What's New at USDA

United States Department of Agriculture, 2010 Agriculture Outlook Forum - February 18, 2010

On February 18 and 19, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is hosting the 2010 Agriculture Outlook Forum. This year's forum theme is "Sustainable Agriculture: The Key to Health and Prosperity." The following topics were discussed: focusing research and development on improving productivity and protection from pests and diseases; protecting existing markets with a focus on domestic markets and food safety; federal restrictions on products redeemed with SNAP benefits; State level communication regarding implementation of FNS programs; trends in home food consumption and away from home food consumption; and the impact of speculation in the commodities markets on food prices.

For more information please contact: The Public Policy Group

FSIS Notice 10-10, "Exception for Certain Products from the FSIS Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Sampling Programs" - February 18, 2010

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued Notice 10-10, "Exception for Certain Products from the FSIS Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Sampling Programs." The Notice instructs inspection program personnel (IPP) not to collect samples of oils, shortening, lard, margarine, oleomargarine, or mixtures of rendered animal fats under the agency's Listeria monocytogenes sampling programs until further notice is given. Although FSIS previously indicated these types of products would be sampled, the agency is issuing today's Notice because there is not yet a validated method for testing these products. IPP are to continue sampling popped pork skins, pork rinds, dried soup bases, concentrated (high salt content) soup mixes, pickled pig's feet, as well as other RTE products under both programs.

For more information please contact: Brett T. Schwemer

First Lady Launches Childhood Obesity Initiative; President Obama Creates a Task Force on Childhood Obesity - February 11, 2010

On February 9, 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama launched Let's Move, an initiative with the ambitious goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity in a generation. On the same day, President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum creating a Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Together, these actions signal a sustained, multifaceted campaign against childhood obesity by the Obama Administration. Importantly, both Let's Move and the Presidential Memorandum clearly state that their goal is to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation, suggesting an aggressive approach. The involvement of the First Lady will likely ensure high visibility.

For more information please contact: Robert A. Hahn

FSIS Directive 9500.3, "Label Verification Procedure of Imported Products" - February 3, 2010

The Food Safety and Inspection Service issued FSIS Directive 9500.3, "Label Verification Procedure for Imported Products." The Directive provides Import Inspection Personnel instructions for performing label verification procedures when re-inspecting imported meat and poultry products.

For more information please contact: Brett T. Schwemer

FSIS Notice 08-10 National Raw Chicken Parts Baseline Training - January 27, 2010

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued Notice 08-10, "Nationwide Raw

Chicken Parts Microbiological Baseline Data Collection Program." FSIS is beginning a national baseline for raw chicken parts. The results of this baseline will likely be used to adopt Salmonella and Campylobacter performance standards. The 90 day training period will begin upon issuance of this Notice. In approximately 90 days, FSIS will officially start the baseline, which will run for at least a year.

For more information please contact: Dennis R. Johnson

FSIS HIKE Scenarios - 01-2010 and 2-2010 - January 21, 2010

The Food Safety and Inspection Service issued two Humane Interactive Knowledge Exchange Scenarios (HIKE). Both HIKEs involve beef slaughter and deal with the application of the humane slaughter regulations, 9 CFR Part 313. HIKE 01-2010 concerns humane stunning operations and HIKE 02-2010 concerns movement of live cattle off the trucks and in the pens.

For more information please contact: Dennis R. Johnson

FSIS Notice 06-10, Humane Handling at All Entrances and the 28 Hour Law - January 19, 2010

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued Notice 06-10, "Humane Handling at All Entrances and the Twenty-Eight Hour Law." The Notice provides inspection program personnel (IPP) instructions for verifying humane handling and facility requirements when establishments use secondary entrances or pathways (e.g., alleyways, doorways, passageways) to move livestock to slaughter, in lieu or in addition to normal entrances or pathways. The Notice also provides instructions to IPP related to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Twenty-Eight (28) Hour Law. This law prohibits transporters of livestock from depriving animals food, water or rest for more than 28 hours.

For more information please contact: Brett T. Schwemer

FSIS Notice 07-10: Instructions for Sampling Ammoniated Beef Products - January 15, 2010

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued Notice 07-10, entitled: "Instructions for Sampling Ammoniated Beef Products." This Notice cancels Chapter II, Section IV. F. of FSIS Directive 10,010.1, Rev. 2, which had previously excluded raw, ammoniated beef products from routine agency sampling for E. coli O157:H7. The Notice includes an attachment which defines "ammoniated product" according to the method of production.

