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FSIS Announces Revised "FSIS Salmonella Compliance Guidelines for Small and Very Small Meat and Poultry Establishments
That Produce Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Products"
FSIS announced on Sept. 19 the availability of a revised compliance guide for small and very small meat and poultry establishments
on the safe production of RTE meat and poultry products with respect to Salmonella and other pathogens. FSIS has posted this
compliance guide on its Significant Guidance Documents web page at www.fsis.usda.gov/Significant_Guidance/index.asp.
This document also provides information about the processing and safe handling of RTE products after the lethality step, so that they
are not contaminated with pathogens such as Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes. FSIS encourages small and very
small meat and poultry establishments that manufacture these products to avail themselves of this guidance document.
Get Answers at askFSIS
AskFSIS is a web-based technology and policy question-and-answer forum on topics such as exporting,
labeling, inspection, programs and procedures. In addition, askFSIS offers Really Simple Syndication
(RSS) feeds that link back to the Q&As. Visit http://askfsis.custhelp.com/ to view recently posted topics.
Redesign of FSIS' Sampling Methodologies to Improve Detection of E. coli O157:H7
FSIS published a Federal Register Notice on Sept. 19 announcing its intention to redesign its E. coli O157:H7 verification
testing program for beef manufacturing trimmings to make the program more risk-based and to enable the agency to calculate on-going
statistical prevalence estimates for E. coli O157:H7 in raw beef manufacturing trimmings. During the analysis of the beef
manufacturing trimmings program, the agency looked at factors such as plant size, production volume, seasonality, etc., and determined
where positives were statistically more likely to be found. For example, E. coli O157:H7 was more likely to be found between
the months of May through October, commonly referred to as "high prevalence season." As a result, FSIS has proposed to sample more
frequently during this time of the year compared to the rest of the year, a move that could result in a nearly two-fold increase in
E. coli O157:H7 detected. Other significant factors were also incorporated into the sampling redesign and are described in
detail in the report. Results of this analysis are now available at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/
Redesign_Beef_Trim_Sampling_Methodology.pdf.
The Federal Register Notice (www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/2012-0020.htm)
also discusses FSIS's plans to perform a beef carcass baseline. FSIS seeks public comment on its plans, which the agency developed in
response to a 2011 audit, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General (OIG), of FSIS's protocol for N-60 sampling
of beef manufacturing trimmings for E. coli O157:H7. The notice also announces changes that FSIS has made in its beef manufacturing
trimmings program to increase both the collection rate and the likelihood that FSIS will find positive samples. Finally, the notice
summarizes a 2012 OIG report and the actions that FSIS has taken to address the recommendations in that report.
Comments may be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROMs, and
hand- or courier-delivered items may be sent to: Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), FSIS, OPPD, RIMD, Docket Clearance
Unit, Patriots Plaza III, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, 8-163A, Mailstop 3287, Washington, D.C. 20024-3221.
Export Requirement Updates
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes in export requirements for the following countries:
Complete information can be found at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/
Export_Information/index.asp.
FSIS Notifies Industry of District Consolidation
This week, FSIS notified owners and operators of establishments in five FSIS districts that the agency is closing those five district
offices, and that one of the remaining district offices will assume oversight of each of their establishments.
On Oct. 1, one of the agency's 10 remaining district offices will begin providing oversight of establishments in the five districts that
the agency is consolidating: the Albany, Beltsville, Madison, Minneapolis and Lawrence districts. To find out which FSIS district
office will oversee the FSIS-inspected establishments in each state, view the agency's new district map at
www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/District_Consolidation_Map.pdf.
This district consolidation will not affect the agency's in-plant staffing or the inspection services that FSIS provides to affected
establishments. The in-plant inspection personnel who currently provide inspection services to these establishments will continue to do
so after Oct. 1.
FSIS determined that we could reduce the number of districts and district offices from 15 to 10 in support of USDA's Blueprint for
Stronger Service. We anticipate that the district consolidation will more evenly distribute the circuits, establishments, and FSIS
employees that each district office oversees, which will help to improve efficiency, consistency and integration.
