non-governmental observer organizations met October 11-15 in
Fortaleza, Brazil. The U.S. delegation was led by Martin Stutsman
of FDA.
Agreement was reached on all of the remaining provisions of the proposed
Draft Codex Standard for Fruit Juices and Nectars and its Annexes.
The endorsement issues were addressed by making modifications to the
text and/or additional response to the referring committee as appropriate.
The full report on this meeting is available at: www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/
Delegate_Report_4TFJ/
Nominations Deadline Extended for NACMCF
The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods
(NACMCF) nomination for membership deadline has been extended. Nominations
and resumes must be received by Dec. 4, 2004, and should be sent to
Karen Thomas, Advisory Committee Specialist, USDA, FSIS, Room 333,
Aerospace Center, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250.
Nominations are being sought for scientists with expertise in epidemiology,
food technology, microbiology, risk assessment, infectious diseases
and biostatistics and other related sciences. Nominees may be currently
employed by state and federal governments, industry, academia or other
scientific pursuits.
The NACMCF, established
in 1988, provides scientific advice on public health issues relative
to the safety and wholesomeness of the U.S. food supply. The committee
serves the following departments: Agriculture (Food Safety and Inspection
Service), Health and Human Services (Food and Drug Administration),
Commerce (National Marine Fisheries Service) and Defense (Veterinary
Service Activity).
Library of Export Requirement Updated
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to updated to
reflect changes in export requirements for the following countries:
Australia, Barbados, Canada, Oman, Russia, and Taiwan. Complete information
can be found at: www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/
Index_of_Import_Requirements_by_Country/
The USDA Food Safety Mobile: Taking Food Safety Education
on the Road
The USDA Food Safety Mobile travels continuously throughout the United
States to educate consumers about the risks associated with mishandling
food and steps they can take to reduce their risk of foodborne illness.
The next dates and locations are as follows:
- Nov 9, 2004: Defense Commissary Agency (Fort Gordon, Ga.)
- Nov 13, 2004; Females in Science and Technology Conference (Silver
Spring, Md.)
- Nov 15, 2004: Elementary School (Roanoke, Va.)
- Nov 20, 2004: Baltimore's Thanksgiving Day Parade (Baltimore,
Md.)
THIS WEEK'S HOT WEB LINKS
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Last Modified:
December 8, 2006 |
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