80 FR 12142 - Notice of Request for a New Information Collection: Gathering Sessions for Safe Food Handling Instructions

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 44 (March 6, 2015)

Page Range		12142-12144
FR Document		2015-05334

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to request a new information collection for a survey of consumers about safe food handling instructions.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 44 (Friday, March 6, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 44 (Friday, March 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12142-12144]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-05334]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2015-0003]

Notice of Request for a New Information Collection: Gathering
Sessions for Safe Food Handling Instructions

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to request a new
information collection for a survey of consumers about safe food
handling instructions.

DATES: Submit comments on or before May 5, 2015.

[[Page 12143]]

ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this
information collection. Comments may be submitted by one of the
following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the
ability to type short comments directly into the comment field or
attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the on-line instructions at that site for submitting comments.
Mail, including CD-ROMs, etc.: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Docket
Clerk, Patriots Plaza 3, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Mailstop 3782,
Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to Patriots
Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2014-0003. 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 hard copies of background documents or
comments received, you can visit the FSIS Docket Room at Patriots Plaza
3, 355 E Street SW., Room 8-164, Washington, DC 20250-3700 between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lee W. Puricelli, Program Analyst,
Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW.,
Room 6073, South Building, Washington, DC 20250.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Safe Food Handling Instructions Survey.
Type of Request: New information collection.
Abstract: The Food Safety and Inspection Service has been delegated
the authority to exercise the functions of the Secretary of Agriculture
(7 CFR 2.18, 2.53) as specified in the Federal Meat Inspection Act and
the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 453 et. seq., 601 et
seq.). FSIS protects the public by verifying that meat and poultry
products are wholesome, not adulterated, and properly marked, labeled,
and packaged.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection
Service's Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Education (USDA, FSIS,
OPACE) ensures that all segments of the farm-to-table chain receive
valuable food safety information. The consumer education programs
developed by OPACE's Food Safety Education Staff informs the public on
how to safely handle, prepare, and store meat, poultry, and egg
products to minimize incidence of foodborne illness.
Safe-handling instructions are required on a product if the
product's meat or poultry component is raw or partially cooked (i.e.,
not considered ready-to-eat) and if the product is destined for
household consumers or institutional uses (9 CFR 317.2(l) [meat]; 9 CFR
381.125(b) [poultry]). FSIS conducted consumer focus groups to inform
the design of the current safe-handling instructions in the
regulations. Since the final safe handling rule became effective in
1994, the safe-handling instructions have not been revised.
In response to inquiries from consumer groups and other
stakeholders for more information about potential changes to the safe-
handling instructions regulations, FSIS sent a letter, in November
2013, to consumer groups, industry groups and academia posing questions
about the current safe-handling instructions and how to revise them.
The stakeholder comments supported the need for consumer testing of any
changes to safe-handling instructions. FSIS presented a summary of the
stakeholders suggestions to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and
Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) in January 2014.
The feedback FSIS received from the NACMPI meeting echoed the
stakeholders' emphasis of the necessity for consumer testing. In
addition, NACMPI recommended that FSIS should consider requiring
crucial endpoint temperatures on the label. The current safe-handling
instructions use ``Cook Thoroughly'' as a simple, single statement
appropriate to all products. This statement was used because, at the
time of development, product label size limitations and many varying
endpoint temperatures prevented an easy to understand label with
endpoint cooking temperatures. Instead of multiple endpoint
temperatures, FSIS now recommends only three internal minimal
temperatures: one for all poultry (165[emsp14][deg]F), one for ground
red meat (160[emsp14][deg]F), and one for all whole-muscle red meat
(145[emsp14][deg]F and hold for 3 minutes). With only three temperature
recommendations, the endpoint temperature information could be more
easily incorporated into the safe-handling instructions through
rulemaking than when the current instructions were finalized in 1994.
Other possible changes to the safe-handling instructions might include
incorporating new icons developed and branded under USDA's Food Safe
Families campaign and providing a Web link or phone number for more
information on food safety.
The NACMPI Subcommittee on Food Handling Labels recommended that
FSIS pursue changes in the existing safe-handling instructions in the
regulations and conduct consumer testing to determine the effectiveness
of any revisions to the instructions.
To inform decisions about possible modifications to the safe-
handling instructions, FSIS is requesting approval for a new
information collection to conduct consumer focus groups. These focus
groups will help FSIS understand what information in the instructions
could better enable consumers to safely handle and prepare raw and
partially cooked meat and poultry at home.
FSIS has contracted with RTI International to conduct six consumer
focus groups to gather information on consumers' understanding and use
of the current safe-handling instructions and responses to possible
revisions to the instructions. To provide geographic diversity, FSIS
will conduct two focus groups in three different geographic locations
each with two focus groups (for a total of six). Locations will be
representative of three of the four main geographical areas of the
country (East Coast, South, Midwest, and West Coast). In each location,
FSIS will conduct one focus group with English-speaking adults and one
focus group with Spanish-speaking adults. The focus groups will include
individuals at-risk for foodborne illness (i.e., older adults, parents
of young children, immunocompromised individuals or their caregivers)
as well as from the general population as seen in Table 1.

