[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 130 (Thursday, July 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39201-39203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16818]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2010-0001]
Nominations for Membership on the National Advisory Committee on
Microbiological Criteria for Foods
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) is soliciting nominations for membership on the National
Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). FSIS
inadvertently published this information with errors on June 30, 2010,
at 75 FR 37754. The Agency, therefore, is withdrawing the June 30,
[[Page 39202]]
2010, notice and publishing the correct version of the notice below.
This notice is being issued to fill twelve vacancies on the NACMCF that
resulted from a USDA change in the member term limit. Appointments to
the NACMCF for two-year terms will now be renewable for up to two
consecutive terms instead of three consecutive terms.
Please note that nominations that were provided in response to the
previously issued Federal Register notice dated August 18, 2008 (73 FR
48191) will be considered for these vacancies, so they do not need to
be resubmitted.
NACMCF is seeking members with scientific expertise in the fields
of epidemiology, food technology, microbiology (food, clinical, and
predictive), toxicology, chemistry, risk assessment, infectious
disease, biostatistics, and other related sciences. NACMCF is seeking
applications from persons from the Federal government, State
governments, industry, consumer groups, and academia, as well as all
other interested persons with such expertise.
Members who are not Federal government employees will be appointed
to serve as non-compensated special government employees (SGEs). SGEs
will be subject to appropriate conflict of interest statutes and
standards of ethical conduct.
USDA is also seeking nominations for one individual affiliated with
a consumer group to serve on the NACMCF. This member will serve as a
representative member to provide a consumer viewpoint. This member will
not be required to have a scientific background and will not be subject
to conflict of interest review.
To receive consideration for serving on the NACMCF, a resume and
USDA Advisory Committee Membership Background Information form AD-755
are required. The nominee's typed resume or curriculum vitae must be
limited to five one-sided pages and should include educational
background, expertise, and a select list of publications. For
submissions received that are more than five one-sided pages in length,
only the first five pages will be considered.
DATES: Nominations, including the nominee's typed resume or curriculum
vitae and a USDA Advisory Committee Membership Background Information
form AD-755 must be received by August 9, 2010. USDA Advisory Committee
Membership Background Information form AD-755 is available on-line at:
http://www.ocio.usda.gov/forms/doc/AD-755.pdf.
ADDRESSES: Resumes and AD-755 forms can be sent by mail, fax, or e-mail
to Ms. Karen Thomas-Sharp, Advisory Committee Specialist, USDA, Food
Safety and Inspection Service, Room 333 Aerospace Center, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3700, fax number: 202-
690-6634, e-mail address: [email protected]. Please
note, if using an overnight courier, use this address: USDA, FSIS,
OPHS, Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, SW., Room 378, Washington, DC
20024.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) invites interested
persons to submit comments on this notice. Comments may be submitted by
either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to
type short comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or
attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions at that site for submitting comments.
Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROMs, and hand- or courier-
delivered items: Send to Docket Clerk, USDA, FSIS, Room 2-2127, George
Washington Carver Center, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mailstop 5474,
Beltsville, MD 20705-5474.
Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2010-0001. Comments
received in response to this docket will be made available for public
inspection and posted without change, including any personal
information, to http://www.regulations.gov.
Docket: For access to background documents or to comments received,
go to the FSIS Docket Room at the address listed above between 8:30
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. All comments submitted in
response to this notice, as well as background information used by FSIS
in developing this document, will be available for public inspection in
the FSIS Docket Room at the address listed above between 8:30 a.m. and
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Karen Thomas-Sharp, Advisory
Committee Specialist, at the above address or by telephone at 202-690-
6620 or by fax at 202-690-6634.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The NACMCF was established in March 1988, in response to a
recommendation in a 1985 report of the National Academy of Sciences
Committee on Food Protection, Subcommittee on Microbiological Criteria,
``An Evaluation of the Role of Microbiological Criteria for Foods.''
