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Agricultural Marketing Service and National Marine Fisheries Service Verification Services for Meat, Poultry, Non-Meat and Seafood Child Nutrition Labeled Products

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will offer manufacturers two options to determine product compliance for the Child Nutrition (CN) Labeling Program. These options are the CN Quality Control Verification Program (CN-QCVP) or CN In-plant Monitoring Program (CN-IMP). Upon approval of the QC program, the manufacturer will have the option of participating in the CN-QCVP or the CN-IMP (CN Labeled juice and juice drink products are always produced under AMS regular in-plant inspection). The CN-QCVP will verify a manufacturer’s ability to meet requirements as written in their quality control (QC) program. The CN-IMP will require the appropriate agency’s grading/inspection service to be in the plant during all shifts of production of a CN labeled product. Once your QC program has been approved under the CN-IMP option, your facility may be subject to an initial validation assessment.

All manufacturers participating in the CN-QCVP will initially be required to have a minimum of four unannounced reviews per year. Manufacturers who do not produce quarterly will be required to have a minimum of two unannounced reviews per year. The number of reviews may increase based on performance.

If a manufacturer successfully meets the requirements of their QC program for four consecutive reviews, they will qualify for a reduction in review frequency, to two per year (semi-annual reviews). Manufacturers who continue to meet the requirements of their approved QC program will remain on a semi-annual review.

However, if at any time a manufacturer fails to meet the core criteria as written in their approved QC program under the CN-QCVP option, reviews will be conducted on a monthly basis until effective corrective actions are taken. After appropriate corrective actions are implemented, and confirmed to be effective by an AMS supervisor or NMFS Consumer Safety Officer (CSO) the manufacturer will be permitted to return to quarterly reviews. When a manufacturer meets the requirements of their QC program for four consecutive reviews, they will qualify for semi-annual reviews.

 

Last modified: 12/09/2008