FSIS Posts Updates to the Establishment Directory and Production Dashboard

FSIS incorporated several changes to the Establishment Directory & Production Dashboard that allows users to search establishments by inspection activity, district, and HACCP size. This data visualization enhances the customer service experience by allowing individuals to search by location (i.e., district, state, individual establishment), production information (i.e., meat slaughter, poultry slaughter, processing activity) or by geographical areas on a map to quickly find establishments in their area, across city or state boundaries. FSIS will continue updating the dashboard on a monthly basis.

FSIS to Post Updated Dataset on Import Refusals

On April 15, 2021, FSIS will update the publicly posted dataset on import refusals for products that the Agency regulates. Federal law requires every commercial shipment of imported meat, poultry, and egg products to be re-inspected prior to product entering U.S. commerce. FSIS re-inspects each shipment to verify labeling, proper certification, general condition, and any signs of tampering and to identify product adulterated by transportation damage. FSIS also performs additional activities on a random and/or for-cause basis, such as physical product examination and laboratory sampling for pathogens and chemical residues.

Any product that does not meet FSIS requirements is refused entry, and the importer has up to 45 days (30 days for egg products) to have the product destroyed for use as human food, re-exported/returned to the foreign country, converted to animal food, or brought into compliance with FSIS requirements, if applicable (e.g., relabeled, remarked, or issued a replacement certificate). 

This dataset is updated around the 15th of each month and contains each shipment with product that was refused entry. To access these datasets or view more information about them, please visit the Import and Export Data page.

Establishment-Specific Datasets Now Available

FSIS has posted the quarterly updates to the establishment-specific datasets on the FSIS website:

• Egg Product Sampling Data
• Intensified Verification Testing Data
• Raw Beef Components Sampling Data
• Raw Beef Follow-up Sampling Data
• Raw Beef Trim Sampling Data
• Raw Ground Beef Sampling Data
• Raw Chicken Carcasses Sampling Data
• Raw Chicken Parts Sampling Data
• Raw Comminuted Chicken Sampling Data
• Raw Comminuted Turkey Sampling Data
• Raw Turkey Carcasses Sampling Data
• Raw Poultry Follow-up Sampling Data
• Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Meat and Poultry Sampling Data
• Risk-based Listeria monocytogenes Sampling Data
• Siluriformes Product Sampling Data

Data contained in the laboratory sampling results datasets on tested product from establishments are not sufficient to determine an association to human illnesses. Further epidemiologic information is needed to determine if there is an association between the non-clinical isolates and human illnesses.

Additional details can be found at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/science-data/data-sets-visualizations/laboratory-sampling-data.

FSIS Publishing “Effects of Antimicrobial Interventions on Indicator Organisms during Beef Carcass Dressing” 

FSIS recently published a study that compared the performance of several beef carcass interventions. The data analyzed represents samples collected at 139 establishments nationwide, collected during the 2014-2015 Beef Veal Carcass Baseline Survey. The Agency compared the efficacy of different antimicrobial interventions, i.e., those commonly used during sanitary dressing to reduce microorganisms on carcasses. Specifically, FSIS analyzed 1,135 paired carcass samples at post-hide removal (before evisceration) and pre-chill (after interventions) for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Salmonella and indicator organisms including Aerobic Count (AC).

Very few pathogen positives were detected, therefore no association between the use of interventions and pathogen presence (STEC and Salmonella) could be established. The success of interventions in reducing AC concentrations suggests that such interventions may be similarly effective in reducing pathogens. FSIS found an association between the degree of AC reduction and the presence of Salmonella. This points to the need for additional studies: while the level of AC itself was not found to be a good indicator for the presence of pathogens, the drop in the level of AC shows promise as an indicator for the presence of Salmonella.

Results of this study may be used to develop guidelines to industry on the effectiveness of antimicrobial interventions used during sanitary dressing of carcasses.

The study is published in the Journal of Food Protection and is available at: https://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-20-281.

Export Requirements Update

The Library of Export Requirements has been updated for products for the following countries:

• Singapore

Complete information can be found at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/import-export/import-export-library.

Policy Updates

FSIS notices and directives on public health and regulatory issues are available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/directives-notices. The following policy updates were recently issued:

FSIS Notice 14 -21 - Import Reinspection Activities Related to Fresh Meat Inspection Certificates for Fully Cooked Beef Skeletal Muscle Meat From South America

FSIS Notice 15 -21 - FSIS Sampling for Labeling Claims Verification