Staff. This enables FSIS to use a team approach to plant enforcement actions
and to respond quickly to situations, to determine whether corrections have
been effective.
When HACCP or sanitation system failures occur, compliance officers assist
inspectors by reviewing documentation of failures of plant control systems
and help ensure appropriate due process when enforcement actions are
needed. This includes suspending the use of inspection marks, suspending
or withdrawing inspection, or holding suspensions in abeyance, and closing
plants.
While Pathogen Reduction and HACCP regulations provide the industry with
enormous flexibility to develop and implement innovative measures for
producing safe foods, they also impose clear and unequivocal responsibilities
for preventing contamination by pathogens and other hazardous substances.
Industry is accountable for food safety. This means that inspectors and
compliance officers must now verify industry practices and take enforcement
actions when a plant's control systems fails to meet regulatory requirements.
Essentially, with HACCP, FSIS has linked a plant's ability to control
processes and the eligibility of their products to bear the marks of inspection.
If a plant cannot demonstrate the effectiveness of its system, a withholding
action will be issued, which could lead to a formal action to withdraw
inspection, permanently.
We are committed to a systematic process to ensure safe food for consumers.
HACCP provides us with tools to stop operations where there is a pattern of
repetitive deficiencies, and insist on preventive measures to improve food
safety before a plant can reopen. Meat and poultry plants must therefore
continually and consistently demonstrate to FSIS inspectors that product is
not adulterated, and that plant sanitation and process control systems prevent
adulteration. They must also demonstrate truthful and accurate record-
keeping. They need to verify that their control measures have worked, and
that their products are safe and wholesome.
Where We're Going: Inspection Reform
Although we have made significant progress with HACCP and other aspects
of the Pathogen Reduction rule, we are committed to continuing to improve
our traditional inspection program for meat and poultry, and continuing to
address other areas of food safety in the farm-to-table continuum. Changes
in inspection methods and focus will benefit us all. However, the
PR/HACCP rule is not the end of the line; there's still a lot for us to do. I'd
like to now share some of our new initiatives with you.
First, we plan on continuing to improve our inspection system through