USDA makes inspections at overseas meat plants more flexible
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will no longer require countries to make once monthly visits to certified meat and poultry plants that export products to the United States, instead allowing them to set the frequency of their oversight visits.
“This change would make the agency’s requirements for foreign inspection programs as consistent as possible with the FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) domestic inspection program,” the USDA said. “It would also allow foreign countries flexibility in structuring their programs.”
The USDA also noted that countries eligible to export meats and poultry to the United States are “thoroughly investigated during the equivalence evaluation.”
In addition, USDA often conducts inspections of meat shipments at the port of entry to ensure that country certificates are “authentic and accurate, and that products meet all U.S. standards pertaining to safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and packaged product.”
The rule takes effect on Sept. 5.