1. PURPOSE
   1. This notice provides instructions to consumer safety inspectors (CSIs) and supervisory personnel whose assignment covers establishments that use a cooking or stabilization process for meat and poultry products (either fully cooked or partially heat-treated) for attending live webinars or watching a pre-recorded webinar on the 2021 FSIS Cooking Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix A) (Appendix A) and 2021 FSIS Stabilization Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix B) (Appendix B).  It is strongly recommended that CSIs and supervisory personnel whose assignment covers establishments that use a cooking or stabilization process for meat and poultry products (either fully cooked or partially heat-treated) attend a webinar or watch a pre-recorded session before September 30, 2022.  This notice also provides instructions to Enforcement, Investigations, and Analysis Officers (EIAOs) that they are highly recommended to attend a webinar or watch the pre-recorded session before September 30, 2022.
   2. FSIS is not issuing instructions for new verification activities at this time.  A future issuance will instruct CSIs when they are to begin documenting noncompliance if an establishment that uses the 1999 and 2017 versions of these guidelines as scientific support for their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) System, has not updated to the revised version of these guidelines or has not identified alternative support for their cooking and stabilization processes by December 14, 2022.  FSIS will also provide further instructions to EIAOs prior to the implementation date (December 14, 2022).  FSIS personnel are to be aware that the Revised Appendix A and B are intended to inform industry about ways to support cooking and stabilization procedures.  The documents do not establish any new requirements that industry must follow.
2. BACKGROUND
   1. FSIS announced the availability of the final revised versions of Appendix A and B in the Federal Register on December 14, 2021 (86 FR 71007), and that the guidelines are available at:
      1. FSIS Cooking Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix A)
      2. FSIS Stabilization Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix B)
   2. FSIS Cooking Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix A) provides information for complying with Agency regulatory requirements in 9 CFR 318.17(a)(1), 9 CFR 318.23, 9 CFR 381.150(a)(1), and 9 CFR part 417 associated with safe production of ready-to-eat (RTE) products with respect to the destruction of Salmonella and other pathogens using cooking.
   3. FSIS Stabilization Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix B) provides information on complying with the Agency regulatory requirements in 9 CFR 318.17(a)(2), 9 CFR 318.23(c)(1), 9 CFR 381.150(a)(2), 9 CFR 381.150(b), and 9 CFR part 417 associated with safe production of heat-treated RTE and not-ready-to-eat (NRTE) meat and poultry products with respect to preventing or limiting the growth of spore-forming bacteria (e.g., Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium botulinum) and other pathogens.
   4. FSIS will begin issuing non-compliance records (NRs) if an establishment that uses the 1999 and 2017 versions of these guidelines as scientific support for their HACCP System, has not updated to the revised version of these guidelines or has not identified alternative support for their cooking and stabilization processes, making changes to their HACCP system as needed on December 14, 2022.
   5. FSIS will provide further instructions to CSIs and EIAOs before the implementation date (December 14, 2022). These instructions will describe the verification procedures CSIs and EIAOs are to follow in relation to the revised 2021 guidelines, including verification procedures for processes within a defined scientific gap.
3. CSI RESPONSIBILITIES
   1. CSIs whose assignment covers establishments that use a cooking or stabilization process for meat and poultry products (either fully cooked or partially heat-treated) are highly recommended to attend a webinar or watch the pre-recorded session before September 30, 2022.  The training will provide information to CSIs on commonly asked questions related to the use of the guidelines as scientific support to meet validation requirements.
   2. CSIs may either:
      1. Attend a live webinar.  To register for a webinar using AgLearn, go to: Course: FSIS-CSI Webinar for 2021 Cooking Guideline for Meat & Poultry Products (Revised Appendix A) and 2021 Stabilization Guideline for Meat & Poultry Products (Revised Appendix B) (usda.gov), select “enroll me”, and then choose from one of the following events .  Please note space is limited.  Call-in instructions will be sent after registration closes.
         1. Monday, August 8, 2022 from 1-3pm EST (to attend, register by August 3rd);
         2. Tuesday, August 9, 2022 from 9-11am EST (to attend, register by August 4th); or
         3. Wednesday, August 10, 2022 from 6-8pm EST (to attend, register by August 5th).
      2. Watch a pre-recorded webinar available on IPP Help, Media Library, 2021 Revised Appendix A & B.  If CSIs watch a pre-recorded session, they do not need to record their learning in AgLearn.
   3. CSIs are to contact their supervisor for assistance if, after attending or watching a webinar, they have a question that was not covered by the training or have concerns regarding the establishment’s scientific support for cooking or stabilization.  The supervisor may determine that it is necessary for CSIs to submit a question to askFSIS as described in Section V of this notice.
4. SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES
   1. Supervisory personnel whose assignment covers establishments that use a cooking or stabilization process for meat and poultry products (either fully cooked or partially heat-treated) are highly recommended to attend a webinar or watch the pre-recorded session before September 30, 2022.  The training will provide information on commonly asked questions related to the use of these guidelines as scientific support for cooking and stabilization procedures.  Supervisors are to complete training by attending a live webinar or pre-recorded training session following the instructions for CSIs in Section III,
   2. Supervisory personnel are to assist CSIs in answering questions from establishments regarding Appendix A and B.
   3. If supervisory personnel receive a question from an establishment regarding the guidelines before attending a scheduled webinar, supervisory personnel are to direct the establishment to the section on pages 6-8 of the FSIS Cooking Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix A) titled “Changes from the Previous Versions of Appendix A” and pages 6-7 of the FSIS Stabilization Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix B) which also has a section titled “Changes from the Previous Versions of Appendix B”.  If after attending training supervisory personnel receive a question that was not covered by the training, they are to submit the question using askFSIS as described in Section VI of this notice.
5. EIAO RESPONSIBILITIES
   EIAOs are highly recommended to attend a webinar or watch the pre-recorded session before September 30, 2022.
6. QUESTIONS
   Refer questions regarding this notice to your supervisor or as needed to the Office of Policy and  Program Development through askFSIS or by telephone at 1-800-233-3935.  When submitting a  question, complete the web form and select HACCP Deviation & Validation as the Inquiry Type.

NOTE: Refer to FSIS Directive 5620.1, Using askFSIS, for additional information on submitting  questions.