FSnet July 12/06
Two schools
shut after E.coli bug outbreak
Warning as
number of Leeds E. coli victims rises to 23
Restaurant
patrons' ills blamed on food handling
Tainted
potato salad linked to more illnesses: 35 sickened at 2 catered events in Lucas
County
Menu switch
blamed for Eden Park oyster illnesses
Hunt for
poultry raises flu concern: Frozen cache hit Troy from China
Poultry
flocks and food supply are protected from avian influenza, web site tells public
Canada
quarantines possible BSE farm; industry worried about positive test
New data
show FDA/EPA's mercury advice on tuna doesn’t hold water
Conference
for Community Readiness Communications
United
Biscuits recalls batches of Go Ahead! products
FSA open
Board meeting
FSIS to
hold a technical meeting to discuss the updated risk assessment for Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy
Harvard
risk assessment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
how to subscribe
Two
schools shut after E.coli bug outbreak
12.jul.06
Life Style Extra
National News
http://www.lse.co.uk/ShowStory.asp?story=FD1127005X&news_headline=two_schools_shut_after_ecoli_bug_outbreak
Two schools have been closed after 40 people - mostly children - fell victim to
an outbreak of E. coli O157.
Parklands Nursery in Bromley, south east London, shut last week when two cases
among pupils were confirmed by the Health Protection Agency.
Nearby Hayes Primary School closed days earlier and 38 cases of E.coli linked to
the school have now been confirmed.
The HPA was cited as saying one of the cases from the nursery school had
"close connections" with a pupil at Hayes Primary School.
The nursery school - which closed voluntarily last Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday - will remain closed until staff and children have provided samples and
the area has been cleaned.
Warning
as number of Leeds E. coli victims rises to 23
12.jul.06
Leeds Today
Paul Robinson
http://www.leedstoday.net/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=39&ArticleID=1622429
The number of people struck down by the E. coli food poisoning bug in Leeds has
risen to 23.
The story states that the butcher's shop thought to be the source of the
outbreak, Armley-based Todd's, was due to remain closed today.
Customers of 18 other stores, cafes and delis in Leeds and Castleford which are
supplied by Todd's were being urged to stay vigilant.
Restaurant
patrons' ills blamed on food handling
12.jul.06
Dayton Daily News (Ohio)
Doug Page
http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/071206sickdiners.html
TROY — Contamination traced to poor food handling likely sickened at least 120
patrons of a Mexican restaurant last month.
The Miami County Health Department was cited as saying that none of those
sickened, who ate at La Fiesta Restaurant on June 23 and 24, were required to
stay in a hospital.
Tests of stool samples and leftover food found the presence of norovirus, a
class of virus long associated with "stomach flu" and other
gastrointestinal ailments.
Chris Cook of the health department was quoted as saying Tuesday that, "The
virus is typically spread through food or water by a sick person who does not
wash their hands well after using the restroom. The most likely scenario was
that there was a sick food worker who may or may not have been experiencing
symptoms of the illness. The worker did not practice good hand-washing and then
went on to prepare food."
The story notes that the last reported outbreak in Miami County was at a church
camp near Tipp City several years ago.
Tainted
potato salad linked to more illnesses: 35 sickened at 2 catered events in Lucas
County
11.jul.06
The Blade, Toledo, Ohio
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Erica Blake
The Toledo-Lucas County health department was cited as saying yesterday that
ontaminated potato salad that made about 100 people sick in the Bowling Green
area also was the likely source of a food-borne illness that affected as many as
35 more people at two other catered events.
Alan Ruffell, the health department's director of environmental health, was
cited as saying that the same potato salad that led health inspectors to Nick
& Jimmy's Bar & Grill, 4956 Monroe St., was believed to have been served
at an office lunch party on June 16 and a g raduation party June 17 -- both held
in Lucas County.
Those who became ill at the two Lucas County parties are in addition to the
nearly 100 people sickened June 15 at a graduation party in Wood County.
The Ohio Department of Health, which is investigating the complaint, found that
eight stool samples from people who ate the potato salad tested positive for
Norovirus.
According to the Wood County health department, the potato salad served at the
gatherings tested "fairly high for fecal coliform."
Public health officials said the potato salad was most likely contaminated when
a food service employee failed to wash his or her hands after using the
restroom.
