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Script: Consumer Complaint |
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Intro:
Welcome to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service
podcast. Each episode will bring you cutting edge news and information
about how FSIS is working to ensure public health protection
through food safety. While we’re on the job, you can rest assured
that your meat, poultry, and processed egg products are safe,
wholesome, properly labeled, and packaged correctly. So turn
up your volume and listen in.
Host:
Hello and welcome! I’m Jeff White. With me today is Kristal Southern with FSIS. Today, we’ll
be talking about what to do if you have a consumer complaint about meat, poultry or processed
egg products.
Kristal, tell us a little bit about this process and what qualifies as an acceptable complaint.
Guest:
Sure. It’s our expectation and the consumers’ that all of the products they receive are
safe, wholesome and properly labeled. FSIS uses a systematic approach for handling consumer
complaints to help identify unsafe meat, poultry, and processed egg products that are in
commerce and may need to be removed.
A consumer complaint is identified as any complaint reported to FSIS by a consumer, or
someone on behalf of a consumer, that is directly related to a meat, poultry, or processed
egg product that alleges one or more of the following characteristics:
- An illness or allergic reaction that occurred after eating a meat, poultry, or processed
egg product. An allergic reaction could be caused by an allergen that is not identified on
the product label.
- Also the presence of a foreign object/material or an injury that occurred while eating
one of the products just mentioned;
- Suspected under processing of a ready-to-eat (RTE) product or one that is not properly cooked;
- And also, improper labeling or misbranding of a meat, poultry, or processed egg product;
- Or economic adulteration. This could be caused by reduction of desirable ingredients
in a product by the addition of other less desirable ingredients.
Host:
How does FSIS handle consumer complaints?
Guest:
The Consumer Complaint Monitoring System, or CCMS, is an electronic database that’s
used to record, evaluate and track all consumer complaints reported to the agency.
Host:
How should a consumer report a complaint?
Guest:
Complaints involving FSIS-regulated products - meat, poultry, or egg products - should
be reported to FSIS by calling the Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854.
Host:
Are all consumer complaints entered into CCMS?
Guest:
Good question. Complaints that do not involve FSIS-regulated products are not
entered into CCMS.
Host:
Okay. What are some examples of complaints that FSIS would not handle?
Guest:
Listeners may want to get their pencils out and jot down these numbers. Some of
the most prominent examples of complaints that FSIS would not handle are:
- Complaints that involve seafood, fruits and vegetables. These should be reported to the FDA
by calling 1-888-463-6332.
- Complaints regarding food supplied through USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and nutrition
assistance programs like the National School Lunch Program, should be reported to FNS by calling
703-305-2064. That’s 703-305-2064.
- And then, of course, complaints that involve restaurants or store-prepared products such as
sandwiches, salads, or meals purchased at grocery stores or local restaurants should be reported
to the local health department.
Host:
What information should consumers have with them when they call to file a complaint
that involves an FSIS-regulated product?
Guest:
It would be very helpful to have:
- Basic identification of the complainant which would be the name, address and contact information;
- Identification of the subject product such as the brand and product name, size and
package type, name and location of place of purchase, date of purchase, the seller use
by date with a receipt would be best, date the product was used, manufacturer’s name and
address, establishment number – and this is the number inside the circle or in the case of
poultry bags, it may be on the zipper tie – and any amount of product remaining in the
original package.
Consumers should also tell us if they have any unopened packages of the product.
It would also be helpful to have information on the type of injury or illness that
resulted including a description, types of symptoms and time of onset, nature and
location of any medical attention received, and any type of laboratory test taken with the results.
Host:
Are callers required to identify themselves or give contact information?
Guest:
No. Callers may choose to remain anonymous. However, they need to provide as much
specific information as possible to enable us to conduct a more complete investigation
or inquiry.
Host:
This is really good to know. Can consumers call with complaints about criminal
violations such as backyard slaughter or misconduct and waste?
Guest:
Good question. Concerned citizens may report complaints involving possible criminal
violations of the Federal law such as unauthorized slaughter or processing of meat and
poultry products to the Office of Program Evaluation, Enforcement and Review by
calling 1-888-674-6854. They can ask to be directed to the Compliance and
Investigations Division covering their region.
Complaints regarding misconduct, waste, fraud, or abuse are to be
reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector
General by calling 1-800-424-9121.
If a caller is reporting an issue with a specific firm, such as inhumane treatment
or unsanitary conditions, they need to provide the firm name, location, time of
occurrence, animals involved, the type of problem, etc.
Host:
Well, Kristal, that’s all the time we have for today. Thank you very much for this
useful information.
Guest:
You’re quite welcome.
Host:
And join us again next time when we’ll continue our look at the Consumer Complaint
Monitoring System and discuss how your complaint would be processed and what outcome
you can expect from FSIS.
Outro:
Well, that’s all for this episode. We’d like your feedback
on our podcast. Or if you have ideas for future podcasts, send
us an e-mail at podcast@fsis.usda.gov. To learn more about food
safety, try our web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov.
Thanks for tuning in.
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Last Modified: October 16, 2008 |
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