Notice2023-12994
Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria Monocytogenes in Retail Delicatessens
Primary source
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Published
June 20, 2023
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentFood Safety and Inspection Service
Abstract
FSIS is announcing the availability of its updated Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in Retail Delicatessens. The best-practices guidance discusses steps that retailers can take to prevent certain ready-to-eat (RTE) foods that are prepared or sliced in retail delicatessens (delis) and consumed in the home, such as deli meats and deli salads, from becoming contaminated with Lm and thus a source of listeriosis. FSIS encourages retailers to review the guidance and evaluate the effectiveness of their retail practices and intervention strategies in reducing the risk of listeriosis to consumers from RTE meat and poultry deli products.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 117 (Tuesday, June 20, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39819-39820]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12994]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2023-0001]
Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria Monocytogenes in
Retail Delicatessens
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: FSIS is announcing the availability of its updated Best
Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in
Retail Delicatessens. The best-practices guidance discusses steps that
retailers can take to prevent certain ready-to-eat (RTE) foods that are
prepared or sliced in retail delicatessens (delis) and consumed in the
home, such as deli meats and deli salads, from becoming contaminated
with Lm and thus a source of listeriosis. FSIS encourages retailers to
review the guidance and evaluate the effectiveness of their retail
practices and intervention strategies in reducing the risk of
listeriosis to consumers from RTE meat and poultry deli products.
ADDRESSES: A downloadable version of the guide is available to view and
print at: <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsis-guidelines">https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsis-guidelines</a>. No hard
copies of the
[[Page 39820]]
best-practices guidance have been published.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Edelstein, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development by telephone at
(202) 937-4272.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Lm is a bacterium that is found in moist environments, soil, and
decaying vegetation and can persist along the food continuum. Transfer
of the bacterium from the environment (e.g., deli cases, slicers, and
utensils), employees, or contaminated food products is a particular
hazard of concern in RTE foods, including meat and poultry products,
because they generally receive no further processing that would kill Lm
before consumption. Listeriosis is a serious infection with a high
mortality rate, usually caused by eating food contaminated with Lm.
In 2013, FSIS and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
conducted an interagency risk assessment on Lm to better understand the
risk of foodborne illness associated with eating certain RTE foods
prepared in retail delis and developed recommendations for changes in
current practices that may improve the safety of those products. FSIS
and FDA made their findings available to the public in the Interagency
Risk Assessment--Listeria monocytogenes in Retail Delicatessens
(Interagency Retail Lm Risk Assessment) (79 FR 22082). FSIS also
published its FSIS Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria
monocytogenes (Lm) in Retail Delicatessens.
FSIS is announcing that it has revised its best practices guidance
in response to FSIS focus group findings \1\ and recommendations from
the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection
(NACMPI).\2\ FSIS has also made changes to incorporate more recent
scientific knowledge, update references to the FDA Food Code, and
improve consistency, clarity, and overall content. For example, FSIS
replaced the summary of findings from the Interagency Retail Lm Risk
Assessment with a hyperlink to the risk assessment. FSIS also removed
the recommendation that retailers should rotate sanitizers. FSIS
relocated the Deli Self-Assessment Tool to the Appendices and added a
glossary to the Appendices. Finally, FSIS added the following new
sections: Sources of Listeria in Retail Firms, Active Managerial
Control, and Risk Mitigation of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in Retail
Firms. The updated best practices guidance is available at: <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/guidelines/2015-0014">https://www.fsis.usda.gov/guidelines/2015-0014</a>.
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\1\ Retail Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) Focus Group Findings
(<a href="http://usda.gov">usda.gov</a>).
\2\ Available at: <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2021-02/Best-Practices-Guidance-Controlling-LM-Retail.pdf">https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2021-02/Best-Practices-Guidance-Controlling-LM-Retail.pdf</a>.
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The guidance continues to provide practical recommendations that
retailers can follow to control Lm contamination and outgrowth in the
deli. Retailers can use the best practices guidance to help ensure that
RTE meat and poultry products in the deli area are handled under
sanitary conditions and are not adulterated under the Federal Meat
Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) or the Poultry Products
Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) (see 21 U.S.C. 623(d) and
464(e)). While these practices are specifically designed to control Lm,
they also may help control other foodborne pathogens that may be
introduced into the retail deli environment and other facilities where
consumers purchase food.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal
Register publication online through the FSIS web page located at:
<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register">https://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register</a>.
FSIS also will make copies of this 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 Constituent Update is available on the FSIS web page.
Through the web page, FSIS provides 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, USDA, its Mission Areas, agencies, staff
offices, 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.
Program information may be made available in languages other than
English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of
communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large
print, audiotape, American Sign Language) should contact the
responsible Mission Area, agency, or staff office; the USDA TARGET
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY); or the Federal Relay Service
at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should
complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form,
which can be obtained online at <a href="https://www.usda.gov/forms/electronic-forms">https://www.usda.gov/forms/electronic-forms</a>, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a
letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant's
name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the
alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date
of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or
letter must be submitted to USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20250-9410;
(2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
(3) Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#562624393124373b783f3822373d33166a37763e2433306b" http: usda.gov">usda.gov</a>">program.intake@<a href="http://usda.gov">usda.gov</a></a>.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Done at Washington, DC.
Theresa Nintemann,
Deputy Administrator, FSIS.
[FR Doc. 2023-12994 Filed 6-16-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P
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