WORLD TRADE G/SPS/N/USA/107
19December 1997
ORGANIZATION
(97-5584)
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): Poultry
4. Title andnumber ofpages ofthenotified document: Retained Water inPoultry
Products; Protocols forObtaining DataonMeat andPoultry Chilling Processes
(English, 3pages)
5. Description ofcontent: TheFood Safety andInspection Service (FSIS) isnotifying the
public ofitsinterest inreceiving andreviewing protocols forobtaining dataonchilled,
ready-to-cook poultry products andsimultaneously requesting comments onthe
principles which ithastentatively identified toguide itsreview ofthose protocols. The
datamaybeused: tobenchmark theeffectiveness ofwashing, chilling, anddraining
operations inminimizing pathogen growth andmoisture retention inpoultry products;
andtodevelop proposed newregulations limiting retained moisture inpoultry products.
FSIS views thedatacollection asanecessary stepinstrengthening thebasis forits
regulation inthewake ofarecent Federal District Court decision setting aside as
“arbitrary andcapricious ”theregulatory limits onmoisture absorption andretention in
ready-to-cook whole chickens andturkeys. FSIS andthepoultry industry haverelied
onthese limits formany years togauge theeffectiveness ofchilling processes in
meeting theregulatory objective ofminimizing moisture retention inpoultry products.
Anynewregulatory limits onmoisture retention must bebased onsound data. The
Agency iswilling toreview protocols developed according tothespecifications
published inthisdocument oralternative protocols thatmaybesuggested by
commenters. FSIS isalsowilling toreview similar protocols forobtaining dataon
processes forthechilling ofrawmeatandcarcasses andparts.
6. Objective andrationale: Food safety
7. Aninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation does notexist [X].
Ifaninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation exists, whenever possible,
identify deviations:
./.G/SPS/N/USA/107
Page2
8. Relevant documents andlanguage(s) inwhich these areavailable: 62FR64767,
9December 1997; 9CFR Parts 381and441
9. Proposed date ofadoption: Tobedetermined.
10. Proposed date ofentry intoforce: Tobedetermined.
11. Final date forcomments: 8January 1998
Agency orauthority designated tohandle comments: Food Safety andInspection
Service, USDA
12. Texts available from: National enquiry point []oraddress, telefax number andE-mail
address (ifavailable) ofother body:
United States SPSEnquiry Point:
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
Attn: Carolyn F.Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Tel: (202) 7202239
Fax: (202) 6900677
E-mail: wilsonc@fas.usda.gov