For use beginning 6/1/2015
This directive provides inspection program personnel (IPP) at thermal processing establishments with updated procedures to follow when an abnormal container is found by IPP or by the establishment, or when there is a process deviation during the production of thermally processed, commercially sterile (shelf-stable) canned products at an official establishment. It also addresses the review of process deviations and abnormal containers by the Policy Development Staff (PDS).
For use beginning 12/15/2018
This directive provides instructions to inspection program personnel (IPP) for performing the “Big 8” Formulation Verification task in the Public Health Information System (PHIS). IPP verify that establishments are accurately controlling and labeling the eight most common (“Big 8”) food allergens in meat and poultry establishments. These allergens are designated as “major food allergens” by the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) of 2004.
KEY POINTS:
II. REASON FOR REISSUANCE This directive should:
1. Emphasize that the “Big 8” Formulation Verification task is a Priority 3 task;
2. Emphasize the public health importance of verifying control of “Big 8” allergens in establishments;
3. Incorporate a shorter questionnaire;
4. Make IPP aware that the answer to the new Question 1 in the shorter questionnaire will generate a field in the Establishment Profile Report that indicates whether “Big 8” allergens are used in product formulation at the establishment; and
5. Add information about cold-pressed and highly refined oils in Attachment 1;
For use beginning 10/1/2017
This directive significantly updates instructions to inspection program personnel (IPP) in cattle establishments using advanced meat recovery (AMR) systems by incorporating instructions from FSIS Notice 05-15, Interpreting Results of FSIS Verification Sampling of Domestic Beef Product Derived from Advanced Meat Recovery Systems. Using the updated instructions, IPP now verify that all beef AMR products from any cattle including veal are free of central nervous system (CNS) tissues (i.e. brain or spinal cord) and CNS-type tissues (i.e. trigeminal ganglia or dorsal root ganglia (DRG)) in accordance with 9 CFR 318.24. Specifically, this directive also updates instructions on how to schedule tasks using the Public Health Information System (PHIS), collect AMR samples, interpret laboratory test results for CNS or CNS-type tissues, and what actions to take when noncompliant product is found.
KEY POINTS:
• This directive focuses on specific verification activities associated with production of beef AMR from cattle bones
• Beef AMR product containing CNS or CNS-type tissues is not “beef” and cannot be used as an ingredient of a “meat food product”
• VAAFM will sample only AMR product produced from beef skull or vertebral column bones because these are most likely to contain CNS tissues or CNS-type tissue and therefore eligible for sampling as identified in this directive
• Establishments are required to hold or maintain control of AMR product that VAAFM samples and tests for CNS or CNS-type tissues until results are available
For use beginning 9/1/2015
This directive provides instructions to inspection program personnel (IPP), Compliance and Investigators for enforcing the regulations regarding nutrition labeling for major cuts of single-ingredient, raw meat and poultry products and ground or chopped meat and poultry products. Surveillance sampling for nutrient content of raw ground beef is described in FSIS Notice 43-14 dated 9/2/14. Instructions for collecting samples for nutrition analysis will eventually be incorporated into this directive or into a new directive specific to the subject.
KEY POINTS:
• Nutrition labeling requirements
• Exemptions from the requirements
• IPP and Investigator responsibilities
For use beginning 2/1/2016
This directive issues instructions to inspection program personnel (IPP) to verify whether establishments maintain necessary controls and records when donating certain misbranded or economically adulterated meat and poultry products to non-profit organizations. These instructions apply to IPP at official establishments. The State Meat Enforcement and Compliance Officer is to verify that in-commerce facilities maintain necessary controls and records for the donation of certain misbranded or economically adulterated meat or poultry products.
For use beginning 10/1/2020
This directive informs inspection program personnel (IPP) of the requirements, verification activities, and enforcement actions for ensuring that the handling and slaughter of livestock, including disabled livestock and livestock slaughtered by religious ritual methods, is humane. This directive provides instructions to IPP (e.g., public health veterinarian (PHV), Food Safety Specialists (FSS)) for conducting humane handling activities randomly throughout their tour of duty and provides instructions to IPP, in establishments that assert that they have put in place a systematic approach, on how to assess whether that approach is robust. PHVs are to no longer perform a monthly verification task (Verification of a Robust Systematic Approach) to determine whether an establishment maintains a robust systematic approach for humane handling as they are expected to make this assessment on an ongoing basis and inform the establishment of any status change in this regard. FSIS has modified the definition of egregious inhumane treatment and instructs IPP to document egregious inhumane treatment on a noncompliance record (NR) instead of a memorandum of interview (MOI). This revision also updates instructions for entering humane handling verification data into the Public Health Information System (PHIS).
In addition, per 6VSA 3306, establishments are currently required to submit a written humane handling plan to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets upon application for initial or renewal licensing. Establishments may choose to develop and implement a robust systematic approach for the humane handling of animals. On September 9, 2004, FSIS published a notice in the Federal Register (54 Fed. Reg. 54625) entitled “Humane Handling and Slaughter Requirements and the Merits of a Systematic Approach To Meet Such Requirements.” This Federal Register Notice 2 details the background on the humane handling and slaughter statutes issued by Congress and regulation of humane handling by FSIS. It also details steps industry should take to assure effective compliance with the Acts and regulations.
