[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81272-81276]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32808]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 249 / Tuesday, December 29, 2015 /
Notices
[[Page 81272]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2015-0002]
National Residue Program: Monitoring Chemical Hazards
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS; also Agency) is
clarifying its approach within the National Residue Program's (NRP's)
Tier 2 exploratory program when it tests tissue samples collected from
livestock and poultry carcasses and detects chemicals that do not have
established tolerances or other regulatory levels. This approach
applies to potentially hazardous chemicals that are not animal drugs or
pesticide chemicals with established tolerances. The Agency also
intends to apply this approach to egg products should these products
become subject to chemical testing and to products from fish of the
order Siluriformes when the final rule to make these species amenable
to the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) is fully implemented. FSIS
requests comments on the approach discussed in this document, and on
how FSIS can further improve its management of environmental
contaminants and other chemical hazards in meat and poultry products.
DATES: To receive full consideration, comments must be received on
February 29, 2016.
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: 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-2015-0002.
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 Patriot Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Room 8-
164, Washington, DC 20250-3700 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Patty Bennett, Humane Handling
Enforcement Coordinator, Office of Field Operations, FSIS, USDA;
Telephone (202)720-5397.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
To protect consumers and to verify the safety of meat, poultry, and
egg products \1\ in the United States, FSIS collects samples and
analyzes them for a number of potentially harmful chemicals.
Historically, the U.S. National Residue Program for Meat, Poultry, and
Egg Products (NRP), administered by FSIS, has primarily monitored
livestock and poultry carcasses for animal drugs and pesticide
chemicals, which are regulated and approved for use by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), respectively.
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\1\ Products that meet USDA's definition of `egg product' are
under USDA jurisdiction. The definition includes dried, frozen, or
liquid eggs, with or without added ingredients, but mentions many
exceptions. The following products, among others, are exempted as
not being egg products: freeze-dried products, imitation egg
products, egg substitutes. Products that do not fall under the
definition, such as egg substitutes and cooked products, are under
FDA jurisdiction.
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However, in addition to animal drugs and pesticide chemicals, there
are other chemicals, including metals, mycotoxins, dioxins, and other
environmental and industrial contaminants, that may on occasion be
found in FSIS-regulated products. The NRP systematically addresses
animal drugs and pesticide chemicals, but it has not covered other
chemicals in a structured manner. The fact that it has not done so led
the USDA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to recommend, in a March
2010 report on FSIS's chemical residue program, that FSIS ``establish
policies and procedures for handling hazardous substances with no
tolerances.'' \2\ While the OIG report concentrated on cattle, FSIS
believes this concern applies to poultry and the other amenable
livestock species (e.g., hogs, sheep) because issues associated with
chemicals without a regulatory tolerance often are associated with
sources that could involve more than one establishment and production
class, such as contaminated feed. It is common practice for feed mills
to produce feed for multiple species, and thus, a single contamination
event may become an issue for several livestock and poultry production
industries. In addition, FSIS does not limit testing for chemicals
without tolerances to cattle. In a contamination event, the Agency
would conduct testing on all exposed species.
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\2\ ``FSIS National Residue Program for Cattle.'' USDA, Office
of the Inspector General Audit Report 24601-08-KC, March 2010.
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In this notice, FSIS is announcing that it has taken significant
steps to enhance its ability to address all types of chemical hazards
and is clarifying its approach within the NRP for addressing hazardous
chemicals without established tolerances.
Recent Improvements to the National Residue Program
On July 6, 2012, FSIS announced that it was restructuring the NRP
with respect to how samples are collected and analyzed for chemical
compounds (New Analytical Methods and Sampling Procedures for the
United States National Residue Program for Meat, Poultry, and Egg
Products, 77 FR 39895). The new methods and
[[Page 81273]]
procedures that FSIS has adopted have strengthened the NRP by making it
into an integrated chemical hazard identification, prioritization, and
management program that supports the Agency's efforts to ensure that
the U.S. supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe. FSIS has
implemented new, more efficient analytical methods in its laboratories
that enable the Agency to detect a greater number of chemicals than had
been the case, and, at the same time, FSIS has streamlined its process
for collecting samples for analysis.
