Make Food Safety a Priority this Holiday Season

The holiday season is here, which means festive gatherings with friends and family. As holiday potlucks start filling up our calendars, let’s be mindful of the foods filling up our stomachs by avoiding foodborne illness. 

• Always safely prepare foods you're bringing to a potluck by following the Four Steps: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill
• Fully cook dishes to their safe minimum internal temperature.
• Follow the 2-hour rule and don't snack on perishable foods that have been sitting on the table for longer than that. 
• Avoid the “Danger Zone” by keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold. 
• Use or freeze any safe potluck leftovers within 4 days.

The holiday season isn’t the same if you’re sick, so bring food safety to your gatherings to keep being festive all season long. For more food safety tips, visit the FSIS website.

Available for Public Comment

FSIS seeks public comments on proposed rules and notices, which are viewable on the FSIS Federal Register & Rulemaking webpage. FSIS is currently seeking comments on the following:

• Until December 11, 2023: Notice of Request for New Information Collection: Small and Very Small Establishment Outreach Survey
• Until December 11, 2023: Notice of Request for Renewal of an Approved Information Collection: Salmonella Initiative Program
• Until December 18, 2023: Notice of Request for a New Information Collection: Salmonella Control Strategies Pilot Projects - 2023
• Until January 8, 2024: Notice of Request for Renewal of an Approved Information Collection: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery

Policy Update

FSIS notices and directives on public health and regulatory issues are available on the FSIS Policy webpage. The following policy update was recently issued:

FSIS Notice 65-23 - Notification of Enrollment: Federal Bureau of Investigation's Next Generation Identification Record of Arrest and Prosecution Background Program

FSIS Notice 64-23 - Mandatory Equal Employment Opportunity and Civil Rights Training for All FSIS Employees

Export Requirements Update

The Library of Export Requirements has been updated for products for the following:

• Canada
• French Polynesia (Tahiti)
• Korea
• Cuba
• Philippines
• Mexico
• Hong Kong
• Japan
• Singapore
• Taiwan
• Vietnam
• Chile
• Guatemala
• China
• South Africa
• Barbados
• Dominica
• Brazil
• Kuwait
• Turkey
• Azerbaijan
• Australia
• Peru

Complete information can be found at the FSIS Import & Export Library.