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How to Get Your Technical Questions Answered
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) takes customer service very seriously.
There are two primary ways to submit technical and policy-related questions-askFSIS and a toll-free
number, both managed by FSIS' Office of Policy and Program Development (OPPD). AskFSIS is an
online service where you can search for answers or pose a question. The toll-free number
allows customers to call a central location and then be routed to the appropriate OPPD staff.
Questions submitted through askFSIS are automatically routed to one of several OPPD
divisions for a response. Specifically, labeling questions are routed to the Labeling and
Program Delivery Division (LPDD), sampling questions are routed to the Risk and Innovations
Management Division (RIMD), and export questions are routed to the International Program Division (IPD).
All other domestic-inspection questions are routed to the Policy Development Division (PDD).
Phone calls to the Agency's toll-free number 1-800-233-3935 will be referred to the appropriate
division as well. To avoid dialing a long-distance number, follow the prompts in the PDD menu
to be automatically forwarded to the appropriate division free of charge.
Follow these prompts to reach the correct division:
- At the main menu, press 1 to reach the OPPD/PDD submenu.
- At the OPPD/PDD submenu, select one of the following:
- Press 2 to reach IPD
- Press 3 to reach LPPD
- Press 4 to reach RIMD
- Press 5 to reach PDD
CDC Releases 2008 Foodborne Illness Data
On April 9, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the release of the
report, Preliminary FoodNet Data on the Incidence of Infection with Pathogens Transmitted
Commonly Through Food. FoodNet is a
collaborative working group of federal and state agencies, including FSIS, that collects and
analyzes foodborne illness data from ten U.S. states.
The data show that there was no significant change in the incidence of foodborne illnesses in 2008
compared to the last three years, indicating that overall food safety efforts have essentially reached
a plateau. The report notes that several major foodborne outbreaks associated with fresh
produce and peanuts may have influenced the Salmonella results.
The report cites progress in the reduction of Salmonella contamination of poultry due,
in part, to the 2006 FSIS Salmonella Initiative Program.
The program is designed to produce improvements in control of Salmonella in raw classes of
livestock and poultry during slaughter and grinding operations. In broilers the number of positive
samples have decreased from 11.4 percent positive for the pathogen in 2006, to less than 7.3 percent in 2008.
"We have worked hard to reduce contamination in FSIS regulated products and have seen marked
success in Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes," said Dr. David Goldman,
FSIS Assistant Administrator for the Office of Public Health Science. "We are concerned
about the lack of progress in reducing the incidence of foodborne illness and believe this
points out the need for better attribution."
Pathogen reduction has remained a challenge; however FSIS continues to meet this challenge head on.
Since 2006, FSIS has engaged in discussions with key stakeholder groups to promote pathogen control.
These discussions have resulted in additional activities and notices to further reduce the incidence of
E. coli O157:H7 contamination. For example, FSIS issued draft guidelines, implemented a
more sensitive testing broth and line trim and component sampling.
The full report is available on the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5614.pdf (PDF Only).
Export Requirement Updates
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes in export requirements for the following:
- Chile
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Sri Lanka
- Taiwan
Complete information can be found at www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/
Export_Information/index.asp.
Food Safety Information in 140 Characters or Less
On March 17, FSIS stepped in to the social media space of Twitter, an online microblogging channel, to
provide food safety information and Agency announcements. This effort comes as FSIS seeks to incorporate
social media with more traditional news and education channels. After three weeks, the FSIS Twitter feed
had more than 600 followers that receive FSIS "tweets." Tweets are short statements that are
shared in 140 characters or less.
The White House noticed the FSIS service through Twitter and featured the activities on their March 27 blog,
calling it "a smart match." (See www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/27/
Around-the-Agencies-Back-to-Nature/.)
Users will receive updates about news and recall releases, podcasts in English and Spanish and videocasts in
American Sign Language. In addition, food safety tips relevant to events, seasons and holidays are also
provided to the community.
You can follow FSIS at twitter.com/USDAFoodSafety.
USDA Offers Food Safety Tips for Consuming Ham
With springtime holidays fast approaching, many families will be sitting down to ham dinners. Cured hams
are processed under strict USDA guidelines to eliminate foodborne pathogens and other food safety risks.
When the cured hams leave the establishment with the USDA mark of inspection, consumers should know
that the products have been fully inspected for safety and wholesomeness.
Ready-to-eat and canned hams are cooked at an establishment and can be safely eaten right out of the package.
Fresh hams must be cooked by the consumer before eating and should bear safe handling instructions on the label.
Leftovers from spiral-cut hams may be stored in the refrigerator three to five days or frozen no more than one
to two months for best flavor and texture. FSIS recommends only reheating individual slices, not the entire ham,
as heating can dry out the meat. If you must reheat the entire ham, cover it with heavy aluminum foil.
For more information about ham storing and cooking, as well as safe handling and preparation tips, visit the
FSIS Web site at www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Ham/index.asp.
FSIS Issues Directive
FSIS issues directives and notices to enhance the Agency's efforts in protecting public health. The following
directive was issued this week:
All directives and notices are available on the FSIS Web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/
regulations_directives_&_notices/index.asp.
Updates on FSIS Testing for E. coli
Weekly updates for the Agency's raw beef E. coli sampling program are posted to FSIS' Web site.
For comparative 2008 and 2009 results, go to www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/
Ground_Beef_E.Coli_Testing_Results/index.asp.
Antimicrobial Treatment List Now Available
On April 7, FSIS made available a list of antimicrobial (decontamination) treatments that can be used as
processing aids on meat and poultry products by issuing FSIS Directive 7120.1, Amendment 18, Salmonella
Antimicrobials for Poultry Products.
To better concisely capture the treatments that can be used specifically on post-chilled poultry carcasses
or parts and trimmings, on April 9, FSIS also posted a specific entry in askFSIS, the Agency's
online forum for inspected-related questions and answers.
The askFSIS entry lists the antimicrobials specifically acceptable for use to potentially reduce
Salmonella in poultry products during second processing, or post-chill.
FSIS posted the entry at the request of the poultry industry to better help establishments begin validating
controls designed to reduce the likely presence of Salmonella on post-chilled poultry products.
Because establishments have generally focused on controls at slaughter, FSIS is now encouraging establishments
to apply antimicrobial treatments during further processing of the carcass, specifically on parts and trimmings.
To view the specific list for treating post-chilled poultry products, visit askfsis.custhelp.com.
The entry is available in the summary section of the askFSIS home page and will remain accessible
by search in the "General Inspection Policy" category. Directive 7120.1 Amendment 18,
Salmonella Antimicrobials for Poultry Products, is available on the FSIS Web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/
7120.1Amend18.pdf (PDF Only).
FSIS Posts New Podcasts
Tune in and subscribe to podcasts that offer helpful information on the selection, handling and
preparation of meat and poultry products to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
This week, FSIS released podcasts helpful to both consumers and plant owners and operators.
Check out these new podcasts on the FSIS Web site at www.fsis.usda.gov/news_&_events/Podcasts/index.asp
for the industry podcast and www.fsis.usda.gov/En_Espanol/Podcasts_SP/index.asp
for the Spanish language consumer podcast.
- Food Safety at Home-Power Outages (Spanish)
- Humane Handling of Livestock at the Plant, Part 2 of 7
Food Safety at Home podcasts in English are also available at www.fsis.usda.gov/news_&_events/Podcasts/index.asp.
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Last Modified:
April 10, 2009 |
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