Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 4/22/15

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has begun collecting data to support a potential rule that would “modernize” pork inspection in a similar vain to the agency’s new poultry inspection system.

Late last summer, FSIS finalized an optional inspection protocol that shifts some inspectors off organoleptic-type production line work and on to other food safety responsibilities, such as verifying pathogen reduction. The new system resulted from the HACCP-Based Inspection Models Pilot (HIMP) program that has been in use for many years in over 20 U.S. chicken and turkey plants.  

Included in the HIMP program also have been five hog plants, and meat industry officials supportive of the model have been eager to implement not only in pork plants but also in beef facilities.

Asked for an update on the matter at the North American Meat Institute’s Meat Industry Management Conference in Carlsbad, Calif., FSIS Administrator Al Almanza told attendees the agency in February began what will be a 9-month collection of data in pork plants to support a rule and subsequent rulemaking process.

Almanza said no such data collection effort is underway for beef.

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