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National Day of Mourning Operating Procedures Clarified
The President issued an Executive Order to close Federal offices and excuse all Federal employees from
duty for the scheduled workday on Friday, June 11, 2004, except those who, in the judgment of the head of
the agency, cannot be excused for reasons of national security, defense, or other essential public business.
Inspection services will be provided to the many inspected establishments who will be operating on the
National Day of Mourning. Plants that operate on this day will not be charged for their normal approved
ours of operation because this holiday is not one of the eleven holidays cited in 9 CFR 307.5(b) or 381.38(b).
Inspector premium pay, for normal approved hours of operation, will be paid for by the Agency. Overtime in
excess of the 8 hour shift will be charged as reimbursable overtime.
New Speech Available on FSIS Web Site
"Equivalence - Ensuring the Flow of Safe Meat, Poultry and Egg Products Across Country Borders,"
with accompanying PowerPoint presentation has been added to FSIS' Web site. The remarks were given by FSIS Deputy Administrator
Linda Swacina at the Mexico - U.S. Poultry Health and Trade Symposium in Mexico City, Mexico on May 12, 2004.
You can find this presentation and others on FSIS' Web site,
www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Speech_051204_Swacina/
NACMCF Subcommittee on Criteria for Microbiological Performance Standards for Ground Chicken to Meet
The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) Subcommittee on
Microbiological Performance Standards for Ground Chicken will hold public meetings on Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday, June 15-17, 2004 from 8:30am - 5:00pm, at the Aerospace Building, 901 "D" St., SW, Room 369,
Washington, DC.
If you would like to attend any of these meetings, please contact Karen Thomas, Advisory Committee Specialist,
at 202-690-6620. Please note that due to increased security measures at the Aerospace Center, all
persons wishing to attend must RSVP in advance.
Reminder: Upcoming Codex Meeting
The 27th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission will take place at the International Conference Center in Geneva,
Switzerland from June 28-July 3, 2004. The U.S. Codex Office will hold a public meeting in preparation for the session
on Tuesday, June 15, 2004, in Room 107A of the Jamie Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, Washington, D.C.
This meeting will provide draft U.S. positions on items of the provisional agenda and opportunities for public comment.
Items on the agenda include matters related to the Codex Procedural Manual, preliminary and final adoption of Codex
Standards and related texts and program and budgetary matters. Other agenda items include the Joint FAO/WHO Evaluation of
Codex, the Trust Fund for Enhanced Participation in Codex and the relations between Codex and other International
Organizations.
The agenda items and more information for the Geneva, Switzerland meeting can be found at:
www.codexalimentarius.net/codex/codex27_en.htm
Upcoming June E. coli O157:H7 Workshops
From May through September 2004, FSIS will hold a series of teaching workshops around the nation for small and very small plants on
new directives designed to strengthen E. coli O157:H7 prevention procedures. The workshops are scheduled on Saturday from
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. They will present the materials in the directives to operators of small and very small federally-inspected plants,
state-inspected plants, federal and state inspection personnel, members of academia and other interested parties.
The three FSIS Directives to be covered during the sessions are: Directive 10,010.1 Revision 1,
Microbiological Testing Program and Other Verification Activities for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Raw Ground Beef
Products and Raw Ground Beef Components and Beef Patty Components; Directive 6420.0,
Verification of Procedures for Controlling Fecal Material, Ingesta, and Milk in Slaughter Operations;
and Directive 5000.2,
Review of Establishment Data by Inspection Program Personnel.
The workshops scheduled for June are as follows:
- June 12 - Doubletree Hotel Coconut Grove, 2649 South Bayshore Drive, Miami, Florida, (305) 858 - 2500
- June 19 - The St. Anthony, 300 East Travis, San Antonio, Texas, (210) 227 - 4392
- June 26 - Renaissance Boulder Suites Hotel, 500 Flatiron Blvd., Broomfield, CO, (303) 464 - 8400
To pre-register for the workshop in Miami, Florida, please call (202) 690-6520 or email renee.ellis@fsis.usda.gov.
You can also register for this workshop, and all future workshops by calling 866-553-3052 or via FSIS' Web site
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events/
Library of Export Requirement Updated
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes in export requirements for
Indonesia, Mexico and Trinidad. Complete information can be found at:
www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/Export_Information/
Featured Office of the Week: Evaluation & Enforcement Division
The Evaluation & Enforcement Division (EED) takes the lead for FSIS in initiating criminal, civil, and administrative
sanctions for violations of FSIS laws and regulations. Quarterly Enforcement Reports summarize the enforcement
actions FSIS has taken to ensure that products that reach consumers are safe, wholesome and properly labeled.
For more information please visit: www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/OPEER/
THIS WEEK'S HOT WEB LINKS
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