2022-23108. Notice of Request for Revision of an Approved Information Collection (In-Home Food Safety Behaviors and Consumer Education: Web-Based Survey)

AGENCY:

Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the FSIS is announcing its intention to request a revision of the approved information for an exploratory Web-based survey of consumers to evaluate food safety education and communication activities and to inform the development of food safety communication products. The revision is requested because the survey content has been modified to collect additional information on consumer awareness and understanding of Safe Handling Instructions and the USDA mark of inspection, food safety knowledge, food safety risk perceptions, preferences for receiving food safety information from FSIS, and perceptions of USDA. The approval for this information collection will expire on October 31, 2023.

DATES:

Submit comments on or before November 25, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this Federal Register notice. Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website provides commenters the ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on the web page or to attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions at that site for submitting comments.

• Mail: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, Washington, DC 20250-3700.

• Hand- or Courier-Delivered Submittals: Deliver to 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 350-E, Washington, DC 20250-3700.

Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2022-0028. Comments received in response to this docket will be made available for public inspection and posted without change, including any personal information, to https://www.regulations.gov.

Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, call [phone] to schedule a time to visit the FSIS Docket Room at 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and Program Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, South Building, Washington, DC 20250-3700; [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

 

Title: In-Home Food Safety Behaviors and Consumer Education: Web-Based Survey.

OMB Number: 0583-0178.

Expiration Date of Approval: 10/31/2023.

Type of Request: Revision of an approved information collection.

Abstract: FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the functions of the Secretary (7 CFR 2.18, 2.53) as specified in the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601, et seq.), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451, et seq.) and the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) (21 U.S.C. 1031, et seq.). These statutes mandate that FSIS protect the public by verifying that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled and packaged.

FSIS' Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Education (OPACE) develops consumer education programs concerning the safe handling, preparation, and storage of meat, poultry, and egg products, to improve consumer food handling behaviors and minimize the incidence of foodborne illness. OPACE shares its messages through social media, the Meat and Poultry Hotline and Ask USDA (an online database of frequently asked food safety questions), the FSIS website, FoodSafety.gov, publications, and events. These messages are focused on the four core food safety behaviors: clean, separate, cook, and chill.

By testing planned and tailoring existing communication programs and materials, FSIS can ensure that it is effectively communicating with the public to improve consumer food safety practices. As part of ongoing activities by OPACE to develop and evaluate its public health education and communication activities, FSIS is requesting a revision of the approved information collection to conduct exploratory Web-based surveys of consumers. Findings from these surveys will provide information about how FSIS communication programs and materials affect consumer understanding of recommended safe food handling practices, as well as insight into how to effectively inform consumers about recommended practices. The findings will be used to enhance communication programs and materials to improve consumers' food safety behaviors and help prevent foodborne illness. Additionally, this research will provide useful information for tracking progress toward the goals outlined in the FSIS Strategic Plan.

FSIS contracted with an independent consulting firm to conduct two iterations of a web-based survey. The first survey was conducted in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 and the second survey will be conducted in FY 2023. Each iteration of the exploratory survey is designed to collect information from 2,400 English-speaking adult members of a Web-enabled research panel maintained by a subcontractor. A pilot will be conducted before the survey to test the survey instrument and procedures.

The first iteration of the survey collected information on consumer use of and response to the Meat and Poultry Hotline, consumer awareness of The Food Safe Families campaign, and consumer behaviors for preparing raw meat and poultry products. The second iteration of the survey will collect information on consumer awareness and understanding of Safe Handling Instructions and the USDA mark of inspection, food safety knowledge, food safety risk perceptions, preferences for receiving food safety information from FSIS, and perceptions of USDA.

Estimate of Burden: The total estimated burden for each iteration of the survey is 978.2 hours, for a total burden of 1,956.4 hours. To achieve 80 completed surveys during the pretest, 146 panel members will be invited via email to take the survey. To achieve 2,400 completed surveys during the full-scale study, 4,400 panel members will be invited via email to take the survey. Therefore, a total of 4,546 (146 + 4,400) will be invited to participate in both the pretest and the full-scale study for each iteration of the survey. The invitation email for the pretest and the full-scale survey is expected to take 2 minutes (0.03333 hour). Each survey is expected to take 20 minutes (0.33333 hours) to complete.

Estimated Annual Reporting Burden for the FY 2019 Web-Based Consumer Survey

Study component	Estimated number of respondents	Annual frequency per response	Total annual responses	Hours per response	Total hours
Pretest Invitation	146	1	146	0.03333(2 min.)	4.87
Pretest 1	80	1	80	0.03333(20 min.)	26.67
Survey Invitation	4,400	1	4,400	0.03333(2 min.)	146.67
Survey 1	2,400	1	2,400	0.03333(20 min.)	800
Total	4,546				978.2
1  A subset of the people who received the invitation.

Estimated Annual Reporting Burden for the FY 2023 Web-Based Consumer Survey

Study component	Estimated number of respondents	Annual frequency per response	Total annual responses	Hours per response	Total hours
Pretest Invitation	146	1	146	0.03333(2 min.)	4.87
Pretest 1	80	1	80	0.03333(20 min.)	26.67
Survey Invitation	4,400	1	4,400	0.03333(2 min.)	146.67
Survey 1	2,400	1	2,400	0.03333(20 min.)	800
Total	4,546				978.2
1  A subset of the people who received the invitation.

Respondents: Consumers.

Estimated No. of Respondents: 9,092.

Estimated No. of Annual Responses per Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Burden on Respondents: 1,956.4 hours.

Copies of this information collection assessment can be obtained from Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and Program Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, South Building, Washington, DC 20250-3700; [phone].

Comments are invited on: (a)whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of FSIS' functions, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS' estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the method and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques, or other forms of information technology. Comments may be sent to both FSIS, at the addresses provided above, and the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, DC 20253.

Additional Public Notification

Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal Register publication on-line through the FSIS web page located at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/​federal-register.

FSIS will also announce and provide a link to this Federal Register publication 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 our constituents and stakeholders. The Constituent Update is available on the FSIS web page. Through the web page, FSIS can provide information to a much broader, more diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email subscription service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and information. This service is available at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/​subscribe. Options range from recalls to export information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the option to password protect their accounts.

USDA's Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, USDA, its Mission Areas, agencies, staff offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information ( e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language) should contact the responsible Mission Area, agency, or staff office; the USDA TARGET Center at [phone] (voice and TTY); or the Federal Relay Service at [phone].

To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at https://www.ocio.usda.gov/​document/​ad-3027, from any USDA office, by calling [phone], or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant's name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410; or

(2) Fax: [phone] or [phone]; or

(3) Email:[e-mail].

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Paul Kiecker,

Administrator.