The National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) today announced that it will host a public meeting Jan. 7-8, 2014 to review and discuss safe handling instructions included on food labels. At that meeting, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will also seek feedback on its Establishment-Specific Data Release Strategic Plan.

The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, in the first floor auditorium of the Patriot Plaza III building, located at 355 E St., SW Washington, DC 20024. Registration begins on site at 8:30 a.m. each day. Additional details and the meeting agenda are accessible at the NACMPI website.

FSIS wants the committee to fully explore enhancing the safe food handling label on meat and poultry packages and provide the agency with feedback. The agency will then consider whether or not the current safe handling instructions should be changed to meet the informational needs of consumers. FSIS has also requested that the group review and provide further suggestions to its Establishment-Specific Data Release Strategic Plan that was developed from NACMPI recommendations in 2010.

For meeting information, contact Sally Fernandez at (202) 690-6524 or via e-mail at: sally.fernandez@fsis.usda.gov.

FSIS welcomes comments through Feb. 8, 2014, on the topics discussed at the NACMPI public meeting. Comments may be submitted:

• via e-mail to: NACMPI@fsis.usda.gov
• by mail to: National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection, USDA, FSIS, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 3778, Washington, DC 20250; or
• via fax at: (202) 690-6519.