Third FSIS International Meat, Poultry and Egg Products Inspection Seminar Held in Santiago, Chile
By Dr. Juan F. Rodríguez, OIEA
On Sept. 9-13, FSIS and USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), in collaboration with Chile´s Ministry of Agriculture, held the FSIS International Meat, Poultry and Egg Products Inspection Seminar. FSIS program areas partnering in the event included the Office of International Coordination (OIC), the Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit (OIEA), the Office of Public Health Science (OPHS) and the Office of Policy and Program Development (OPPD).
The seminar, held in Spanish, informed 50 government inspection officials from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay about FSIS’ inspection regulations and procedures with a wide variety of topics.
OPPD International Equivalence Staff Director Dr. Edwin Zayas-Cruz and OIEA International Audit Staff Director Dr. Juan Rodriguez delivered presentations in-person. These other FSIS personnel delivered presentations remotely: OIC Mexico City International Liaison Office Director Ciarra Toomey; OPHS Public Health Specialist Jovita Haro; OPHS Supervisory Chemist Kathleen Ortega; OPPD Food Technologist Gianfranco Santaliz-Rogers; and OPHS Chemists Bruno Giri, Martin Garnero and Ismael Ayala. Chile’s Ministry of Agriculture hosted a tour of a local poultry slaughter facility.
Pictured: USDA and foreign government officials who attended the seminar.
Photo courtesy of FSIS’ counterpart in Chile, the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture’s Agricultural and Livestock Service.