Meat and Poultry: Improved Oversight and Training Will Strengthen New Food Safety System
RCED-00-16
Published: Dec 08, 1999. Publicly Released: Dec 08, 1999.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) efforts to improve the safety of meat and poultry products, focusing on whether: (1) the system adopted by USDA in its regulations is consistent with the seven Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles endorsed by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods; (2) the HACCP training program for USDA inspectors is adequate and science-based; and (3) there is an adequate dispute resolution (appeals) process between plants and USDA under the new HACCP inspection system.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture | To enable USDA to oversee all aspects of food safety at meat and poultry plants, the Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Administrator, FSIS, to review all HACCP plans to verify that plants are identifying and controlling food safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur through their HACCP programs. This review will ensure USDA appropriately oversees the HACCP system. |
Closed – Implemented
Between February and June 2000 FSIS conducted three National Supervisory Conferences that focused on verification that HACCP requirements are met. Also, FSIS is conducting Food Safety Systems Correlation Team Activities in each district to address verification activities that ensure that HACCP plans identify and control food safety hazards likely to occur. Since April 2000, FSIS has conducted in-depth verification reviews of the adequacy of over 30 HACCP plans in addressing critical hazards and plans to conduct additional reviews in the future.
|
| Department of Agriculture | To ensure the consistent inspection of HACCP programs, the Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Administrator, FSIS, to provide clarification and additional training regarding inspectors' roles, responsibilities, and authorities for reviewing and verifying HACCP plans. |
Closed – Implemented
FSIS conducted three national conferences to provide further training to inspection personnel on their roles,responsibilities and authorities for reviewing and verifying HACCP plans. Some 195 field officials were in attendance along with 71 employee organization and union officials and 17 heads of the regional inspection programs. FSIS has begun surveying field employees about the clarity and usefulness of directives dealing with these topics and will issue a Notice to the Field providing necessary clarifications on how to verify establishments' compliance with hazard analysis and HACCP Plan requirements.
|
| Department of Agriculture | To ensure the consistent inspection of HACCP programs, the Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Administrator, FSIS, to provide clarification and additional training regarding inspectors' responsibilities for microbial sampling and the frequency of salmonella testing. |
Closed – Implemented
FSIS, through its Field Operations Office, conducted three conferences across the nation to address, among other things, inspectors' responsibilities for microbial sampling and the frequency of salmonella testing. In addition, FSIS is revising two Directives -- Enforcement Instructions for the Salmonella Performance Standards and Microbial Sampling of Ready-to-Eat Products by Establishments Operating Under a HACCP System. The revised directives will provide inspection personnel with additional information regarding sampling techniques.
|
| Department of Agriculture | To ensure the consistent inspection of HACCP programs, the Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Administrator, FSIS, to provide clarification and additional training for inspectors regarding inspectors' responsibilities for how and when to file noncompliance notices and how to select the correct trend indicators. |
Closed – Implemented
FSIS has conducted three conferences across the nation to address, among other things, inspectors' responsibilities for how and when to file noncompliance notices and how to select the correct trend indicators. In addition, the agency is developing a computer-based training program for use on all Field Automation Information Management computers. Their goal is to complete this program by the end of October 2000. The agency will continue with supervisory personnel meetings to cover these topics.
|
| Department of Agriculture | To ensure that FSIS has complete and accurate information for analyzing industry appeals of noncompliance actions under the HACCP system, the Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Administrator, FSIS, to: (1) issue instructions to FSIS' district offices clearly stating that inspectors must provide complete, accurate, timely, and consistent appeals data for the automated appeals tracking system; and (2) periodically review the accuracy and completeness of the data in the appeals tracking system. |
Closed – Implemented
FSIS agreed with the recommendations and issued a memorandum in April 2000 to all field managers and supervisors emphasizing the importance of accurate, timely, and consistent data. In July 2000, FSIS approved an audit procedure to conduct quarterly audits of the automated appeals database system to verify that the appeals data is accurate and complete.
|
Full Report
Office of Public Affairs
Topics
Appeals processContaminated foodsDispute settlementsEmployee trainingMeat inspectionMeat packing industryQuality controlSafety regulationSafety standardsFood safety