The restructured NRP consists of three tiers of sampling. Tier 1 is
the scheduled sampling program that functions as an exposure assessment
and includes sampling of both domestic and imported product. Production
classes representing the majority of the annual volume of animals
slaughtered in the United States (e.g., beef cows, market hogs, and
young chickens) are tested under Tier 1. When a tissue sample from a
livestock carcass is collected for residue testing under Tier 1, FSIS
withholds the mark of inspection from the livestock carcass until all
test results that bear on the determination as to whether the carcass
is not adulterated have been received. On the other hand, poultry
carcasses are not held pending test results (Not Applying the Mark of
Inspection Pending Certain Test Results, 77 FR 73401, Dec. 10, 2012).
Samples tested under Tier 1 are analyzed for a set of chemicals
that currently includes animal drugs and pesticide chemicals. When any
level of a chemical subject to Tier 1 testing is detected in a
livestock carcass muscle sample, FSIS inspection program personnel are
instructed to condemn the carcass and all parts, unless a tolerance
level has been set for the chemical in the tissue and production class
in question, and the detected level does not exceed this tolerance
(Residue Sampling, Testing and Other Verification Procedures under the
National Residue Program for Meat and Poultry Products, FSIS Directive
10,800.1). As mentioned above, poultry carcasses are generally not held
pending the availability of test results, but any FSIS follow-up
actions in response to violative results are the same for both poultry
and livestock, including consultation with FDA and EPA. In recent
years, egg products have not been a focus of the NRP. However, FSIS
intends to apply the approach discussed in this notice to all FSIS-
regulated products, including egg products, at which time egg products
become subject to chemical testing. Thus, this notice generally refers
to ``carcasses,'' even though analogous actions may be taken with
respect to FSIS-regulated egg products.
Tier 2 testing encompasses two separate programs. The first, known
as the inspector-generated program, is a targeted testing program in
which field public health veterinarians (PHVs) decide to perform in-
plant screens because they suspect that animals or carcasses contain
higher than allowable levels of chemical residues. FSIS inspectors will
collect and submit samples for inspector-generated residue testing if a
screen test is positive, or if a PHV has reason to believe that a
carcass or its parts may contain violative levels of one or more
chemical residues, even if the screen test is negative (Residue
Sampling, Testing and Other Verification Procedures under the National
Residue Program, FSIS Directive 10,800.1, Rev. 1).
The second, Tier 2 testing program, known as the exploratory
assessment program, includes sampling plans designed in response to
information gained from previous exposure assessments, from the
chemical hazard identification process, or from other agencies. Unlike
livestock carcasses selected for sampling under Tier 1 or under the
inspector-generated program, carcasses selected for sampling under the
exploratory assessment program can be released into commerce before
exploratory sampling results are available. Essentially the exploratory
assessment program is designed to investigate animal populations when
the compounds in question have no established tolerances; respond to
intelligence regarding use of veterinary drugs, pesticides, and
environmental contaminants reported from the field; determine the
prevalence and concentration of residues; and evaluate residue
trends.\3\ FSIS uses the results from these exploratory assessments to
identify potential chemical hazards of concern and to inform FSIS and
NRP priorities. The exploratory assessment program includes testing for
veterinary drugs, pesticides, and several metals.\4\
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\3\ From: The United States National Residue Program (NRP) for
Meat, Poultry and Egg Products: Residue Sampling Plans
(traditionally known as the Blue Book), 2011 edition. At: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/data-collection-and-reports/chemistry/residue-chemistry.
\4\ For example, exploratory assessment program for 2015 found
in Summary Table III in: The United States National Residue Program
(NRP) for Meat, Poultry and Egg Products: Residue Sampling Plans
(traditionally known as the Blue Book), 2015 edition. At: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/data-collection-and-reports/chemistry/residue-chemistry.
