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Secretary Ed Schafer Announces Plan To End Exceptions to Animal Handling Rule
Secretary Ed Shafer announced on May 20 a complete end to exceptions within the animal handling rule,
so that the slaughter of disabled non-ambulatory cattle is prohibited.
The announcement follows upon Shafer's call in February for the Office of the Inspector General and
FSIS to investigate allegations of animal cruelty and inhumane practices by the Hallmark/Westland Meat
Packing Company in Chino, California.
"I told the American people and Congress that I was going to treat this issue with the
utmost urgency, doing everything in my power to appropriately address this problem and work to
strengthen consumer confidence in our food supply," stated Shafer.
Through evidence obtained by FSIS, the establishment did not consistently contact the FSIS public health
veterinarian in situations in which cattle became non-ambulatory after passing ante-mortem inspection,
which is not compliant with regulations. As a result, USDA called for the largest beef recall in American history.
"I am announcing that USDA will begin working on a proposed rule to prohibit the slaughter of all
disabled non-ambulatory cattle, also known as 'downer cattle'. The current rule, which focuses on cattle
that went down after they have already passed pre-slaughter inspection, has been challenging to communicate
and has, at times, been confusing to consumers," proclaimed Shafer.
Shafer illustrated, "To maintain consumer confidence in the food supply, eliminate further
misunderstanding of the rule and, ultimately, to make a positive impact on the humane handling of cattle,
I believe it is sound policy to simplify this matter by initiating a complete ban on the slaughter of
downer cattle that go down after initial inspection."
This action is expected to provide additional efficiencies to food safety inspection by removing the
step that requires the inspection workforce to determine when non-ambulatory cattle are safe to slaughter.
To view Secretary Shafer's complete statement, visit www.usda.gov/2008/05/0131.xml.
FSIS to Hold Regulatory Education Workshop in Houston
FSIS will hold regulatory education workshops for owners and operators of small and very small plants in Texas on June 10.
The workshops will cover a variety of topics and prerequisite programs, including hazard analysis and critical
control points, sanitation performance standards, sanitation standard operating procedures, rules of practice,
food defense strategies, E. coli O157:H7 workshops, and the following notices:
- 65-07, Notice of Reassessment for Escherichia coli O157:H7 Control and Completion of a Checklist for all Beef Operations;
- 66-07, Multiple Follow-Up Sampling After FSIS Positive Escherichia coli O157:H7 Results; and
- 68-07, Routine Sampling and Testing of Raw Ground Beef Components Other Than Trim and Imported Raw Ground Beef Components for Escherichia coli O157:H7.
The June 10 session will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel - Houston, 2222 West Loop, Houston, Texas from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
To register by phone, call (800) 336-3747. Online registration forms and information about upcoming sessions can be found at
www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/
Outreach_Sessions_SVS_Plants/index.asp.
Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required.
Export Requirement Updates
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated to reflect changes in export requirements for the following:
Complete information can be found at www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/
Export_Information/index.asp.
FSIS Provides Q&A's for Food Defense Plans
FSIS will conduct a survey on August 1 to determine how many FSIS-regulated slaughter and processing plants have voluntarily adopted
functional food defense plans.
To assist plants in developing and using food defense plans, common Q&A's have been posted to askFSIS on the Agency's Web site.
Visit https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081106031316/http://askfsis.custhelp.com and select "Food
Defense Plans in FSIS Inspected Facilitates".
Through askFSIS customers can receive information on technical and policy questions. Visitors can submit
inquiries, check the status of a request, or revisit previously saved information.
There are currently no regulatory requirements for an establishment to develop a plan; however, FSIS strongly
encourages establishments to maintain a food defense plan. A good food defense plan helps to identify steps that will
help minimize the risk that food products in an establishment will be intentionally contaminated or tampered with and it also increases preparedness.
The Agency is expecting to see a goal of a 50% adoption rate since the prior two surveys in which the adoption rate was less than 50%.
Ultimately, FSIS is expecting industry to reach a goal of at least 90% of plants adopting functional food defense plans in order
to stave off the agency's move forward with rulemaking that will mandate functional food defense plans.
Look to future issues of the FSIS Constituent Update and visit FSIS' Web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Defense_&_Emergency_Response/
Guidance_Materials/index.asp
to review guidelines for completing a functional defense plan.
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Last Modified:
May 23, 2008 |
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