Restaurant owner Nick Tokles was cited as saying the Ohio Department of Health
reported to him that the tests could not verify whether the virus was animal or
human and that vegetables are often grown using manure-based fertilizers and the
problem could have been from the improper washing of carrots or celery before
being added to the potato salad, adding, "They cannot tell you it was done
through humans or if it was animal," he said of the health department. They
can speculate, but they cannot prove it."
Mr. Tokles was cited as saying he has been in the restaurant business most of
his life, including 27 years at the Monroe Street location and that he has
catered numerous events and served the potato salad to thousands of people
without problems.
The story notes that in response to the initial complaint, the Toledo-Lucas
County health department inspected Nick & Jimmy's Monroe Street location on
June 16 and found 35 violations, including 12 that were labeled critical. A June
27 follow-up inspection found only three violations, of which two were critical.
On June 28, the health department issued a public health order to "cease
and desist" all catering operations because the restaurant is not a
licensed caterer.
Mr. Ruffell added that the health department has "not ruled out anything as
far as penalties."
Menu
switch blamed for Eden Park oyster illnesses
12.jul.06
New Zealand Herald
Errol Kiong
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10390886
Corporate guests who fell ill at the All Blacks-Ireland test at Eden Park were,
according to this story, promised premium Clevedon oysters on the menu - but
were instead eating Korean imports banned in Australia.
The caterer, Michael O'Brien Catering, has confirmed Korean oysters were served,
but refused to comment further until the Auckland Regional Public Health Service
report into the gastroenteritis outbreak was issued on Friday.
The story says that a menu obtained by the Herald found that the entree for the
night was listed as "Aoraki salmon and Clevedon oysters on a fennel, orange
and chervil salad, crispy potato cake, spinach dressing". Oyster shooters
were also reportedly served.
Packaging on imported Korean oysters contains a warning that they have to be
cooked. Oyster imports from Korea were temporarily suspended by the Food Safety
Authority last week.
An ordering mix-up by the caterers is believed to have led to the mass poisoning
after the test on June 17.
The incident has left the New Zealand oyster supplier fuming and considering
legal action.
Clevedon Coast Oysters general manager Roly Rush was cited as saying the
poisoning had tainted not only the company's good name, but that of the wider
oyster-growing industry, adding, "One of their chefs ordered the oysters
through us and instead of ordering 200 dozen, he ordered 20 dozen."
Callum McCallum, Clevedon Coast's managing director and president of the Oyster
Industry Association, was cited as saying four norovirus outbreaks had been
associated with Korean oysters in the past 12 months.
Australia banned imports of oysters from South Korea in October 2004.
The health service is still finalising its report, but has found the Hall of
Legends hospitality area in Eden Park had the highest sickness rate of all four
corporate areas affected.
Those who dined there and fell ill were 27 times more likely to have eaten raw
oysters than people in other areas.
Tests by the Institute of Environmental and Scientific Research have found
norovirus in raw imported Korean oysters from the same batches as those eaten at
Eden Park, while local oysters tested negative.
Hunt
for poultry raises flu concern: Frozen cache hit Troy from China
12.jul.06
Detroit Free Press
McClatchy-Tribune Business News
Knight-Ridder Tribune
David Ashenfelter and Tina Lam
State officials were cited as saying Tuesday that state and federal authorities
are trying to track down a cache of frozen poultry smuggled into the United
States and metro Detroit from areas in China where avian flu is prevalent.
They said consumers probably have eaten some of the meat and should be concerned
but not alarmed. Proper cooking destroys the deadly virus.
The frozen poultry -- geese, ducks and chickens with intestines still intact --
was purchased by the owner of a warehouse in Troy, which supplies 300 Chinese
restaurants and Asian grocery stories throughout southeast Michigan, state
authorities said. They said the owner has disappeared and is facing possible
criminal charges.
Poultry
flocks and food supply are protected from avian influenza, web site tells public
11.jul.06
National Chicken Council
Richard L. Lobb
www.nationalchickencouncil.com
Commercial poultry flocks in the United States and the food products made from
them are being carefully protected from avian influenza, according to an
industry-sponsored web site.
