. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/684
13 January 2003
(03-0160)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   US Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):  ):  Beef products
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:   All
trading partners
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  E.coli O157:H7
Contamination of Beef Products; Noti ce (Docket No. 00-0022N) (21 pages).
6. Description of content:  The Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) of the US Department of
Agriculture is informing manufacturers of beef  products of the Agency's views about the
application of the hazard analysis and critic al control point (HACCP) system regulations to
contamination with Escherichia coli (E. coli)  O157:H7.  The results of FSIS' introduction of
a new E.coli O157:H7 testing method, and recent research studies, provide evidence that
E. coli O157:H7 is more prevalent than was previ ously thought.  This scientific data on
E. coli  O157:H7 constitutes a change that could affect an establishment’s hazard analysis or
alter its HACCP plans for raw beef products.  FSIS regulations require establishments to
reassess their HACCP plans in light of  this data to determine whether E. coli  O157:H7
contamination is a hazard reasonably likely to occur in their production process.  Affirmative
determinations regarding the likelihood of E. coli O157:H7 food safety hazards in an
establishment's production process must be acco mpanied by corrective modifications to that
establishment's HACCP plan.  This requireme nt applies to HACCP plans for all raw beef
products, including ground beef, other non-intact  beef products, and beef products.  USDA
plans to follow up this notification with  new guidance regarding the control of E. coli
O157:H7 and will make available the FSIS's draft comparative risk assessment of intact andnon-intact (blade tenderized) steaks.
7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [   ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:G/SPS/N/USA/684
Page 2
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:  67 FR 62325,
7 October 2002 (available in English).    Accessible for comment at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oppde/rdad/default.htm
10. Proposed date of adoption:  6 December 2002
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  6 December 2002 for large plants (all establishments
with 500 or more employees); 4 February, 2003 fo r small plants (all establishments with 10
or more but fewer than 500 employees); and 7 April 2003 for very small plants (all
establishments with fewer than 10 employees or annual sales of less than $2.5 million).
12. Final date for comments:   6 December 2002
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:  Food Safety and Inspection –Service, USDA
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority,  [ X ] National enquiry
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Mr. Bill Janis
US Department of Agriculture
Stop 1027Washington DC 20250
Tel:  202 720 9047
Fax: 202 720 0677
E-mail: fstsd@fas/usda.gov