The National Organic Program is changing listings for several substances and renewing 200 others that were scheduled to expire this year for substances allowed or prohibited in organic agriculture, said the Department of Agriculture. The final results of the NOP’s 2012 five year sunset review, which was sent to the Federal Register, renews over 200 listings and makes changes to the following substances, among on the National List, said USDA (unless otherwise noted, all renewals and changes are effective June 27, 2012):
The Food Safety and Inspection Service revised export requirements and plant lists for the following countries for the week of May 25 through May 31, 2012:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails May 31, 2012, announcing changes to some Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
On May 25, 2012, the Foreign Agricultural Service published its 2012 World Trade Organization safeguard trigger levels in the Federal Register. However, FAS said the attached annex, which lists the quantity trigger levels for additional duties to be imposed on some products pursuant to the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, erroneously listed the quantity triggers and time periods from last year. FAS said they will publish a correction in the Federal Register soon.
On May 30, 2012, the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The Food Safety and Inspection Service confirmed that it will implement routine verification testing for six Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), in addition to E. coli O157:H7, in raw beef manufacturing trimmings. Beginning June 4, FSIS will implement routine verification testing for six additional STECs (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) in raw beef manufacturing trimmings (domestic or imported) derived from cattle slaughtered on or after June 4, 2012.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking comments by June 29, 2012, on its environmental assessment relative to its April 16, 2012, proposal to allow the importation of fresh bananas from the Philippines into the U.S. under a systems approach.
On May 29, 2012, the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails May 29, 2012, announcing changes to some Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
A treatment schedule for methyl bromide fumigation of cottonseed for the fungal plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporumf. sp. vasinfectum (FOV) was added to the Plant Protection and Quarantine Treatment Manual, said the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. APHIS also prepared a treatment evaluation document that describes the new treatment schedule and says APHIS determined that it is effective at neutralizing FOV, certain strains of which are quarantine pests, and is requesting comments on its treatment schedule by July 30.