FSIS Intends to Exclude Vaccine Strains from the FSIS Salmonella Performance Categorization

In December 2021, FSIS announced that as a part of its ongoing efforts to reduce foodborne illnesses caused by Salmonella, FSIS would be inviting poultry slaughter and processing establishments to submit proposals for pilot projects to test different strategies for Salmonella control in poultry products. Since March 2023, FSIS has granted pilot projects to nine establishments to examine the merits and logistics of excluding Salmonella poultry vaccine strains from the FSIS Salmonella performance categorization calculation. The approved pilot projects are listed on the Pilot Projects: Salmonella Control Strategies page of the FSIS website. The data collected during the pilot were analyzed by FSIS to determine whether they support changes to existing FSIS Salmonella control strategies.

Modified Swine Time-Limited Trial and Worker Safety Study

In March 2021, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota vacated the component of USDA’s New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS) that eliminated line speed limits for participating establishments. As a result, all NSIS establishments were required to operate at line speeds not exceeding 1,106 head per hour (hph) as of June 30, 2021. In November 2021, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), in consultation with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, invited NSIS establishments to participate in a time-limited trial (TLT), during which the establishments have been allowed to operate at an increased line speed while collecting and submitting data that would be used to evaluate the impact of increased line speed on workers. 

FSIS Update on Chlorpyrifos Tolerances

An April 15, 2022 Constituent Update entry, titled Revocation of Chlorpyrifos Tolerances, explained that on October 1, 2022, FSIS will consider any detection of chlorpyrifos residue in domestic or imported meat, poultry or egg products produced on or after February 28, 2022, to be a residue violation. FSIS made this announcement because the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published regulations revoking all tolerances for chlorpyrifos (effective February 28, 2022).

However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has vacated the EPA final rule that revoked all tolerances for the pesticide chemical chlorpyrifos. This ruling, effective December 28, 2023, reinstates all tolerances for chlorpyrifos residues, and EPA has issued a final rule stating that it is amending its regulations to reflect this new legal status.

Therefore, FSIS will observe the previous tolerances for the pesticide chlorpyrifos in meat, poultry, and egg products as part of its multi-residue testing.

FSIS Posts FY 2023 Sampling Summary

FSIS has posted the FY 2023 Sampling Summary report, which includes results from the domestic microbiological and chemical sampling programs for raw and ready-to-eat (RTE) beef, pork, Siluriformes, and poultry products, as well as RTE egg products. The report also includes results from import residue and microbiological testing programs, whole genome sequencing information, National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) sampling, and data from other sampling programs and special projects.

Small and Very Small Establishment Outreach Survey

In the coming weeks, FSIS will be soliciting feedback from small and very small establishment owners through a survey to understand how FSIS can better serve the needs of small establishments and improve outreach. The survey is running from March 4 to April 12, 2024. The survey is available in multiple languages.

FSIS Creates Payment Options & Information Webpage

FSIS has created a webpage for establishments that need FSIS contact information for billing questions, payment options, and debt management. The webpage has instructions for submitting payments by mail or electronically.

For general billing inquiries, email fsis.billing@usda.gov or call 515-334-2000. Any questions concerning debt management needs may be directed to fpcdebtmgmt@usda.gov or call 515-334-2000.

Payments for delinquent debts that have been referred to the U.S. Treasury must be made directly to them. For more information, please contact the U.S. Treasury Department at 888-826-3127.

PHIS Q&A

Question: Are new countries being added to PHIS in the near future?

Answer: Starting on May 20, 2024, export certificates for meat and poultry products (excluding casings and egg products) exported to 21 additional countries will be generated in FSIS’ Public Health Information System (PHIS). The additional countries are:

Barbados; Belize; Cabo Verde; Costa Rica; El Salvador; Eswatini; Mali; Marshall Islands; Mongolia; Nauru; Niger; Rwanda; São Tomé and Príncipe; Somalia; South Sudan; Tunisia; Tuvalu; Vanuatu; Yemen; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.

Visit PHIS Help for Industry for additional resources.

Knowledge Article
askFSIS Public Q&A: What is a Code Date?

A code or code date should be information that has meaning to the manufacturing or packing plant for tracking purposes of a product, specifically, a means of identification of product slaughtered, prepared, processed, or packaged on a certain date in the case of a recall. If the code links to a production date, that is sufficient; that is actually the purpose of the code to identify the date of production or a lot from a specific date. However, codes should not have meaning that is misleading to a consumer. If a plant is using "codes" that appear to be dates, it should revise its coding system or apply the proper use of calendar dating in accordance with 9 CFR 381.129(c). For example, we believe that “051305” and “May1305” do not represent codes but calendar dates that should be identified properly. A Julian date of “13305” (133rd day of the year 2005) would be considered to be an acceptable code since most consumers would not immediately associate such numbers with a calendar date.

Questions? Please submit them through askFSIS by filling out the web form on the FSIS website.