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For use beginning 12/1/2022
VAAFM verification of establishment compliance with Listeria controls is an important food safety verification activity that supports VAAFM’s food safety and public health goals. This directive provides instructions for inspection program personnel (IPP) to verify that establishments that produce post-lethality exposed Ready-to-Eat (RTE) products control Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) through a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan or prevent Lm through a Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure (Sanitation SOP) or other prerequisite program. This directive also includes instructions for verifying RTE products that are not post-lethality exposed (e.g., cook-in-bag) are properly classified.
This directive has been revised in its entirety to provide updated instructions to IPP for verifying that meat and poultry establishments are complying with the regulatory requirements of 9 CFR 430.4, Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Post-Lethality Exposed Ready-to-Eat Products (the “Listeria Rule”). The directive has also been revised to reflect changes that were made when the Agency affirmed the interim final Listeria Rule, including clarifying that establishments may not release into commerce product that the establishment collected under its Lm control program and has tested positive for Lm or has been in contact with Lm-contaminated surfaces without reprocessing the product (80 FR 35178). The directive also clarifies how IPP are to verify 9 CFR 417.2(a)(2) compliance for products that are not post-lethality exposed (e.g., cook-in-bag) in response to several recent outbreaks implicating products that were incorrectly classified as not post-lethality exposed. The directive no longer contains supplemental information task tables which were moved to IPP Help, RTE Verification. Instructions concerning sampling of RTE products are contained in a new VT Directive 10,240.3, Ready-to-Eat Sampling Programs. Per 6 V.S.A. § 3305 (8), the federal meat inspection regulations and federal poultry inspection regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 3, 9 CFR §§ 300.1 et seq., together with any amendments, supplements, or revisions thereto, are adopted, for the State meat inspection program to operate in an ‘equal to’ status.
KEY POINTS:
• Verifying an establishment’s compliance with the Listeria Rule, 9 CFR 430
• Verifying establishment sampling and testing programs meet the regulatory requirements of the Listeria Rule in both design and execution

For use beginning 3/3/2022
This directive provides Public Health Veterinarians (PHVs) with instructions on how to submit specimens for pathologic evaluation to the FSIS Eastern Laboratory.

For use beginning 2/1/2015
This directive instructs Enforcement, Investigations, and Analysis Officers (EIAOs) and other inspection program personnel (IPP) on the steps that they are to take for traceback investigations when VAAFM or another Federal or State agency finds that ground beef or bench trim have tested presumptive-positive for E. coli O157:H7. Additionally, this directive provides information on how IPP are to determine whether an establishment has experienced a high-event period (HEP), and information on when EIAOs or other IPP are to contact the Meat Inspection Office to request a recall from suppliers.
KEY POINTS:
• Instructs EIAOs and other IPP on how to conduct product traceback from the grinder or bench trim establishment
• Instructs EIAOs and other IPP on what an HEP is, and on the steps that they are to take to verify that an establishment’s action in response to an HEP is appropriate
• Instructs Office personnel on actions that they are to take during a product traceback
• Provides information on requesting that a sole source originating supplier slaughter establishment recall product when VAAFM laboratories or another Federal or State agency identifies that establishment as having sent product into commerce from a lot that tested positive in a sample collected at the grinder or bench trim (receiving) establishment

For use beginning 10/1/2020
This directive provides instructions to inspection program personnel (IPP) on the verification activities, other than VAAFM sampling, related to Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) and non-O157 Shiga toxinproducing E. coli (STEC). This directive is being reissued to reflect current policy regarding the importation and movement of product through commercial establishments bearing instructional statements concerning STEC, in Chapter IV Sections V and VI. These instructions were previously included in Notices. It also provides additional information on reassessment requirements when establishments have produced product found positive for STEC.
KEY POINTS:
• IPP verify HACCP regulatory requirements in establishments that produce raw beef products by performing the HACCP Verification Task and a HAV task
• Verification activities for raw beef products are applicable to raw veal products

NOTE: For the purposes of this directive, when the directive references raw beef, veal and not ready-to-eat (NRTE) beef are included.

For use beginning 5/28/2022
This directive provides the procedures Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets Meat Inspection Service (VAAFM MIS) program employees are to follow when issuing a Stop Use/Stop Sale Order, or detaining/preparing a recommendation to seize, meat and poultry products found in commerce when there is reason to believe that the products are adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise in violation of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA), (the Acts) and 6 V.S.A Chapter 204 of the Vermont Statues (6 V.S.A).
KEY POINTS:
• Identifying Circumstances in which program employees are to detain product and, when necessary, initiate a recommendation for seizure
• Identifying Circumstances in which program employees are to issue a Stop Use or Stop Sale Order
• Communicating with product owners, agents, or custodians including Understanding Product Detention
• Procedures to detain product and other factors to consider as part of the detention process
• Voluntary product dispositions, including product donations
• Documenting and supporting detention and seizure actions • Terminating detention actions and product seizure

For use beginning 8/1/2018
Curing is the addition of salt, sodium or potassium nitrate/nitrite sometimes sugar, seasonings, phosphate and curing accelerators to meat or poultry for preservation or development of flavor enhancement. There is a growing desire for local entrepreneurs to expand their market shares among consumers as well as growing demand for these specially processed products. Current Vermont regulations prohibit curing as a retail exempt activity. The purpose of this policy is to allow for retailers who wish to produce these kinds of products an opportunity to apply for a variance to do so.

For use beginning 6/20/2016
The written humane handling plan should detail how your establishment intends to comply with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Vermont Statutes, and regulations to ensure humane handling. The following document lists the current state and federal regulations, followed by questions in BOLD, to help you think about what you actually do in your establishment to comply with the regulations. There is not a required format for the writing of the plan.

For use beginning 6/20/2016
Although there are no specific state or federal humane handling and slaughter statutes for
poultry, under the PPIA and Agency regulations, live poultry should be treated humanely and in
a manner consistent with accepted Good Commercial Practices. The written humane handling
plan should describe what you do in your establishment to follow regulatory requirements to
assure that poultry is treated in such a manner that minimizes excitement, discomfort and
accidental injury the entire time that live poultry is held in connection with slaughter.
This guidance consists of questions based on good commercial practices and state and federal
regulations, to get you to think about what you do in your establishment. It is not meant to be
all inclusive, so if there are other things your establishment does to ensure proper handling of
poultry, please include it in your written plan.

For use beginning 3/27/2008
Imported product is under the jurisdiction of FSIS. If the Vermont State Meat Inspection and Compliance Program should encounter product that has been illegally imported or smuggled in to the country, the following will occur: If a compliance investigator or inspector, while conducting surveillance activities, discovers product that has been illegally imported, smuggled, is considered an FTP, or poses a food defense concern (see FSIS Directive 5420.3 and 5420.4), he or she is to: 1. detain and control the product as set out in FSIS Directive 8410.1, Detentions and Seizures, 2. the Vermont Compliance Officer will notify the appropriate OPEER Regional Manager or OIA Regional Import Supervisor.

For use beginning 8/1/2019
This directive provides instructions for the Meat Safety Compliance and Enforcement Specialist and Compliance Investigators on how to verify whether retail stores are meeting the labeling requirements for raw or partially cooked needle- or blade-tenderized beef at 9 CFR 317.2(e)(3), as instructed in VT Directive 8010.1, Methodology for Conducting In-Commerce Surveillance Activities. Previously, FSIS issued the instructions in this directive in FSIS Notice 33-17, Verifying Labeling of Descriptive Designation for Needle- or Blade-Tenderized Raw Beef Products As Required By 9 CFR 317.2(e)(3).