Tag Archives: FSIS

FSIS Announces Move from Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis to Whole Genome Sequencing for Analyzing Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli (STEC) and Salmonella Isolates

Posted on
  Whole genome sequencing (WGS) determines the order of all of the DNA building blocks (nucleotides) in an organism’s entire genome in a single laboratory process.  A comparison of the DNA sequence of an isolated bacterial pathogen to the sequences from other samples in a DNA database can pinpoint the source of a foodborne disease … Continue Reading

New Report Reveals Sources of Foodborne Illnesses

Posted on
On November 9, 2018, the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaborations (IFSAC) released a report on foodborne illnesses caused by four pathogens. The data in the report, titled, “Foodborne illness source attribution estimates for 2016 for Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter using multi-year outbreak surveillance data, United States,” came from 1,255 foodborne disease … Continue Reading

USDA Updates Poultry Line Speed Standards

Posted on
On August 21, 2014, USDA-FSIS published a final rule called the “Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection” (79 FR 49566, Aug. 21, 2014) which amended the Agency’s poultry regulations to establish an inspection system for young chicken and turkey slaughter establishments, called the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS). Under the final rule, the maximum line speed for young … Continue Reading

USDA and FDA Announce Joint Meeting on Animal Cell Culture Technology

Posted on
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they will hold a joint meeting on October 23-24, 2018, to discuss the use of cell culture technology to develop products derived from livestock and poultry. As we previously reported on this blog, FDA held a public meeting on … Continue Reading

Groups Petition FSIS to Change “Product of the USA” Policy

Posted on
The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) and American Grassfed Association (AGA) have petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to change its standard for making a “Product of the USA” claim on meat and meat products. Currently, FSIS allows the statement “Product of USA” if either (1) the country to which the product is … Continue Reading

Trump Administration Proposes to Consolidate Food Safety Authority into One Agency

Posted on
In a June 21, 2017 document titled “Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century:  Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations,” the Trump Administration proposes to replace the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) with a single agency called the Federal Food Safety Agency.  If the recommendations were to be … Continue Reading

USDA Issues Guidelines Regarding Livestock Slaughter and Processing Inspection Exemptions

Posted on
On May 24, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a guideline: FSIS Guideline for Determining Whether a Livestock Slaughter or Processing Firm is Exempt from the Inspection Requirements of the Federal Meat Inspection Act.  Absent an exemption, all establishments where cattle, goat, swine, or sheep are slaughtered … Continue Reading

FDA Guidance States Live Animals Processed Under USDA Regulations Do Not Need to Comply with FSVP Regulations

Posted on
On March 21, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published guidance that live animals processed under Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations do not need to comply with Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) requirements. In general, live animals imported for use as food are regulated by FDA. However, they are required to be slaughtered … Continue Reading

USDA Extends Comment Period for Proposed Rule to “Modernize” Pork Inspection

Posted on
On January 19, 2018, USDA released a proposed rule called the “Modernization of Pork Slaughter” rule. The new rule – which has garnered significant industry support – aims to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal inspection process for pork and to allow for the rapid adoption of new food safety technologies in pork slaughter.  … Continue Reading

USCA petitions USDA for Labeling Alternative Beef Products

Posted on
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulates the quality, safety, and labeling of meat, poultry, and egg products marketed in the United States.  Recently, alternative meat products (known as “clean” meat) produced by culturing cells have become an increasingly hot topic. On February 9, 2018, the United States Cattlemen’s … Continue Reading

USDA Rejects NCC’s Petition to Lift Poultry Line Speed

Posted on
On August 21, 2014, FSIS published a final rule called the “Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection” (79 FR 49566, Aug. 21, 2014) which amended the Agency’s poultry regulations to establish an inspection system called the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS) for young chicken and turkey slaughter establishments. Under the final rule, the maximum line speed for young … Continue Reading

