[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 165 (Monday, August 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40744-40745]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18168]
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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. 82, No. 165 / Monday, August 28, 2017 /
Notices
[[Page 40744]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2016-0042]
Reopening of Nomination Period for Membership on the National
Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: On December 7, 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
announced in a Federal Register notice that it was soliciting
nominations for membership on the National Advisory Committee on
Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) to fill 15 vacancies. The
closing date for nominations was January 6, 2017. This notice reopens
the nomination period for 30 days. This notice also announces that
there are two more vacancies on the committee. Since the original
announcement was made, two additional members have left the committee.
The USDA is now seeking nominations to fill 17 vacancies. Nominations
submitted during the original submission period do not need to be
resubmitted.
DATES: All materials must be received by September 27, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Nomination packages should be sent via email to
[email protected] and mailed to: Secretary, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC
20250, Attn: FSIS\Office of Public Health Science/National Advisory
Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (Karen Thomas-Sharp).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Karen Thomas-Sharp, Advisory
Committee Specialist, by telephone at 202-690-6620 or by email
[email protected].
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) invites interested
persons to submit comments on this notice. Comments may be submitted by
either of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web
site (http://www.regulations.gov/) provides the ability to type short
comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or attach a
file for lengthier comments. Follow the online instructions at that
site for submitting comments. Mail, including CD-ROMS and hand or
courier delivered items: Send to Docket Clerk, USDA, FSIS Docket Room,
Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-
3700 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Instructions: All items submitted by mail or email must include the
Agency name and docket number FSIS-2016-0042. 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 SW., Room 8-
164, Washington, DC 20250-3700 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday. All comments submitted in response to this notice, as
well as background information used by FSIS in developing this
document, will be available for public inspection in the FSIS Docket
Room at the address listed above between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The NACMCF was established in March 1988, in response to a
recommendation in 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 and other information about the
Committee are available to the public for viewing on the FSIS Web site
at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/nacmcf.
Nominees are sought who have scientific expertise in the fields of
in the fields of microbiology, epidemiology, food technology (food,
clinical, and predictive), toxicology, risk assessment, infectious
disease, biostatistics, and other related sciences. Persons from the
government, industry, academia, and consumer advocacy groups are
invited to submit nominations.
The Committee provides scientific advice and recommendations to the
Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services
concerning the development of microbiological criteria by which the
safety and wholesomeness of food can be assessed. For example, one of
the most recent efforts of the Committee is to provide the best
scientific information available on Shiga Toxin producing E. coli,
including providing recommendations on optimal detection and
identification methodologies.
Appointments to the Committee will be made by the Secretary of
Agriculture after consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to ensure that recommendations made by the Committee take into
account the needs of the diverse groups served by the Department. On
December 7, 2016, the USDA announced that it was seeking nominations to
fill 15 vacancies (81 FR 88197). Since the original announcement was
made, two additional members have left the committee. The USDA is now
seeking to fill 17 vacancies. Advisory Committee members serve a two-
year term, renewable for two consecutive terms.
The full Committee expects to meet at least once a year by
teleconference or in-person, and the meetings will be announced in the
Federal Register. The subcommittees will meet as deemed necessary by
the chairperson through working group meetings in an open public forum.
Subcommittees also may meet through teleconference or by computer-based
conferencing (Webinars). Subcommittees may invite technical experts to
present information for consideration by the subcommittee. The
subcommittee meetings will not be announced in the Federal Register.
FSIS will announce the agenda and subcommittee working group meetings
through the Constituent Update, available online at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/cu.
NACMCF holds subcommittee meetings in order to accomplish the work
of NACMCF; all subcommittee work is reviewed and approved during a
public meeting of the full Committee,
[[Page 40745]]
as announced in the Federal Register. All data and records available to
the full Committee are expected to be available to the public when the
full Committee reviews and approves the work of the subcommittee.
Advisory Committee members are expected to attend all in-person
meetings during the two-year term to ensure the smooth functioning of
the advisory committee. However, on rare occasions, attendance through
teleconferencing may be permitted.
Members must be prepared to work outside of scheduled Committee and
subcommittee meetings and may be required to assist in document
preparation. Committee members serve on a voluntary basis; however,
travel expenses and per diem reimbursement are available.
Regarding Nominees Who Are Selected
All SGE and Federal government employee nominees who are selected
must complete the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) 450 Confidential
Financial Disclosure Report before rendering any advice or before their
first meeting. With the exception of the consumer representative
committee member, all committee members will be reviewed pursuant to 18
U.S.C. 208 for conflicts of interest relating to specific NACMCF work
charges, and financial disclosure updates will be required annually.
Members subject to financial disclosure must report any changes in
financial holdings requiring additional disclosure. OGE 450 forms are
available on-line at: https://www2.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/Confidential%20Financial%20Disclosure.
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.
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).
Done at Washington, DC, August 23, 2017.
Paul Kiecker,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017-18168 Filed 8-25-17; 8:45 am]
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