Industry information, consumer advice, news and comment, and other items are
included in the site www.avianinfluenzainfo.com, which has just been revised and
relaunched to give consumers more information on industry's precautions and
response plans for avian influenza. The site is sponsored by the National
Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, and Egg Safety Center, and made
possible by a grant from Elanco, a manufacturer of animal health products.
A video on industry precautions aimed at protecting poultry flocks is posted to
the web site, along with a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Michael Doyle,
director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia.
“American consumers don't have to worry about getting avian flu virus from
eating poultry that's been properly handled and cooked,” Dr. Doyle says.
“We know that if you properly cook poultry, it's safe.” Statements from the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization are also
posted to inform consumers about the food safety of poultry products.
Informative brochures may also be downloaded from the web site. These include
“Avian Influenza: The Facts” and “Protecting U.S. Chicken Flocks and The
Food Supply from Avian Influenza.”
Under “What You Need to Know,” the site offers information on important
points, including:
· “Bird flu” is not the same thing as human pandemic flu. · The food
supply is protected. · Testing programs are in place. · Birds are inspected by
USDA. · Humans can’t get avian influenza from properly handled and cooked
food.
“We have never had the Asian form of highly pathogenic avian influenza in
North America,” said Sherrie Rosenblatt, senior director of marketing and
communications for the National Turkey Federation. “Even if it does show up,
safeguards are in place to protect the flocks and protect the food supply.”
“We view the site as an efficient way to communicate with the public on the
excellent job industry is doing on the farm and all the way through the food
chain,” said National Chicken Council Communications Director Richard Lobb.
“Consumers can and should have confidence in the safety of eggs and poultry
meat, and this site provides information on the multiple layers of protection
that are in place to protect our flocks and our food supply,” said Dr. Hilary
Shallo Thesmar, director of the Egg Safety Center.
The National Chicken Council represents integrated chicken producer-processors,
the companies that produce, process and market chickens. Member companies of NCC
account for approximately 95 percent of the chicken sold in the United States.
The National Turkey Federation is the advocate for all segments of the U.S.
turkey industry, providing services and conducting activities, which increase
demand for its members©ˆ products and protect and enhance the ability to
effectively and profitably provide wholesome, high quality, nutritious turkey
products.
The Egg Safety Center is a resource center for the egg industry on egg safety
and animal health issues. The Center works closely with the American Egg Board
and United Egg Producers to provide the most up-to-date scientific information
on egg safety research and practices.
Canada
quarantines possible BSE farm; industry worried about positive test
12.jul.06
Meatingplace.com
Pete Hisey
http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=16205
Canadian authorities have quarantined the farm where a suspected case of bovine
spongiform encephalopathy was identified this week.
Since the dairy cow was only 50 months old, it was born well after Canada's feed
ban, which keeps most cattle parts out of feed meant for cattle, went into
effect in 1997.
George Luterbach, head veterinarian with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,
said that the animal may have ingested feed left over from the ban, or feed that
was processed in facilities that had not been correctly cleaned to eliminate
traces of older feed.
The cow was in its last trimester of pregnancy, and authorities are trying to
trace any other calves it may have delivered, as well as herdmates that may have
left the Edmonton, Alberta, area farm since the animal's birth in 2002.
Canadian ranchers are nervous about the finding, despite rulings by USDA that
essentially guarantee the continuation of trade in live animals under 30 months
unless 11 or more infected cattle are found in Canada over a four-year period.
If this case is confirmed, it would be Canada's seventh since 2003. The finding
may raise concerns about Canada's feed program, which could deal a setback to
hopes that the border will be opened to cattle over 30 months of age. The loss
of that trade has resulted in a glut of so-called culls, older cattle with very
little value in Canada but in demand by some American processors for use in
lower-quality beef products such as sausage and ground beef.
Stan Eby, president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, said that the find
was "alarming, but not entirely unexpected." While the two suspected
cases found in the past week are discouraging, he said, they also show that
Canada's surveillance plan has been effective. "All systems are working
well," he told the Calgary Herald.
New
data show FDA/EPA's mercury advice on tuna doesn’t hold water
11.jul.06
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Caroline Smith DeWaal
Food Safety Director
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200607111.html
Ask a pregnant woman: What if you found out the government based its tuna advice
on just a few types of canned tuna, and missed those with the very highest
levels? I bet she would say, "Sorry Charlie, I’ll skip it this
time". After all, skipping tuna for the brief span of the pregnancy is no
big deal if it offers greater protection from harm to the unborn fetus.
