Spotlight: Food Safety and Inspection Service

USDA: Food Safety and Inspection Service

Oversees

A. Domestic and imported meat and poultry and related products, such as meat- or poultry-containing stews, pizzas and frozen foods
B. Processed egg products (generally liquid, frozen and dried pasteurized egg products)

Food Safety Role

1. Enforces food safety laws governing domestic and imported meat and poultry products by:
Inspecting food animals for diseases before and after slaughter
2. Inspecting meat and poultry slaughter and processing plants
3. With USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, monitoring and inspecting processed egg products
4. Collecting and analyzing samples of food products for microbial and chemical contaminants and infectious and toxic agents
5. Establishing production standards for use of food additives and other ingredients in preparing and packaging meat and poultry products, plant sanitation, thermal processing, and other processes
6. Making sure all foreign meat and poultry processing plants exporting to the United States meet U.S. standards
7. Seeking voluntary recalls by meat and poultry processors of unsafe products
8. Sponsoring research on meat and poultry safety
9. Educating industry and consumers on safe food-handling practices

For More Information

FSIS Food Safety Education and Communications Staff
Room 1175, South Building,
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250

Media inquiries: 202-720-9113

Consumers:
The Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-800-535-4555
(In Washington, D.C., area, call 202-720-3333.)
TDD/TTY: 1-800-256-7072

www.fsis.usda.gov

via FDA