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| 100 Years Since the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA): A Timeline |
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1905: The Jungle
Upton Sinclair's book The Jungle, a vivid portrait of intolerable human cruelty and unsanitary
conditions in a turn-of-the-century American meatpacking factory, caused public outrage and led President
Theodore Roosevelt to call for government regulations of the food industry, and laid the groundwork for
the passage of the Federal Meat Inspection Act. |
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1906: Federal Meat Inspection Act
The Meat Inspection Act is signed into law on June 30, 1906. It mandated inspection of live animals, carcasses
and processed products as well as improved sanitary conditions for slaughter and processing. After the act
became law, the Meat Inspection Division (MID), responsible for inspection and enforcement of the act, grew
from 981 inspectors in 1906 to 2,290 inspectors in more than 700 establishments by 1907. |
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1910: Bureau of Animal Industry Lab Research Center
The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), a predecessor of FSIS, opened a research center in Beltsville, MD.
BAI was responsible for meat inspection research within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Meat
Inspection Division. |
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1942: Laboratory and Sampling Structure
In May 1942, the structure of the Laboratory and Sampling section of the Meat Inspection Division was
established. This section of the MID consisted of seven laboratories around the country that would be
responsible for scientific testing of meat and meat products for foreign substances, excess water, and
pollution of the water being used in processing. The laboratories were also responsible for developing
new testing methods. |
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1957: The Poultry Products Inspection Act
Following World War II, there was tremendous growth in the poultry industry and the desire for ready-to-cook
and processed poultry products. In response, in 1957 Congress passed the Poultry Products Inspection Act,
which mandated inspection of poultry products in any area designated by USDA as a major consuming area,
such as metropolitan localities. |
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1958: The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1958 and 1978
Signed into law in August, 1958 the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act requires all livestock in the U.S. be
slaughtered humanely, except for Kosher, Halal, and other religious slaughter. Twenty years later, the Humane
Methods of Slaughter Act of 1978 was enacted. This Act amended the Federal Meat Inspection Act by requiring
that all meat inspected by FSIS for use as human food be produced from livestock slaughtered by humane methods
in accordance with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1958. |
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1967-1968: Wholesome Meat and Wholesome Poultry Products Acts
The Meat Inspection and Poultry Products Inspection Acts were amended to give USDA authority to control
movement of unfit meat and meat products and to require poultry products in interstate and foreign commerce to
meet Federal inspection standards. They also extended the Department's authority regarding meat and poultry
products in intrastate commerce. |
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1970: The Egg Products Inspection Act
In December 1970, Congress passed the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA). The EPIA provides for the mandatory
continuous inspection of the processing of liquid, frozen, and dried egg products. For the next 25 years, the
Poultry Division of USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service inspected egg products to ensure they were wholesome,
otherwise not adulterated, and properly labeled and packaged to protect the health and welfare of consumers.
In 1995, FSIS became responsible for the inspection of all egg products, with the exception of those products
exempted under the Act that are used by food manufacturers, foodservice, institutions, and retail markets. |
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1977-1981: Reorganization and New Responsibilities
In March 1977, the Food Safety and Quality Service (FSQS) was formed out of the USDA's Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) and assigned the responsibility for meat and poultry product inspection and
administration of the quality grading for agricultural products. In June 1981, an USDA reorganization
shifts quality grading responsibilities to the Agricultural Marketing Service and the FSQS became the Food
Safety and Inspection Service, (FSIS). |
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1993: Nutrition Labeling of Meat and Poultry Products
In January 1993, FSIS published final regulations regarding nutrition labeling to permit voluntary nutrition
labeling on single-ingredient, raw meat and poultry products; and to establish mandatory nutrition labeling
requirements for all other meat and poultry products. |
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1994: Testing for E. coli O157:H7
In October 1994, FSIS declared E. coli O157:H7 an adulterant in raw ground beef products in response
to a 1993 outbreak which resulted in 400 illnesses and four deaths and began testing raw ground beef for
E. coli O157:H7. The testing program continues to monitor for the presence of E. coli O157:H7 at
ground beef establishments and at retail. |
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1996-2000: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Systems
A landmark rule issued by FSIS in July 1996 focuses on the prevention and reduction of illness causing
pathogens on raw products by requiring Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems and
Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures in FSIS inspected establishments. All establishments are required
to develop a HACCP plan to ensure the safety of their products. Implementation of HACCP/PR began in January
1997 and was completed in more than 6,000 federally inspected and 2,100 state-inspected meat and poultry plants
in January 2000. |
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1999: Testing for Listeria monocytogenes
During the 1980's, Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) began to emerge as a problem in processed
meat and poultry products. By1999 an especially virulent strain of Lm emerged. FSIS concluded that many
establishments should reassess their HACCP plans and published a notice advising manufacturers of ready-to-eat (RTE)
meat and poultry products of the need to reassess their HACCP plans to ensure that the plans were, in fact,
adequately addressing Lm. In November 2002, FSIS announced it would begin intensified testing at plants
that produced high- and medium-risk ready-to-eat products that did not conduct environmental testing as a way of
preventing Listeria monocytogenes or did not voluntarily share their environmental testing data. |
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Present Day: Protecting Public Health and Ensuring a Safe
and Secure Food Supply
FSIS' mission remains protecting public health through food safety and food defense. FSIS ensures that meat,
poultry, and egg products prepared for use as human food are safe, secure, wholesome, and accurately labeled.
FSIS enforces the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA), the Egg
Products Inspection Act (EPIA) and associated regulations, such as the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.
Through the implementation of these acts and the dedication to public service of more than 10,000 FSIS
employees, the American food supply continues to be the safest in the world.
FSIS is moving forward to further improve food safety and protect public health by relying on a more robust,
risk based inspection system founded on sound science and the efficient use of inspection program personnel
to more effectively identify and mitigate risk. |
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Last Modified:
May 5, 2006 |
