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Food Safety and Inspection
Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700 |
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Food Safety and Inspection
Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700 |
Congressional and Public Affairs
Katrine Pritchard (202) 720-9113
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2001—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service today launched a new notification system that will provide electronic status reports on testing samples taken from meat, poultry, and egg product establishments. The Laboratory Electronic Application for Results Notification system will allow FSIS field personnel, agency staff, establishments, and state officials, to electronically monitor information on species identification, food chemistry, microbiological samples, and completed Salmonella/HACCP sets. After a pilot test in several FSIS districts, LEARN, as the program is known, is now online across the country.
LEARN is an automated process to track each sample as it is received, analyzed, and the results are reported. The reports state whether a microbiological test- such as Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat meat and poultry products or E.coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef products- initially indicates the presence of a pathogen. When confirmation testing on a potential or presumptive positive is complete, a report with the final analysis is posted.
LEARN replaces the notification system that used a combination of phone calls, fax, and multiple computer applications to inform field personnel and establishments of test results. LEARN combines the previous delivery methods into one application to provide faster, more up-to-date information while using fewer agency resources.
"The agency has incorporated suggestions from FSIS field personnel and industry in developing this program," said Thomas J. Billy, FSIS administrator. "LEARN provides increased feedback to both inspectors and establishments on the status of samples from the time they are received at the laboratories until the analysis is complete."
Sample status information will be automatically updated several times each day. Establishments and state officials will receive updated e-mail reports for individual samples. Agency personnel can access the information through an FSIS intranet site. Once logged on to the FSIS server, staff can check on samples from individual establishments or view circuit, district, and management summaries of results. FSIS personnel will also be able to access information on residue samples through LEARN.
The system has safeguards in place to ensure that only authorized officials will have access to the information. Establishment officials receive results only from their plant and state officials receive results only for establishments within their state. Each sample is identified with a collection date, the plant’s establishment number, and a corresponding form number. At the laboratories, each sample is marked with a lab code and assigned a unique internal lab number.
FSIS is responsible for ensuring that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled. As part of that responsibility, FSIS conducts verification sample testing to monitor microbiological, chemical, and other types of contamination.
For Further Information, Contact:
FSIS Congressional and Public Affairs Staff
Phone: (202) 720-9113
Fax: (202) 690-0460