For use beginning 10/17/2016
This directive instructs inspection program personnel (IPP) how to verify that establishments effectively prevent contamination of poultry carcasses (other than ratites) throughout the slaughter and dressing operation as required in 9 CFR 381.65(f) and (g). This directive contains instructions previously found in VAAFM Notice 64-14, Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection: Verifying an Establishment’s Procedures for Preventing Contamination by Enteric Pathogens and Fecal Material, and VT Directive 6410.3 Verifying Sanitary Dressing and Process Control Procedures by Off-Line Inspection Program Personnel (IPP) in Poultry Slaughter Operations. VAAFM will no longer assign the Poultry Sanitary Dressing Verification task in the Public Health Information System (PHIS). This directive also supersedes instructions relating to poultry fecal contamination verification (Chapters III., IV., and V.) of VT Directive 6420.2, Verification of Procedures for Controlling Fecal Material, Ingesta and Milk Contamination. Lastly, this directive clarifies that the recordkeeping and sampling requirements in 9 CFR 381.65(g) are applicable to poultry establishments that slaughter under a religious exemption.
KEY POINTS
• Verifying establishments prevent contamination with feces and enteric pathogens throughout the slaughter process as part of the slaughter HACCP system
• Verifying establishments meet zero tolerance requirements for feces on poultry carcasses entering chilling system.
• Reviewing poultry slaughter establishment sampling results.
For use beginning 3/1/2020
This directive provides inspection program personnel (IPP) with the current method for protecting public health by verifying, documenting, and enforcing the requirement that there be no visible fecal material, milk, or ingesta on livestock carcasses at or immediately after the final rail, and for verifying that feces, ingesta, and milk are not present on head, cheek, and weasand meat at packing. In this revision, FSIS increased the livestock carcass sample size in Attachment 1. This change will help the Agency better analyze data from establishments that operate under traditional inspection and the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS).
For use beginning 1/31/2020
This directive instructs inspection program personnel (IPP) on how to verify that establishments effectively prevent contamination of swine carcasses and parts throughout the slaughter and dressing operation as required in 9 CFR 310.18(c). It also instructs IPP on how to verify that establishments meet the recordkeeping requirements in 9 CFR 310.18(d). The requirements in 9 CFR 310.18(c) and (d) apply to all swine slaughter establishments as per the modernization of swine slaughter inspection final rule.
KEY POINTS:
• Provides instructions to IPP on how to verify compliance with the requirements in the modernization of swine slaughter inspection final rule that apply to all swine slaughter establishments, including instructions on how to verify that:
o The regulatory sampling requirements are being met;
o Establishments are preventing contamination throughout the slaughter and dressing process as part of their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans, sanitation standard operating procedures (Sanitation SOPs), or other prerequisite programs (i.e., their HACCP systems); and
o Establishment sampling plans meet all requirements as per 9 CFR 310.18(c) and (d).
• Provides instructions to IPP on how to review establishment sampling results and determine actions to be taken.
For use beginning 12/1/2011
A. This directive is being reissued to provide off-line inspection program personnel (IPP) with information regarding how to verify that cattle slaughter operations are implementing sanitary dressing and process control procedures, and that the procedures they are implementing prevent contamination of carcasses and ensure that insanitary conditions are not created.
B. In addition, this directive provides information describing how IPP are to assess the sanitary dressing and process controls cattle slaughter establishments employ in their food safety systems. Such controls are likely to include decontamination and antimicrobial intervention treatments. Establishments should verify the effectiveness of these controls by sampling and testing for microorganisms of beef manufacturing trimmings, other raw ground beef components (including head meat and cheek meat), and raw ground beef.
KEY POINTS:
Defines Process Control Procedures Defines Sanitary Dressing Defines Contamination of Carcasses and Parts
Describes the purpose of sanitary dressing and process control procedures
Describes the points in the slaughter process where carcass contamination with food safety hazards, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7, are most likely to occur
Describes how an establishment’s failure to properly execute its sanitary dressing and process control procedures can increase the risk of contamination of carcasses and parts at various points in the slaughter operation
Provides instruction to IPP regarding how to verify that cattle slaughter operations are implementing effective sanitary dressing and process control procedures to prevent contamination of carcasses and are properly applying decontamination and antimicrobial intervention treatments to carcasses and parts to address any contamination that my occur
Provides instruction to IPP on how to verify that the establishment is properly assessing any microbial testing results, including results for indicators of process control, at any point during slaughter and at subsequent trim fabrication and grinding operations. Examples of microorganisms used as indicators of process control in raw beef operations include Enterobacteriacae, generic E. coli, E. coli O157:H7, non-O157 STECs, and Salmonella
Provides information regarding slaughter food safety systems and how each aspect of the system (e.g., sanitary dressing and process control procedures, intervention treatments, product sampling, supporting documentation) is a factor to be considered when determining whether there is regulatory compliance
Provides clarification regarding the differences between documenting noncompliance under PBIS procedure code 06D01 and under procedure code 01C02
Provides information regarding supervisory responsibilities, including instructions to Public Health Veterinarians (SPHV), Supervisory Consumer Safety Inspectors (SCSI), the Inspector-in-Charge (IIC), Multi-IPPs Supervisors, and Front Line Supervisors (FLS)
