USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced new policy measures that will affect inspected establishments. FSIS will implement new traceback measures which, when there is an indication of contamination through presumptive positive test results for E. coli, the agency will attempt to “link products, companies and the pathogen to a sole source supplier.”
FSIS said the action was taken to control pathogens earlier and “prevent them from triggering foodborne illnesses and outbreaks.” Also, FSIS will be implementing three provisions required by the 2008 Farm Bill.
The provisions will require establishments to prepare and maintain recall procedures, to notify FSIS within 24 hours that a meat or poultry product that could harm consumers has been shipped into commerce, and to document each reassessment of their hazard control and critical control point (HACCP) system food safety plans.