The current charter for the NACMCF and other information about the
Committee are available for viewing on the NACMCF homepage at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/NACMCF/index.asp.
The Committee provides scientific advice and recommendations to the
Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services
concerning the development of microbiological criteria by which the
safety and wholesomeness of food can be assessed. For example, the
Committee assists in the development of criteria for microorganisms
that indicate whether food has been processed using good manufacturing
practices.
Appointments to the Committee will be made by the Secretary of
Agriculture after consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to ensure that recommendations made by the Committee take into
account the needs of the diverse groups served by the Department.
Membership shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals
with demonstrated ability to represent minorities, women, and persons
with disabilities.
Given the complexity of issues, the full Committee expects to meet
up to two times a year, and the meetings will be announced in the
Federal Register. The subcommittees will meet as deemed necessary by
the chairperson and will be held as working group meetings in an open
public forum. Intermittently, subcommittees may also meet through
computer-based conferencing (net meetings). Subcommittees may invite
technical experts to present information for consideration by the
subcommittee. The subcommittee meetings will not be announced in the
Federal Register. FSIS will announce the agenda and subcommittee
working group meetings through the Constituent Update, available on-
line at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_&_events/Constituent_Update/index.asp.
NACMCF holds subcommittee working group meetings in order to
accomplish the work of NACMCF; all work accomplished by the
subcommittees is reviewed and approved by the full Committee during a
public meeting of the full Committee, as announced in the Federal
Register. All data and records available to the full Committee are
expected to be available to the public at the time the full Committee
reviews and approves the work of the subcommittee.
[[Page 39203]]
Appointment to the Advisory Committee is for a two-year term,
renewable for up to two consecutive terms. Members are expected to
attend all meetings in-person, as this is necessary for the functioning
of this advisory committee. However, the Advisory Committee realizes
that unexpected events or extenuating circumstances (e.g., a personal
or family emergency) may result in a member's inability to attend a
meeting in-person and that attendance through teleconferencing may be
necessary. Because attendance through teleconferencing has been a less
than optimal means to contribute to the work of the committee, members
should make efforts to attend all meetings to the extent that this is
possible.
Members must be prepared to work outside of scheduled Committee and
subcommittee meetings and may be required to assist in document
preparation. Committee members serve on a voluntary basis; however,
travel reimbursement and per diem reimbursement are available.
Regarding Nominees Who Are Selected
All SGE and Federal government employee nominees who are selected
must complete the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) 450 Confidential
Financial Disclosure Report before rendering any advice or prior to
their first meeting. All members will be reviewed for conflict of
interest pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 208 in relation to specific NACMCF work
charges. Financial disclosure updates will be required annually.
Members must report any changes in financial holdings requiring
additional disclosure. OGE 450 forms are available on-line at: http://www.usoge.gov/forms/form_450.aspx.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on
the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age,
disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or
family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for
communication of program information (Braille, large print, or
audiotape.) should contact USDA's Target Center at 202-720-2600 (voice
and TTY).
To file a written complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office
of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TTY).
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that
minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this
notice, FSIS will announce it online through the FSIS Web page located
at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/2010_Notices_Index/index.asp.
FSIS will also make copies of this Federal Register publication
available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide
information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal
Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information
that could affect or would be of interest to constituents and
stakeholders. The Update is communicated via Listserv, a free
electronic mail subscription service for industry, trade groups,
consumer interest groups, health professionals, and other individuals
who have asked to be included. The Update is also available on the FSIS
Web page. Through the Listserv and Web page, FSIS is able to provide
information to a much broader and more diverse audience. In addition,
FSIS offers an electronic mail subscription service which provides
automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and
information. This service is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_and_events/email_subscription/. Options range from recalls to
export information to regulations, directives and notices. Customers
can add or delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to
password protect their accounts. Done at Washington, DC, on July 2,
2010.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2010-16818 Filed 7-7-10; 8:45 am]
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