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Tier 3 testing occurs in response to indications of chemical
exposure to more than a single animal and encompasses targeted testing
at the herd or flock level. Events triggering this type of testing are
rare and usually involve extensive coordination between federal and
state agencies at both the local and headquarters levels.
This notice provides clarification to the Tier 2 exploratory
assessment program.
Current Regulatory Framework
Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601 et
seq.), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451 et
seq.), and the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) (21 U.S.C. 1031 et
seq.), FSIS inspection personnel apply the mark of inspection to meat,
poultry, and egg products only if they find upon inspection that these
articles are not adulterated (21 U.S.C. 455, 457, 604, 606, 607, 1034,
1036). Under the Acts, meat, poultry, and egg products that do not bear
an official mark of inspection are misbranded (21 U.S.C. 601(n)(12),
453(h)(12), and 1034). The Acts prohibit the sale or transportation in
commerce of meat, poultry, and egg products capable of use as human
food that are adulterated or misbranded or that have not been inspected
and passed (21 U.S.C. 458(a)(2), 610(c), 1037(b)).
Under the FMIA, ``any carcass, part thereof, meat or meat food
product'' is adulterated ``if it bears or contains any poisonous or
deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health; but in
the case the substance is not an added substance, such article shall
not be considered adulterated . . . if the quantity of such substance
in or on such article does not ordinarily render it injurious to
health'' (21 U.S.C. 601(m)(1)). Under the FMIA, a product is also
adulterated ``if it bears or contains by reason of administration of
any substance to the live animal or otherwise any added poisonous or
added deleterious substance (other than one which is (i) a pesticide
chemical in or on a raw agricultural commodity, (ii) a food additive,
or (iii) a color additive) which may, in the judgment of the Secretary,
make such article unfit for human food'' (21 U.S.C. 601(m)(2)(A)). In
addition, a product is adulterated under the FMIA if it bears or
contains any pesticide chemical, color additives, or food additive that
is unsafe within the meaning of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics
Act (FFDCA) (21 U.S.C. 601(m)(2)(B)-(D)). Both the PPIA and EPIA
contain similar provisions (21 U.S.C. 453(g)(1)-(2) and 1033(a)(1)-
(2)).
[[Page 81274]]
As mentioned above, because FSIS has primarily monitored livestock
and poultry carcasses for animal drugs and pesticide chemicals, the
approach described in this notice is initially intended to apply to
livestock and poultry carcasses. FDA and EPA have statutory authority
to establish residue tolerances that allow certain chemicals to remain
in food products in non-harmful quantities, without causing these
products to be adulterated. Under the FFDCA, the FDA may establish
tolerances regulatory limits, and other limitations or specifications
for animal drugs, approve food additives including conditions under
which they may be used, and establish tolerances and regulatory limits
for added or naturally occurring poisonous or deleterious substances,
and the EPA may establish tolerance levels for registered pesticides.
Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) sets out tolerances
and regulatory limits established by FDA, while Title 40 of the CFR
sets out the tolerance levels established by EPA. In addition, FDA may
also establish non-binding action levels that provide guidance for
levels of contamination at which a food may be regarded as adulterated.
Many of the tolerances and regulatory limits applicable to meat,
poultry, or egg products have only been established for chemicals that
are either animal drugs or pesticide chemicals. Yet other hazardous
chemicals exist that do not have established tolerances, regulatory
limits, or action levels but that could nonetheless be present in FSIS-
regulated products at levels that may cause consumers to exceed a risk
level for human consumption.5 6 This group of chemicals
includes, but is not limited to, environmental contaminants, heavy
metals, industrial chemicals, and mycotoxins. Unlike animal drugs or
pesticide chemicals, these chemicals are usually not intentionally
administered to food-producing animals or feed crops as part of
accepted husbandry and agricultural practices. As such, they may not
usually be reviewed by FDA or EPA as part of an approval process and
hence may not have tolerances like animal drugs and pesticide chemicals
and may not be subject to other regulatory limits. In most cases, the
presence of these chemicals in edible animal tissue results from the
food-producing animal's ante-mortem exposure to the chemical through
feed, water, air, soil, or direct application.
