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Food Inspectors (GS-1863) comprise about 38% of the Food Safety and
Inspection Service's workforce.
Federal Food Inspectors (MPG
Video, 7mb | Streaming
Audio) are located in over 6,400 privately owned meat or poultry
slaughter and processing plants and import facilities nationwide.
These inspectors ensure that the product is fit for human consumption
in compliance with Federal laws.
Slaughter inspection involves the ante-mortem
and post-mortem inspection of cattle, swine, sheep, goats, chickens,
turkeys, ducks, geese, equine, ratite, and squab.
Ante-mortem inspection (MPG
Video, 11mb | Streaming
Audio) involves a visual examination of the live animal or poultry
prior to slaughter. Food Inspectors are trained to recognize abnormalities
in appearance and behavior of the live animal.
Post-mortem inspection (MPG
Video, 8mb | Streaming
Audio) consists of a visual and tactile and/or incisory inspection
of the head, viscera, carcass, and offal (liver, heart, brain and
tripe) in order to determine that no pathological conditions are present
and that the carcass is in a clean and wholesome condition.
In large plants where slaughter is done on an assembly line basis,
inspection stations are established for the head, viscera, carcass
and offal inspection. In smaller plants that do not operate on an
assembly line, a single inspector may carry out all four inspection
processes.
Because of the nature of the operation, poultry slaughter
(MPG Video, 6mb
| Streaming
Audio) is generally carried out on an assembly line basis. After
the poultry has been slaughtered, singed, and eviscerated, each carcass
passes before an inspector who examines the viscera and the body to
assure that there are no evidences of pathology.
In all species, Food Inspectors determine the wholesomeness of each
inspected carcass. If the carcass is considered questionable, it and
the viscera are retained for veterinarian disposition.
Processing inspection is quite different from
slaughter inspection. It involves cattle, swine, sheep, goats, chickens,
turkeys, ducks, geese, rabbits, and equine that have been fabricated
and incorporated into a processed product.
Processed products range from hamburger and ground beef, chicken rolls,
and turkey rolls, to more complex foods such as frozen dinners, meat
and chicken pies, cooked and uncooked sausage, cured and smoked products,
and refined lard and shortening.
Import inspectors conduct reinspection of the
full range of fresh and processed meat, poultry and egg products.
These inspectors assure the safety of imported products and verify
the performance of inspection systems in foreign countries that are
eligible to export to the United States.
FSIS hires several hundred inspectors (MPG
Video, 9mb | Streaming
Audio) each year. We currently have an extensive recruitment
effort underway for FSIS Food Inspectors. This includes bonuses
(PDF Only) ranging from $2,500 up to 25% of the base pay for new employees
accepting positions in certain locations. |
Last Modified:
November 20, 2007 |
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