1. PURPOSE
   
   Abnormal containers are defined as containers that exhibit an unusual appearance that reflects improper handling during production or transportation. The identification of abnormal containers may indicate food contamination. Abnormal containers can be classified as containers having at least one of the following critical defects: swell, flipper, springer, loose tin, overfill, leaker, or burst container.
   
   Abnormal containers discovered during a condition of container examination, incubation, or any other types of import reinspection activity are forwarded to a Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Field Service Laboratory (FSL) for analysis. The FSL reports the analytical results to the Import Inspection Division (IID) at headquarters (HQ). IID-HQ determines disposition of the lot based on analytical results from FSL. When a determination can not be made based on the FSL analytical results, IID-HQ will consult with FSIS’s Technical Service Center (TSC), Technical Assistance and Correlation (TAC) staff on whether or not the product presents a risk to the consumer.
   
   This instruction provides import inspection personnel with the procedures for handling abnormal containers that are found during the reinspection of imported meat and poultry products.

2. CANCELLATION
   
   Part 3, Section 2, "Abnormal Containers (Imported)", dated November 15, 2003.

3. FORMS
   
   FSIS Form 7500-1, "Canned Food Sample Reporting Form" (see Table 14)
   
   FSIS Form 9540-3, "Import Abnormal Container, Chemical, Species, Pathology Laboratory analysis," (see Table 6)

4. IMPORTED CANNED PRODUCTS SUBJECT TO TESTING

   1. Types of Defects

      1. Burst (or Blown) - A container which has ruptured due to excessive internal pressure
      2. Flipper - A container whose end has a slight outward bulge and where outside pressure will return the end to normal position but will cause the other end to "flip" out
      3. Leaker - A container which shows evidence of leaking
      4. Loose Tin A container whose end or ends do not show evidence of full vacuum, thus allowing movement of the ends
      5. Overfills (overstuffed) A container with excess product causing its end(s) to bulge outward
      6. Springer A container whose end has a slight outward bulge and where outside pressure will return the end to normal position. However, once the outside pressure is removed, the same end will "spring" back to an outward distention.
      7. Swells A container that has an outward bulge caused by excessive internal pressure.

      
      Note: Retorted (flexible) pouches that fall under the classification of an airtight hermetically sealed container designed and intended to protect its contents against the entry of microorganisms during and after thermal processing are subject to testing when abnormal containers/pouches are discovered. Please refer to Part 4, Section 6 of the "Import Manual of Procedures" for defect identification and classification.

5. SAMPLING PROCEDURES

   1. Import Inspection Personnel
      
      Upon finding an abnormal container(s) in a lot:

      1. Will reject the lot for condition of container in the AIIS and place the lot on FSIS Hold.

      2. Immediately notify the import establishment or broker, who will be responsible for contacting the importer of record. Provide the following information to the Microbiologist-in-Charge at the FSIS Western FSL (all abnormal container samples are sent to the Western FSL for analyses) and e-mailImportInspection@fsis.usda.gov and the Regional Import Field Office (RIFO) mailbox with the following information:

         • Product name,
         • Country of origin,
         • Foreign establishment number,
         • Health Certificate Number
         • AIIS Lot ID number
         • FSIS Form 9540-1 lot number
         • Nature of the problem (leaker, flipper, etc.).
         • Container type and size
         • Date, time, and location (e.g., during incubation or condition of container) the abnormal container was found
         • Number and kind of abnormal containers found

         • Import inspector’s name and the name and telephone number of the import establishment

      3. Obtain from the Microbiologist-in-Charge the number of normal and abnormal container(s) to be submitted to the lab for analysis.

6. SUBMITTING SAMPLES

   1. Import inspection personnel must complete FSIS Form 9540-3 and submit the form with the normal and abnormal containers to the Western FSL via the overnight delivery/courier service under contract with FSIS. If the containers cannot be shipped immediately, the import inspector will secure them with a lock or seal and keep them refrigerated. NOTE: ABNORMAL CONTAINERS SHALL NEVER BE HELD IN THE FREEZER.

