. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/282
19 May 2000
(00-2064)
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:  Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service - APHIS
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Meat and poultry
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Announcement of and Request for
Comment Regarding Industry Petition on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
(HACCP) Inspection (5 pages)
5. Description of content:  The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is requesting
comment on a petition that asks FSIS to amend sections of the Hazard Analysis and CriticalControl Point (HACCP) regulations "to increase the effectiveness" of the HACCP system
and to make the regulations more consistent with the HACCP principles published in 1997
by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Food (NACMCF).
The petition is set out in this Federal Register notice. The petition was submitted by a
group of trade associations. It contains no data or examples to support the requests it
makes. In addition to comments from the public, FSIS will solicit comment from the
members of the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI)at its 16-17 May 2000, meeting.
6. 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           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [    ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  The HACCP Annex to the Recommended
International Code of Practice General Principles for Food Hygiene [CAC/RCP1-1969,
REV3(1997)] has been adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 65 FR 30952,
15 May 2000 (Available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.G/SPS/N/USA/282
Page 2
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined.
11. Final date for comments:  14 July 2000
Agency or authority designated to handle comments  Food Safety and Inspection
Service, USDA  [    ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  Detailed
instruction on where and how to send comments is in the body of the full text - which will
be sent upon request to the address in paragraph 12.
12. Texts available from: [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
Attn: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 10271400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Phone (202) 720-2239
Fax (202) 690-0677
E-mail Address: ofsts@fas.usda.gov