For more information please contact: Dennis R. Johnson

FSIS Directive 9300.2, "Re-Inspection of Shell Eggs Packed in Containers Destined for Consumers that are Offered for Import" - January 11, 2010

The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued Directive 9300.2, "Reinspection of Shell Eggs Packed in Containers Destined for Consumers that are Offered for Import." This provides instructions to Import Inspection Personnel on verifying documentation, ambient air temperature and labeling of shell eggs packed in containers destined for consumers that are offered for import.

For more information please contact: Jolyda O. Swaim

FSIS Directive 5620.4, "Using askFSIS" - January 11, 2010

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued Directive 5620.1, "Using askFSIS." The Directive provides guidance to inspection program personnel (IPP) and other users on how to use askFSIS for reviewing commonly asked questions and answers and how to submit questions to askFSIS. The Directive also explains how collected data is analyzed. According to the Directive, "[t]he answers provided in askFSIS are statements of official policy." FSIS launched the Web-based askFSIS system on August 16, 2007 to help answer technical and policy related questions from IPP, industry, consumers and other stakeholders. Users can search askFSIS for answers to past questions and if the information to a particular question is not found in the database, users can ask new questions.

For more information please contact: Brett T. Schwemer

FSIS Directive 5010.1, "Food Safety Related Topics for Discussion During Weekly Meetings" - January 7, 2010

The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued Directive 5010.1, "Food Safety Related Topics for Discussion During Weekly Meetings." This Directive stresses the importance of the weekly meetings1 and the need to use these meetings to address any pertinent food safety topics. FSIS indicated it has issued this Directive because it had become aware that inspection program personnel and Import Inspection Personnel are not discussing many topics pertinent to establishments' food safety systems and/or that could affect public health during scheduled weekly meetings.

For more information please contact: Jolyda O. Swaim

FSIS Proposed Rule, "Nutrition Labeling of Single Ingredient Products and Ground or Chopped Meat and Poultry Products" - December 23, 2009

On December 18th, the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service published the supplemental proposed rule, "Nutrition Labeling of Single Ingredient Products and Ground or Chopped Meat and Poultry Products" in the Federal Register. This proposed rule, if finalized, would amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to require that major cuts of single-ingredient raw meat and poultry products, as well as single ingredient, raw ground or chopped products, bear nutrition labeling unless an exemption applies. Comments on the supplemental proposed rule are due on or before February 16, 2010.

For more information please contact: Jolyda O. Swaim

FTC Hosts Forum to Discuss Food Marketing to Children - December 16, 2009

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted a public forum entitled, "Sizing Up Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity." The forum was the FTC's latest activity over the past four years on this topic and addressed the food industry's progress toward self-regulation. Panelists at the forum also discussed current research on the impact of food advertising on children, and the statutory and constitutional issues surrounding governmental regulation of food marketing.

The forum was in response to language included in the FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (H.R. 1105) which directed the FTC - together with the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Agriculture - to establish an Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children.

For more information please contact: Kathryn E. Balmford

FDA and FSIS Public Meeting on Tracing Systems for Food - December 15, 2009

The Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service held a public meeting on product tracing systems for food on December 9-10, 2009. The agencies are also requesting public comments on product tracing systems and on the specific questions set forth in their November 3, 2009 Federal Register notice. Comments must be submitted by March 3, 2009. The public meeting concerned tracing systems for all food, including animal feed and dietary supplements. The principal emphasis was on traceability in connection with foodborne outbreaks, which was addressed on the first day of the meeting. The second day focused on specific elements/issues in product tracing.

For more information please contact: David L. Durkin

USDA Child Nutrition Food Labeling Industry Comment Session: Child Nutrition Labeling Program Transfer - December 8, 2009

The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Nutrition Service (FNS) and Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) staff conducted a meeting with industry members and labeling expeditors to discuss the upcoming transfer of the Child Nutrition (CN) Labeling Program from FNS to AMS. During the discussion, information was provided regarding key dates, key AMS staff contacts, application fees, and essential forms that are required to be in place before submitting CN labels to AMS beginning in January.

For more information please contact: Jolyda O. Swaim