Jan 17, 2002 (CIDRAP News) – Salmonella standards for meat and poultry will be among several topics on the table when the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) meets Jan 22 to 25 in Washington, DC.
Other topics on the agenda for the public meeting are Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in blade-tenderized, nonintact beef; the evaluation of hot holding temperatures; and the scientific basis for establishing safety-based "use by" date labels for refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods. The committee also will consider a discussion paper on draft guidelines for the validation of food hygiene control measures, prepared by the Codex Alimentarious Commission, a United Nations agency that promotes fair international trade in food. The meeting was announced by the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The full committee will meet from 9 a.m. to noon on Jan 23, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan 24, and 9 a.m. to noon Jan 25. Subcommittees will meet Jan 22 and 23. The subcommittee for microbiological performance standards for meat and poultry and the Codex subcommittee will meet from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan 22. The meat and poultry standards subcommittee will meet again Jan 23 from 1 to 5 p.m., and the subcommittee on blade tenderization/E coli O157:H7 will meet at the same time.
All meetings will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St NW, Washington, DC 20008.
Anyone interested in making comments or submitting technical papers, as well as anyone in need of a sign language interpreter, should contact Brenda Holbrook at (202) 690-6600. Written comments may be submitted to FSIS Docket Room, Docket #01-035N, Room 102, Cotton Annex Building, 300 12th St SW, Washington, DC 20250. Comments may also be faxed to (202) 205-0381.
The NACMCF provides scientific advice and recommendations to the secretary of agriculture and secretary of health and human services on public health issues relating to the safety and wholesomeness of the US food supply.
See also:
FSIS press release about the meeting
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/news/2002/nacmcf.htm
Meeting agenda
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPHS/NACMCF/2002/Jan2002Agenda.htm
