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).

For use beginning 2/23/2024
Replaces version 11/12/2013
This directive provides the terminology, responsibilities, and public notification procedures regarding the assessment of adulterated and misbranded meat and poultry that may have entered commerce, and the voluntary recall of such products. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM), Meat Inspection Service (MIS) is revising this directive in its entirety to provide instruction regarding large volume recalls and recalls of ingredients regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It also includes new definitions for Class III recalls; clarifies when MI may publish Public Health Alerts (PHAs); and makes clarifying revisions throughout.

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