[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 61 (Friday, March 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19181-19182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07387]



[[Page 19181]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2013-0004]


Notice of Request for a New Information Collection: Egg Products 
Industry Survey

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and 
Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to request a new 
information collection for a survey of the egg products industry.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before May 28, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this 
notice. Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the 
ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this 
Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions at that site for 
submitting comments.
     Mail, including CD-ROMs, etc.: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Patriots 
Plaza 3, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Mailstop 3782, Room 8-163A, 
Washington, DC 20250-3700.
     Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to Patriots 
Plaza 3, 355 E. Street SW., Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-3700
    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2013-0004. Comments 
received in response to this docket will be made available for public 
inspection and posted without change, including any personal 
information, to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, go 
to the FSIS Docket Room at Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E. Street, Room 8-164, 
Washington, DC 20250-3700 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John O'Connell, Paperwork Reduction 
Act Coordinator, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Room 6065, South Building, Washington, DC 
20250; (202) 720-0345.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Egg Products Industry Survey.
    Type of Request: New information collection.
    Abstract: FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the 
functions of the Secretary (7 CFR 2.18, 2.53) as specified in the Egg 
Products and Inspection Act (EPIA) (21 U.S.C. 1031, et seq.). FSIS 
protects the public by verifying that egg products are safe, wholesome, 
not adulterated, and correctly labeled.
    FSIS plans to request a new information collection to conduct a new 
survey of official egg products plants. In 2003, FSIS conducted a 
survey of the egg products plants to collect information on use of food 
safety practices and technologies. This was part of a broader effort 
that also surveyed the meat and poultry slaughter and processing 
industries from 2003 to 2006. FSIS needs to survey the egg products 
industry again so that the Agency has current information on industry 
practices for conducting regulatory impact analyses as required by OMB.
    In this currently planned survey of the egg products industry, FSIS 
will collect data to provide the most accurate, up-to-date information 
on use and adoption rates of industry practices and technologies. The 
Agency will ask questions similar to those asked in the previous 
survey, and will add new questions to address issues currently facing 
FSIS and industry.
    The results of the egg products industry survey will provide 
reliable and valid information regarding food safety practices in FSIS-
regulated plants; the Agency will use to this information to address 
many of its analytical needs. A major purpose of the survey is to 
enable the Agency to develop baseline information for estimating 
compliance costs in regulatory impact analyses. FSIS also will use the 
survey data to provide information for evaluating the effectiveness of 
its egg products inspection program and to conduct analyses to assess 
the industry's food safety technologies, sanitation practices, health 
risk reduction, and recall readiness. The Agency should be able to use 
this information to determine whether industry performance in these 
areas has improved since the previous survey was conducted.
    FSIS has made the following estimates on the basis of an 
information collection assessment.
    Estimate of Burden: FSIS estimates that it will take each 
respondent 30 minutes and each nonrespondent 12 minutes to participate 
in the survey.
    Respondents: Official egg plants.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 58 respondents and 22 nonrespondents.
    Estimated No. of Annual Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 33.4 hours.
    Copies of this information collection assessment can be obtained 
from John O'Connell, Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, Food Safety 
and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 6065, 
South Building, Washington, DC 20250; (202)720-0345.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of FSIS's 
functions, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information, including 
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques, or other forms of 
information technology. Comments may be sent both to FSIS, at the 
addresses provided above, and to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Washington, DC 20253.
    Responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination 
in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, 
national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, 
sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited 
bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require 
alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, 
large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's Target Center at 
202-720-2600 (voice and TTY).
    To file a written complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office 
of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TTY). 
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

[[Page 19182]]

Additional Public Notification

    FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page 
located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Federal 
Register_Notices/index.asp.
    FSIS will also make copies of this Federal Register publication 
available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide 
information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal 
Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information 
that could affect or would be of interest to constituents and 
stakeholders. The Update is communicated via Listserv, a free 
electronic mail subscription service for industry, trade groups, 
consumer interest groups, health professionals, and other individuals 
who have asked to be included. The Update is also available on the FSIS 
Web page. In addition, FSIS offers an electronic mail subscription 
service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food 
safety news and information. This service is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Email_Subscription/.
    Options range from recalls to export information to regulations, 
directives and notices. Customers can add or delete subscriptions 
themselves, and have the option to password protect their accounts.

    Done at Washington, DC on: March 25, 2013.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2013-07387 Filed 3-28-13; 8:45 am]
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