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Statement of Dr. Richard Raymond, USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety
Report - Stakeholder Input Regarding Risk Based Inspection of Meat and Poultry Products
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"USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) appreciates the effort of Resolve in
facilitating the stakeholder input process, a critical element toward enabling FSIS to
better protect public health by implementing a more robust risk-based inspection system.
"As the report makes clear, all stakeholders support the goal of improving food safety inspection by more
effectively targeting inspection resources at those establishments, based on what they produce and
how well they control hazards, that are more likely to negatively impact public health. For the first time,
inspectors will be armed with an objective, data-driven representation of establishment performance and
product risk to guide their inspection decisions. An enhanced risk-based inspection system is a natural evolution
of a process carried out by FSIS over the past decade through the application of science and the analysis
of data continually collected in the course of inspection program activities. For example, FSIS' 11-step
Salmonella initiative unveiled in February, reserves more intensified Salmonella testing for
those establishments that cannot demonstrate consistent control of Salmonella over
an extended period of time. This demonstrates how FSIS is using data to continually improve its system.
"The process of developing the next phase of a more robust risk-based inspection system will
continue to be open, transparent, inclusive and deliberative. FSIS has and continues to solicit
input from stakeholders on both the concept of risk-based inspection as well as the elements
that should be included when evaluating processing establishment performance and product risk.
FSIS has and continues to incorporate stakeholder input. For example, FSIS is exploring avenues for
conducting an additional expert elicitation as discussed at the Resolve public meeting in October.
Additionally, FSIS is considering how to address food defense separate and apart from establishment
risk controls. And finally, the Agency anticipates additional activity in the area of attributing foodborne
illness to specific foods. Stakeholder input has been welcomed at multiple meetings of the National Advisory
Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection ((NACMPI) and at a two day public meeting in October.
Risk-based inspection has also dominated discussions at regularly scheduled monthly meetings with industry
and consumer groups, as well as during quarterly meetings when industry and consumer groups meet together
with FSIS and the Office of Food Safety. Risk-based inspection has been the main topic during numerous speeches
I have delivered to groups across the country and Secretary Johanns spoke about risk-based inspection in
September at a national food safety conference in Denver. Written comments regarding risk-based inspection
are posted on FSIS' Web site. The Agency is also soliciting written comments specific to the Resolve report.
"FSIS is recognized as a government leader in the area of microbial risk assessment and recognizes
the valuable contributions they make toward informing policy decisions. However, improving
public health and saving lives should not be delayed by the desire for a perfect environment.
As The International Association of Consumer Food Organizations recently observed at a meeting
of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene, it is 'clearly adverse to public protection' when risk
management responsibilities are delayed in order to complete lengthy and sometimes redundant
risk assessments or to accommodate other regulatory procedures. The U.S. National Advisory
Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods has stated that, the consideration of risk 'may not
necessitate, in all situations, an in-depth risk assessment which requires extensive resources and
time, particularly if it would unnecessarily delay timely protection of public health.'
"FSIS collects and analyzes the data upon which an objective measurement of establishment performance
and product risk should be based. That system will continually be updated and improved as new data become available."
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Last Modified:
December 22, 2006 |
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