USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service

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USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service

• Past, Present and Future

Presented for The Washington Internship for
Native Students Program Presented by Sibyl
Wright Academic Outreach Coordinator, FSIS
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Background

• Congress passed three Acts to ensure
• products are safe, wholesome, and
• accurately labeled

I. Federal Meat Inspection Act II. Poultry
Products Inspection Act III. Egg Products
Inspection Act
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FSIS has broad statutory authority to regulate
meat, poultry, and egg products.
1906 - Meat inspection
1957 - Poultry inspection
1995 - Egg products inspection was transferred
to FSIS
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• The agency also monitors products in
• storage, distribution, and retail channels.
• Compliance actions are used to
• protect the public, which includes

• Voluntary product recalls
• Court-order seizures of products

• Administrative withdrawal of inspection

• Referral for criminal prosecution

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The agency also conducts

• 1. State programs for the inspection of meat
• and poultry products sold in intrastate
• commerce.

• 2. Voluntary reimbursed inspection for
• rabbits, other domestic food animals, bison
• and other exotic food animals.

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• PAST

Command and Control

• FSIS relied heavily on organoleptic
• or visual inspection activities and
• prior approval of programs to ensure
• industry complied with federal
• requirements.

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PRESENT

• Early 1990s - Deadly E.coli incidence
• National response

• Presidents Food Safety Initiative
• New culture/New roles
• Adoption of HACCP inspection
• Farm to table strategy
• Food safety education programs

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From the Hoof to the Plate in Navajo Land

• Cooperators - FSIS, Navajo Nation (Dept. of
• Agriculture, Veterinary and Livestock
• Program), New Mexico Meat Inspection,
• New Mexico Livestock Board, Livestock
• Producers

Goals

• Promote quality animal meat products
• Pre/post slaughtering of Navajo lamb
• Economic development and meat safety

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Cooperators FSIS and other agencies, Montana
State University, Montana Department of
Livestock, and seven Tribal Colleges and
Communities
Top Notch Food Safety
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Tribal Colleges and Communities

• Blackfeet Community College and Reservation
• Dull Knife Memorial College/Northern Cheyenne
  Reservation
• Fort Belknap Community College and Reservation
• Fort Peck Community College and Reservation
• Little Big Horn Community College/Crow
  Reservation
• Salish Kootenai College/Flathead Reservation
• Stone Child Community College/Rocky Boy
  Reservation

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Top Notch Food Safety
Goals

• Building Tribal community capacity and
  partnerships
• Promoting the holistic Farm to Fork food safety
  approach
• Supporting value - added food production

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Food Safety Habits

• Prevent Time - Temperature Abuse
• Prevent Cross - Contamination
• Proper Personal Hygiene
• Proper Cleaning Sanitizing

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Honor the Gift of Food by Keeping It Safe

• Cooperators FSIS, FDA, FNS Southwest
• Regional Office, Food Distribution Program,
• Langston University and Indian Tribes

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Honor the Gift of Food by Keeping It Safe
Goal

• Increase food safety awareness to consumers

Topics Food Safety Begins at Home Clean
Hands-Cross Contamination Cook- Proper
Temperatures Refrigeration and Thawing and
Food Labeling.
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The Navajo Sheep Quality Assurance Program

• Cooperators FSIS, Langston University,
• New Mexico State University, and
• Crownpoint Institute of Technology

Goals

• Adoption of residue avoidance
• Adoption of pathogen reduction
• Recording keeping practices
• Biosecurity

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FSIS Food Safety Virtual University

• Information on animal production food safety
  practices
• Participation is open to anyone who has an
  interest to learn more about food safety
• Easy downloading capacity

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FSIS Biosecurity Activities

• January 2002 - Defense Appropriations Act
• FSIS received 16.5 million
• 10 million for Bioterrorism Protection Program
• 5 million for biosecurity at critical facilities
• 1.5 million to hire more inspectors

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F-BATFSIS Food Biosecurity Action Team

• Coordinates all activities pertaining to
• biosecurity, terrorism, and emergency
• preparedness.

Goals

• Ensure FSIS functions during emergencies
• Maintain employee safety
• Ensure effective communication channels

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Workforce Diversity

• Profile of employees
• Recruitment
• Training and Education

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Future

• Food safety educational programs
• Increase diversity
• Extend HACCP Programs
• Biosecurity - Farm to Table
• Improve coordination with stakeholders
• Decision on inspection of exotic species

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Wrap-Up

• Review
• Questions Answers
• Discussion

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The End