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\5\ For example, for lead and cadmium, see results at: The
United States National Residue Program (NRP) for Meat, Poultry and
Egg Products: Residue Sample Results (traditionally known as the Red
Book), 2012 edition. At: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/data-collection-and-reports/chemistry/residue-chemistry.
\6\ For example, for dioxin-like compounds, see results from
FSIS dioxin surveys at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/data-collection-and-reports/chemistry/residue-chemistry.
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When a livestock or poultry carcass tested under the Tier 1 or the
Tier 2 inspector-generated program is determined to contain a level of
an animal drug or pesticide chemical that exceeds the applicable
tolerance set by FDA or EPA, the carcass and parts are adulterated
under the FMIA or PPIA and as such must be condemned.\7\ FSIS Directive
10,800.1 provides instructions to FSIS personnel on the disposition of
carcasses containing violative residues and on other procedures related
to residue sampling under the Tier 1 and inspector-generated programs.
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\7\ If there is no tolerance for an identified animal drug or
pesticide subject to Tier 1 testing, carcasses or parts containing
any amount of the substance are condemned.
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In contrast, although FSIS has detected, and continues to detect,
environmental contaminants and other potential hazardous chemicals
without established tolerances or regulatory levels through its
exploratory assessment program, the Agency does not have a consistent
and structured procedure for addressing these exploratory assessment
results. Therefore, to better address the potential human health risks
that may be associated with the presence of environmental contaminants
and other potential chemical hazards without tolerances in meat and
poultry products, FSIS is providing information regarding its approach
to responding to findings from its exploratory sampling program. This
information is intended to clarify how the Agency will respond to
sampling results that reveal the presence of contaminants and chemicals
of this type. FSIS is publishing this Federal Register document to
inform the public of approach and to request public comments.
Structured Approach for Chemicals Without Established Tolerances
FSIS intends to proceed as follows when chemicals without
established tolerances or other applicable regulatory levels are
detected in livestock or poultry carcasses. For chemicals designated
for testing in the Tier 2 exploratory assessment program, FSIS will
derive a de minimis level (DML) for the chemical in samples collected
from a given production class or species below which FSIS is confident
that any public health concern is nonexistent or negligible (next
section describes the derivation of the DML). If the concentrations of
the chemical detected in Tier 2 exploratory testing are consistently at
or below the DML, FSIS will likely discontinue the exploratory testing
for that chemical.
If, based on FSIS testing results, carcasses in Tier 2 testing are
found to contain levels of a chemical above the de minimis level, FSIS
will take certain actions, including notifying the slaughter or
processing establishment or other affected entities, such as suppliers
of the source animals, if needed, of the presence of the chemical and
notifying the appropriate federal partners for possible trace-back
investigations and consideration of potential mitigation actions. This
approach is one that FSIS has historically taken on an ad hoc basis for
chemical exposure incidents and in its dioxin surveys,\8\ and one that
the Agency will continue to apply in this more structured approach for
the exploratory chemicals in Tier 2 that are detected above the DML.
Carcasses subject to Tier 2 exploratory sampling are typically not held
pending the exploratory testing results. As discussed below, the Agency
intends to assess levels of chemicals subject to exploratory sampling
over time to evaluate the need to revise this policy.
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\8\ Dioxin survey procedures and results at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/data-collection-and-reports/chemistry/residue-chemistry.
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If the levels of the chemical are found to be above the DML on more
than an occasional basis, FSIS will consider adding the chemical to the
Tier 1 scheduled sampling program. FSIS will consult with the
appropriate federal agency (FDA or EPA) regarding such an action and
will issue a notice in the Federal Register to request public comments
before placing such a chemical into Tier 1. If the chemical without a
tolerance or other regulatory level is placed in Tier 1, FSIS will not
apply the mark of inspection to livestock carcasses that have been
sampled for testing until results at or under the DML are available and
received for any testing conducted by the Agency. In the further
absence of a tolerance or other regulatory level, the detection of any
chemical levels over the DML would preclude FSIS from determining that
the carcass or its parts are not adulterated.
