[Federal Register: July 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 133)]
[Notices]
[Page 42707-42709]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11jy00-62]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 00N-0504]
Egg Safety; Current Thinking Papers on Egg Safety National
Standards; Notice of Availability; Public Meeting
[Docket No. 98-045N4]
AGENCIES: Food and Drug Administration, HHS; Food Safety and Inspection
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability and announcement of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food
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Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) are announcing the availability of
the agencies' current thinking papers on national standards for egg
safety. The documents discuss approaches to the production of shell
eggs, processing and packaging of shell eggs and egg products, and
retail sale of shell eggs, including immediate consumption, such as at
a restaurant, intended to reduce the risk of consumer exposure to
Salmonella enteritidis (SE). The current thinking papers represent the
agencies' current views on approaches to ensure egg safety from farm to
table. FDA and FSIS are also announcing a joint public meeting to be
held to discuss the current thinking papers.
DATES: The current thinking papers will be presented and distributed at
a public meeting on July 31, 2000. The public meeting will be held on
Monday, July 31, 2000, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Submit written comments no
later than August 14, 2000.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn--Washington, DC
on the Hill, 415 New Jersey Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20001, 202-638-
1616.
After the meeting, the current thinking papers on egg safety
national standards will be available on the Internet at
www.foodsafety.gov, or from Tammy O'Conner, USDA/FSIS/OPPDE/RDAD, rm.
112, Cotton Annex Bldg., 300 12th St. SW., Washington, DC 20250-3700,
FAX 202-205-0381, or FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Outreach and Information Center, FAX 877-366-3322.
Transcripts and summaries of the meeting will be available at the
Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), FDA, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061,
Rockville, MD 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To register for the meeting:
Sally Fernandez, FSIS, 202-501-7251 or FAX 202-501-7615. When
registering please provide name, title, firm name, address, telephone,
and fax number. When registering, please indicate if you would like to
make a presentation during the meeting. Time allotted for each
presentation will be approximately 5 minutes for each participant, but
will depend on the number of people participating. If you require a
sign language interpreter or other special accommodations, please
notify Ms. Fernandez 7 days before the meeting.
For general information regarding the meeting or the Egg Safety
Action Plan: Nancy Bufano, FDA, 202-401-2022, FAX 202-205-4422, or e-
mail: nancy.bufano@cfsan.fda.gov; Alice Thaler, FSIS, 202-690-2683, FAX
202-720-8213; or Martha Workman, FSIS, 202-720-3219, FAX 202-690-0824.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The President's Council on Food Safety was established in August
1998 to improve the safety of the food supply through science-based
regulation and well-coordinated inspection, enforcement, research, and
education programs. The Council on Food Safety was charged with
developing a comprehensive long-range strategic plan that can be used
to set priorities, improve coordination and efficiency, identify gaps
in the current system, recommend ways to fill those gaps, enhance and
strengthen prevention and intervention strategies, and identify or
develop measures to show progress.
The Council has identified egg safety as one component of food
safety that warrants immediate Federal, interagency action. In July
1999, FDA and FSIS committed to developing an action plan to address
the presence of SE in shell eggs and egg products using a farm-to-table
approach.
As part of this action plan, FDA and FSIS held a public meeting on
August 26, 1999, to obtain stakeholder input on draft goals, as well as
to further develop objectives and action items. The Egg Safety Action
Plan, announced by the President on December 11, 1999, was developed,
in part, from the input received at the meeting. The Egg Safety Action
Plan is available on the Internet at www.foodsafety.gov or from the
general information contact persons above.
The information shared at the public meeting and during the comment
period following the public meeting will be considered prior to any
further actions by the agencies. The agencies may hold additional
public meetings, as appropriate, to discuss other issues, including
strategies to ensure effective and efficient interactions between State
and Federal governments.
