This delay now gives us time to continue conversations with FSIS about the validity of the Revised Documents and hopefully get some changes made to it.
AAMP Executive Director Chris Young was in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, February 20th to meet with FSIS Acting administrator Paul Kiecker and members of his policy staff.
Federal and state inspection help keep the food supply safe, but it must give small processors the opportunity to survive without drowning in paperwork or burdensome regulations.
Companies are required to develop procedures to ensure that food safety objectives are being met, and inspectors verify those claims through observation and reviewing documentation.
FSIS' assertion it has the authority to take photographs at regulated establishments is nothing new. But the recent revision has caused many establishments to again question whether the agency truly has the authority to take photographs and what actions can be taken when there is a demand to take them.