SEMA_________________________________

SOUTHEASTERN MEAT ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 620777; Oviedo, FL 32762 Phone: 407-365-5661

Fourth Food Defense Plan Survey

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) began the fourth in a series of surveys that runs December 1, through December 31, 2009. The survey will gather data about industry’s voluntary adoption of food defense plans. Inspection Program Personnel (IPP) will receive the survey questions through the Performance-Based Inspection System (PBIS). For more information, go to http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Defense_&_Emergency_Response/index.asp

Food Safety During the Holiday Season

The Holiday season has begun and consumers can be thankful for many things including the new web site, www.holidayfoodsafety.org. The web site puts food safety in the context of all the planning and preparation families put into their holiday celebration. The site includes food shopping and preparation tips, recipes, and food safety advice and activities — all in one convenient location.

The Holiday Food Safety Success Kit — developed by the non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) — joins consumer support efforts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)/Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to address consumer concerns about safe food preparation.

Interstate Shipping

FSIS is extending the comment period an additional 30 days to December 16th, for its proposed rule to allow interstate shipment of meat and poultry products produced in selected state-inspected establishments. The proposed rule, Cooperative Inspection Programs; Interstate Shipment of Meat and Poultry Products, was published in the Federal Register on Sept. 16.

All submissions received must reference docket number FSIS-2008-0039. The proposed rule is posted on the FSIS Web site at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/2009_Proposed_Rules_Index/index.asp

FDA & FSIS Collaborate to Improve Tracing of Unsafe Food Products

A joint public meeting focused on improving the system for tracing of food products and ingredients that are causing illness outbreaks or presenting other risks to the health of consumers was announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Recognizing the need to increase the speed and accuracy of trace back investigations and trace forward operations, both agencies are building on existing efforts by seeking public input that would help identify elements of effective food product tracing systems, identify current gaps in food product tracing and suggest specific mechanisms for improvements.

“This public meeting provides an opportunity for FDA to collaborate more closely with FSIS as well as with members of the food industry, many of whom have been making important innovations in food safety practices and technology, and all of whom bear primary responsibility for producing and marketing safe food,” said Michael R. Taylor, senior advisor to FDA’s Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, M.D.

“The Food Safety and Inspection Service is eager to work with FDA, public health officials, consumer advocates, and the food industry to improve our ability to trace products that may cause illness outbreaks,” said Jerold R. Mande, USDA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. “The public can provide valuable input to strengthen our prevention, surveillance and response and recovery efforts, as outlined by the Administration’s Food Safety Working Group (http://www.foodsafetyworkinggroup.gov/).” In March 2009, President Obama announced the formation of the Food Safety Working Group, and in July, President Obama released Key Findings, which highlight steps that FSIS, FDA, and other Federal Agencies are taking to improve food safety.

Food can become contaminated at many different steps in the supply chain. Experience in conducting foodborne disease outbreak investigations suggests that improved product tracing abilities could help identify products associated with disease more quickly, get risky products off the market faster and reduce the number of sicknesses associated with foodborne illness outbreaks.

A trace back investigation is an investigation to determine and document the distribution and production chain, and the source(s), of contaminated (and potentially contaminated) food, often in the context of an outbreak of foodborne illness. A trace forward operation is an operation to determine the distribution of contaminated (and potentially contaminated) food.

The meeting will be held Dec. 9 and 10 in Washington at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Washington, D.C., 20250.

Those interested in attending the public meeting can pre-register online at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Meetings_&_Events/index.asp.

FSIS-ASK

Question: What are the markings required on a shipping container?

Answer: An official inspection legend (including establishment number) and a handling statement (if product inside is perishable) are required on all shipping containers filled with immediate containers. Refer to 9 CFR 316.13 or 381.127.

Further, if retail sale products are random weight and shipped without their net weight statements, the shipping container is also required to bear a net weight statement per 9 CFR 317.2(h) (9) (i) or 381.121(a). Further, the poultry shipping containers need to bear the following statements: "Tare weight of consumer package ___ oz." weighed to nearest 1/8 ounce or less and "Net wt. to be marked on consumer packages prior to display and sale."

Any other information is optional but must be truthful and not misleading.

Refer to 9 CFR 301.2 or 381.1 for the definitions of "immediate container" and "shipping container."
For more information on labeling like: How can companies help to speed up or improve the label approval process? Go to www.fsis.usda.gov askFSIS.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”
Carl Sandburg

Happy Holidays from the SEMA Staff