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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 |
News and Information
January 27, 2003
"Our highest priority at the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is protecting public health through a rigorous system of meat and poultry inspection and we believe the consent order signed today by Chief Administrative Law Judge James Hunt furthers our public health goals.
"The consent order reaffirms the authority of FSIS to fully enforce the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and take immediate regulatory action when it determines the plant’s Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and Standard Sanitary Operating Procedures (SSOP) systems, designed to prevent food safety problems, are not properly implemented and monitored."
The order, which will be in force for two years, commits Nebraska Beef to a series of specific requirements, including:
The appointment of a full time employee responsible for overall implementation, monitoring, verification, validation, reassessment, recordkeeping, review and maintenance of its Sanitation Performance Standards (SPS), SSOPs and HACCP systems;
Educating all 1,100 employees within 60 days in all aspects of food safety measures and regulatory requirements, including the requirements of the SPS, SSOP, HACCP and E. coli testing relevant to that employee’s position; and,
Hiring an independent third party to prepare a written assessment of the company’s sanitation and food safety control systems, including but not limited to compliance with FSIS sanitation regulations, implementation of its SSOP, HACCP system and generic E. coli testing procedures, within 60 days. A second assessment report is due in 90 days and additional reports will be conducted every 180 days thereafter. Each assessment of the independent third party and the company’s written response shall be available for review by FSIS.
"These measures will be carried out under direct and constant FSIS verification. Should any of these measures not be fully carried out, FSIS will initiate all applicable enforcement authorities under the FMIA until corrective action is taken and verified. Further, if the company fails to meet any critical limit at a critical food safety control point and fails to take corrective or preventive action in the case of direct product contamination or adulteration, the grant of federal inspection at the plant can be immediately withdrawn."
For Further Information, Contact:
FSIS Congressional and Public Affairs Staff
Phone: (202) 720-9113
Fax: (202) 690-0460