EVALUATING THE EQUIVALENCE OF FOREIGN MEAT AND POULTRY FOOD REGULATORY SYSTEMS EVALUATING THE EQUIVALENCE OF FOREIGN MEAT AND POULTRY FOOD REGULATORY SYSTEMS Port of Entry Reinspection Food Safety and Inspection Service

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service

PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION In 1999, the United States imported approximately 3.3 billion pounds of meat and poultry from 31 countries. –86 % Fresh Red Meat manufacturing, carcasses and cuts – 1 % Fresh Poultry – 13 % Processed Meat/Poultry

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION In 1999, the United States imported almost 5.4 million pounds of egg products from Canada. –89.9 % Liquid – 8.5 % Frozen – 1.6 % Dried

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION % Meat and Poultry Imported into U.S. in 1999

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION FSIS reinspects meat and poultry products at ports of entry before they are allowed into U.S. commerce.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION About 75 FSIS import inspectors carry out reinspection at approximately 150 official import establishments.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service

PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION All shipments are reinspected for: Transportation damage Labeling Proper certification General condition Box count

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Additional Types of Inspection (TOI) are assigned, depending upon the type of product being presented.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Examples of “Types of Inspection”: Examination for product defects Laboratory analyses –microbiological contamination –chemical residues –food chemistry –species identification Net weight checks Condition of container

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Reinspection is performance-based: Better performing foreign establishments have their products reinspected less frequently.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service AUTOMATED IMPORT INFORMATION SYSTEM (AIIS) Centralized database that links ports of entry Stores reinspection results Provides a record of how each exporting country maintains inspection controls

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service AUTOMATED IMPORT INFORMATION SYSTEM (AIIS) The system has the ability to: Develop complete compliance records for each country and establishment exporting to the United States.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service AUTOMATED IMPORT INFORMATION SYSTEM (AIIS) The system has the ability to: Develop comprehensive product histories by establishment.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service AUTOMATED IMPORT INFORMATION SYSTEM (AIIS) The system has the ability to: Increase/decrease reinspection of products by country or establishment.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service AUTOMATED IMPORT INFORMATION SYSTEM (AIIS) The system’s import categories: Canned Product –Pork, Beef, Sheep/Goat, Poultry, Combination Fresh Product –Pork, Beef, Sheep/Goat, Poultry, Combination

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service AUTOMATED IMPORT INFORMATION SYSTEM (AIIS) (continued) The system’s import categories: Cooked Product –Pork, Beef, Sheep/Goat, Poultry, Combination Cured Product –Pork, Beef, Sheep/Goat, Poultry, Combination

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service AUTOMATED IMPORT INFORMATION SYSTEM (AIIS) (continued) The system’s import categories: Horse (all)

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service AUTOMATED IMPORT INFORMATION SYSTEM (AIIS) TOIs for COOKED BEEF, FROZEN (BHMGAQ) Product Exam –Boneless Meat for Manufacturing Laboratory-Listeria Laboratory-Salmonella Laboratory-Species

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Products meeting U.S. requirements are stamped with the “official mark of inspection.”

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION REFUSED ENTRY “REFUSED ENTRY.” Product not meet U.S. requirements is stamped “REFUSED ENTRY.” OPTIONS: Exported from the United States Destroyed Converted to animal food

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Reinspection Reinspection occurs at one of four levels: “Normal” level “SKIP-1” level “SKIP-2” level “Tighten and Hold” level

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION “NORMAL” “NORMAL” level: ALL ALL lots are reinspected

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION “SKIP-1” “SKIP-1” level: 1 out of every 4 lots is reinspected Each lot eligible for the “skip-1” has one in four chances of being reinspected

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION “SKIP-2” “SKIP-2” level: 1 of every 12 lots is reinspected Each lot eligible for “skip-2” has a one in 12 chance of being reinspected

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION “TIGHTEN AND HOLD” “TIGHTEN AND HOLD” Level: Shipments are held by FSIS pending test results

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Previous Example : COOKED BEEF, FROZEN Product Exam –Boneless Meat for Manufacturing Uses AQL-1 Switching Rule to move between the three inspection levels: Normal, Skip-1 and Skip-2

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Switching Rule An algorithm that specifies the conditions for transition between inspection levels.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Example of Switching Rules AQL 1 RULE Based on: the inspector’s determination of a specific lot the accumulation of defects –NO critical defect in the last 3000 pounds –NO major defect in the last 1600 pounds If lot fails, sampling returns to NORMAL

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Previous Example : COOKED BEEF, FROZEN Laboratory-Listeria Laboratory-Salmonella Laboratory-Species Uses Lab Pass/Fail Switching Rule to move between the three inspection levels: Normal, Skip-1 and Skip-2

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Example of Switching Rules PASS/FAIL LABORATORY ANALYSIS RULE If residue or microbiological analysis fails, foreign establishment placed on “tighten and hold” for 15 consecutive shipments pass within 180 days.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Example of Switching Rules PASS/FAIL LABORATORY ANALYSIS RULE If species analysis fails, foreign establishment placed on “tighten and hold” for 10 consecutive shipments pass within 180 days.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Residue Controls FSIS randomly samples products at ports of entry for chemical residue analysis.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Residue Controls Compounds adjusted annually Sampling frequency adjusted annually Initial sampling rate based on the volume of product imported the previous year Decisions about product acceptability are based on U.S. tolerances or action levels

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Microbiological Controls FSIS randomly samples specific products at ports of entry for microbiological analysis, including: Listeria monocytogenes Salmonella Escherichia coli 0157:H7 Staphylococcal aureus enterotoxin

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION REPORTED LABORATORY VIOLATIONS 1998 Residue Samples Residue Samples –Sulfonamides11 –Antibiotics1 Microbiological Samples Microbiological Samples –Listeria monocytogenes19 –Salmonella 7

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION LABORATORY VIOLATIONS Electronic results reported from laboratory Electronic results reported from laboratory Controls initiated Controls initiated –within United States –in the foreign country

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION LABORATORY VIOLATIONS Controls in United States Foreign establishment immediately placed on TIGHTEN & HOLD Foreign establishment immediately placed on TIGHTEN & HOLD Determine location of product in the U.S. Determine location of product in the U.S. –at an import establishment –at an FSIS inspected processing establishment –in distribution

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION LABORATORY VIOLATIONS Controls in Foreign Country FSIS notifies foreign inspection service FSIS notifies foreign inspection service –requests additional information related to production lot –requests an investigation of the cause –requests report of the investigation and appropriate corrective action

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION Laboratory Violations Repeat Violations (more than one from same country) Indicator that something is potentially wrong with the controls in the foreign country. Indicator that something is potentially wrong with the controls in the foreign country.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service PORT OF ENTRY REINSPECTION CONCLUSION Port of Entry reinspection data provides a record of the effectiveness of the foreign inspection system. Provides data which enables FSIS to shift reinspection and audit resources to foreign inspection systems with potential health risks.

USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service