FSIS Releases E. coli Notices and Poultry Labeling Guidance
Friday, December 21, 2007(American Meat Institute)
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued Notice 86-07, “New Sampling Code for Escherichia coli O157:H7 Testing In Raw Ground Beef” and Notice 87-07, “Placing E. coli O157:H7 FSIS Notices With FSIS Directive 10,010.1 On The Web Page.”
The agency also issued labeling guidance for poultry products, “Labeling Guidance For ‘Raised Without Antibiotic’ Claims and the Use of Ionophores.”
The following is a summary of the notices and labeling guidance:
• Notice 86-07, “New Sampling Code for Escherichia coli O157:H7 Testing In Raw Ground Beef”
January 1, 2008, FSIS will initiate an enhanced risk-based sampling and testing program for E. coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef. The risk-based program will take into consideration the establishment’s production volume and whether an O157:H7 positive from FSIS or Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) sampling occurred within the previous 120 days. The new program will be known as MT43 and is independent of the MT04 follow-up testing program. Inspection personnel will likely be directed to collect between 4 and 24 samples annually under the MT43 program and sample results will be posted in LEARN. Inspection personnel are instructed to collect raw ground beef samples for any open MT03 sample request.
• Notice 87-07, “Placing E. coli
O157:H7 FSIS Notices With FSIS Directive
10,010.1 On The Web Page.”
FSIS issued five
notices concerning E. coli O157:H7 sampling and
testing in 2007 [17-07,18-07, 62-07, 66-07, and
68-07]. FSIS has posted links to the
notices under Directive 10,010.1
“Microbiological Testing Program for
Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Raw Ground Beef
Products and Raw Ground Beef Components and
Beef Patty Components” on the agency homepage
for easy reference by inspection personnel and
industry.
Notices 86-07 and 87-07 are available on the agency’s Web site at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/FSIS_Notices_Index/index.asp.
• Labeling
Guidance For Raised Without Antibiotic Claims
and the Use of Ionophores
FSIS is rescinding labels bearing “Raised without Antibiotics (RWA)” or similar claims approved for poultry products. In a recent review of label approvals, the agency became aware that some poultry products bearing such a claim were produced from poultry that were fed a diet that included ionophores. The agency considers ionophores to be antibiotics, under the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) definition of that term.
According to FSIS, companies with poultry products bearing an RWA claim that were produced from poultry fed ionophores need to: 1) remove the claim from labeling, 2) remove ionophores from the feed formulation of such poultry, or 3) submit a new label application with appropriate supporting documentation for approval of a revised claim regarding ionophores. Companies may request a temporary label approval consistent with 9 CFR 381.132(f) while the RWA claim is removed and other labeling terminology is under evaluation. The guidance provides parameters for making a claim about antibiotics when ionophores are used.
To view the labeling guidance visit the FSIS website at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/Use_of_Ionophores/index.asp.
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