Deriving De Minimis Levels (DMLs)
The DML is a concentration of the chemical in a particular edible
tissue below which any risk to public health is negligible (de minimis
risk). FSIS intends to use the DML as a guide to help ascertain whether
a test result from the Tier 2 exploratory assessment
[[Page 81275]]
program needs follow-up actions or not. The derivation of a DML follows
standard and routinely accepted risk assessment approaches.\9\ The DML
is derived from a health-based guidance value for the given chemical,
which is usually a human intake value (e.g., oral dose exposure) that
is likely to be without an appreciable risk of deleterious effects
during a lifetime, like a reference dose (RfD) or an acceptable daily
intake (ADI). Health-based guidance values for many chemicals are
published by agencies such as the EPA, the U.S. Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert
Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). If significant exposure routes
other than meat or poultry products exist for the chemical hazard, an
appropriate fraction of the health-based guidance value will be
allocated to these other exposure routes. To arrive at the DML, the
health-based guidance value--or the fraction thereof allocated to the
meat or poultry products in question--will be used together with
consumption estimates taken from the What We Eat in America (the
dietary intake interview component of the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey (NHANES)) or other appropriate consumption
data.10 11
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\9\ For example, see: FAO/WHO (Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations/World Health Organization). 2009.
Environmental Health Criteria 240: Principles and methods for the
risk assessment of chemicals in food. At: http://www.who.int/ipcs/food/principles/en/index1.html.
\10\ http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm.
\11\ Kerry L. Dearfield, Sarah R. Edwards, Margaret M. O'Keefe,
Naser M. Abdelmajid, Ashley J. Blanchard, David D. Labarre, and
Patty A. Bennett (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and
Inspection Service), ``Dietary Estimates of Dioxins Consumed in U.S.
Department of Agriculture--Regulated Meat and Poultry Products, ''
Journal of Food Protection, 76, no. 9 (2013): 1597-1607.
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For almost all chemicals being considered for Tier 2 exploratory
testing, a health-based guidance value exists, and the DML will be
derived as described above. In the extremely rare instance where there
is not a health-based guidance value, FSIS will work its federal
partners to decide on a course of action to develop one. In other
instances however, a DML equivalent, such as a maximum level
determination by the Codex Alimentarius, is available for specific
chemicals in specific food commodities (e.g., for lead in meat of
cattle, pigs and sheep).\12\ In these instances, FSIS will use such
values as the DML.
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\12\ Found in: Codex General Standard For Contaminants And
Toxins In Food And Feed. At: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/standards/list-standards/en/?no_cache=1?provide=standards&orderField=ccshort&sort=asc&num1=.
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Identifying Chemicals of Concern
FSIS may identify potential chemicals of concern for testing and
the possible presence of chemical hazards in meat and poultry products
through scientific literature reviews, expert elicitations, attendance
at scientific meetings, collaboration with Federal, State, and
international partners, and communication with stakeholders and trade
partners. FSIS will also consult with its NRP collaboration body, the
interagency Surveillance Advisory Team (SAT),\13\ for guidance on which
chemicals to pursue in the Tier 2 exploratory program and for
derivation of DMLs.
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\13\ The Surveillance Advisory Team (SAT), is an interagency
committee comprised of representatives from FSIS, FDA, EPA, AMS,
ARS, and CDC. It consists of experts in veterinary medicine,
toxicology, chemistry, and public health who provide professional
advice, as well as information on veterinary drug and pesticide use
in animal husbandry. The purpose of the SAT is to enhance
communication, which includes obtaining and evaluating relevant
toxicity and exposure information for each compound that supports
the NRP.