II. Decision to Make Current Thinking Papers Available for Comment
On March 30, 2000, and April 6, 2000, the agencies held public
meetings in Columbus, OH, and Sacramento, CA, respectively, to solicit
and discuss information related to the implementation of the Egg Safety
Action Plan and to gather information for reducing or eliminating the
risk of SE in eggs. Transcripts from both meetings are available on the
Internet at www.foodsafety.gov or from FDA's Dockets Management Branch
(address above), at a cost of 10 cents per page. The summaries of the
public meetings are also available for public examination at FDA's
Dockets Management Branch between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through
Friday.
Based on verbal comments received at the meetings, written comments
received subsequent to the meetings, and the desire to promote public
participation in the implementation of the Egg Safety Action Plan, FDA
and FSIS decided to publish this notice of availability of the
agencies' current thinking papers in the Federal Register.
The current thinking papers represent the agencies' current views
on approaches to ensure egg safety from farm to table. FDA and FSIS are
soliciting public comment on these documents to obtain views as to
whether the agencies are implementing the Egg Safety Action Plan in a
way that will best achieve its public health goals.
III. Opportunity for Public Meeting
The agenda for the public meeting will address the following
segments of the farm-to-table egg safety continuum: (1) On-Farm
Production, (2) Packer/Processor, and (3) Retail. The agenda will also
provide for discussion of economics issues, as well as small business
and consumer perspectives.
Attendees are encouraged to present their comments, concerns, and
recommendations on any of these topics at the public meeting. Attendees
wishing to make a presentation must indicate such when registering.
Individuals and organizations that do not preregister to make a
presentation may have the opportunity to speak if time permits. A
transcript of the proceedings of the public meeting, as well as all
information and data submitted voluntarily to FDA and FSIS during the
public meeting to discuss the current thinking papers, will become part
of the administrative record and will be available to the public under
21 CFR 20.111 from FDA's Dockets Management Branch (address above).
While oral presentations from specific individuals and
organizations will be limited during the public meeting, the written
comments submitted as part of the administrative record may contain a
discussion of any issues of concern. All relevant data and
documentation should be submitted with the written comments.
IV. Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of and involvement in all segments of rulemaking
and policy development is important. Consequently, in an effort to
better ensure that minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are
aware of this notice, FSIS will announce the
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notice and provide copies of this Federal Register publication 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/stakeholders. The 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. For more information and to be added to the
constituent fax list, fax your request to the Congressional and Public
Affairs Office at 202-720-5704.
V. Public Dockets and Submission of Comments
The agencies have established public dockets to which comments may
be submitted. Comments should be directed either to FSIS, Docket No.
98-045N4, or to FDA, Docket No. 00N-0504, or to both dockets for
consideration by both agencies. All comments must include the
appropriate docket number found in brackets in the heading of this
document. Submit written comments in triplicate to: (1) USDA/FSIS
Docket Clerk, 300 12th St. SW., rm. 102, Cotton Annex, Washington, DC
20250-3700, or (2) FDA's Dockets Management Branch (address above). You
may also send comments to Dockets Management Branch at the following e-
mail address: FDADockets@oc.fda.gov or via the FDA Internet at http://
www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/oc/dockets/comments/commentdocket.cfm.
VI. Meeting Summary
A summary of the proceedings of the public meeting will be posted
on the Internet at www.foodsafety.gov. This website is a joint FDA,
USDA, and Environmental Protection Agency food safety home page. It is
linked to each agency for persons seeking additional food safety
information. A summary of the proceedings of the public meeting may
also be requested in writing from FDA's Dockets Management Branch
(address above) approximately 30 business days after the meeting, at a
cost of 10 cents per page. The summary of the public meeting will be
available for public examination at FDA's Dockets Management Branch
between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Dated: July 5, 2000.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Separtment of
Agriculture.
William K. Hubbard,
Senior Associate Commissioner for Policy, Planning, and Legislation,
Food and Drug Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-17494 Filed 7-10-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-F
More Information on Egg Safety