Arkansas Signs Cooperative Agreement for State Meat Inspection Program

FSIS and the state of Arkansas have finalized a cooperative agreement, under which the state inspection program may inspect meat products produced for shipment within the state.

Under the cooperative agreement, the state inspection program must enforce requirements “at least equal to” those implemented under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA).

With the addition of Arkansas, 29 states now have Meat and Poultry Inspection Programs (MPI). In states with MPI programs, establishments have the option to apply for federal or state inspection. Product produced under state inspection is limited to intrastate commerce unless the producing establishment participates in the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program. FSIS reviews, at least annually, each state MPI program and its requirements and activities. FSIS provides up to 50% of the state's operating funds, as well as training and other assistance.

In addition to Arkansas, FSIS has signed state inspection agreements with Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Visit the FSIS website for more information about state inspection programs.

FSIS Posts Quarterly Updates to Establishment-Specific Datasets

Today, FSIS will post quarterly updates to the following establishment-specific datasets on laboratory sampling and inspection tasks.

The following establishment-specific datasets on laboratory sampling will be updated:

• 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 Pork Products 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

Establishment-specific data on tested product within laboratory sampling results datasets are not sufficient to determine an association with human illnesses. Further epidemiologic information is needed to determine if there is an association between the non-clinical isolates and human illnesses.

The following establishment-specific datasets on inspection tasks will be updated:

• Livestock Humane Handling Inspection Tasks
• Poultry Good Commercial Practices Inspection Tasks

FSIS has also posted updates to the Inspection Tasks Data available on the FSIS website – both current and archive files – to correct items that had been redacted in error.

Policy Update

FSIS notices and directives on public health and regulatory issues are available on the FSIS Policy webpage. The following policy update was recently issued:

FSIS Notice 54-22 - FY 2022 Quality Step Increase Instructions

Export Requirements Update

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

• Mauritius
• Myanmar
• Morocco
• Benin
• Namibia
• Tunisia
• China
• Kiribati
• Barbados
• Colombia
• Hong Kong
• India
• Jordan
• Qatar
• United Arab Emirates
• Solomon Islands
• Western Samoa (Samoa)
• New Caledonia
• French Polynesia (Tahiti)
• Vietnam
• New Zealand
• Taiwan
• Singapore
• Korea
• Canada

Complete information can be found at the FSIS Import & Export Library.