Food Safety and Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700

Pathogen Reduction/HACCP & HACCP Implementation

June 1999

Small Plant HACCP Update

Wide Support for Very Small Plant HACCP Implementation Continues

As was demonstrated with HACCP implementation for small plants in January 1999, many national and state industry and trade associations, as well as state inspection programs, extension services, and universities, are strong proponents of HACCP. These groups continue to provide assistance to very small plants preparing for HACCP implementation on January 25, 2000. Some organizations continue to sponsor HACCP training and educational workshops that fulfill the training requirements of 9 CFR 417.7. Association newsletters, Web sites, and other channels of communication are vehicles by which information about the availability of training materials, seminars, workshops and other resources is being communicated to very small plants.

The Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Wisconsin has been very proactive in its efforts to provide technical assistance and guidance to very small plants. In cooperation with the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) and the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors (WAMP), they produced a HACCP video that describes and shows a HACCP food safety system in operation in a local small meat plant. Other types of HACCP guidance and assistance available through the Extension Service include: HACCP training workshops, sample HACCP plans, and a review of a plant’s HACCP plan by an Extension Food Safety Specialist.

This is only one example of the variety of programs being offered by state inspection and extension programs, and national and state industry and trade associations, to assist very small plants in preparing for HACCP.

FSIS National HACCP Small and Very Small Plant Coordinator Works Closely with State HACCP Contacts and Coordinators

Mary Cutshall, the FSIS National HACCP Small and Very Small Plant Coordinator, is working very closely with the State HACCP contacts, coordinators, directors and FSIS District Managers in making sure they have the information needed to share with very small plants who are preparing to implement HACCP in January 2000. In a June 18, 1999 letter to State HACCP contacts and coordinators, each State contact and coordinator received a list of the very small establishments within their state that will be coming under HACCP inspection in January 2000. A list of examples for each of the nine different process categories, as well as a flow chart to help assist very small plants in determining the most appropriate process groupings for their particular operation was also included. This information will assist very small plants in developing their HACCP plans. A current schedule of the Agency’s very small plant HACCP technical assistance workshops was also provided.

FSIS is also in the process of determining the state of HACCP preparedness of very small plants. After this is completed, field supervisors will tailor the assistance needed for each very small establishment to meet the requirements of the Pathogen Reduction/HACCP final rule.

For information about the technical assistance workshops, contact the Technical Assistance Workshop Office at (202) 720-3219. For information about other training or technical assistance and guidance, contact the State HACCP contact or coordinator for your state, or Mary Cutshall, National HACCP Small and Very Plant Coordinator at (202) 205-0619.

Key Milestone for June-July 1999 in Preparing for HACCP Implementation—Phase III

June-July 1999--Key Milestone 2—Perform a hazard analysis for your process in three steps. (1) Draft and verify a product flow diagram. This can be a hand drawing showing the steps in each of your processes.

Identify preventive measures that can control, reduce or eliminate each of the hazards that you have identified at each process step in your hazard analysis.

For More Information:

For Further Information Contact:
FSIS Constituent Affairs Program
Phone: (202) 720-8594
Fax: (202) 720-5704

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