Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113; FAX: (202) 690-0460
Sarah Tarshis

[Return to Press Release]

Food Safety Employees Honored At Annual Awards Ceremony
Profiles

Meat and Poultry Inspection Seminar Team

Eleven FSIS employees from the Meat and Poultry Inspection Seminar Team were recognized for their achievements in training food safety regulators from countries around the world.  By planning and delivering comprehensive food safety seminars, attended annually by more than 100 foreign government inspection officials, the team helped elevate and establish FSIS’ reputation as a global food safety and public health leader.  The seminars’ popularity demonstrates the level of the team’s success as the seminars have grown both in substantive content and in the number of attendees.

The seminar has a diverse target audience reaching individuals with a broad range of cultural backgrounds, technological capabilities and command of the English language.  To accommodate the participants’ needs and support U.S. policy and trade interests, the team has introduced new subjects and training methods in addition to the original classroom training.  Workshops and fieldtrips to livestock production facilities, slaughterhouses and import inspection facilities were inserted into the curriculum to provide the audience with a more hands-on approach.  The team also sought out faculty from the private sector and academia to facilitate the transfer of food safety knowledge.

The work facilitates a greater understanding of U.S. policies, which promotes trade between the U.S. and other nations.  Levels of public health protection are enhanced by the increased knowledge gained by foreign regulatory officials, especially in developing nations.  Market access for U.S. meat and poultry exports is enhanced as other nations gain a thorough understanding of the food safety U.S. measures and the integrity of U.S. inspected meat and poultry products.  Additionally, nations wishing to export to the U.S. gain a better understanding of U.S. regulatory policies and requirements.  The seminars also generate goodwill among the participating countries, allowing the U.S. to further its interests in international food safety trade.

• Cheryl M. Davis
• Virginia M. Olson
• Kenneth H. Lee
• Robert B. Tynan
• Larry A. Lee
• Kurt Krusekopf
• Paulette M. Platko
• Aurora K. Craver
• Jonathan B. Coleman
• Carlos Diaz
• Raphael Florit Lebro

Field Automation and Information Management

Eleven FSIS employees from the Field Automation and Information Management (FAIM) program are being recognized for their achievements in enhancing productivity, quality and services for inspection and administrative processes conducted in meat and poultry establishments.  The team’s work also supports the design and implementation of scientifically based inspection programs, such as the Performance Based Inspection System and the Automated Import Information System.

FAIM has equipped its meat, poultry and egg products inspectors and other field personnel with notebook and desktop computers. More than 4,000 computers have been delivered to FSIS employees in federally inspected establishments and approximately 5,500 FSIS inspectors have been trained to use the computers and associated software applications.  The team also updated three key applications; the Performance Based Inspection System; the Daily Activity Report; and the Automated Import Information System.  These systems replicate data on a daily basis providing management with real-time information for analysis and decision-making. 

FAIM analyzed the inspection and business practices of the agency and systematically applied automation to those processes to improve productivity, inspection effectiveness and service to the meat and poultry industry. Inspectors now have immediate access to, and ability to retrieve information from, FSIS technical references, directives, manuals and notices that are stored on each inspector’s computer. This has eliminated the need for inspectors to file and search through thousands of paper documents.

FAIM’s efforts have enabled inspectors to electronically access the Agency’s regulations, notices, manuals and other official documents in real-time.  A customized search program facilitates access to these documents.  The e-mail integration allows inspectors to instantly receive official lab reports on product samples that have been collected for analysis.  It also improves the Agency’s response time in situations of potential contamination involving E. coli 0157:H7 or other pathogens by expediting sampling procedures.  Additionally, the program’s capability allows inspectors to take over 40 CD courses on inspection procedures and computer applications without leaving their office, reducing the necessity for expensive classroom training.

