O.K., I admit that we are talking about imported pork skins (dried and oh so crunchy, of course), but it’s an important issue, none-the-less, if you are a connoisseur of these treats.
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Final rule.
0SUMMARY: We are amending the regulations to allow for the importation of cooked pork skins from regions affected with foot-and-mouth disease, swine vesicular disease, African swine fever, and classical swine fever under certain conditions. We are taking this action after preparing a risk assessment that concluded that the cooking methods examined are sufficient to inactivate the pathogens of concern. This action will relieve restrictions on the importation of cooked pork skins while continuing to protect against the introduction of those diseases of concern.
0DATES: Effective Date:January 14, 2010.
To review the proposed rule and the comments received by FedThread, click here.
For the entire story, click here.
Information about FedThread:
1. FedThread is a project of the Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton University. It is one of several projects that harnesses the power of the web to increase government transparency. Some of the driving principles behind the project can be found in the recent paper, Government Data and the Invisible Hand. FedThread was developed by Joe Calandrino, Ari Feldman, Harlan Yu, and Bill Zeller. Design is by Calvin Lee at Princeton’s Student Design Agency. The project is led by Prof. Ed Felten and Stephen Schultze. You can contact us at info@fedthread.org.
2. FedThread is NOT affiliated with the United States government.
3. I think it’s a pretty cool and very informative website and definitely worth the time for an occassional visit.
I am a bit perplexed, though. Why would the Feds approve the importation of a relatively easy to produce and grossly unhealthy product? Especially, when the product can easily be supplied domestically within a land of already oversized people who are suing Mcdonalds for causing their high cholesterol levels and greatly diminished sex lives? Is the Fed planning to import law suits next in order to fund universal health care on the backs of foreign pork rind manufactures? If so, don’t expect China to progress too much further toward Capitalism until a lot of lawyers have been exterminated. Oh, the joy I’m feeling from that thought!
Just asking! Don’t hate the player – hate the game! 
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