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

Pathogen Reduction/HACCP & HACCP Implementation

October 1998

Small Plant HACCP Update

Demonstration Projects Provide Information About HACCP Requirements for Small Plants

In May 1997 the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) extended an invitation to small and very small meat and poultry plants, state inspection programs, local and national trade associations, state extension services, and other interested parties to participate in an on-going small plant Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) demonstration project. Designed to demonstrate how HACCP systems can work in small and very small plants, these

2-day workshops provide technical guidance on HACCP. They are not a substitute for the training required in CFR 417.7. During the 2 days there is an open discussion about the general principles of HACCP, a HACCP plan, how to determine a Critical Control Point (CCP), and where to go for technical assistance.

FSIS is trying to reach every small plant by January 1999. Since July 1997, the Agency has conducted over 120 workshops, providing technical guidance to over 1,600 plants and 2,300 individual attendees. These workshops will be on-going until January 2000, the implementation start date for the very small plants.

A schedule of current and future workshops may be obtained by contacting the Small Plant Demonstration Project Office at (202) 720-3219. This information, which is updated weekly, is also available on the FSIS Web site at: www.fsis.usda.gov (under " HACCP Implementation").

Language Assistance Available To Inform Asian Pacific American Owned Plants About HACCP

As part of its continuing outreach to small and very small plants, FSIS and the Asian Pacific American Network in Agriculture (APANA) have entered into an agreement that will help to bridge a gap and overcome language barriers. Under this agreement, APANA members will be used to facilitate communication with some meat and poultry plants whose owners/managers seek assistance. Through this special support from APANA, FSIS will be able to assist those plant owners in understanding and, thus, complying with new regulatory requirements of the Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP) final rule.

FSIS feels that the ability to communicate with Asian Pacific American (APA) plant owners about the urgency and importance of understanding and meeting the HACCP requirements is critical. Teams of FSIS and APANA staff will provide assistance to APA plant owners such as language interpretation or translation, assistance in understanding HACCP regulatory requirements, and promotion of participation by owners in HACCP workshops. They will not develop, approve, validate, or accept the HACCP plans. Although this assistance is targeted to the very small plants, assistance will be provided to other meat and poultry plants regardless of size, when necessary. The first APANA team member is scheduled to attend an October 19-20 workshop in Alameda, CA, and an October 21-22 workshop in Los Angeles, CA. For additional information, contact: Dr. Bharat Patel or Dr. Irv Dubinsky, FSIS, Inspection Systems Development Division, at (202) 720-3219.

Small Plant HACCP Implementation Public Meetings Reaching Wide Audience

The first 4 of 20 public meetings on small plant HACCP implementation have been very well attended. To date, about 500 small plant owners and managers and other interested persons have participated in these meetings. Agency officials and facilitators have received positive feed back from the participants about the meetings being useful in helping the small plants make the transition to HACCP. As with the small plant demonstration projects, these public meetings do not fulfill the training requirements found in CFR 417.7.

On October 7, FSIS decided to reinstate the 5 downlink sites, in addition to the 20 meeting locations, in order to provide the opportunity for more small plant owners and managers to participate and receive the assistance they need to make the transition to HACCP. A complete listing of the locations and sites and registration information is available by calling the FSIS Planning Office at (202) 501-7138. This information is also available on the FSIS Web site at: www.fsis.usda.gov (under "HACCP Implementation").

In order to assist those small plant owners and managers who are unable to attend one of the nationwide public meetings, or participate at one of the five down link sites, FSIS videotaped the second public meeting held in College Park, MD, on September 26. Copies of the videotape will be available in mid-November. Information on how to obtain a copy of this tape will be provided in a future Small Plant HACCP Update.

Broad Support for Small Plant HACCP Implementation Continues

Many national and state industry and trade associations, as well as state inspection programs and extension services, are strong HACCP proponents and are providing assistance to the small and very small plants preparing for HACCP. Some organizations are sponsoring HACCP training and educational workshops that fulfill the training requirements of CFR 417.7; others are conducting briefings following the FSIS small plant HACCP implementation meetings. Newsletters and other channels of communication are increasing awareness about the types and locations of HACCP-related activities and the availability of training materials and other aids. One of the latest innovative approaches is in Ohio. The Ohio Association of Meat Processors will be establishing some HACCP demonstration plants through a grant from the state. There will be five demonstration plants in 1998 and five in 1999. Starting on November 1, 1998, the demonstration plant will be open three days each month for any interested party to visit and observe their HACCP operations. This is a positive approach to HACCP implementation in small plants and only one example of the efforts being made to assist small plants in making the transition to HACCP.

Other HACCP Resources

Reminder--in addition to the sources of information listed below, other available HACCP resources include: the USDA/FDA HACCP Training Programs and Resources Database at the National Agricultural Library—a link to this is provided on the FSIS Web site under the "HACCP Implementation" section, or call (301) 504-6365; the International HACCP Alliance at (409) 862-2036 or Web site: ifse.tamu.edu/haccpall.html. The various trade associations have a list of resources, meetings, and training materials; and the 18 FSIS District Offices have access to all of this information.

For More Information:

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

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