USDA Releases Proposed Rule to “Modernize” Pork Inspection

Posted on
Last week, we reported that the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cleared USDA’s “Modernization of Pork Slaughter” rule. The new rule – which has garnered significant industry support – aims to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal inspection process for pork and to allow for the rapid adoption of new food safety technologies in … Continue Reading

USDA’s Modernized Pork Slaughter Rule Clears OMB

Posted on
Last year, we reported that USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service intends to move forward with plans to modernize swine slaughter inspections by way of a “Modernization of Pork Slaughter” rule. The new rule – which has garnered significant industry support – aims to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal inspection process for pork and … Continue Reading

USDA Announces Proposed Rule to Amend Egg Products Inspection Regulations

Posted on
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend the egg products inspection regulations by requiring official plants that process egg products to develop Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (Sanitation SOPs) and to meet other sanitation requirements consistent with the … Continue Reading

FSIS Releases 2017 Food Safety Data

Posted on
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced key 2017 data concerning its food safety efforts. 2017 highlights include: FSIS inspected more than 155 million head of livestock and 9.45 billion poultry carcasses.  FSIS Inspectors also conducted 6.9 million food safety and food defense procedures across 6,500 regulated establishments … Continue Reading

USDA-FSIS Announces Food Safety Research Priorities

Posted on
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulates the production of meat, poultry, and egg products. As part of its FY 2017-2021 Strategic Plan to promote food safety and public health, FSIS has developed a listing of its top food safety research areas of interest. Key research priorities include: Investigate and/or develop emerging screening technologies … Continue Reading

USDA Audit Shows Deficiencies in Brazil’s Meat Inspection System

Posted on
As previously covered on this blog, Brazilian federal police raided several meat producers earlier this year for allegedly doling out bribes to inspectors to certify meat that was either rotten or tainted with Salmonella.  Following the bribery scandal, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) instituted 100% point-of-entry re-inspection of all Brazilian meat products imported into the United … Continue Reading

OIG Critiques USDA-FSIS Foreign Food Safety Protocols

Posted on
The Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act require foreign countries that export meat, poultry, and egg products to the U.S. to establish and maintain systems equivalent to the U.S. inspection system. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for ensuring these products meet all … Continue Reading

USDA Announces Comment Period on NCC Petition to Lift Poultry Line Speeds

Posted on
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulates the production of meat, poultry, and egg products. In 2014, FSIS published a final rule called the “Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection” (79 FR 49566, Aug. 21, 2014) which amended the poultry regulations to establish an additional inspection system, called the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS), for young chicken and … Continue Reading

IFSAC to Host Webinar on Foodborne Illness Source Attribution Estimates

Posted on
Created in 2011, the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) is a partnership of three federal agencies—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (FSIS). IFSAC aims to enhance the coordination of federal food safety analytic … Continue Reading

FSIS to Host Meeting on Whole Genome Sequencing

Posted on
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) provides insight into the genetic fingerprint of a pathogen by sequencing the chemical building blocks that make up its DNA and is increasingly being employed in food safety efforts.  Since 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regularly turned to WGS to better understand foodborne pathogens, including identifying the … Continue Reading

USDA: HACCP Reviews Required in Hurricane-Hit Areas

Posted on
On September 19, 2017, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice requiring inspection personnel to notify establishments in hurricane-affected areas to reassess their hazard plans to ensure products are unadulterated. Under FSIS requirements, every establishment must reassess the adequacy of its HACCP plan whenever any changes occur that could affect the hazard analysis or … Continue Reading

National Chicken Council Petitions USDA to Lift Poultry Line Speed Limits

Posted on
As our readership is well aware, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulates the production of meat, poultry, and egg products. To help achieve its enumerated food safety goals, FSIS is continuously seeking to develop and promote best practices at slaughter that may be used to prevent, eliminate, or reduce levels of potential microbiological contamination … Continue Reading
LexBlog

We and our analytics and advertising providers may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance the browsing experience, facilitate sharing of content, and generate statistics about use of the website. For more information or to change your preferences, click here.

I Agree