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Advanced Meat Recovery Resources
Documents related to Advanced Meat Recovery, a technology that enables processors to remove remaining muscle tissue from beef carcasses without breaking bones.
BAX® (Apr 2002)
FSIS adopted the BAX® system to screen ready-to-eat products
for Listeria monocytogenes. The BAX® screening
test uses a polymerase chain reaction to amplify DNA.
BSE Resources
News, risk assessment results, and other resources related to BSE.
BSE: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy - "Mad Cow Disease" (Mar 2005)
This fact sheet responds to general questions the public may have regarding Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), including how it is related to other diseases, what are its causes, and what FSIS is doing to protect the public from it.
BSE: FSIS Further Strengthens Protections Against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) (Mar 2005)
This fact sheet describes certain USDA and FSIS rules and regulations for the prevention of and testing for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).
BSE: FSIS Technical Service Center
Answers Common Questions (Mar 19, 2004)
BSE questions and answers intended for plants and all users
of FSIS Web site. These questions have been received frequently
by the FSIS Technical Service Center.
BSE Rules Being Strictly Enforced (Aug 12, 2005)
A review of inspection data by FSIS shows strong enforcement of regulations to further enhance safeguards against BSE.
Dioxins and Dioxin-Like Compounds In the U.S. Domestic Meat and Poultry Supply (Jun 2005; PDF only)
FSIS conducted a survey to gather information on dioxins, furans,
and dioxin-like PCBs in U.S. meat and poultry products as part
of a continuing effort to understand and characterize potential
contaminants in the food supply.
Dioxin Resources
Questions and answers for consumers; advisories and guidance for industry; historical information.
FSIS Food Recalls (Mar 2006) | PDF
Fact sheet presents key facts about the recall process in question-and-answer format.
FSIS Laboratories (Jan 2002)
FSIS has four laboratories staffed by approximately 200 employees, including microbiologists, chemists, and veterinary pathologists. This fact sheet discusses the roles of those laboratories.
FSIS Rule Designed to Reduce Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Meat & Poultry Products (Jun 2003)
FSIS issued an interim final rule requiring that federal establishments
producing certain ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products
take meaningful steps to further reduce the incidence of Listeria
monocytogenes.
FSIS Sets New Procedures for Plants That Fail Salmonella Tests (Aug 2002)
FSIS issued new procedures for responding to establishments that fail Salmonella performance standard testing for raw products.
HIMP: Accomplishments of the HACCP-Based Inspection Models Project (Jul 2000)
In October 1999, FSIS began the project to determine whether new government slaughter inspection procedures, in conjunction with new plant responsibilities, can improve food safety, increase consumer protection, and provide flexibility for FSIS to use its resources more effectively.
HIMP: An Overview of the HACCP-Based Inspection Models Project (Jun 2002)
FSIS continues to reevaluate and make improvements to the HACCP-Based Inspection Models Project (HIMP). The inspection procedures employed in the project appear to improve food safety and other consumer protections.
HIMP: Update on the HACCP-Based Inspection Models Project--In-Plant Slaughter (Mar 2000)
This fact sheet was one of several providing updates on the HIMP.
Humane Slaughter: Key Facts (Jun 22, 2001)
USDA considers humane methods of handling animals and humane slaughter operations a priority, and has a Farm Animal Well Being Task Force to address sound standards for the care, handling, transporting, and slaughter of farm animals. Learn more.
Import Procedures for Meat, Poultry & Egg Products (Jun 2000)
Foreign countries that export meat, poultry, and egg products
to the United States must establish and maintain inspection
systems equivalent to U.S. systems. FSIS audits foreign inspection
systems and reinspects product at the port-of-entry to ensure
that foreign countries have maintained equivalent inspection
systems.
Imported Meat, Poultry & Egg Products Remain Under USDA Jurisdiction (Dec 2003)
This document was written to clarify requirements and procedures
for meat, poultry and egg products given that the Food and Drug
Administration's two interim final regulations of the Bioterrorism
Act took effect on December 12, 2003.
Importing Meat, Poultry & Egg Products to the United States (Dec 2003)
This fact sheet provides a comparison of the FSIS and FDA import processes and details FSIS' reinspection and import application procedures.
Inspection & Grading of Meat and Poultry: What Are the Differences? (Aug 2008) | PDF |
En Español | En Español PDF
The inspection and grading of meat and poultry are two separate programs within USDA. Inspection for wholesomeness is mandatory; grading for quality is voluntary.
Irradiation Resources
News and documents related to the use of irradiation and history of FSIS' rulemaking.
Irradiation and Food Safety: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (Sep 2005)
| PDF | En Español
Learn more about what food irradiation is and how it works.
ISO Accreditation: Key Facts (Jan 2002)
FSIS has received ISO Standard 17025 accreditation for procedures
that the agency conducts at its laboratories.
Microbiological
Testing Program for Meat & Poultry (Jun 2000)
FSIS embarked on a major initiative to more fully integrate
microbiological testing into its food safety program for meat
and poultry.
New Measures to Address E. coli 0157:H7 Contamination (Sep 2002)
| PDF
FSIS adopted a series of new measures to further prevent Escherichia
coli (E. coli) O157:H7 contamination in ground beef.
Nutrition Labeling Proposed For Raw Meat & Poultry Products (Jan 2001)
Fact sheet describes a proposal to extend mandatory nutrition labeling to single-ingredient raw meat and poultry products covered under the voluntary nutrition labeling program.
Product Labeling: Defining "U.S. Cattle" & "U.S. Fresh Beef Products" (Aug 2001)
FSIS sought public comments on an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on the definition of cattle and fresh beef products for labeling purposes.
Revised Directive for Advanced Meat Recovery Systems (Dec 2002)
FSIS issued a revision of an existing directive to ensure that
plants using Advanced Meat Recovery (AMR) systems are following
regulations designed to prevent spinal cord from entering the
food supply misrepresented as meat.
Risk Analysis (Jul 2003)
The risk analysis paradigm includes three elements—risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication—and allows regulatory officials to focus finite resources on those hazards that pose the greatest risk to public health.
Slaughter
Inspection 101 (Feb 2008)
Describes the basics of inspection, and the duties performed by FSIS inspectors, in meat and poultry slaughter facilities.
USDA
Rule on Retained Water in Meat & Poultry (Apr 2001)
FSIS issued a final rule, effective Jan. 9, 2002, to limit the
amount of water retained by raw, single-ingredient meat and
poultry products.
Use of DES in the United States (Mar 2000)
In July 1999, Switzerland reported that it had found low levels
of diethylstilbestrol (DES) in two samples of U.S. beef. The
Swiss government sent the two positive samples to a European
Union (EU) reference laboratory for reconfirmation. In October
1999, the EU laboratory issued a report stating, "we must conclude
that our analyses do not confirm the presence of DES in the
samples submitted for analysis."
Using the Claim "Certified Organic By..." on Meat & Poultry Product Labeling (Mar 20, 2000)
FSIS is the agency in USDA that has the responsibility for
assuring that the labeling of meat and poultry products is
truthful and not misleading. This fact sheet has some background
information from 2000; more current information is available
within the Food
Labeling Fact Sheets section.
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