• Peter Kuhmerker
• Charmaine F. Benjamin
• Barry R. Blumreich
• Gerald Burns
• Ellmore Champie
• Edward Cole
• Julie Ramos
• Michael Gavron
• Sharon Hudson
• Robert Newhall
• Nitin Thaker

Audit Enforcement Strategy Team

Twenty-eight FSIS employees from the Audit Enforcement Strategy Team developed and implemented a strategy to protect the health of U.S. consumers and ensure safe foods are imported into the country after a three-year decline in the quality of the Italian inspection system.

After concluding that there was inadequate central and regional supervision of local government inspection activities in Italian meat establishments, the Audit Enforcement Strategy Team devised an audit that fully evaluated Italy’s capability to produce safe meat and poultry products while being sensitive to the international economic implications.  The team developed new data collection systems to address significant areas of food safety risk applicable to Italy’s meat inspection system.  Team members were instrumental in providing and enhancing intra- and inter-Agency teamwork to plan, organize, facilitate, track and complete the follow-up audit of Italy’s meat inspection system.

The audit strategy was ultimately successful and the April 2002 audit results were extraordinary.  They reflected a sincere and substantiated effort on the Italian government’s part to restore trust in its meat inspection system.  Both the Italian and U.S. governments praised the strategy developed by the FSIS.  The Italian government stated that the efforts of the Audit Enforcement Strategy Team protected consumers and strengthened the trading relationship between the U.S. and Italy.

• Sally Stratmoen
• Nancy Goodwin
• Clark Danford
• Donald Smart
• Ghias Mughal
• Oto Urban
• Faizur Choudry
• Deborah Arthur
• Ajibade Ogundipe
• Thomas Hoffman
• Geraldine Ransom
• John L. Snyder
• Roger Chermak
• Richard Brown
• Todd Furey
• Mary Reese
• Darlene Riden
• Tracy Legall
• Patricia Brickerd
• Ricky Utt
• Lisa Wigfall
• Katherine Hogye
• Claudia Andrews
• Raymond Bell
• Robert Cooke
• Kristi Akers
• Dawn Ruffner
• John Prucha

Meat and Poultry Import Inspection Improvement Team

Sixteen employees with FSIS developed and implemented the Automated Import Information System (AIIS), a modern, science-based program for inspecting imported meat and poultry.  Overhauling a previous system from the 1970’s, this team’s work resulted in a sophisticated program unparalleled within the U.S., or among other countries, assuring only safe product be allowed to enter the U.S. 

Meat and poultry inspection laws require countries exporting products to operate inspection systems equivalent to the U.S.  The new system uses FSIS resources effectively and efficiently through use of statistical sampling precisely targeted to specific categories of imported product that generates reliable information for making regulatory decisions about the performance and ongoing equivalence of the foreign country’s inspection system.  In addition to using port-of-entry results to judge the acceptability of products, the results also inform the audit process by allowing auditors and analysts to identify trends that warrant in-depth examination by auditors or to identify foreign plants that have poor compliance records and warrant attention by auditors.

The team displayed exceptional creativity and diligence in designing and programming an automated system that permits FSIS to precisely target sampling of imported shipments so that results are statistically reliable and can be used to evaluate the performance of foreign countries and their eligibility to continue exporting to the U.S. 

• Mary H. Stanley
• Karen D. Stuck
• Kenneth H. Lee
• Anita S. Manka
• Peter G. Kuhmerker
• Walter J. Menz, Sr.
• Lori L. Alqassab
• Beverly D. Lewis
• Mohammed L. Benabdi
• Karen V. Morris
• Joan L. Collins
• J. Mike Kelley
• Carolyn A. Claypool
• Angela W. Glodowske
• Anthony Cheung
• Daniel Pogosian

Food Safety Systems Correlation Team

A group of 31 from FSIS’ Food Safety Systems Correlation Team has improved the public health effectiveness of meat and poultry inspections by enhancing the quality and consistency of inspection on a nationwide basis.  It also developed a positive, no-fault way to achieve improved food safety systems in meat and poultry plants.

