On October 14, 2022, FSIS announced that it is hosting a virtual public meeting on November 3, 2022, to discuss a regulatory framework that the agency is considering for a new strategy to control Salmonella in poultry products. Due to the large number of attendees who have requested time to provide oral comment, FSIS will be extending the duration of the public meeting to accommodate as many speakers as possible. The public meeting is now scheduled for 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET. An updated agenda will be posted to the Events and Meetings page on the FSIS website.

The agency is also accepting written comments on the proposed framework through Regulations.gov. The comment period was initially scheduled to close on November 16, 2022, according to the Federal Register notice. This deadline is now extended to December 16, 2022.

On October 21, 2022, FSIS received a request from an industry trade association to extend the comment period. In response, the agency decided to extend the comment period by an additional 30 days to allow interested stakeholders sufficient time to take into consideration the discussion at the November 3, 2022, public meeting. The public will have additional opportunity to comment on issues associated with the proposed framework during future rulemaking. 

To view the Federal Register notice announcing the framework and public meeting as well as details on how to comment, please visit the FSIS website.

FSIS to suspend nitrofuran residue sampling and testing in raw poultry products

Effective November 1, 2022, FSIS will suspend nitrofuran residue sampling and testing in all domestic and imported raw poultry products under the U.S. National Residue Program. 

FSIS routinely evaluates the effectiveness of agency sampling programs to ensure they are based on the best available information and meaningful to public health protection. FSIS has collected data through the instructions issued to inspection program personnel in FSIS Notices (one issued in 2019 and one in 2020) to determine that young chicken carcass sampling and raw poultry testing for nitrofuran residues is unnecessary.

FSIS testing for nitrofuran—a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics—uses the marker residue semicarbazide (SEM). Studies indicate that SEM in poultry products may occur as a by-product from processing; therefore, detection of SEM as a marker residue does not always indicate nitrofuran misuse. Published data analyses also indicate that SEM may be detected in tissue samples of animals not exposed to nitrofuran drugs. As a result, FSIS will suspend the sampling and testing of nitrofuran residues in domestic and imported raw poultry products.

To access the FSIS Nitrofuran study, please visit Investigation into the Detection of Semicarbazide (SEM), a Nitrofurazone Indicator, in Chicken on the FSIS website. The FSIS testing results for nitrofuran analyses may be found in the FSIS Sampling Summary Report.

FSIS posts quarterly sampling data

FSIS has updated the following quarterly* sampling data sets:

  • Quarterly U.S. National Residue Sampling Report – Residue sampling data is available for the fourth quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2022 (July-September 2022). The report covers domestic (scheduled and inspector-generated) and import sampling programs. 
  • Quarterly Sampling Results – The quarterly sampling data has been updated to include results through the fourth quarter of FY2022 (September 2022). Quarterly, FSIS calculates prevalence, volume weighted percent positive, or percent positive calculations for microbial pathogens in FSIS regulated products that are currently sampled through existing sampling projects using the prior 12 months of sampling data. This posting includes sampling results for raw beef, raw pork, raw chicken, raw turkey, processed eggs, and ready-to-eat products. Please note that this posting contains updates in the “CY21” column for two tabs in the prevalence report (“Jul1_2021-June30_2022” and “Apr1_2021-Mar21_2022”) to reflect corrections to information for calendar year 2021 that had previously been posted in March and June. Anyone who had previously downloaded the files will need to download them again to have the correct and most up to date information.
  • Quarterly Sampling Reports on Antimicrobial Resistance Profile – This data release includes the sampling projects and pathogens reported under the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS). It also includes the antimicrobial resistance data on pathogens Salmonella, Campylobacter, Enterococcus, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), including E. coli O157:H7, isolate counts and resistance profile by FSIS product and cecal categories, through the third quarter of FY2022 (June 2022).
  • Quarterly Sampling Reports for Salmonella Serotype Information – This post includes quarterly Salmonella serotype data for Salmonella isolates collected from FSIS product categories. This release includes serotype data through the third quarter of FY2022 (June 2022).

* FSIS’ fiscal year runs October through September with four quarters: quarter one (October-December), quarter two (January-March), quarter three (April-June), and quarter four (July-September).

Upcoming events

Policy update

FSIS notices and directives on public health and regulatory issues are available on the FSIS Policy webpage. The following policy updates were recently issued:

  • FSIS Notice 61-22 - Rescission of Dual Labeling Requirements for Certain Packages of Meat and Poultry Products
  • FSIS Notice 62-22 - Federal Benefits 2022 Open Season
  • FSIS Notice 63-22 - Revised - Profile and Regulatory Updates in Domestic Egg Products Plants Implementing the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System Requirements
  • FSIS Notice 64-22 - Suspension of Young Chicken Carcass Sampling and Raw Poultry Products Testing for Nitrofuran Residues
  • FSIS Directive 7120.1 - Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products - Revision 57
  • FSIS Directive 5220.1 - Grant of Inspection Management - Revision 1
  • FSIS Directive 5030.1 - Labeling and Import Verification in an Official Egg Products Plant - Revision 4
  • FSIS Directive 5000.1 - Verifying an Establishment's Food Safety System - Revision 7

Export requirements update

The Library of Export Requirements has been updated for products for the following:

  • Japan
  • United Kingdom
  • French Polynesia (Tahiti)
  • New Caledonia
  • Western Samoa (Samoa)
  • Solomon Islands
  • Singapore
  • India
  • Hong Kong
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Qatar
  • Jordan
  • Morocco
  • Vietnam
  • New Zealand
  • China
  • Dominican Republic
  • Korea
  • Namibia
  • Benin
  • Tunisia
  • Egypt
  • Mauritius
  • Chile
  • Singapore
  • Korea
  • Mauritius
  • Kiribati
  • Myanmar
  • Canada

Complete information can be found at the FSIS Import & Export Library.

Source: USDA FSIS