[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 78 (Friday, April 22, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22667-22668]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-9856]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2010-0026]
Availability of Salmonella Compliance Guide for Small and Very
Small Meat and Poultry Establishments That Produce Ready-to-Eat
Products
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability and opportunity for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing
the availability of a compliance guide for small and very small meat
establishments on the safe production of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and
poultry products with respect to Salmonella and other pathogens. FSIS
has posted this compliance guide on its Significant Guidance Documents
Web page (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Significant_Guidance/index.asp).
FSIS encourages small and very small meat establishments that
manufacture these products to avail themselves of this guidance
document. FSIS is also soliciting comments on this compliance guide.
The Agency will consider carefully all comments submitted and will
revise the guide as warranted.
[[Page 22668]]
DATES: Submit written comments by June 21, 2011.
ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this
notice and the compliance guidelines. 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, U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA), FSIS, Room 2-2127, George Washington Carver Center, 5601
Sunnyside Avenue, Mailstop 5272, Beltsville MD 20705-5272.
Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2010-0026. 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristina Barlow, USDA, FSIS,
telephone: (202) 690-7739, e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
This document provides small and very small meat and poultry
establishments \1\ that manufacture RTE meat and poultry products
information on regulatory requirements associated with safe production
of these products with respect to Salmonella and other pathogens. This
document also provides information about processing and safe handling
of RTE products after the lethality step, so they are not contaminated
with pathogens such as Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes (Lm).
Though Agency guidance documents are recommendations rather than
regulatory requirements and are revised as new information becomes
available, FSIS encourages meat and poultry establishments to follow
this guidance.
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\1\ According to the Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Point Systems final rule, a very small
establishment is one that has fewer than 10 employees or less than
$2.5 million in annual sales; a small establishment is one that has
10 or more but fewer than 500 employees (61 FR 38819).
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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/Federal_Register_Notices/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.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2011-9856 Filed 4-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P