Notice2022-12663
Siluriformes Fish Salmonella Sampling
Primary source
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Published
June 13, 2022
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentFood Safety and Inspection Service
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 113 (Monday, June 13, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 113 (Monday, June 13, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35720-35721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12663]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket Number FSIS-2022-0009]
Siluriformes Fish Salmonella Sampling
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing
that, starting July 13, 2022, it will suspend its current FSIS
Salmonella sampling program for Siluriformes fish and fish products
based on consumer cooking practices, lack of recent outbreaks
attributed to Siluriformes fish, and low percent positives detected.
DATES: Submit comments on or before July 13, 2022. FSIS will suspend
Salmonella sampling in domestic and imported Siluriformes fish and fish
products on July 13, 2022.
ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this
notice. Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website provides
commenters the ability to type short comments directly into the comment
field on the web page or to attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the on-line instructions at that
site for submitting comments.
<bullet> Mail: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
<bullet> Hand- or Courier-Delivered Submittals: Deliver to 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 350-E,
Washington, DC 20250-3700.
Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2022-0009. Comments
received in response to this docket will be made available for public
inspection and posted without change, including any personal
information, to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Docket: For access to background documents or comments received,
call (202) 720-5627 to schedule a time to visit the FSIS Docket Room at
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Edelstein, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development by telephone at
(202) 205-0495.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On December 2, 2015, FSIS published the final rule, Mandatory
Inspection of Fish of the Order Siluriformes and Products Derived from
Such Fish (<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2021-02/2008-0031F.pdf">https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2021-02/2008-0031F.pdf</a>), that established a mandatory inspection
program for Siluriformes fish and fish products. The final rule
codified in regulations the provisions of the 2008 and 2014 Farm Bills,
which amended the Federal Meat Inspection Act, making Siluriformes fish
an amenable species under FSIS jurisdiction and inspection.
As discussed in the final rule (80 FR 75590, 75593), FSIS
considered the public health implications presented by Siluriformes
fish in developing the regulations. FSIS also published the
``Assessment of the Potential Change in Human Health Risk associated
with Applying Inspection to Fish of the order Siluriformes'' (<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2021-02/Silurifomes-RA.pdf">https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2021-02/Silurifomes-RA.pdf</a>) that assessed the food safety risk associated with consuming
Siluriformes fish in the United States. The purpose of the risk
assessment was to provide predictions of the public health benefits
(e.g., reduction in foodborne illnesses) that might accompany the
implementation of a mandatory inspection system. The risk assessment
identified Salmonella as a hazard of primary concern because: (1) It is
the foodborne pathogen associated with Siluriformes fish (McCoy et.
al., Journal of Food Protection 74(3):500-16, 2011); (2) there were
more available data for assessing the risk of human illnesses
associated with Salmonella and assessing the effectiveness of an FSIS
regulatory strategy for this hazard than other potential pathogens; (3)
its occurrence in domestic processing facilities and retail catfish is
documented; (4) its presence in Siluriformes fish imported to the
United States is documented; and (5) Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention identifies catfish as the vehicle associated with a 1991
outbreak of Salmonella Hadar.
In the final rule (80 FR 75590, 75607), FSIS announced that it
would conduct sampling and testing of Salmonella in Siluriformes fish
and fish products to determine the national baseline prevalence and
levels of Salmonella on raw Siluriformes fish.
Current Salmonella Sampling Program, Results, and Conclusions
FSIS began testing domestic Siluriformes fish and fish products for
Salmonella in May 2016 using the procedures outlined in FSIS Directive
14,010.1, Speciation Residue and Salmonella Testing of Fish of the
Order Siluriformes from Domestic Establishments (<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsis-directives/14010.1">https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsis-directives/14010.1</a>) and began testing
imported Siluriformes fish and fish products, using the procedures
outlined in FSIS Directive 14,100.1, Speciation, Residue, and
Salmonella Testing of Fish of the Order Siluriformes at Official Import
Inspection Establishments (<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsis-directives/14100.1">https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsis-directives/14100.1</a>).
From May 2016 through the end of Fiscal Year 2020, FSIS collected
and analyzed 3,970 samples of domestic and imported Siluriformes fish
and fish products for Salmonella. FSIS published a report, Data Summary
of Siluriformes Fish Testing: A Five-Year Review, FY 2016-2020, that
discusses the results of the data. The report can be found at: <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2022-03/SiluriformesFishDataSummaryReport_03292022.pdf">https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2022-03/SiluriformesFishDataSummaryReport_03292022.pdf</a>.
As discussed in the report and shown in Table 1 (below), of the
3,970 samples of domestic and imported products tested, 80 samples
tested positive for Salmonella. Domestic Siluriformes fish were an
average of 3.53 percent positive for Salmonella, imported Siluriformes
fish were an average of 0.32 percent positive for Salmonella.\1\
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\1\ The difference in the percent positive between imported and
domestic may be attributed to imported Siluriformes fish typically
being frozen, whereas domestic Siluriformes fish are typically
fresh.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN13JN22.000
While Salmonella is present on Siluriformes fish, there is limited
data to support Siluriformes fish attribution to any Salmonella
illnesses or outbreaks, except for the 1991 outbreak identified in the
risk assessment. Most Siluriformes fish are consumed fully cooked,
which could explain the limited number of illnesses and outbreaks
associated with this product. Based on consumer cooking practices, lack
of recent outbreaks attributed to Siluriformes fish, and low percent
positives detected, FSIS has concluded that Salmonella does not pose a
significant health hazard in Siluriformes fish. Given that Salmonella
does not pose a significant health hazard in Siluriformes fish, FSIS
intends to suspend its current Salmonella sampling in domestic and
imported Siluriformes fish. FSIS will, however, continue to test
Siluriformes fish for residues as part of our National Residue Program.
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 website located at:
<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/federal-register-rulemaking/federal-register-notices">https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/federal-register-rulemaking/federal-register-notices</a>.
FSIS will also announce and provide a link to this Federal Register
publication 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 Constituent Update is available on
the FSIS website. Through the website, FSIS can 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: <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe">https://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe</a>. Options range from
recalls to export information, regulations, directives, and notices.
Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the
option to password protect their accounts.
USDA Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights
regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and
employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA
programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender
expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status,
family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing
deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of
communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible
Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or
contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages
other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at <a href="https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint">https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint</a> and
at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in
the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a
copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed
form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: USDA, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0d7d7f626a7f6c60236463796c66684d787e696c236a627b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1262607d7560737f3c7b7c6673797752676176733c757d64">[email protected]</span></a>.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Paul Kiecker,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2022-12663 Filed 6-10-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P
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