FSIS Updates for Small Plants - July 3, 2024

FSIS Updates for Small Plants - July 3, 2024

FSIS to Hold Annual National Roundtable in Round Rock, TX

FSIS leadership will soon be holding the annual National Small Plant Roundtable. This year's meeting will be held in conjunction with the Southwest Meat Association's 68th Annual Convention & Suppliers Showcase, Kalahari Resort & Convention Center, in Round Rock, Texas on Friday, July 26, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Central Time. Participants can attend in person, virtually, or by phone.

FSIS will provide information that is relevant to small and very small establishments. Establishment owners/operators can share their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions directly with FSIS leadership from Washington, D.C. and representatives from sister agencies, Rural Development and Agricultural Marketing Service.

This meeting will cover topics such as FSIS initiatives, updating the Grant of Inspection, policy updates and labeling criteria.

For those who want to attend in person, the meeting will be held at:

Kalahari Convention Center
Kilimanjaro Suite 7-10
3001 Kalahari Blvd.
Round Rock, TX 78665

RSVP is requested, but not required. RSVP using the FSIS National Small Plant Roundtable Registration link to let us know if you plan to attend in person or virtually. This meeting is held in conjunction with the Southwest Meat Association's convention. If you plan to attend the FSIS roundtable ONLY, you do not need to register for the SMA convention. For more information, please contact [email protected].

FSIS Releases Updated Guideline for Residue Prevention

FSIS has revised its FSIS Guideline for Residue Prevention, which is intended to help establishments meet agency requirements regarding violative residue prevention. FSIS updated the guideline in response to frequent askFSIS questions and to improve its readability. The agency also revised the guideline to provide updates based on up-to-date science, incorporate new information on purchase specifications and documentation that can be used to support that violative residues are not reasonably likely to occur and provide guidance for establishments that perform residue testing. Additionally, FSIS updated the guideline to clarify how residues influence New Swine Slaughter Inspection System sorting procedures and the agency's Kidney Inhibition Swab (KISTM) testing procedures.

FSIS issued FSIS Notice 21-24 to instruct Inspection Program Personnel to notify establishment management of this updated resource.

FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this guideline by August 26, 2024.

Reminder: FSIS Implements Digital Signatures for Export Certificates in PHIS for China

As announced in the March 22, 2024, Constituent Update, export certificates for meat and poultry products (excluding casings and egg products) exported to the People's Republic of China are being digitally signed in FSIS' Public Health Information System (PHIS) since July 1, 2024.

Tips for Faster Label Approval

Labels are currently taking about 2-4 business days to evaluate.

TIP: The use of the Generic Label Advisor (GLA) in the Label Submission and Approval System (LSAS) may assist establishments in determining if a label is eligible for generic approval.

Generic label approval refers to the approval of labeling or modifications to labeling that are approved by FSIS through applicable Federal regulations without the need to submit labeling to the agency for sketch approval. Generic label approval requires that all mandatory labeling features are in conformance with FSIS regulations for compliance with 9 CFR 412.2. Labels are eligible for generic approval provided they do not fall into of the following categories: 1) labels for temporary approval 2) labels for product produced under religious exemption and 3) labels with special statements and claims (9 CFR 412.1). A tool available to help establishments determine if a label is eligible for generic approval is the GLA, which is accessed through the agency's LSAS.

The GLA is a voluntary decision tree type tool in LSAS that will ask the submitter a series of questions about the label including claims that may appear on the label. Based on the responses provided, the GLA will assist in determining whether a label is eligible for generic approval or needs to be submitted to the FSIS for sketch approval. If the label is eligible for generic approval, LSAS will generate a certificate that the user may save or print that identifies that the label is generically approved. FSIS does not accept the voluntary submission of labels that are eligible for generic approval. Establishments are required to maintain labeling records for compliance with 9 CFR 320.1(b)(10), 381.175(b)(6), and 590.200(c).

For more information, please see the askFSIS Public Q&A: Generic Label Advisor

FSIS Posts Individual Category Status and Aggregate Results for Poultry Carcasses, Chicken Parts, and Comminuted Poultry Tested for Salmonella

On June 20, 2024, FSIS updated the individual establishment Salmonella performance standard category information for raw poultry carcasses, raw chicken parts, and comminuted poultry products on the Salmonella Verification Testing Program Monthly Posting page on the FSIS website. Additionally, FSIS post the aggregate sampling results showing the number of establishments in categories 1, 2, or 3 for establishments producing young poultry carcasses, raw chicken parts, or not ready-to-eat (NRTE) comminuted poultry products at the location linked above.

FSIS Updates Guideline for Training Establishment Carcass Sorters in NPIS

FSIS has updated its guideline titled, "FSIS Guideline for Training Establishment Carcass Sorters in the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS)." The guideline helps poultry establishments train employees to conduct carcass and associated viscera sorting activities that are required under NPIS. FSIS updated the guideline to clarify that if establishments do not plan to use any edible visceral organs for human food, their sorting procedures can be to remove and discard the viscera.

Reminder: FSIS to Discontinue Quarterly Establishment Information Letters

In July 2024, FSIS will discontinue issuing quarterly establishment information letters that are sent to meat and poultry establishments. These letters provided comprehensive results for products sampled by FSIS at an establishment within the past 12 months.

FSIS continues to expand data products available in the Public Health Information System (PHIS) reports and online data postings. All data available in the letters will be available in PHIS reports and public data postings starting in July.

FSIS will post guidance explaining how establishments can access the data, including steps for creating a PHIS account, in an upcoming Constituent Update. Further details about PHIS, including guides to access the system, are available on the FSIS website.

PHIS Q&A

Question: I need access for the "Export Broker" role. I submitted an enrollment request; however, I still don't have access. What am I missing?

Answer: Once the user submits an enrollment request, they will receive an email with an activation code within 5 minutes. The broker role is the only one that gets an email. Check your spam folder for an email from [email protected].

Visit PHIS Help for Industry for additional resources.

Knowledge Article

askFSIS Public Q&A: If a company wants to know where its label is in the label evaluation and approval process who should it contact?

If the label was submitted online, via the Labeling Submission and Approval System (LSAS), the company can view the status from their Dashboard in LSAS. If the label is mailed, faxed, or express-mailed directly to Labeling and Program Delivery Staff (LPDS), the company should contact the Distribution Unit at (301) 504-0883. However, please wait a reasonable amount of time before calling to account for transit. If a label is sent via a label courier firm, you should contact the courier firm to obtain the status of the label.

Questions? Please submit them through askFSISby filling out the web form on the FSIS website.

Visit AskUSDA.gov and include "askFSIS" in your search terms for more knowledge articles on this and other topics.

SMALL PLANT ROUNDTABLE

Friday, July 26, 2024
Round Rock, TX
[email protected]

ESTABLISHMENT TOWN HALL

July 17, 2024
4 PM Eastern
[email protected]

To sign up for the CONSTITUENT UPDATE, go to our website or email us at:
[email protected]

Have a topic you would like to see covered? Email us at: [email protected]

Last Updated: Jul 03, 2024