Members of the American Association of Meat Processors want more information from USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service on how to comply with a potential regulation emphasizing in-plant data collection as a means of validating their pathogen interventions. Of particular concern to AAMP's meat inspection and governmental affairs committee is the indication from an FSIS letter that they would have to validate via in-plant data collection every single product they make and every single critical control point written in their HACCP plans.
Joe Maas, vice president of production for JTM Foods Group, based in Harrison Ohio, says if this is what they're talking about, you'll either make only one product or you will cease to exist. FSIS, which has yet to name a boss under the Obama administration, has not yet issued guidance documents on the rule changes, which are part of the agency's recently revised methodology of conducting food safety assessments.
Kenneth Petersen, assistant administrator of FSIS' Office of Field Operations, has notified field officers to refrain from issuing to plant operators Noncompliance Records or Notices of Intended Enforcement until guidance documents and Federal Register notices are issued. The letter came in response to complaints from meat processors who were surprised to learn that their conventional means of validation were insufficient and in violation of the new rules.
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