Equivalence Evaluation Process for Foreign Meat and Poultry Food Regulatory Systems

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 99-051N]

Equivalence Evaluation Process for Foreign Meat and Poultry Food

Regulatory Systems

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing a

public meeting on December 14, 1999 to (1) report the Pathogen

Reduction/HACCP equivalence status of each country that exports meat or

poultry to the United States, (2) explain the rationale for acceptance

of alternative PR/HACCP sanitary measures, and (3) receive additional

public comments on the state of FSIS equivalence activities.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on December 14, 1999, from 1:00

p.m. to 6:00 p.m. No preregistration is necessary.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in the Federal Room,

Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle NW (at Massachusetts Avenue

and 14th Street), Washington, DC 20009, (202) 842-1300. Attendees

requiring sign-language interpreters or other special accommodation

should contact Mr. Clark Danford (identified below in FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT) by November 30, 1999. Transcripts of the meeting

will be available in the FSIS Docket Office, Room 102, 300 12th Street,

SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Clark Danford, Acting Director,

International Policy Division; Office of Policy, Program Development,

and Evaluation; (202) 720-6400, or by electronic mail to

[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FSIS published a notice in the Federal

Register of March 12, 1999 (64 FR 12281) announcing the availability of

a document that describes the Agency's process for evaluating foreign

meat and poultry inspection systems to determine whether they are

equivalent to the United States' inspection system. FSIS solicited

public comments on this document and held a public meeting on April 14,

1999, to discuss the equivalence evaluation process. The comment period

ended May 11, 1999. This notice announces a follow-up public meeting to

(1) report the Pathogen Reduction/HACCP equivalence status of each

country that exports meat or poultry to the United States, (2) explain

the rationale for acceptance of alternative PR/HACCP sanitary measures,

and (3) receive additional public comments on the state of FSIS

equivalence activities.

Departmental Regulation 4300-4

FSIS has considered, under Department Regulation 4300-4, ``Civil

Rights Impact Analysis,'' dated September 1993, the potential civil

rights impact of this notice on minorities, women, and persons with

disabilities. FSIS anticipates that this notice will not have a

negative or disproportionate impact on minorities, women, and persons

with disabilities. Notices generally are designed to provide

information and increase public awareness of important policy

developments. Public involvement in all segments of policy development

is important. Consequently, in an effort to better ensure that

minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this

notice of a public meeting, FSIS will announce the publication of this

Federal Register notice in the FSIS Constituent Update.

FSIS provides a weekly FSIS Constituent Update, which is

communicated via fax to over 300 organizations and individuals. In

addition, the update is available on line through the FSIS web page

located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. The update is used to provide

information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal

Register notices, FSIS public meetings, recalls, and any other types of

information that could affect or would be of interest to our

constituents. This constituent fax list consists of industry, trade,

and farm groups, consumer interest groups, allied health professionals,

scientific professionals, and other individuals that have requested to

be included. Through these various channels, FSIS is able to provide

information to a much broader, more diverse audience than would

otherwise be possible. For more information or to be added to the

constituent fax list, fax your request to the Agency's Congressional

and Public Affairs Office, at (202) 720-5704.

[[Page 66165]]

Done at Washington, DC, on November 18, 1999.

Thomas J. Billy,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 99-30604 Filed 11-23-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3460-DM-P