[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 145 (Wednesday, July 29, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 40381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20173]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 145 / Wednesday, July 29, 1998 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 40381]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
9 CFR Parts 309, 310, 381, and 417
[Docket No. 98-039N]
HACCP-Based Meat and Poultry Inspection Concepts: In-Plant
Slaughter Inspection Models Study Plan
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is making
available for comment a paper describing the plan for evaluating new
livestock and poultry slaughter inspection models in certain
establishments operating under Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Point (HACCP) systems. The paper was prepared for use by establishments
slaughtering certain market classes of animals and participating in the
Agency's HACCP-Based Inspection Models project and by the FSIS project
team. During this project, FSIS will test and evaluate new approaches
to fulfilling inspection requirements by plants and FSIS inspectors.
The project will also test new FSIS food safety and other consumer
protection activities in transportation and distribution channels. The
new models are intended to help the Agency determine how best to
maintain and improve upon the level of protection provided by current
inspection procedures, and at the same time use its resources more
effectively. The paper outlines the approaches that will be used by the
participating establishments and by the FSIS inspectors assigned to
these plants. The paper also describes the organoleptic and
microbiological evaluations to be conducted by the FSIS project team.
DATES: To receive full consideration, comments should be received by
September 28, 1998.
ADDRESSES: The document ``HACCP-Based Inspection Models Project: In-
plant Slaughter'' may be viewed in the FSIS Docket Room, Room 102
Cotton Annex Building, 300 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3700.
An electronic version of the document is available on-line at FSIS's
homepage at ``http://www.fsis.usda.gov.'' Written comments on the
document may be sent in triplicate to FSIS Docket Clerk, DOCKET #98-
XXXN, Room 102 Cotton Annex Building, 300 12th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20250-3700.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia F. Stolfa, Assistant Deputy
Administrator, Office of Policy, Program Development, and Evaluation,
Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Washington, DC 20250-3700; (202) 205-0699.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
FSIS is conducting a project to develop and test new models for the
inspection of certain meat and poultry products produced under the
Agency's ``Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Point Systems'' (PR/HACCP) final rule (61 FR 38806; July 25, 1996).
FSIS will also test a new in-distribution inspection concept; however,
the paper described here only concerns the inplant slaughter phase of
the project. The inspection models project was announced in a June 10,
1997, Federal Register notice, ``HACCP-Based Meat and Poultry
Inspection Concepts,'' requesting public comments on the design and
development of new inspection models for slaughter and processing under
HACCP systems of young, healthy, uniform animals (62 FR 31553). The
project has been a subject of discussion at several public meetings
during the past year.
The HACCP-Based Inspection Models project is intended to produce a
flexible, more efficient, fully integrated system of oversight and
controls. FSIS expects this system of establishment controls and Agency
oversight and verification, to yield increased food-safety and other
benefits to consumers. The new system should enable certain
establishments to better meet their responsibilities under the PR/HACCP
regulations and permit FSIS to deploy its inspection resources more
effectively both in-plant and in-distribution.
In the inspection models for selected market classes that FSIS is
developing, slaughter process control will be an industry
responsibility subject to FSIS oversight and verification. The models,
when refined, should enable FSIS to: (1) maintain and enhance the food-
safety and other consumer protection benefits of the current carcass
inspection system; (2) effectively and efficiently oversee, evaluate,
and verify industry implementation of the PR/HACCP regulations; and (3)
ensure that meat and poultry products are transported and distributed
under conditions that will not render them adulterated. The project
will thoroughly test the Agency's ability to achieve these objectives
using the new models in certain market classes of livestock and birds.
Establishments participating in the project will carry out food-
safety-related and other consumer protection activities. Establishment
employees will conduct anatomical and pathological examinations of
carcasses, and FSIS inspectors will oversee, evaluate, and verify the
effectiveness and reliability of the establishments' slaughter process
controls.
The paper ``HACCP-Based Inspection Models Project: Inplant
Slaughter'' outlines the establishment process-control responsibilities
and FSIS inspection activities to be carried out during the in-plant
phase of the project, and describes the microbial and organoleptic
evaluation procedures which the project team will carry out.
Done, at Washington, D.C., July 22, 1998.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-20173 Filed 7-28-98; 8:45 am]
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