WORLD TRADE G/SPS/N/USA/118
17April 1998
ORGANIZATION
(98-1547)
Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
NOTIFICATION
1. Member toAgreement notifying: UNITED STATES
Ifapplicable, name oflocal government involved:
2. Agency responsible: Department ofAgriculture, Food Safety andInspection Service
3. Products covered (tariff item number(s) asspecified innational schedules deposited with
theWTO. ICSnumbers may beprovided inaddition, where applicable): Meat
4. Title andnumber ofpages ofthenotified document: Meat Produced byAdvanced
Meat/Bone Separation Machinery andRecovery Systems (available inEnglish -
8pages)
5. Description ofcontent: In1994, theFood Safety andInspection Service (FSIS)
amended itsregulations torecognize thatproduct resulting from advanced meat/bone
separation machinery andrecovery systems comes within thedefinition ofmeatwhen
these recovery systems areoperated toensure thatthecharacteristics andcomposition
oftheresulting product areconsistent withthose ofmeat. TheAgency isproposing to
clarify theregulation andtosupplement therules forassuring compliance. Infuture
rulemakings, theAgency expects toapply theprocess control-performance standards
approach ofthisproposal toother types ofoperations formanufacturing meatand
poultry trimmings. Thisproposal willalsobenotified under theTBTAgreement asit
ismainly quality related, although itdoeshavesome SPSrelated components. The
Agency ’sstated objective forthisrulemaking is"toassure thattheregulation provide
clear standards under which industry members assume theirresponsibility toavoid
misbranding andeconomic adulteration incompliance withenforceable regulatory
requirements thatinclude adequate markers forbone-related components atgreater than
unavoidable defect levels ..."
6. Objective andrationale: Food safety andquality
7. Aninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation does notexist [X].
Ifaninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation exists, whenever possible,
identify deviations:
8. Relevant documents andlanguage(s) inwhich these areavailable: 63FR17961,
13April 1998; 9CFR Parts 301,318,and320
./.G/SPS/N/USA/118
Page2
9. Proposed date ofadoption: Tobedetermined
10. Proposed date ofentry intoforce: Thedateofentry intoforce willbeannounced when
thefinalruleispublished intheFederal Register.
11. Final date forcomments: 12June1998
Agency orauthority designated tohandle comments: Food Safety andInspection
Service, USDA
12. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X]oraddress, telefax number andE-mail
address (ifavailable) ofother body:
USDA/FAS/OFSTS
Attn: Carolyn F.Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Phone: (202) 720-2239
Fax: (202) 690-0677
E-mail: ofsts@fas.usda.gov