U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Food Safety Food Safety and Inspection Service Winston Felton, D.V.M. Dearborn Circuit Supervisor Madison District Office, Field Operations, FSIS January 26, 2001

Food Safety and Inspection Service How are We Changing? n Same Mission n Same Laws n Ensure safety, wholesomeness, & correct labeling & packaging of meat, poultry, & egg products. n Federal Meat Inspection Act n Federal Poultry Inspection Act n Egg Products Inspection Act

What has Changed? Old FSIS vs New FSIS n Different regulatory requirements for red meat products & plants from poultry products & plants n Limited flexibility for innovations n Limited Scientific basis for regulatory requirements n Same Sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOP) & Pathogen Reduction/HACCP regulations for all plants (based on risk- prevention and science) n Combine/eliminate regulations/requirement

What has changed? Old FSIS vsNew FSIS n “Command & Control” -- Do what inspector says and how inspector says to do it n Prior approval required for new equipment, blueprints, products, processes, etc., etc. n Redefine Responsibilities u Inspector role: oversight & verification of regulatory compliance u Plant role: choose best ways to regulatory compliance (PR/HACCP & SSOP & others) & food safety r Scientifically-based Performance Standards (set requirement, not how to get there, e.g., 7 log decrease)

What has Changed? Old FSIS vs New FSIS n Primary Past Focus: Provide Inspection Services for the meat, poultry and egg products industries n Primary Present & Future Focus: Provide Prevention- & Scientifically-based Int’l. Public Health Services & Leadership to Reduce the Incidence of Food Borne Illnesses Attributable to Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products using Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Systems (HACCP)

What Does FSIS 2001 Do? 1. Mandatory & Voluntary Inspection Services n FY 1999, FSIS inspected over 8.3 billion poultry, 155 million head of livestock, and 3.4 billion pounds of egg products (domestic industry growth expected at 3- 5%/yr) n Inspection services are provided by 7500 Inspectors (1100 Veterinarians & 6400 Food Inspectors) to more than 6000 meat, poultry, and egg processing plants in the U.S. & territories

Food Safety & Inspection Service FY 1999 Inspections n Cattle Slaughtered: 43,891,921 n Swine Slaughtered: 105,755,405 n Other Livestock Slaughtered: 5,420,077 n Poultry Slaughtered: 8,365,372,345 n Egg Products: 3,400,000,000 pounds n Processed Product Types: > 250,000 n Imported Products: > 3 Billion pounds

Inspection’s Food Safety Activities

2. FSIS Farm to Table Activities -- Animal Production n Voluntary Industry On-Farm Programs to minimize preventable farm- related food safety risks, e.g., Pork Quality Assurance, farm bio-security n Voluntary State Educational Programs for Producers, Veterinarians, & Others, e.g., residue avoidance n National Conference on Animal Production Food Safety, Sept 2000

3. FSIS Farm-to-Table Activities -- In Distribution n Voluntary In- distribution Programs to minimize preventable transportation, storage, and other food safety risks, e.g., guidelines for temperature controls n Monitoring by Compliance of In- Distribution points for controls n Pilot Program for increasing monitoring activities by FSIS

4. FSIS Consumer Education Activities n USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline ( ) n Consumer publications, e.g. Food Safety Educator n Fight Bac! Campaign n Thermy! Campaign n Mail Order Food Safety Campaign n Educational Partnerships with States and Others, e.g., EdNet for food safety educators n Consumer research & focus group tests, n “Changing Behaviors, Changing Strategies”

5. FSIS Public Health Activities n USDA/FDA/CDC expand Foodnet from 5 to 8 sites, covering 10% of the U.S. population, with a foodborne disease surveillance to provide better data on the incidence of foodborne illness. n USDA/FDA/CDC Foodborne Outbreak Response Coordinating Group—FORCE-G to assist States during outbreaks. n USDA/FDA/CDC PulseNet to link public health labs that perform DNA fingerprinting on foodborne bacteria.

5. FSIS Public Health Activities n USDA/FDA risk assessments, e.g., Salmonella enteriditis and Listeria monocytogenes to provide better data on which to base regulatory decisions. n Codex Alimentarius international risk assessments n Joint Institute for Food Safety Research participation to ensure food safety research needs are being met for all government agencies. n Animal feed regulations/controls n USDA food safety research for FSIS by ARS

6. FSIS Other Activities n Customer Service, e.g., OPM Employee Survey, Listening Sessions, Public Meetings n Internal Controls, e.g., budget, LMR, communication, training, EEO/CR, prevent workplace violence n Workforce of the Future Initiatives to make best use of human resources and improve workplace, e.g., Training and Education 2001 to determine future training needs for employees n Performance Goals and Strategic Planning

Food Safety and Inspection Service -- What’s Next ?? n Public Health Agency goals: to improve public health thru food safety, from producer’s farm to consumer’s table n Customer Services goals: to provide Inspection and other services to all customers n Regulatory Agency goals: to provide all customers guidance and support to ensure compliance with the Pathogen Reduction/ Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP) regulations, that are based on science and prevention of risks