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Hicks Departs from FSIS: Two Decades of Food Safety
Effective Oct. 11, Ron Hicks will become the deputy administrator for International Services at FSIS' sister agency, APHIS.
Hicks has worked with FSIS for nearly 18 years and has been a member of the senior executive team since 1997. He started his career in October 1991,
as the director of labor relations. His most recent position was acting deputy under secretary for the Office of
Food Safety.
A native of Washington, D.C., Hicks graduated from Anacostia High School. He then attended Catholic University of
America on a basketball scholarship where he captained the team in 1973. Hicks graduated with a Bachelor of Science
in political science and went on to earn his law degree from Catholic University, Columbia School of Law, in 1976.
Over the years, Hicks has seen many changes to food safety, including the implementation of HACCP, progress on
PHIS and more diversity on the senior management liaison team. "Diversity only makes our decision making better
and stronger and addresses the needs of more people," said Hicks.
In his new position, he will be responsible for 300 foreign service officers around the world, making sure food
exported to the United States is in compliance. He believes his experience at FSIS will bring improved coordination
between the two agencies.
Hicks leaves FSIS Sept. 25 with a departing message thanking the employees for their support both professionally
and personally. "I've really received the ultimate support from the workforce here. Don't lose the dedication
and hardworking values that make us so unique and different."
FSIS Posts Quarterly Report on Salmonella Testing
On Sept. 25, the agency posted to its Web site the second quarterly progress report of calendar year (CY) 2009 on
Salmonella testing of selected raw meat and poultry products.
This report provides preliminary data from April to June 2009 on all establishments eligible for Salmonella
testing that have completed at least two sampling verification sets since June 2006.
FSIS's goal is to have 90 percent of all establishments eligible for Salmonella testing in Category 1 by 2010. As of
June 2009, of all establishments in all product classes, 82 percent are in Category 1, which illustrates no change
from first quarter CY09.
From 174 broiler establishments, 2,114 samples were analyzed with a 5.2 percent positive rate, down from a positive
rate of 9 percent in first quarter CY09. This table lists percentages of broiler establishments by category as of
June 2009.
| Plant Category |
Category 1 |
Category 2T |
Category 2 |
Category 3 |
| Percentage of Broiler Establish- ments |
82 |
8 |
8 |
2 |
FSIS continues to post monthly the names of broiler establishments demonstrating variable or inconsistent
process control. FSIS highlights performance for the broiler class because of its negative impact on foodborne
illness. Turkey establishments are exempt from posting because this product class meets the criteria of at least
90 percent of all establishments in Category 1 and no establishments in Category 3.
The complete report and program details are at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/
Quarterly_Salmonella_Results/index.asp.
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 Contractor to Continue Collecting Enhanced Plant Profile Information
FSIS inspectors-in-charge have been working with a contractor since January to collect and record additional plant
profile information needed for the agency's new Public Health Information System (PHIS).
As planned, work by Dynamac Corporation to collect data in establishments across the rest of the country will begin
next month. So far, information has been collected in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
In order to collect this additional data and maximize time for inspection personnel to focus on more immediate
in-plant verification activities, FSIS contracted with Dynamac.
Before Dynamac employees began collecting information, they successfully completed an FSIS identity proofing and
registration process. They also had to comply to requirements established by Congress and managed by the Office of
Personnel Management. In addition to the necessary clearances, Dynamac employees were required to sign a
confidentiality and non-disclosure statement.
FSIS is developing PHIS in an ongoing effort to improve the data infrastructure needed for a science-based food
safety inspection system. For more information, contact Murray Penner, Labeling and Program Delivery Division,
Office of Policy and Program Development at (301) 504-0879, or by e-mail at
Murray.Penner@fsis.usda.gov.
Register for Codex Public Meeting on Nutrition and Foods
The Office of Food Safety and the FDA will sponsor a public meeting to receive
comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions for discussion at the 31st session of the Codex Committee on
Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU).
The meeting is scheduled for Oct. 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the auditorium (1A003) of the Harvey Wiley Federal Building,
5100 Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, Md. Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact Nancy Crane at
(301) 436-1450 or
Nancy.Crane@fda.hhs.gov
Documents related to the 31st session of the CCNFSDU will be accessible on the Codex Alimentarius Web site at
http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
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. To find
the answers to your questions and receive automatic updates, subscribe at http://askfsis.custhelp.com/.
Recently posted topics include:
FSIS to Host Web Outreach Seminars
To promote a uniform understanding of FSIS regulations, the agency launched a six-part series of Web outreach
seminars for plant owners and operators-especially those of small and very small plants.
The agency will host the fourth seminar, "In-Plant Validation of Food Safety Interventions in Poultry Products,"
on Oct. 7.
This seminar will illustrate methods of determining the effectiveness of food safety interventions in small and very
small poultry establishments.
Three 90-minute sessions will be offered via net conferencing at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. (ET) to accommodate plant
owners and operators nationwide.
To register, go to http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/
Regulatory_Web_Seminars/index.asp.
E-mail questions about upcoming outreach seminars to
FSIS.Seminars@fsis.usda.gov.
New Podcasts: Renew Your Subscription!
Effective Sept. 16, the agency switched to a new digital format for consumer and industry podcasts to provide
listeners with the highest quality of audio and video.
To continue automatically receiving podcasts, renew your subscription. For assistance, e-mail
podcast@fsis.usda.gov.
This week, FSIS released this podcast helpful to plant owners and operators.
- Industry: BSE Risk Assessment
Listen to this new podcast and renew your subscription at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_&_events/
Podcasts/index.asp.
Tips to Prevent Foodborne Illness During Severe Weather
Severe weather events can mean power outages, floods and other problems that can affect the safety of food. Knowing
what to do before and after a weather event can help you reduce your risk of illness.
FSIS offers tips to keep food safe, even when the weather isn't. Check them out at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/
Preparing_for_Weather_Emergency/index.asp.
Learn about other basic food safety principles by reviewing our fact sheets at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/index.asp.
Recent Policy Updates
FSIS issues notices and directives to protect public health. The following policy updates were recently issued:
- Notice 64-09, Intensified Verification Testing and "For Cause" Food Safety Assessments in Response to Ready-To-Eat Testing Results
- Directive 5100.4, Prioritized Scheduling of Food Safety Assessments (FSAs)
All notices and directives are available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/index.asp.
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Last Modified:
September 28, 2009 |
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