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US: FSIS - directive on state inspection programs 20 Feb 2009

The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA issued a new directive, according to reports.
The new Directive 5720.3 gives the methodology and guiding principles by which federal state auditors and other staff review the State Cooperative Meat or Poultry Inspection programs.
 
Reviews
According to reports, the reviews are carried out to see whether a state has developed and is maintaining a meat or poultry inspection programme that imposes requirements "at least equal to" those imposed by FSIS under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act or the Poultry Products Inspection Act.

Inspection programmes in compliance
Also, the reviews are designed to see whether State Cooperative Meat or Poultry Inspection programs fall in line with federal civil rights laws and USDA civil rights regulations, and whether they conform to the Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments.
 
Key Points:
  • FSIS’s policy and procedures for comprehensive reviews of State Cooperative MPI programs
  •  Criteria FSIS uses to determine whether State Cooperative MPI programs are at least equal to the Federal inspection program.

To read the notice, click here (pdf)
 
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