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Accomplishments of the HACCP - Based Inspection Models Project
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Introduction
Preliminary data from FSIS' HACCP-based inspection models
project (HIMP) indicate that the new system dramatically improves
the safety of poultry products and increases overall consumer
protection as well. However, a recent decision handed down
by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
reversed a lower court's decision supporting the project,
and sent it back for further proceedings. FSIS remains committed
to modernizing inspection, and while the Agency explores all
options in light of the court's decision, the HIMP project
continues. FSIS intends to hold its fifth public meeting on
HIMP in September 2000.
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Background
In October 1999, FSIS began the project to determine whether
new government slaughter inspection procedures, in conjunction
with new plant responsibilities, can improve food safety,
increase consumer protection, and provide flexibility for
FSIS to use its resources more effectively.
Under the project, FSIS is establishing performance standards for food safety and
non-food safety defects (also known as "other consumer protections" -or OCP)
found in young chickens, hogs and turkeys. The food safety performance standards for young
chickens are set at zero to protect consumers from conditions that may be harmful. The OCP
performance standards are based on baseline data collected in participating plants before
the new models were tested and thus represent the system. The new OCP performance
standards have been set at the 75th percentile; thus, 25 percent of the plants
would have to improve their baseline results in order to meet the more stringent
standards. Participating plants must revise their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points (HACCP) systems to meet these food safety performance standards and establish
process control systems to address the OCP concerns.
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FSIS conducts continuous inspection with verification to ensure these standards are met
and that products can receive the mark of inspection. Under the new system, FSIS
inspectors check for fecal contamination four times more frequently than under the
traditional system.
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Approximately 30 plants that slaughter young chickens, turkeys, and swine have begun
participating in the project, although data are available only for young chickens at this
time.
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The Data
Data collection was conducted by Research Triangle Institute, an independent consulting
firm. Data collected from 14,000 carcasses before and 14,000 carcasses after the models
were implemented were compared in seven young chicken plants to determine whether the new
system improves food safety and increases consumer protection. The data are complete for
seven poultry plants, while data for nine additional plants will be forthcoming. Data
collection is complete for both phases of testing after six weeks of microbiological
testing and five weeks of organoleptic testing.
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The table on page 3 contains the data currently available. To summarize, for the first
food safety category, which includes septicemia and toxemia, a 100 percent reduction in
defects was recorded when comparing results from FSIS' traditional slaughter inspection
system with the data under the new system. For the second food safety category, which
includes fecal contamination, a 92 percent reduction in defects was identified--even
though the sampling rate quadrupled under HIMP. These conditions are considered food
safety related because they have the potential to be hazardous to humans.
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There are five "other consumer protection" categories. For OCP-1, (see table
on page 3 for category descriptions) a 45 percent improvement was found in HIMP plants
when comparing the results from traditional slaughter inspection with the models phase
data. For the OCP-2 category, a 43 percent improvement occurred. For the OCP-3 category, a
13 percent improvement was found. For the OCP-4 category, a 26 percent increase was
identified. Although the defects in the OCP-4 category, such as feathers and oil glands,
are not food safety concerns, FSIS will determine the reason for this increase and require
plant changes. For the OCP-5 category, the data revealed a 60 percent improvement.
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Salmonella Data
All plants, whether they operate under traditional slaughter inspection or the HIMP
system, must meet pathogen reduction performance standards for Salmonella. The
national Salmonella performance standard is 20.0 percent for young chickens. For
the seven plants operating under the HIMP system for which data are complete, the Salmonella
prevalence was 5.5 percent, compared to 6.1 percent when the plants were under
traditional slaughter inspection.
Traditional Slaughter Inspection vs. HACCP-based
Inspection Models Project (HIMP) in Young Chickens*
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| Traditional Slaughter
Inspection vs. HACCP-based Inspection Models Project (HIMP) in Young Chickens* |
| Category |
Traditional Slaughter Inspection-
% Defects |
HIMP –
% Defects |
% Change
Under HIMP |
FS-1
Condition – Infectious (e.g., septicemia, toxemia) |
0.3% |
0.0% |
100% decrease |
FS-2
Contamination – Digestive Content (e.g., fecal material) |
2.4% |
0.2% |
92% decrease |
| Non-Food Safety
Concerns |
OCP-1
Condition – Animal Diseases ** (e.g., airsacculitis) |
2.0% |
1.1% |
45% decrease |
OCP-2
Condition – Miscellaneous (e.g., bruises, sores and other processing defects) |
70.0% |
39.8% |
43% decrease |
OCP-3
Contamination – Digestive Content (e.g., ingesta) |
21.5% |
18.8% |
13% decrease |
OCP-4
Dressing Defects –Other (e.g., feathers) |
78.5% |
98.6% |
26% increase |
OCP- 5
Dressing Defects – Digestive Tract Tissue |
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*Represents data available as of July 13, 2000; figures are based on the 75th
percentile. Because complete data from only seven plants operating under HIMP were
available, the percent defects under the traditional system were based on the same seven
plants rather than the 16 plants for which baseline data are available. Thus, the results
in this table cannot be compared to the previously reported baseline results from 16
plants. A full data set will be presented as soon as it is available.
**Conditions exhibiting a septicemia or toxemia are considered food safety hazards.
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