FSIS Constituent Update: January 23, 2004

FSIS Announces Locations for Upcoming BSE Teaching Workshops

FSIS has chosen the locations for a series of teaching workshops on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) regulatory issues from January through March 2004. The workshops are designed to provide an overview of the Agency’s new regulatory requirements to owners and operators of small and very small establishments that process cattle or produce products using Advanced Meat Recovery (AMR) and for State plants and State program personnel. Listed below are the dates and locations where the all-day workshops will be held.

Saturday	Location
January 31, 2004	Sheraton Tacoma Hotel 1320 Broadway Plaza Tacoma, Washington 98402 (253) 572-3200
February 7, 2004	Red Lion Hotel 1800 Fairview Avenue Boise, Idaho 83702 (208) 344-7691
February 21, 2004	Holiday Inn City Center 100 W. 8th Street Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104 (605) 339-2000
February 28, 2004	Sheraton Madison Hotel 706 John Nolan Drive Madison, Wisconsin 53713 (608) 251-2300
March 6, 2004	The Grand Royale Hotel 80 State Street Binghamton, NY 13901 (607) 722-0000

Registration for the workshops will begin at 8:30 a.m. and workshops will start at 9:00 a.m. Participants are encouraged to pre-register for the meetings and can do so by either calling (800) 384-3100 or by clicking on one of the links below for the meeting in their area.

Tacoma, Washington: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/forms/reg_tacoma.asp
Boise, Idaho: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/forms/reg_boise.asp
Sioux Falls, South Dakota: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/forms/reg_siouxfalls.asp
Madison, Wisconsin: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/forms/reg_madison.asp
Binghamton, New York: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/forms/reg_binghamton.asp

USDA Announces Agricultural Outlook Forum

On Thursday February 19, 2004, the USDA will host over 100 industry, government officials and leading experts at the Agricultural Outlook Forum to discuss how American farmers, the food industry and policy makers are responding to current issues and concerns in Agriculture. Keynote speakers include Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman and Safeway, Inc. CEO Steven A. Burd.

The forum will be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. Participants can register online at: http://www.usda.gov/oce/waob/agforum.htm or by calling (202) 314-3451.

Reminder of Codex Public Meetings for 2004

A number of public meetings have been scheduled to occur prior to Codex Committee sessions this year. The Delegates to the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR), the Codex Committee on Meat Hygiene (CCMH), the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC), the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS), the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH), and the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products (CCMMP) have all posted public meetings. Dates, times, and locations for these meetings are available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/codex/meeting.htm.

Export Requirement Updates

The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes in export requirements for European Union, Poland, Romania and Taiwan. Complete information can be found at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OFO/export/explib.htm.

Reminder of National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods Meeting

The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold a public meeting of the full committee on Friday, February 13, 2004, from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Buckhead Hotel Atlanta, 3405 Lenox Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30326. In addition to the plenary session, NACMCF Subcommittees also will hold meetings that are open to the public on February 10-12, 2004, at the Sheraton Buckhead Hotel Atlanta. For additional meeting information, contact Karen Thomas, Advisory Committee Specialist, at (202) 690-6620. Access the agenda at www.fsis.usda.gov/ophs/nacmcf/meetings.htm.

THIS WEEK’S HOT WEB LINKS

*This section has been added to remind readers of information available on the FSIS web site.
Web links will vary from week-to-week.

Transcript of Remarks by Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman before the House Agriculture Committee January 21, 2004
http://www.usda.gov/Newsroom/0031.04.html
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/topics/bse.htm
Microbiological Testing Programs for Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Meat and Poultry Products
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/ophs/rtetest/index.htm

For Further Information Contact:
FSIS Constituent Affairs Program
Phone: (202) 720-9113
Fax: (202) 720-5704
E-mail: LisaWallenda.Picard@fsis.usda.gov

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