Defenders of Wildlife's canned tuna testing shows that FDA’s “averages”
for mercury in canned light tuna just don’t hold water. This means the
government's advice is not protective for many pregnant women and children,
especially those who:
Eat imported seafood from Latin America, especially Ecuador;
Buy "no-name" brands; or
Shop in ethnic neighborhoods.
Defenders of Wildlife has documented that children who limit their canned light
tuna consumption to two cans a week (recommended by the government advisory)
would exceed the EPA reference dose in almost every case if they weighed less
than 50 pounds. Consuming many of the brands they tested, children would quickly
exceed the level of mercury in their bodies at which adverse health effects have
been observed.
Given these results, many women and children may want to limit their consumption
of canned tuna to levels well below those recommended by FDA. While an
occasional tuna sandwich is not a problem, a steady diet of tuna for women of
childbearing age and children could lead them to have excess levels of mercury
in their body. Pregnant women or those planning a pregnancy should be especially
careful, as the mercury they accumulate in their bodies can be transferred to
their unborn fetus. The fetus is much more sensitive to mercury and can suffer
adverse neurological development, affecting such areas as walking and speech
development.
The good news is that mercury gradually leaves the body, so if a woman stops
eating high mercury containing fish about a year before she becomes pregnant,
she can reduce the levels in her body to negligible amounts.
So here is our advice to pregnant women, those planning a pregnancy, and those
serving young children: Eat fish, but avoid shark, swordfish, and king mackerel.
Limit consumption of tuna to an occasional sandwich, and avoid all albacore and
light tuna brands where the fish comes from Latin America.
Conference
for Community Readiness Communications
11.jul.06
A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications
Kansas State University
Angela M. Powers
November 8-10, 2006, Manhattan, Kansas
Call for Participants
You are invited to attend a national conference exploring how news media cover
and local communities prepare for natural or man-made disasters.
The conference will be held in Manhattan, Kansas, Nov. 8-10, 2006 at the A.Q.
Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications. The conference will be held
in conjunction with the opening of the university’s $54 million Biosecurity
Research Institute (BRI) in October.
The goal of this conference is to discuss media and community preparedness in
the event of a crisis situation such as a hurricane disaster, food safety
incident, or bio-terrorist attack. Such events call for informed, accurate,
non-sensational and trustworthy communications. This conference will provide an
excellent opportunity for journalists, public relations professionals, media
scholars, public officials, military personnel and health and safety experts to
engage in discussions and formulate plans concerning risk and preparedness.
Conference Format
· Keynote Speeches: Invited Speakers (30-40 minutes each)
· Panel Presentations: Selected Papers and presenters (15 minutes each)
· Roundtable: Casual Exchanges of Views among Participants (10 minutes
each)
· Dialogues: Discussions, Comments, and Questions and
Answers
If you wish to be a session participant, chair, or discussant, please send your
inquiries to Gloria Freeland at gfreeland@ksu.edu or Angela Powers at
apowers@ksu.edu.
Hosts & Organizers: A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass
Communications, Kansas State University; Huck Boyd National Center for Community
Media
Co-Sponsors: A. Q. Mill School of Journalism and Mass Communications
Huck Boyd National Center for Community Media
McCormick Tribune Foundation
Registration Fee: $100
United
Biscuits recalls batches of Go Ahead! products
12.jul.06
Food Standards Agency (UK)
http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2006/jul/goahead
United Biscuits has recalled certain batches of its Go Ahead! Crispy Fruit
Slices and Yoghurt Breaks. The affected batches may contain small pieces of thin
metal wire.
The Food Standards Agency has issued a Food Alert for Information.
The recalled products are, Go Ahead! Crispy Fruit Slices 3 per 218g packet and
Go Ahead!Yoghurt Breaks 2 per 218g packet. The recalled batches of these
products have best before dates of:
10 Feb 2007
17 Feb 2007
24 Feb 2007
03 Mar 2007
10 Mar 2007
17 Mar 2007
Product recall notices will be placed in the national press from 12 July 2006.
