USDA-FSIS Seeks Comments of Regulation of <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> in RTE Meat and Poultry Products

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service is seeking public comments on the paperwork and regulatory burdens of its rules that "... require official establishments that produce post-lethality exposed RTE meat and poultry products to take measures to prevent product adulteration by the pathogen L. monocytogenes..."

FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the functions of the Secretary as specified in 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.).

These statutes provide that FSIS is to protect the public by verifying that meat and poultry products are safe, wholesome, not adulterated, and properly labeled and packaged.

FSIS regulations (9 CFR 430.4) require official establishments that produce post-lethality exposed RTE meat and poultry products to take measures to prevent product adulteration by the pathogen L. monocytogenes.

Official establishments that produce these RTE meat and poultry products are required to at least annually furnish FSIS with information on the production volume of RTE products affected by the regulations and the control measures used by the establishments (9 CFR 430.4(d)).

RTE establishments may have to develop microbiological sampling and testing plans to support the efficacy of sanitation controls. RTE establishments develop microbiological sampling plans to ensure that their sanitation procedures are adequate (9 CFR 430.4(b)(2)(iii), 430.4(b)(3), 430.4(c)(1) and 430.4(c)(7)).

RTE establishments sample and test food-contact surfaces to verify that their L. monocytogenes controls are working (9 CFR 430.4(b)(2)(iii)(A) and (b)(3)(i)(A)).

RTE establishments that produce a deli product or a hot dog product must hold lots of product after obtaining a second positive test for L. monocytogenes or indicator organisms on a food contact surface in the post-lethality processing environment until the establishment corrects the problem indicated by the test result (9 CFR 430.4(b)(3)(ii)(B)).

FSIS is requesting a revision of an approved information collection addressing paperwork requirements regarding L. monocytogenes control. The Agency is revising the L. monocytogenes controls information collection based on its most recent plant data, which support a finding of fewer total burden hours than there are in the approved information collection.

For additional information and details go to the FSIS Federal Register Notice.