[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 129 (Friday, July 7, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31549-31550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-14287]
[[Page 31549]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2017-0020]
Availability of FSIS Guidance for Importing Meat, Poultry, and
Egg Products Into the United States
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing
the availability of and requesting comment on guidance for importing
meat, poultry, and egg products into the United States. This guidance
is intended to help U.S. importers, customs brokers, official import
inspection establishments, egg products plants, and other interested
parties understand and comply with FSIS import requirements.
DATES: Submit comments on or before September 5, 2017.
ADDRESSES: A downloadable version of the guidance is available to view
and print at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/Compliance_Guides_Index/index.asp. No hard copies of the compliance
guideline have been published.
FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on issues
discussed and outlined in this notice. Only comments addressing the
scope of this notice will be considered.
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, 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 8-163B, 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-2017-0020. 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 to comments received,
go to the FSIS Docket Room at Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E. Street SW., Room
164-A, Washington, DC 20250-3700 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roberta Wagner, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development; Telephone:
(202) 205-0495, or by Fax: (202) 720-2025.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health regulatory agency
responsible for ensuring that domestic and imported meat, poultry, and
egg products are safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.
FSIS inspects imported meat, poultry, and egg products under the
authority of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601 et
seq.) and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451 et
seq.), and the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) (15 U.S.C. 1031 et
seq.). Imported meat, poultry, and egg products must originate from
eligible countries and from establishments or plants that are certified
to export to the United States (21 U.S.C. 620, 466 and 1046). A country
becomes eligible following an equivalence determination process
completed by FSIS in coordination with the country's central competent
authority (CCA). Foreign establishments or plants become eligible when
the CCA certifies to FSIS that the establishments or plants meet
requirements that are equivalent to FSIS requirements. All imported
shipments of meat, poultry, and egg products must be presented to FSIS
for inspection, with certain exceptions, as detailed in the guidance
(e.g., meat, poultry, or dried egg products shipment that does not
exceed 50 pounds, for personal consumption only). This guidance
summarizes existing requirements and best practices for complying with
those requirements. FSIS encourages interested parties (e.g., U.S.
importers, brokers, official import inspection establishments, and egg
products plants) to follow this guidance. This guidance represents
current FSIS thinking, and FSIS will update it as necessary to reflect
comments received and any additional information that becomes
available. FSIS is seeking comments on this guidance as part of its
efforts to continuously assess and improve the effectiveness of policy
documents.
USDA Nondiscrimination 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.
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
FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page
located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
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/subscribe. 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.
[[Page 31550]]
Done at Washington, DC, on: July 3, 2017.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017-14287 Filed 7-6-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P