If you have bought one of the affected products then you should return any packs
for a full refund to:
Go Ahead! Consumer response
Consumer Services Department
FREE POST NAT4520
Ashby-de-la-Zouch LE65 1NZ
If you have any queries you can call the company’s free helpline on 0500
011710 between 9:00am and 5:00pm.
No other Go Ahead! products have been affected by this recall.
FSA
open Board meeting
12.jul.06
Food Standards Agency (UK)
http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2006/jul/boardmeet
The agenda and papers for this week's Food Standards Agency open board meeting,
taking place in Cardiff on 13 July 2006, are now available online. The meeting
will be webcast.
FSIS
to hold a technical meeting to discuss the updated risk assessment for Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy
12.jul.06
Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)
Bridgette Keefe
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_071206_01/index.asp
WASHINGTON - The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced a
technical meeting to present and receive comments on an updated risk assessment
for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States.
The technical meeting to discuss the updated model will be held from 1 - 4 p.m.
on Tuesday, July 25, 2006, in the Jefferson Auditorium of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's (USDA) South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington,
D.C., 20250. The agenda will be posted prior to the meeting on FSIS' Web site at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news/meetings_&_events/. Pre-registration is
recommended for this meeting. To pre-register, please contact Diane Jones at
(202) 720-9692 or by e-mail at Diane.Jones@fsis.usda.gov.
In April 1998, USDA entered into a cooperative agreement with the Harvard Center
for Risk Analysis (HCRA) of the Harvard School of Public Health and the Center
for Computational Epidemiology at Tuskegee University to conduct a comprehensive
investigation of the BSE risk in the United States. The report, referred to as
the Harvard Risk Assessment, was completed in 2001, and was revised in 2003
after being peer reviewed.
Both USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) implemented measures to strengthen protections against BSE
in the United States immediately following the discovery of BSE in a cow in
Washington State on December 23, 2003. USDA then contracted with the HCRA in May
2004 to revise the Harvard Risk Assessment model to reflect information
available through December 2003.
The updated risk assessment analyzes the effects of various BSE risk mitigation
scenarios. HCRA analyzed the effects of the measures implemented by USDA and
HHS-FDA and analyzed recommendations made by an international expert BSE panel
that was convened to review the actions taken by the United States in response
to the BSE case in Washington State.
Comments on the notice for the updated Harvard Risk Assessment may be submitted
either through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov or
electronically to FSIS.RegulationsComments@usda.gov.
For further details pertaining to the updated risk assessment, contact Dr.
Chuanfa Guo, Senior Risk Analyst, Risk Assessment Division, Office of Public
Health Science, by phone at (202) 690-0817. Persons requiring a sign language
interpreter or other special accommodations for the public meeting should
contact Ms. Jones.
Harvard
risk assessment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
12.jul.06
Federal Register (Volume 71, Number 133)
Food Safety and Inspection Service
United States Department of Agriculture
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-10928.htm
SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing
the availability of an updated risk assessment model and report for
BSE. The previous risk assessment, released in October 2003, was
revised to incorporate information available through December 2003,
including the discovery of a BSE-infected cow in Washington State. The
revised risk assessment model evaluates the impact of measures
implemented after the discovery of the BSE-positive cow and
recommendations made by an international BSE panel. FSIS will also hold
a technical meeting to discuss the updated risk assessment model and
report.
DATES: The public meeting will be held on July 25, 2006, from 1 p.m. to
4 p.m. Comments on the updated Harvard Risk Assessment must be received
by August 11, 2006.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place in the Jefferson
Auditorium of the South Building of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, 20250. Meeting attendees
must enter the South Building at Wing 1, 14th and Independence Avenue.
FSIS will finalize an agenda on or before the meeting date and will
post it on the FSIS Internet Web page
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events/.
The updated risk assessment is available for
viewing by the public in the FSIS docket room and on the FSIS Web site
at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/Risk_Assessments/index.asp.
All comments and the official transcript of the meeting will be
available for viewing by the public in the FSIS docket room and on the
FSIS Web site when they become available.
