Industry Briefing

1

Advanced EIAO Methodology

• Industry Briefing
• December 18, 2008

2
Consumer Safety Officer

• Enforcement Investigations Analysis Officer
  (EIAO) is the working title for the Consumer
  Safety Officer position.
• Consumer Safety Officer position was introduced
  in FSIS in 2002.

3
Consumer Safety Officer

• Position was established in FSIS to place more
  scientific and technical expertise at the field
  level.
• Establishing these positions was designed to
  further protect public health in the Pathogen
  Reduction/HACCP environment.
• The CSO position has been a valuable and
  essential addition to the Agencys frontline
  team.

4
Consumer Safety Officer

• To qualify for an EIAO position, employees must
  have at least 30 semester hours of related
  science course work.
• All candidates selected for CSO position must
  complete a rigorous 4-week educational program.
  Topics covered include
• PR/HACCP regulations
• Food microbiology
• Statistics
• Analyzing scientific and investigative
  information

5
Authority

• The FMIA, PPIA, and EPIA provide FSIS personnel
  the authority to examine facilities, inventory
  and records at Federal establishments and at
  warehouses, distribution centers and other
  in-commerce facilities subject to the statutes
  (21 U.S.C. 460, 642, 1034 and 1040).

6
Access and Examination

• Sec. 202 of the FMIA provides that persons,
  firms, and
• corporations shall keep such records as will
  fully and correctly disclose
• all transactions in their business and all
  persons, firms, and
• corporations subject to such requirements shall,
  at all reasonable
• times, upon notice by a duly authorized
  representative of the Secretary,
• afford such representative access to their place
  of business and
• opportunity to examine the facilities, inventory,
  and records
• thereof, to copy all such records and to take
  reasonable samples
• of their inventory
• Similar language is in the PPIA and EPIA.

7
Food Safety Assessments

• EIAOs and selected Public Health Veterinarians
  (PHVs) who have been trained in the EIAO
  methodology conduct comprehensive food safety
  assessments at Federally inspected
  establishments.
• Other duties include recall effectiveness checks
  and inquiries regarding consumer complaints.

8
Reasons for Conducting a FSA

• An EIAO, or EIAO-trained PHV may visit a
• plant to conduct a comprehensive
• assessment for various reasons, such as
• - Positive laboratory findings
• - To determine whether a plant has
• reassessed it HACCP plan or evaluated
  itsSSOP.
• Food borne illnesses outbreaks, recalls, or
  consumer complaints.
• Randomly selected by district office officials.