The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS’s) Report on Assessing the Effectiveness of the Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) Interim Final Rule (hereinafter the Report). FMI conducts programs in research, education, industry relations and public affairs on behalf of its 1,500 member companies — food retailers and wholesalers — in the United States and around the world. FMI’s U.S. members operate approximately 26,000 retail food stores with a combined annual sales volume of $340 billion — three-quarters of all food retail store sales in the United States. FMI’s retail membership is composed of large multi-store chains, regional firms and independent supermarkets. Its international membership includes 200 companies from 50 countries.

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