Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 10/12/11

Eight industry groups asked FSIS on Tuesday to delay the March 5, 2012, implementation of a proposed rule that would deem six strains of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) as adulterants in raw beef, the North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) said in its newsletter.

The coalition, including NAMP, also asked the agency to extend the Nov. 21, 2011, public comment period by 60 days.

In letter prepared by the American Meat Institute, the coalition said a host of issues FSIS has asked the industry to address in the agency’s Final Determination and Request for Comments (FDRC) will take more time to address.

“As discussed in the FDRC, the agency first began examining the issues surround non-O157 STEC serogroups in October 2007. It took almost four years for FSIS to publish the FDRC in the Federal Register on September 20, 2011,” the letter states. “Given that the agency had such a long period of time to prepare the document and considering the breadth of the issues about which the agency has requested comment from the affected industry, fundamental fairness dictates a more reasonable comment period totaling at least 120 days.”

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