USDA Inspector General Recommends More Science in HACCP System
U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General Roger C. Viadero announced Wednesday the results of a major "food safety initiative" that reviewed emerging systemic changes in the way USDA ensures the safety and wholesomeness of meat and poultry. The initiative concluded that even though positive steps have been taken by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to secure the safety of meat and poultry products, additional improvements are needed in the four areas reviewed.
The Office of Inspector General's initiative was prompted by the July 1996 start of the changeover from the traditional sight, smell, and touch inspection methods to a science-based program that includes the Pathogen Reduction system and the Hazardous Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. FSIS completed the initial stage of conversion in January 2000.
OIG reviewed three facets of the new inspection system and the compliance review program that carried over from the previous system. Overall, the initiative concluded that for the science-based system to reach its full potential, FSIS needs to take maximum advantage of the expanding role that science now plays as a control to ensure the wholesomeness of meat and poultry products. Some of this control is observed in the identification of pathogens; some is seen in the integration of scientific techniques into the systems being established. Most significantly, we found that FSIS needs to command a more aggressive presence in the inspection and verification process. FSIS has not always established needed procedures or apprised itself of all areas where inspection is critical; consequently, it has reduced its oversight short of what is prudent and necessary for the protection of the consumer.
FSIS needs to strengthen its oversight in all four areas we reviewed. For example:
- FSIS allowed establishments to limit or reduce the number of critical control points identified in their HACCP plans and thereby limit Government oversight.
- FSIS' database did not list all establishments subject to tests for pathogens and residues.
- FSIS did not list all firms subject to compliance reviews and did not always target reviews at major metropolitan and geographic areas or at firms that could be regarded as high-risk.
- FSIS approved equivalency status to foreign countries without adequately developing and implementing procedures for determining the equivalency of foreign inspection systems or clearly documenting such determinations.
"USDA has a great responsibility to ensure that meat and poultry products are wholesome and safe to eat," Viadero said. "We monitored FSIS' implementation plans from the start, because we want to be sure that the new system is working as intended. After all, food safety is important to everyone."
Overall, OIG made a series of recommendations to strengthen procedures over the food safety system, determine the equivalency of imported meats and poultry, refine the compliance plan, ensure violations of the meat and poultry inspection laws are met with commensurate penalties, and ensure the intent of the HACCP program is met.
The full report can be accessed on the USDA OIG Web site at www.usda.gov/oig.
Edited by Pam Ahlberg