A public meeting to discuss ground beef purchasing for school lunch programs will be held March 28, 2012 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. (ET), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
Items on the agenda will include:
- Assistance to the Agricultural Marketing Service with the Federal Purchase Ground Beef Program
- Staphylococcus aureus and other criteria used in the ground beef purchase for the NSLP
- Alternative screening methods for ground beef beyond those in the FSIS Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook and determining acceptable screening procedures
The meeting will be held by phone. Those interested in registering to attend the meeting, making a presentation, submitting technical papers, or providing comments at the March 28 plenary session should contact Karen Thomas-Sharp, USDA, FSIS, Office of Public Health Science, Stop 3777, Patriots Plaza 3, Floor 9-47, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250 or by phone: (202) 690-6620, fax: (202) 690-6334, or e-mail: [email protected].
FSIS will finalize the agenda on or before the meeting, and post it on the FSIS website at:www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events/.
