[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 180 (Friday, September 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 55936]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23771]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 00-020N]
National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for
Foods; Renewal
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Re-chartering of Committee.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the re-chartering of the National
Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). The
Committee is being renewed in cooperation with the Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS). The establishment of the Committee was
recommended by a 1985 report of the National Academy of Sciences
Committee on Food Protection, Subcommittee on Microbiological Criteria,
``An Evaluation of the Role of Microbiological Criteria for Foods.''
The current charter for the NACMCF is available for viewing on the FSIS
homepage at www.fsis.usda.gov under mission and activities.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Carol Maczka, Executive
Secretariat, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 3rd Floor--Room
355 Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, SW., Washington, DC 20024.
Background materials are available for inspection by contacting Dr.
Maczka at (202) 690-6540.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is charged with
the enforcement of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), the Poultry
Products Inspection Act (PPIA), and the Egg Products Inspection Act
(EPIA). Under these Acts, USDA is responsible for the wholesomeness and
safety of meat, poultry, and egg products intended for human
consumption. Similarly, the Secretary of HHS is charged with the
enforcement of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). Under
this Act, HHS is responsible for ensuring the wholesomeness and safety
of human foods other than meat, poultry, and egg products, and of
animal feeds.
In order to continue to meet the responsibilities of the FMIA,
PPIA, EPIA, and FFDCA, the NACMCF is being reestablished. The Committee
will be charged with advising and providing recommendations to the
Secretaries on the development of microbiological criteria by which the
safety and wholesomeness of food can be assessed, including criteria
for microorganisms that indicate whether foods have been adequately and
appropriately processed.
Reestablishment of this Committee is necessary and in the public
interest because the development of a sound public policy in this area
can best be accomplished by a free and open exchange of information and
ideas among Federal, State, and local agencies, and other interested
parties. The complexity of the issues to be addressed requires that
more than one meeting per year will be necessary to accomplish the
Committee's tasks.
Members will be appointed by the Secretary of USDA after
consultation with the Secretary of HHS. Because of their interest in
the matters to be addressed by this Committee, advice on membership
appointments will be requested from the Department of Commerce's
National Marine Fisheries Service and the Department of Defense's
Veterinary Service Activity.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of 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 it 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.
Done in Washington, DC on: September 11, 2000.
Paul W. Fiddick,
Assistant Secretary for Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-23771 Filed 9-14-00; 8:45 am]
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