Comments on the updated Harvard Risk Assessment may be submitted by
any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the
ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this
Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to
http://www.regulations.gov
and, in the ``Search for Open Regulations'' box,
select ``Food Safety and Inspection Service'' from the agency drop-down
menu, and then click on ``Submit.'' In the Docket ID column, select
FDMS Docket Number FSIS-2006-0011 to submit or view public comments and
to view supporting and related materials available electronically. This
docket can be viewed using the ``Advanced Search'' function in
Regulations.gov.
Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROM's, and hand- or
courier-delivered items: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 300 12th Street, SW.,
Room 102 Cotton Annex, Washington, DC 20250.
Electronic mail: fsis.regulationscomments@fsis.usda.gov.
All submissions received by mail and electronic mail must include
the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2006-0011. All comments
submitted in response to this notice will be available for public
inspection in the FSIS Docket Room at the address listed above between
8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The comments also will
be posted to the regulations.gov Web site and on the Agency's Web site
at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/2006_Notices_Index/index.asp
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Chuanfa Guo, Senior Risk Analyst,
Risk Assessment Division, Office of Public Health Science, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW., Room 344, Aerospace Center, Washington, DC
20250-3700; Telephone (202) 690-0817, e-mail Chuanfa.guo@fsis.usda.gov.
Pre-registration for this meeting is recommended. To pre-register,
please contact Diane Jones at (202) 720-9692 or by e-mail at
Diane.Jones@fsis.usda.gov. Persons requiring a sign language
interpreter or special accommodations should contact Ms. Jones as soon
as possible.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
In April 1998, USDA entered into a cooperative agreement with the
Harvard Center for Risk Analysis (HCRA) of the Harvard School of Public
Health and the Center for Computational Epidemiology at Tuskegee
University to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the BSE risk in
the United States. The report,1 widely referred to as the Harvard
Risk Assessment, was completed in 2001 and released by USDA in December
of that year. Following a peer review conducted in 2002, the authors of
the risk assessment responded to the peer review comments and submitted
a revised risk assessment to USDA in October 2003.2
1 Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, Harvard School of Public
Health, and Center for Computational Epidemiology, College of
Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, ``Evaluation of the
Potential for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in the United
States,''
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/bse/risk_assessment/mainreporttext.pdf
, 2001.
2 Research Triangle Institute, ``Review of the Evaluation of
the Potential for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in the United
States,'' accessed online at
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/bse/BSE_Peer_Review.pdf
, 2002.
Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, Harvard School of Public
Health, ``Evaluation of the Potential for Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy in the United States: Response to Reviewer Comments
Submitted by Research Triangle Institute,''
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/bse/ResponsetoComments.pdf
, 2003.
Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, Harvard School of Public
Health, and Center for Computational Epidemiology, College of
Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, ``Evaluation of the
Potential for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in the United
States,'' http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/bse/madcow.pdf, 2003.
Following confirmation on December 23, 2003, of BSE in a cow in
Washington State, both USDA and the Department of Health and Human
Service's (HHS's) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implemented
measures to strengthen protections against BSE in the United States. In
May 2004, USDA contracted with the HCRA to revise the Harvard Risk
Assessment model to reflect information available through December
2003. USDA also contracted with the HCRA to develop a new baseline for
the risk assessment model, analyze the effects of the measures
implemented by USDA and FDA in response to the confirmation of the BSE
case in Washington State, and analyze recommendations made by an
international expert BSE panel that was convened at the request of the
Secretary of Agriculture to review the actions taken by the United
States in response the confirmation of the BSE case in Washington
State.
The authors submitted an updated risk assessment to FSIS in June
2005, and a peer review of the updated risk assessment was completed in
September 2005. The final updated risk assessment and the revised risk
assessment model
[[Page 39283]]
were submitted following the peer review.
This document announces that FSIS is making the 2005 updated
Harvard Risk Assessment available to the public. The Agency will also
hold a public technical meeting to provide information on the 2005
updated Harvard Risk Assessment. At this meeting, the developers of the
risk assessment model will explain the modifications that have been
made to the model and FSIS will present the results of the various risk
mitigation scenarios that were analyzed using the updated model.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that the
public and in particular minorities, women, and persons with
disabilities, are aware of this notice, FSIS will announce it on-line
through the FSIS Web page located at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/2006_Notices_Index/index.asp
The Regulations.gov Web site is the central online rulemaking
portal of the United States government. It is being offered as a public
service to increase participation in the Federal government's
regulatory activities. FSIS participates in Regulations.gov and will
accept comments on documents published on the site. The site allows
visitors to search by keyword or Department or Agency for rulemakings
that allow for public comment. Each entry provides a quick link to a
comment form so that visitors can type in their comments and submit
them to FSIS. The Web site is located at http://www.regulations.gov.
