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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 119 / Thursday, June 24, 2021 / Rules and Regulations whichever you report on your acreage report and for which you qualify; or ii At any time after the acreage reporting date, your unit structure will be one enterprise unit for all acreage of the crop in the county provided you meet the requirements in section 34a4. Otherwise, we will assign the basic unit structure for all acreage of the crop in the county.
4 If you elected an enterprise unit for only one type and we discover you do not qualify for an enterprise unit for that type and such discovery is made:
i On or before the acreage reporting date, your unit division for all acreage of the crop in the county will be based on basic or optional units, whichever you report on your acreage report and for which you qualify; or ii At any time after the acreage reporting date, we will assign the basic unit structure for all acreage of the crop in the county.
c In addition to, or instead of, establishing optional units as provided in section 34c in the Basic Provisions, a separate optional unit may be established for each bean type designated in actuarial documents and including any type insured by written agreement.
d Enterprise and optional units by type may be further divided by acreage of contract seed beans if the seed bean processor contract specifies the number of acres under contract. Contract seed beans produced under a seed bean processor contract that specifies only an amount of production or a combination of acreage and production, are not eligible for separate enterprise or optional units.

Richard Flournoy, Acting Manager, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.
FR Doc. 202113115 Filed 62321; 8:45 am BILLING CODE 341008P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service 9 CFR Part 310
Docket No. FSIS20200005

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Elimination of the Requirement To Defibrinate Livestock Blood Saved as an Edible Product Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:

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The Food Safety and Inspection Service FSIS is removing from the Federal meat inspection regulations a requirement for the defibrination of livestock blood saved as an edible product. Defibrination is the process for removing the protein fibrin, which causes blood to clot. Removal of the defibrination requirement will not affect food safety, but it will allow the industry to meet a demand for nondefibrinated blood products.
DATES: This rule is effective August 23, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rachel Edelstein, Assistant Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development, FSIS; Telephone:
2022050495.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:

Background On June 1, 2020, FSIS proposed to remove from the Federal meat inspection regulations a provision requiring the defibrination of livestock blood saved as edible product 85 FR
33031. The Agency stated in the proposed rule that eliminating the requirement, along with its associated costs to industry, would not affect food safety, but would enable industry to meet a demand for non-defibrinated blood products.
FSIS noted in the proposal that, before 1974, the regulations allowed establishments to collect edible blood from all livestock, except swine.
However, in 1974, the Agency promulgated 9 CFR 310.20, which removed the swine blood prohibition, finding that it was not necessary for food safety 39 FR 1973, January 16, 1974. In the 1974 rule, the Agency also reasoned that the prohibition was burdensome, in that it denied specialty food producers a source of swine blood for their products.
Also, FSIS explained in the proposed rule that there had been no substantive changes governing the saving of livestock blood since 1974. Since that time, 9 CFR 310.20 has allowed establishments to save edible blood from all livestock, including swine, provided the animals carcasses are inspected and passed and the blood is collected, defibrinated, and handled in a manner to prevent its becoming adulterated under the FMIA.
FSIS examined the peer-reviewed literature on coagulated, i.e., nondefibrinated, blood and did not identify any scientifically supportable food safety concerns. Thus, FSIS believes coagulated blood, like fluid blood, is safe for human consumption, provided the blood is saved from inspected and
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passed animals, and the blood is otherwise produced and prepared in compliance with all other FSIS
regulations. Therefore, FSIS believes the defibrination requirement is not necessary to ensure food safety in accordance with the FMIA.2
Furthermore, as is explained in the proposed rule, FSIS has become aware that some establishments are interested in collecting coagulated blood for use in human food products, including specialty and ethnic food products, that require coagulated blood as an ingredient. Such foods include variations of blood sausage, blood pudding, and blood tofu. The current defibrination requirement denies specialty and ethnic food producers a source of coagulated blood, thereby placing an unnecessary economic burden on them and on the livestock slaughter establishments that could provide coagulated blood.
FSIS proposed to remove the defibrination requirement from the Federal meat inspection regulations for many of the same reasons it gave for eliminating the swine blood prohibition in 1974.
Final Rule This final rule is consistent with the proposed rule. FSIS is making no additional changes to the regulations in response to comments. FSIS is removing the defibrination requirement from 9
CFR 310.20.
Specifically, FSIS is revising the codified regulations to remove the word defibrinated. Under this final rule, official establishments will still have the option to defibrinate blood, provided they meet all other requirements in 9
CFR 310.20. The regulations will continue to prohibit the defibrination of blood by hand. The regulations will also continue to require the use of anticoagulants that meet cited requirements in title 9 and title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Comments and Response Comments: FSIS received two comments on the proposed rule. The first, from an industry association, was in agreement with the Agencys reasons for proposing to eliminate the blood defibrination requirement, including the lack of a food-safety benefit from the requirement and the fact that coagulated 2 FSIS Notice 2219 instructs inspection program personnel on how to verify that edible blood, including coagulated blood, is collected and handled in a manner to be fit for use in human food.
FSIS will periodically review data generated by such verification activities to ensure that establishments are following proper food safety practices pertaining to the collection of edible blood.

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