The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails May 10, 2012 announcing changes to some Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service revised export requirements and plant lists for the following countries for the week of May 4 through May 10, 2012:
The Food Safety and Inspection Service said the Committee on Import and Export Certification and Inspection Systems (CCFICS) established a Codex electronic working group (eWG), chaired by the U.S., to develop a questionnaire on how countries currently assess and manage the performance of their national food control systems and to give examples of indicators used. This questionnaire will be circulated by the Codex Secretariat, and, based on the replies, the U.S. will prepare a more detailed discussion paper and project document for the next session of CCFICS. FSIS said Codex members and observers interested in participating in the electronic working group should provide their name, title and e-mail address to USCodex@fsis.usda.gov by May 18, 2012.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service said comments are due by May 14, 2012 by non-U.S. participants of a Codex physical working group on a draft revision of Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods (CAC/GL 21-1997) which was prepared by the co-chairs of the physical working group that will meet in Parma, Italy, May 29-June 1, 2012. U.S. comments were due by May 9.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails May 9, 2012 announcing changes to some Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails May 8 announcing changes to some Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service said the Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL) will hold its 40th Session in Ottawa, Canada, May 14-18, 2012. The session will feature two main topics: (1) revision of the Guidelines for the Use of Nutrition and Health Claims (CAC/GL 23-1997); and (2) Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service is asking for comments by July 9 on a clarification of its requirements for validation by an official establishment of its Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, which was included in a Federal Register notice. FSIS also announced the availability of, and is requesting comments by July 9 on, a revised draft guidance prepared to assist establishments in appropriately validating their HACCP systems. FSIS said it received and analyzed comments on the initial draft of this guidance, which FSIS posted on its website in March 2010.