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Moreover, the multi-residue methods recently adopted by FSIS
laboratories not only enable the Agency to test for a greater number of
animal drug and pesticide chemical residues than in the past but also
allow detection of a greater number of other potentially harmful
chemicals, most of which do not have regulatory tolerances. As
mentioned, FSIS has already been collecting data on certain
environmental contaminants, including several metals, through its Tier
2 exploratory sampling.
As a result of these efforts, FSIS may identify a chemical in meat
or poultry products that is not being monitored by the Agency, and for
which no applicable tolerance exists. In most such cases, FSIS will
seek to empirically confirm the chemical's presence in FSIS-regulated
product through a Tier 2 exploratory assessment, which may be run for a
period of time (e.g., one year) and will record baseline levels of the
chemical.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
No significant costs to establishments, regardless of size, are
expected as a result of the Tier 2 exploratory assessment program. The
purpose of this sampling is to determine prevalence and levels of
various hazardous chemicals in meat and poultry carcasses. Exploratory
testing is being conducted under the NRP at little or no additional
cost to the establishment or to the Agency. Once a DML is established,
and FSIS is confident that these products are not adulterated based on
the results from the exploratory testing, FSIS will then be able to
limit the scope of this testing in the future. As mentioned,
establishments will receive notification if any results of those tests
are above the DML. There is no requirement for establishments to hold
carcasses until acceptable results are available (as for Tier 1 and
Tier 2 inspector-generated samples) under Tier 2 exploratory sampling,
so there is no establishment cost associated with Tier 2 exploratory
assessment program.
In most instances, FSIS does not expect establishments to take
significant mitigating actions as a result of Tier 2 exploratory
sampling since the purpose of this sampling is to inform the Agency on
general prevalence, and not the performance of a particular
establishment. However, if an establishment has received multiple test
results that are above the DML or if it receives a test result well
above the DML, FSIS will consult and work with its federal, state and
local partners to determine the cause of the positive test results at
little or no additional expense to establishments. Once a cause has
been discovered, the establishment may receive a letter from FSIS or
its partner agencies (which could include any test results, possible
leads of sources of contamination to evaluate, and provide
opportunities to consult with the appropriate agencies), at which time
the establishment may voluntarily choose to incur the additional costs
of certain mitigating actions, such as discarding feed or replacing
feed troughs. Given its experience under the dioxin survey program and
the ongoing Tier 2 exploratory program for veterinary drugs and
pesticides, FSIS expects these follow-up letters and mitigating actions
to be a rare occurrence while products from an establishment are tested
in the Tier 2 exploratory assessment program.
If a chemical is moved into Tier 1 sampling, the Agency will inform
the public and will conduct a cost-benefit analysis for the specific
chemicals and products involved. The public will then have the
opportunity to comment on the cost-benefit analysis.
Request for Comments
The approach discussed in this notice is intended to provide more
structure and consistency for existing FSIS procedures and practices
for addressing chemicals in livestock and poultry carcasses that do not
have established tolerances or other regulatory levels. The approach is
designed to cover most chemical hazards that do not derive from animal
drugs or pesticide chemicals. As part of an integrated chemical hazard
identification, prioritization, and management system
[[Page 81276]]
operating under the NRP, FSIS intends to use the risk-based procedures
described in this document to efficiently and effectively address
public health concerns associated with chemical hazards that may be
detected in livestock and poultry carcasses. FSIS requests comments on
the approach discussed in this document, and on how FSIS can further
improve its management of environmental contaminants and other chemical
hazards in meat and poultry products.
USDA Non-Discrimination Statement
No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status,
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs,
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or
activity conducted by the USDA.
How to File a Complaint of Discrimination
To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at: http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your
authorized representative.
Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax,
or email:
Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410.
Fax: (202) 690-7442.
Email: [email protected].
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal
Register publication on-line through the FSIS Web page located at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register .
FSIS also will make copies of this 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 our constituents and
stakeholders. The Update is available on the FSIS Web page. Through the
Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more
diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email 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/subscribe. Options range from recalls to export
information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or
delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password
protect their accounts.
Done in Washington, DC: December 18, 2015.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-32808 Filed 12-28-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P