A new USDA audit of Germany’s food safety systems for processed meat products exported to the United States did not find much to cause concern.  The on-site verification audit of Germany’s inspection system occurred from March 18 through March 29, ending with an exit interview in Berlin.

At that interview, Germany’s Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety promised to take corrective actions to address USDA findings. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is to monitor the verification activities.

Germany currently exports processed pork products to the United States.

The USDA audit team’s review of Germany’s food safety system for processed meats found nothing that puts public health in danger. Several components of Germany’s food safety system were examined in detail and no deficiencies were found.

However, in two of six establishments, USDA auditors found government verification of HACCP requirements were inadequate. In two of four ready-to-eat dry-cured ham establishments, auditors found shortcomings in government verification of HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point) requirements.

USDA’s concerns were said to involve ” recordkeeping and necessary technical clarifications.”

At two dry-cured ham establishments, the audit report says, “the hazard analyses did not identify microbiological controls for Salmonella within all process steps; however, the establishment process had validated/scientific documentation.”

The final report is dated Sept. 25. USDA sent the final audit report off to Germany on Oct. 23.

“The purpose of the audit was to determine whether Germany’s food safety inspection system governing processed meat products remains equivalent to that of the United States, with the ability to export products that are safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and correctly labeled and packaged,” the audit report says.

USDA foreign audit reports focus on six system equivalent components:

• Government Oversight (e.g., Organization and Administration);
• Government Statutory Authority and Food Safety and Other Consumer Protection Regulations (e.g., Inspection System Operation, Product Standards, and Labeling, and Humane Handling);
• Government Sanitation;
• Government Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System;
• Government Chemical Residue Testing Programs; and
•  Government Microbiological Testing Programs.

“This was a routine ongoing equivalence verification audit,” according to the audit report. “The audit objective was to determine whether Germany’s food safety inspection system governing processed meat products remains equivalent to that of the United States, with the ability to export products that are safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and correctly labeled and packaged.”

Germany remains eligible to export certain products to the United States. those are:

Process Category	Product Category	Eligible Products
Thermally Processed – Commercially Sterile	Thermally processed – commercially sterile	Beef, Veal, Goat, Lamb, Mutton, and Pork- All Products Eligible
Not Heat Treated – Shelf Stable	Ready-to-eat (RTE) acidified/fermented meat (without cooking)	Beef, Veal, Goat, Lamb, Mutton, and Pork- All Products Eligible
Not Heat Treated – Shelf Stable	RTE dried meat	Beef, Veal, Goat, Lamb, Mutton, and Pork- All Products Eligible
Not Heat Treated – Shelf Stable	RTE salt-cured meat	Beef, Veal, Goat, Lamb, Mutton, and Pork- All Products Eligible
Fully Cooked – Not Shelf Stable	RTE fully-cooked meat	Beef, Veal, Goat, Lamb, Mutton, and Pork- All Products Eligible
Fully Cooked – Not Shelf Stable	RTE meat fully-cooked without subsequent exposure to the environment	Beef, Veal, Goat, Lamb, Mutton, and Pork- All Products Eligible
Heat Treated but Not Fully Cooked – Not Shelf Stable	Not ready-to-eat (NRTE) otherwise processed meat	Beef, Veal, Goat, Lamb, Mutton, and Pork- All Products Eligible
Product with Secondary Inhibitors – Not Shelf Stable	RTE salt-cured meat	Beef, Veal, Goat, Lamb, Mutton, and Pork- All Products Eligible

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