FSIS/FDA Pilot Study Starting in January
FSIS and FDA are partnering on a joint pilot study under the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) program.
The pilot, effective January 2013, is for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Bacterial Isolates of Animal Origins. The purpose
is to collect and test cecal samples from bovine, swine, turkey and chicken presented for slaughter in FSIS-inspected facilities.
The pilot will provide information based on a more random sampling design and more effectively help industry identify patterns and
interventions aimed at eliminating pathogens. Only 400 cecal samples will be taken from each species per calendar year. FSIS will not
take any enforcement action of the pathogen findings from the cecal samples testing.
Updates on FSIS Testing for E. coli
FSIS posts bi-weekly updates for the agency's raw ground beef E. coli sampling program. Included are testing results of raw
ground beef component samples for E. coli O157:H7 and STECs from FSIS routine and follow-up sampling programs. Also featured
is data for non-O157 STECs by each non-O157 STEC serogroup.
To review testing results, go to www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/
Ground_Beef_E.coli_Testing_Results/index.asp.
Twitter News
FSIS hosted a Twitter chat session on Sept. 20 as part of the Food Safe Families Campaign and National Food Safety Education Month.
The chat focused on the Partnership for Food Safety Education's "mythbusters" materials, to which FSIS contributed. To view the
discussion during the session, go to Twitter and use the hashtag "#fightbac."
Stay tuned for the next Twitter chat when Under Secretary Dr. Elisabeth Hagen will host a USDA Virtual Office Hours/Food Safety Twitter Q&A,
also as part of National Food Safety Education Month outreach. On Sept. 27, at 3 p.m. ET, Hagen will answer consumers' food safety
questions from the department's Twitter feed, @USDA. Use the hashtag "#askUSDA" to follow this chat.
Revised Listeria Guidelines Now Available from FSIS
The revision of the FSIS Listeria Guidelines at
www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/
Controlling_LM_RTE_guideline_0912.pdf
was a multi-year process that required collaboration from offices across FSIS. It was not driven by any one incident, because percent
positive rate has been decreasing in FSIS products, and there have been no major outbreaks from ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry
products. However, the guidelines were revised as part of FSIS efforts to continuously assess and improve the effectiveness of policy
documents. In order to revise this document, FSIS reviewed information from the scientific literature, responses to questions received
through its askFSIS system, agency sampling data, the results of Food Safety Assessments and other agency data. The findings of
this review indicated that further information was needed regarding the requirements of the Listeria Rule, control measures for
Listeria, sampling program development and corrective actions in response to positive sampling results.
The information in the compliance guideline does not represent new regulations that establishments must follow. However, it provides the
most up-to date, science-based information that establishments can use to develop programs to control Listeria in their
establishments. Because establishments can choose whether or not to follow the recommendations in the guidelines, it is not expected to
have a significant economic impact. However, by following the recommendations, establishments can strengthen their control programs, and
decrease the potential of foodborne illness from their products.
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
Food safety experts are available year-round from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET to answer questions in English and Spanish about safely
preparing and cooking foods.
The toll-free number is 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854). Recorded messages are available 24 hours a day.
USDA Blog
Check out the USDA Blog for two Faces of Food Safety — Nonnie Holliman at
http://blogs.usda.gov/2012/09/17/in-good-faith-and-good-humor-the-rev-nonnie-holliman-keeps-america%e2%80%99s-food-supply-safe/
and Michelle Cox at http://blogs.usda.gov/2012/09/19/meet-michelle-cox-face-of-food-safety/.
Visit the USDA Food Safety Discovery Zone
- September 22 – DE Aerospace Education Foundation, Smyrna, Del. or Trucktoberfest (Tentative), RFK Stadium,
Washington, D.C.
- September 24-28 – Visits to elementary schools (Tentative)
For more information, go to
www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Safety_Education/
Food_Safety_Mobile/index.asp.
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Last Modified:
September 24, 2012 |
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