The team was developed by the Food Safety and Inspection Services’ Technical Service Center to ensure the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points rule was being effectively and uniformly implemented across the nation.  The team creatively enhanced and improved the effectiveness of inspection activities while assisting establishments in improving their food safety systems through organized, concentrated and direct feedback from food safety experts to the field inspectors who interact with industry on a daily basis.  Through series of meetings, the team sought to educate plant employees on ways to better implement the HACCP system to maximize food safety.

Food Safety Systems Correlation Team members exemplify teamwork, dedication and resourcefulness by sharing information and displaying positive attitudes.  In addition to working long hours and frequently traveling to remote locations, the team members sometimes held meetings on Saturdays or in the evenings to allow the greatest number of participants to attend.  The team’s untiring energy and combined talents and skills have resulted in an exceptional product that is improving food safety.

• Donald C. Smart
• Bobby D. Palesano
• Deborah L. Arthur
• Douglas A. Wanke
• Fiaz A. Khan
• Richard N. Benda
• Teresa L. Taylor
• Donna L. Potts-Gill
• Dexter U. Reavis
• Muhamad Zia-Uddin
• Edward A. Schreck
• Royce E. Sperry
• Kim C. Butler
• Kathleen G. Leddy
• Carrie L. Leathers
• Michael E. Fisher
• Nader Memarian
• Michael T. Lathrop
• Darrell R. Wagner
• Stephen C. Marzen
• Charles W. Batson
• Julie A. Cornett
• John W. Linville
• Mathew E. Edwards
• James A. Heminover
• Edith A. Kelly
• Linda K. Sullivan
• Glenda G. Aschoff
• Thomas P. Doyle
• James M. Kelley
• Debra S. Davis

FSIS Field Service Laboratories

Thirty-four FSIS employees on the Field Service Laboratories Team enabled FSIS to achieve accreditation under International Organization for Standardization 17025 standards, internationally recognized as the “gold standard” for testing laboratories.

The team spent over two years of rigorous planning and effort while ensuring operation and delivery of daily program services.  This innovative FSIS initiative now serves as a paradigm for other food safety laboratories seeking accreditation at the Federal, State and municipal level.  The accreditation process entails guidelines for sample analysis, traceability of measurements, calibration and maintenance of test and measuring equipment and guidelines for reporting of compliance.  The laboratory maintains procedures to control all documents as part of the quality control system (initially generated from external sources), such as regulations, standards, test and/or calibration methods, as well as drawings, software, specifications, instructions and manuals.  The field service laboratories are also developing and implementing a laboratory information management system. 

International accreditation for FSIS laboratories, including the laboratory supporting outbreak investigation, is significant.  It demonstrates the Agency’s scientific credibility as it ensures the safety of the nation’s meat, poultry and egg products supply.  

• Patrick C. McCaskey
• Bruce C. Cottingham
• Wayne A. Ziemer
• Cathy P. Pentz
• Lynn Cruickshank
• Steven T. Benson
• James G. Hess
• Frankie J. Beacorn
• Douglas O. Abbott
• John F. Rivera
• Warren C. F. Wong
• Leon P. Illnicki
• David R. Martin
• Terry J. Dutko
• Michael R. Lankford
• Dianna L. Abrahamson
• David A. Blank
• Mark D. Pratt
• Cindy L. Reding
• Debra E. Waldrop
• Steven R. Dial
• Larry H. Dillard
• Eric T. Flynn
• Robyn C. Johnson
• Maritza I. Quinn
• Gina E. McLeroy
• Catalina Yee
• Ralph S. Bakowski
• N. Kay Stapleton
• Mary T. Sutton
• Bradley P. Webb
• Kay A. Williams
• Joel S. Salinsky
• Michael E. Jones

#

NOTE: Access news releases and other information at the FSIS web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov.

For Further Information, Contact:
FSIS Congressional and Public Affairs Staff
Phone: (202) 720-9113
Fax: (202) 690-0460

News and Information Page | FSIS Home Page | USDA Home Page