The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced 2023 “key accomplishments” that protect public health through food safety and strengthen the food supply chain.
“USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service remains focused on protecting the American people and will continue to do so in 2023, including helping small facilities produce safe food and meeting consumer expectations for labeling.” We continued to advance our efforts toward that goal,” said the USDA Under Secretary. Emilio Esteban on food safety. “As we reflect on last year's achievements, we will continue to work to prevent food poisoning, ensure the safety of the nation's food supply, and strengthen the food supply chain.”
Strengthen small and very small facilities through comprehensive support to strengthen food supply chains
FSIS continued targeted efforts to help small and very small plants produce safe food. This was accomplished by him hosting five roundtables, with virtual and in-person attendees reaching nearly 400 participants. The goal was to increase access to regulatory information and best practices to maintain and enhance food safety and strengthen supply chains. FSIS has implemented interpreter, translation, and sign language service options to ensure that all small factory participants have access to roundtable discussions.
In July, FSIS published a monthly newsletter for small and very small facilities to help them stay abreast of the latest developments that may impact their operations.Additionally, FSIS used funds Under the American Rescue Plan Act, we will help more than 2,900 small and medium-sized factories by reducing overtime and holiday inspection fees, giving these small businesses financial flexibility through lower operating costs.
To address the needs of small producers seeking specialized assistance and guidance materials, FSIS releases three new guidance documents to help industries, including small factories, produce safe and properly labeled food. and hosted a webinar to help the industry understand the guidelines. For label approval; FSIS ready-to-eat fermented, salted, and dried products. and his FSIS Guidelines for Controlling Salmonella in Pig Slaughter and Pork Processing Facilities.
Affirms FSIS’s commitment to strengthening tribal sovereignty and self-sufficiency
FSIS is dedicated to expanding collaboration to strengthen food security, honor traditions, and serve tribal nations. In partnership with USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, FSIS has incorporated culturally appropriate food safety information into boxes delivered through tribal community food distribution programs.
Additionally, FSIS participated in the launch of a bison pilot project. This represents an important collaboration between USDA agencies that removes barriers to USDA services and programs for Indian Country while promoting equity and ensuring food safety standards are met. This pilot will allow for state or federal inspection of tribally produced bison meat, removing a major barrier to selling this meat to USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service.
FSIS also has two tribal facilities (one in the Muscogee Creek Nation and one in the Cherokee Nation) applying for federal inspection for the slaughter and processing of cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. supported.
As tribes work to preserve their traditions and expand their meat and poultry processing capacity, FSIS is committed to listening to and understanding the diverse perspectives of tribes. FSIS made the announcement during two meetings with tribal leaders, communities, and businesses. These events create space for direct communication, strengthen trust, and ensure that FSIS policies and programs adequately consider tribal interests, needs, traditions, and culture. FSIS also launched new enhancements to the publicly available Meat, Poultry, and Egg Product Inspection Directory to help visualize tribal land boundaries.
Meeting consumer expectations regarding labeling
FSIS has released the results of a national consumer survey revealing that current “Made in the USA” claims are misleading to most consumers. The results of the consumer survey informed a new proposed rule that includes requirements for the use of voluntary U.S. product labeling for FSIS-regulated products.
In addition, FSIS is partnering with the Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service to conduct a sampling project to determine whether antibiotic residue exists in marketable cattle that are “raised without antibiotics.” , is strengthening its substantiation of animal husbandry claims. FSIS also reviews and updates guidance documents regarding animal husbandry and environmental claims.
Developing new strategy to target Salmonella in poultry to better protect consumers from disease
After announcing its intent to propose a regulatory framework to reduce Salmonella infections associated with poultry products, FSIS completed peer-reviewed risk profiles for Salmonella subtypes and peer-reviewed quantitative risk assessments for Salmonella in chicken and turkey. We worked together to inform the new Salmonella policy.
FSIS continued to hold meetings with stakeholders, including virtual public meetings and meetings with small and very small facilities on reducing Salmonella in poultry. All comments received in these forums will be considered in developing a formal regulatory proposal, which is expected to be published in early 2024.
By the Numbers: Ensuring Food Safety in All Federally Inspected Facilities
FSIS protected public health by conducting antemortem and postmortem inspections of 161 million livestock and 9.8 billion poultry carcasses. In 2023, approximately 304 million pounds of tested catfish were produced. Additionally, FSIS inspected 2.7 billion pounds of liquid, frozen, and dried egg products. FSIS staff also implemented 7.7 million food safety procedures and ensured that systems at all federally inspected facilities continue to maintain food safety and integrity requirements. FSIS continues to modernize its inspection systems and operations to increase efficiency without compromising food safety.
Improving consumer awareness of food safety
FSIS' work to protect the public health extends to consumers through strategic outreach and education efforts. FSIS responded to his 11,740 inquiries through the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, and more than 7.9 million consumers accessed the self-service food safety resource database. Additionally, AskFSIS has answered approximately 36,000 customer questions and his FSIS Q&A posted on the AskUSDA website has been viewed over 341,000 times.
FSIS actively shares important food safety information with the news media, reaching more than 27 million consumers through numerous prominent news outlets. Additionally, FSIS has entered into a new strategic partnership with a national food delivery service that will enable him to reach new consumers in 29 states through more than 165,000 meal delivery boxes during the Thanksgiving season. did.
FSIS also announced the final year results of a five-year observational study on behaviors that affect food safety during meal preparation. FSIS uses research results to tailor messages to consumers about safe food handling.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans every day. In the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of Agriculture will promote more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, and access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities. make historic investments in rural America’s infrastructure and clean energy capacity, securing farmers’ and producers’ income streams by leveraging climate-smart food and forestry practices, and making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capacity in rural America We are committed to ensuring equity across the department by doing business, removing systemic barriers, and building a more representative workforce. For more information, please visit www.usda.gov.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here. )