   2. Complete instructions and illustrations for securing samples and attaching seals are provided in FSIS Directive FSIS Directive 7355.1, "Use of Sample Seals for Laboratory Samples and Other Applications."

7. LABORATORY RESULTS REPORTING PROCEDURES

   1. The FSL will report the analytical results to the Office of International Affairs (OIA), Import Inspection Division (IID), Washington, DC via facsimile at (202) 720-6050.

      1. IID-HQ will review the results based on the lab analysis and report the decision whether to refuse entry, release, sort, or incubate the lot unless further guidance is needed. The lot disposition determination is transmitted to the RIFO and import inspector on FSIS form 7500-1 by fax or electronically. Incubation instructions must indicate whether product is to be incubated as required by Part 4, Section 7 or held at room temperature for a defined period of time.

      2. When IID HQ cannot make a determination on the disposition of the lot from the FSL analytical results, IID-HQ will consult with the FSIS Technical Service Center (TSC), Technical Assistance and Correlation (TAC) staff whether the product presents a risk to the consumer. TAC will review the FSL results, complete FSIS Form 7500-1, and forward recommendations for disposition of the involved lot to IID-HQ.

   2. Upon notification from IID HQ, the import inspector will inform import establishment management of IID-HQ instructions for disposition of the lot. If IID-HQ instruction permits sorting, import establishment management must obtain a written (e-mail, fax) request from the importer of record to proceed with sorting and reinspection - a condition of container TOI at the tightened level per Part 4, Section 6 of the import manual. If the importer of record refuses to sort, the lot will be refused entry.

   3. The RIFO supervisor will verify that the disposition of the lot was in accordance with IID-HQ’s instructions.

8. ENTERING RESULTS INTO THE AUTOMATED IMPORT INFORMATION SYSTEM (AIIS)

   1. Although abnormal containers are submitted to the FSL for analyses, the AIIS is not programmed to handle entry of abnormal container analyses under the “Lab TOI Results Screen.” Therefore, results for an “Unscheduled” laboratory TOI for abnormal containers cannot be entered into the AIIS.

   2. The physical inspection (condition of container or incubation) cannot be completed until the laboratory reports the analytical results of the samples received and interpreted by IID-HQ. The lot disposition options will be as follows:
      • refuse entry on the entire shipment;
      • partial rejection of abnormal containers sorted from the lot; or
      • accept the entire shipment.

   3. The shipment will only be accepted once all the other TOI(s) have been completed.

9. SORTING THE LOT

   1. When the importer of record elects to sort the lot, inspection personnel will e-mail the following information to IID-HQ at ImportInspection@fsis.usda.gov:
      • the AIIS Lot ID number
      • the name of the foreign country
      • the producing establishment number, and

      • that the "rejection" should be removed due to the lot being sorted and an intensified condition of container being performed

   2. IID-HQ will remove the condition of container rejection in the AIIS so that the results of the sorting and intensified reinspection can be entered into the system.

   3. After the sorting of the lot, import inspection personnel will reinspect the sorted product using the intensified condition of container criteria. Import inspection personnel will enter a "Partial Rejection&quyot; (reason for rejection will be abnormal containers) for the portion of the lot that was found to be non-compliant for abnormal containers and "Accept" the remainder of the lot. The shipment weight of the sorted containers must be entered into the AIIS in the Partial Rejection screen. Import inspection personnel will e-mail the import inspection mailbox (importinspection@fsis.usda.gov) when the sort has been completed and the partial rejection has been entered into the AIIS.
      
      NOTE: If the lot fails the intensified reinspection, the entire lot must be entered into the AIIS as rejected and the lot is then refused entry.

   4. After the lot has been sorted, IID-HQ staff will ensure that the foreign establishment remains at "Intensified" status until 10 consecutive lots of product from the same process category from the same establishment are reported as "Acceptable" for the Condition of Container TOI and documented through the AIIS.

   5. The rejected sorted containers are not to be presented for the intensified condition of container reinspection. The rejected sorted containers are to be refused entry.

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