This directive provides inspection program personnel (IPP) at thermal processing establishments or official import inspection establishments with updated procedures to follow when an abnormal container is found by IPP or by the establishment, or when there is a process deviation during the production of thermally processed, commercially sterile canned products at an official establishment. This directive supplements the information in FSIS Directive 7530.2, Verification Activities in Canning Operations that Choose to Follow the Canning Regulations - Revision 1, FSIS Directive 5000.1, Verifying an Establishment's Food Safety System - Revision 5, and FSIS Directive 9900.2, Import Reinspection of Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products - Revision 1. This directive has been updated to incorporate changes related to the reorganization of the Office of Field Operations (OFO) and to make changes consistent with the new consolidated canning regulations. This directive also addresses the review of process deviations and abnormal containers by the Policy Development Staff (PDS).

KEYPOINTS:

• Updates regulatory citations with the consolidated canning regulations (9 CFR 431) published on 05/31/2018 (83 FR 25302)
• Clarifies procedures to be performed when process deviations are identified at an official FSIS inspected establishment
• Clarifies procedures to be performed when abnormal containers are identified at an official FSIS inspected establishment or an official import inspection establishment
• Updates FSIS forms to be completed by IPP for handling process deviation and abnormal container incidents