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Constituent Update
Friday, September 16 2022

Constituent Update - September 16, 2022

FSIS to Host Field Service Laboratory Virtual Open House

FSIS will host a virtual open house on September 26, 2022, from 2-5 p.m. ET.  The open house will include specific topics based on recent feedback and frequent questions received by the FSIS laboratories.

The event topics will include:

  • Salmonella Exploratory Sampling Program
  • The new method for quantifying Salmonella in chicken carcass samples
  • Whole genome sequencing data demonstration
  • Showcasing the agency’s new digital pathology scanner
  • National Residue Program and Multi Residue Method updates

The topics will be presented through a combination of live demonstrations and presentations.

Interested participants must pre-register on the FSIS website. Participants will then receive an e-mail with the link to the event.

FSIS Announces Eligibility of Lithuania to Export Egg Products to United States

On September 15, 2022, FSIS announced that Lithuania is eligible to export egg products to the United States. After extensive review, FSIS determined that Lithuania’s egg product laws, regulations, and inspection system achieve an equivalent level of protection as applied domestically in the U.S. Only egg products produced in certified Lithuanian establishments will be eligible for export to the U.S.

FSIS will routinely evaluate and verify the equivalence of Lithuania’s food safety inspection system for egg products through document reviews, onsite audits, and point-of-entry reinspection, as done for all countries exporting to the U.S.

Lithuania will be eligible to export to the U.S. egg products produced in Lithuania on or after September 15, 2022. For more information, please view the Federal Register notice.

Enhanced PHIS Industry Reports Now Available

FSIS has enhanced the industry reports available in the Public Health Information System (PHIS) after replacing the reporting software tool used in the system and completing post-deployment testing. Industry users will access the reports in the same way as before.

FSIS has enhanced the four PHIS reports available to industry by:

  • Improving report performance.
  • Adding more informative column headers to each report.
  • Adding built-in filters to the column headers of applicable reports.
  • Expanding the industry sampling report to provide FSIS whole genome sequencing (WGS) results, including FSIS number and allele codes.
  • Bringing the Public Health Regulations (PHR) report’s timing in-line with other agency reporting mechanisms. The PHR report now shows the PHR rate for the preceding 3-month period and is only available after the 15th of the month. The PHR rate value in the new report is also the rate used to identify establishments as eligible for a for-cause Public Health Risk Evaluation (PHRE) or an early warning alert.

Reminder: FSIS to Host Encore Webinars on Revised Appendices A & B

On September 19 and September 21, 2022, FSIS will host two additional webinars to provide an overview of the revised 2021 Cooking Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix A) and 2021 Stabilization Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix B). 

Pre-registration for the webinars is not required. Recordings of both webinars, along with presentation slides, will be posted on the FSIS website for those unable to attend.

These webinars are intended for establishments that were unable to attend the webinars hosted earlier this year. The previous webinars are available on the FSIS website — May 23: Revised Appendix A & B Guidelines, and May 24: Revised Appendix A & B Guidelines (repeat/encore). The September webinars will cover the same content as the May webinars and will provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions.

FSIS to Post Individual Category Status and Aggregate Results for Poultry Carcasses, Chicken Parts, and Comminuted Poultry Tested for Salmonella

On September 20, 2022, FSIS will update the individual establishment Salmonella performance standard category information for raw poultry carcasses, raw chicken parts, and comminuted poultry products on the Salmonella Verification Testing Program Monthly Posting page on the FSIS website. Additionally, FSIS will post the aggregate sampling results showing the number of establishments in categories 1, 2, or 3 for establishments producing young poultry carcasses, raw chicken parts, or not ready-to-eat (NRTE) comminuted poultry products at the location linked above.

Upcoming Events

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 47-22 - Fiscal Year 2023 Pay Periods and Official Payday Dates

FSIS Notice 48-22 - Eligibility Criteria and Procedures for Ordering FSIS Business Cards and Format of the Business Cards

FSIS Notice 49-22 - Seven-Digit Export Stamp, Enhanced Digital Signature, Plain Paper Printing, and Statements Module for Use with the Export Module of the Public Health Information System - Phase Seven

FSIS Notice 50-22 - Eligibility of Lithuania to Export Egg Products to the United States

Export Requirements Update

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

  • United Arab Emirates
  • Jordan
  • New Zealand
  • Costa Rica
  • Hong Kong
  • India
  • Colombia
  • Barbados
  • Curacao
  • Cuba
  • Mexico
  • Canada
  • Ecuador
  • Vietnam
  • Honduras
  • Nicaragua
  • Guatemala
  • Jamaica
  • Benin
  • Namibia
  • Japan
  • South Africa
  • Tunisia
  • Peru
  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Lithuania
  • Turks & Caicos Islands
  • New Caledonia
  • Solomon Islands
  • Western Samoa (Samoa)
  • French Polynesia (Tahiti)

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

Last Updated: Sep 16, 2022