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VT Directive 5100.3 Rev 4 ADMINISTRATIVE ENFORCEMENT ACTION DECISION-MAKING AND METHODOLOGY

The VT Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets (VAAFM) has statues and policies in place to ensure that all actions are supportable and properly documented. VAAFM has differing roles and responsibilities versus the defined roles in USDA FSIS.
The purpose of this directive is to explain the system and procedures used in the Meat Inspection Office for documenting and maintaining case files supporting administrative enforcement and other actions taken under the authority of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA), and VT State Statutes and regulations. The VT Meat inspection program maintains electronic case files on the VAAFM server. VAAFM does not Inspect egg products. In this directive, the term Enforcement, Investigations, and Analysis Officer (EIAO) also means EIAO trained Public Health Veterinarians (PHV). The term District Veterinary Medical Specialist (DVMS) also includes DVMS-trained PHVs.

VT Directive 5060.1 HYGIENE AND BIOSECURITY PRACTICES

This directive instructs inspection program personnel (IPP) to comply fully with the sanitary and hygiene procedures and biosecurity measures put in place by an official meat or poultry establishment that these facilities also require of all of their employees. These instructions are in VT Notice 17-15, Program Personnel Hygiene and Biosecurity Practices.

VT Directive 5020.1 Rev 1 VERIFICATION ACTIVITIES FOR THE USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY IN MEAT AND POULTRY ESTABLISHMENTS

This directive provides instructions to inspection program personnel (IPP) on how they are to verify that a meat or poultry establishment is following the procedures outlined in its protocol(s) for new technology or the procedures agreed to as a condition of a waiver of regulatory requirements. This directive has been revised to provide verification instructions for IPP at establishments with waivers, including those participating in Salmonella Initiative Program (SIP) and at establishments following protocols for new technology. It also includes new instructions for documenting tasks performed in the Public Health Information System (PHIS).
KEY POINTS:
 Defines new technologies and protocols
 State-inspected establishments are eligible to use new technologies
 Explains waivers of regulatory requirements and procedures for IPP verification of such waivers

VT Directive 5010.1 Rev 1 FOOD SAFETY RELATED TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION DURING WEEKLY MEETINGS

Inspection program personnel (IPP) should discuss topics at the weekly meeting with establishment management that are pertinent to an establishment’s food safety system and that could affect public health. Accordingly, this directive stresses the importance of the weekly meetings and the need for those meetings to address any pertinent topics related to food safety. To assist IPP, this directive provides a general list of food safety related topics that they should consider discussing with the establishment during weekly meetings.
This directive is being reissued to include information related to conducting weekly meetings in establishments operating under the Public Health Inspection System (PHIS), to include as possible topics for discussion during the weekly meeting: 1) establishment pathogen test results and 2) issues of concern to establishments also under Food and Drug Administration (FDA) jurisdiction; to update information links and modify Section VII regarding the preparation of the Memorandum of Interview (MOI); and to add a section addressing Supervisory responsibilities.

VT Directive 5000.9 VERIFYING VIDEO OR OTHER ELECTRONIC MONITORING RECORDS

The purpose of this directive is to provide instructions to inspection program personnel (IPP) when establishments have records created by video or other electronic monitoring or recording equipment. The directive also addresses use of ―live feed video‖ in slaughter facilities.

KEY POINTS:
How to review records generated by video equipment or other electronic monitoring equipment
How IPP are to approach live feed video

VT 5000.8 Rev 1 VERIFYING COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENTS FOR WRITTEN RECALL PROCEDURES

This directive provides instructions for inspection program personnel (IPP) to follow when verifying that official establishments that produce meat or poultry products establish and actively maintain the required written recall plan procedures. FSIS is reissuing this directive to include additional information on how IPP are to verify an establishment’s recall plan procedures. It also provides instructions for the use of the Public Health Information System (PHIS) in the recall plan procedures verification activity and instructs IPP to verify that establishments maintain recall plan procedures while they operate under a conditional grant of inspection.

Per 6 V.S.A. § 3305 (8), the State of Vermont adopts Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 3, 9 CFR §§ 300.1 et seq., together with any amendments, supplements, or revisions thereto.

VT Directive 5000.6 Rev 2 PERFORMANCE OF THE HAZARD ANALYSIS VERIFICATION (HAV) TASK

This directive provides inspection program personnel (IPP) instructions for performing the Hazard Analysis Verification (HAV) task. This directive also identifies circumstances that will require IPP to conduct a directed HAV task for a specific product or processing category and provides instructions for IPP to perform such directed HAV tasks. This directive is being revised to provide updated instructions on assessing compliance with Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems validation regulatory requirements and to provide additional instructions to IPP when trends are identified during an analysis of HAV task data.
KEY POINTS:
• Provides instructions to IPP on the performance of the HAV task
• Provides instructions to IPP on verifying the use and implementation of prerequisite programs
• Provides updated guidance for verifying compliance with validation regulatory requirements
Incorporates the instructions in FSIS PHIS Directive 5000.1, Verifying an Establishments Food Safety System, Chapters III and IV into this directive
• Provides instructions to FSS regarding verification of the use and implementation of prerequisite programs
• Makes clear that conducting a HAV task is not the same as conducting a Food Safety Assessment (FSA)

VT Directive 5000.5 Rev 3VERIFICATION OF LESS THAN DAILY SANITATION PROCEDURES IN MEAT AND POULTRY PROCESSING OPERATIONS

This directive provides instructions to inspection program personnel (IPP) in meat and poultry processing operations on how to verify compliance with the sanitation regulations in establishments that conduct a complete cleaning and sanitizing of product contact equipment less frequently than every day.
KEY POINTS:
• VAAFM MIS does not provide inspection services to egg products establishments

• IPP are to evaluate LTD sanitation procedures using applicable regulations in 9 CFR 416 and 417 because sanitation procedures of this type are the foundation of food safety systems

• Establishments are not required to submit their procedures for prior review or approval to implement a LTD sanitation program

• Meat and poultry processing establishments may conduct a complete cleaning and sanitizing at frequencies other than daily. Slaughter establishments are not allowed to conduct LTD sanitation procedures, with the exception of poultry chillers that have been adjusted to stabilize water pH and temperature and with antimicrobial levels sufficient to inhibit bacterial growth.
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