Table 1--Focus Group Subpopulations
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Group Subpopulation Language
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1............................... Parents of young Spanish
children \a\.
2............................... Immunocompromised English
\b\.

[[Page 12144]]

3............................... Older adults \c\.... Spanish
4............................... General population/ English
less educated \d\.
5............................... General population/ Spanish
less educated \d\.
6............................... Parents of young English
children a e.
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\a\ Parents/caregivers of children aged 5 years old and younger,
including pregnant women.
\b\ Adults diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, or a condition that weakens
the immune system or their adult caregiver.
\c\ Adults aged 60 years or older.
\d\ Adults aged 26 to 59 years old with a high school education or less.
\e\ Adults with a college degree or higher.

Estimate of Burden: FSIS plans to screen 480 individuals to obtain
no more than 60 focus group participants (10 participants per group).
Each screening is expected to take 8 minutes (0.133 hour), and each
focus group discussion is expected to last 1.45 hours. Before and after
each group, participants will be asked to complete a short survey; each
survey will take about 3 minutes (0.05 hour) to complete.
Respondents: Consumers.
Estimated No. of Respondents: 480.
Estimated No. of Annual Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 157 hours.
Copies of this information collection assessment can be obtained
from Gina Kouba, Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, Food Safety and
Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence, SW., Room 6077, South
Building, Washington, DC 20250, (202)690-6510.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of FSIS's
functions, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information, including
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection techniques, or other forms of
information technology. Comments may be sent to both FSIS, at the
addresses provided above, and the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, DC 20253.
Responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of
public record.

USDA Nondiscrimination 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 is available 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.

program.intake@usda.gov.

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).

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 this Federal Register 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.

Done at Washington, DC, on: March 3, 2015.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-05334 Filed 3-5-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 44 / Friday, March 6, 2015 / Notices 12143

ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommends only three internal
persons to submit comments on this Food Safety and Inspection Service’s minimal temperatures: one for all
information collection. Comments may Office of Public Affairs and Consumer poultry (165 °F), one for ground red
be submitted by one of the following Education (USDA, FSIS, OPACE) meat (160 °F), and one for all whole-
methods: ensures that all segments of the farm-to- muscle red meat (145 °F and hold for 3
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: This table chain receive valuable food safety minutes). With only three temperature
Web site provides the ability to type information. The consumer education recommendations, the endpoint
short comments directly into the programs developed by OPACE’s Food temperature information could be more
comment field or attach a file for Safety Education Staff informs the easily incorporated into the safe-
lengthier comments. Go to http:// public on how to safely handle, prepare, handling instructions through
www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line and store meat, poultry, and egg rulemaking than when the current
instructions at that site for submitting products to minimize incidence of instructions were finalized in 1994.
comments. foodborne illness. Other possible changes to the safe-
• Mail, including CD–ROMs, etc.: Safe-handling instructions are handling instructions might include
Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department required on a product if the product’s incorporating new icons developed and
of Agriculture, Food Safety and meat or poultry component is raw or branded under USDA’s Food Safe
Inspection Service, Docket Clerk, partially cooked (i.e., not considered Families campaign and providing a Web
Patriots Plaza 3, 1400 Independence ready-to-eat) and if the product is link or phone number for more
Avenue SW., Mailstop 3782, Room destined for household consumers or information on food safety.
8–163A, Washington, DC 20250–3700. institutional uses (9 CFR 317.2(l) [meat];
• Hand- or courier-delivered 9 CFR 381.125(b) [poultry]). FSIS The NACMPI Subcommittee on Food
submittals: Deliver to Patriots Plaza 3, conducted consumer focus groups to Handling Labels recommended that
355 E Street SW., Room 8–163A, inform the design of the current safe- FSIS pursue changes in the existing
Washington, DC 20250–3700. handling instructions in the regulations. safe-handling instructions in the
Instructions: All items submitted by Since the final safe handling rule regulations and conduct consumer
mail or electronic mail must include the became effective in 1994, the safe- testing to determine the effectiveness of
Agency name and docket number FSIS– handling instructions have not been any revisions to the instructions.
2014–0003. Comments received in revised. To inform decisions about possible
response to this docket will be made In response to inquiries from modifications to the safe-handling
available for public inspection and consumer groups and other stakeholders instructions, FSIS is requesting approval
posted without change, including any for more information about potential for a new information collection to
personal information, to http:// changes to the safe-handling conduct consumer focus groups. These
www.regulations.gov. instructions regulations, FSIS sent a
Docket: For access to hard copies of focus groups will help FSIS understand
letter, in November 2013, to consumer what information in the instructions
background documents or comments groups, industry groups and academia
received, you can visit the FSIS Docket could better enable consumers to safely
posing questions about the current safe- handle and prepare raw and partially
Room at Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E Street handling instructions and how to revise
SW., Room 8–164, Washington, DC cooked meat and poultry at home.
them. The stakeholder comments
20250–3700 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 supported the need for consumer testing FSIS has contracted with RTI
p.m., Monday through Friday. of any changes to safe-handling International to conduct six consumer
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lee instructions. FSIS presented a summary focus groups to gather information on
W. Puricelli, Program Analyst, Food of the stakeholders suggestions to the consumers’ understanding and use of
Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, National Advisory Committee on Meat the current safe-handling instructions
1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) in and responses to possible revisions to
6073, South Building, Washington, DC January 2014. the instructions. To provide geographic
20250. The feedback FSIS received from the diversity, FSIS will conduct two focus
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NACMPI meeting echoed the groups in three different geographic
Title: Safe Food Handling Instructions stakeholders’ emphasis of the necessity locations each with two focus groups
Survey. for consumer testing. In addition, (for a total of six). Locations will be
Type of Request: New information NACMPI recommended that FSIS representative of three of the four main
collection. should consider requiring crucial geographical areas of the country (East
Abstract: The Food Safety and endpoint temperatures on the label. The Coast, South, Midwest, and West Coast).
Inspection Service has been delegated current safe-handling instructions use In each location, FSIS will conduct one
the authority to exercise the functions of ‘‘Cook Thoroughly’’ as a simple, single focus group with English-speaking
the Secretary of Agriculture (7 CFR 2.18, statement appropriate to all products. adults and one focus group with
2.53) as specified in the Federal Meat This statement was used because, at the Spanish-speaking adults. The focus
Inspection Act and the Poultry Products time of development, product label size groups will include individuals at-risk
Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 453 et. seq., limitations and many varying endpoint for foodborne illness (i.e., older adults,
601 et seq.). FSIS protects the public by temperatures prevented an easy to parents of young children,
verifying that meat and poultry products understand label with endpoint cooking immunocompromised individuals or
are wholesome, not adulterated, and temperatures. Instead of multiple their caregivers) as well as from the
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

properly marked, labeled, and packaged. endpoint temperatures, FSIS now general population as seen in Table 1.

TABLE 1—FOCUS GROUP SUBPOPULATIONS
Group Subpopulation Language

1 ............................................ Parents of young children a ................................................................................................................... Spanish
2 ............................................ Immunocompromised b .......................................................................................................................... English

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Document Created: 2018-02-21 09:33:16
Document Modified: 2018-02-21 09:33:16

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice and request for comments.
Dates		Submit comments on or before May 5, 2015.
Contact		Lee W. Puricelli, Program Analyst, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 6073, South Building, Washington, DC 20250.
FR Citation		80 FR 12142

80 FR 12142 - Notice of Request for a New Information Collection: Gathering Sessions for Safe Food Handling Instructions

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREFood Safety and Inspection Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 44 (March 6, 2015)

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service