FSIS also will make copies of 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, recalls, and other types of
information that could affect or would be of interest to our
constituents and stakeholders. The update is communicated via Listserv,
a free e-mail subscription service consisting of industry, trade, and
farm groups, consumer interest groups, allied health professionals,
scientific professionals, and other individuals who have requested to
be included. The update also is available on the FSIS Web page. Through
Listserv and the Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a
much broader, more diverse audience.
In addition, FSIS offers an e-mail 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/news_and_events/email_subscription/.
Options range from recalls to
export information to regulations, directives and notices. Customers
can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the option to
password protect their account.
Barbara J. Masters,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-10928 Filed 7-11-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P
Fsnet is produced by the Food Safety Network at
Kansas State University and the University of Guelph, and is supported at the
Gold Fork level by:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada (Microbial Food
Safety Risk Assessment Unit), the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and
AGCare
Fsnet is supported at the Sterling Fork level by:
Dairy Farmers of Canada, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Food
Safety Divisionand the Chicken Farmers of Ontario
Fsnet is supported at the Silver-plate Fork level by:
National Pork Board, Food Safety & Security at Kansas State University,
Canadian Animal Health Institute, New Zealand Food Safety Authority, JIFSAN,
Pfizer Animal Health, Keystone Foods LLC, National Restaurant Association,
USDA/Food Information Center, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Department
of Primary Industries Victoria (Australia), American Air Liquide, Traincan, Inc.
and the Council for Biotechnology Information
Fsnet is supported at the Stainless Fork level by:
Kerry (Canada) Inc., Ag-West Bio Inc, Dunkin' Brands, Inc., Australian Food
Safety Centre of Excellence, Ontario Agri-Food Technologies, Canadian Institute
of Public Health Inspectors Ontario Branch Inc., Ontario Food Protection
Association, Food Products Association, University of Oklahoma COllege of Law,
Certified Laboratories, Inc., Centrus International, Inc., Sensient Flavors,
Inc., National Turkey Federation, Culex Management, Inc., International
Association for Food Protection, Canadian Livestock Genetics Association, Casco,
Inc., BlueWater Seafoods, International Commission on Microbiological
Specifications of Foods, International Food Focus, Ltd., Chemical Metrology
Group of the National Research Council, Parmalat Australia Pty Ltd., New Science
Management, Inc., City of Vernon, CA, Global Public Affairs, County of San Diego
Departmentt of Environmental Health, Farmington Valley Health District and the
Food Safety Policy Center at Michigan State University.
The Food Safety Network's Canadian toll-free line for obtaining food safety
information: 1-866-50-FSNET (1-866-503-7638).
The Food Safety Network presents a unique opportunity to bring together all
those associated with agriculture and food, to enhance the safety of the food
supply. To provide financial support to the Food Safety Network, please visit
http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu/en/donations.php. For information on
collaboration or fee-for-service opportunities, please contact Dr. Doug Powell:
dpowell@ksu.edu
To subscribe to the html version of FSnet, send mail to:
(subscription is free)
listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
leave subject line blank
in the body of the message type:
subscribe fsnet-L firstname lastname
i.e. subscribe fsnet-L Doug Powell
(replace fsnet-L with fsnettext to subscribe to the text version)
To unsubscribe to the html version of FSnet, send mail to:
listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
leave subject line blank
in the body of the message type: signoff fsnet-L
(replace fsnet-L with fsnettext to unsubscribe from the text version)
For more information about the FSnet research program, please contact:
Dr. Douglas Powell
associate professor
dept. diagnostic medicine/pathobiology
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS
66506
cell: 785-317-0560
fax: 785-532-4039
dpowell@ksu.edu
http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu
The Food Safety Network's Canadian toll-free line for obtaining food safety
information: 1-866-50-FSNET (1-866-503-7638)
archived at: http://archives.foodsafety.ksu.edu/fsnet-archives.htm