Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 4/3/17



USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued new inspection instructions to) at establishments that produce raw pork products during the next phase of the nationwide Raw Pork Products Exploratory Sampling Project (RPPESP), which will begin May 1.

All samples collected under the new phase will be analyzed for Salmonella and Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STECs), including E. coli O157:H7 and six STEC serogroups — 26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145. Samples will also be analyzed for two indicator organisms: aerobic count (AC) and generic E. coli.

During the beginning phase, all pork product samples were analyzed for Salmonella and a subset of samples were sampled for STECs. During the new phase, all samples will be tested for Salmonella, STECs, and indicator bacteria. Sample results from an individual sampling event will not result in regulatory control actions during the new phase.

During the initial exploratory sampling phase, establishments were exempt if the average daily volume range was 1 to 1,000 pounds per day for an eligible product group. During new phase, establishments producing eligible products in the average daily volume range of 1 to 100 pounds will not be sampled. Establishments producing 101 to 1,000 pounds per day are eligible for sampling if the number of days of production is 21 or more days in a calendar month.

Inspectors at selected pork establishments will receive sampling tasks based on the establishment’s average daily volume (pounds per day) and the number of days of production that are entered into the PHIS profile for the eligible product groups.
For all eligible pork product groups, the scheduling method will ensure that no more than eight samples per month will be scheduled for each establishment.

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