The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is going ahead with plans to stop discounted enforcement prices in the meat industry despite strong opposition during a comment period.
The consultation covered the proposal to remove discounts on charges for enforcement activity so non-compliant businesses that generate more work no longer benefit from
Continue Reading FSA to stop discounted meat enforcement charges
Editor’s note: This is part four of a four-part series.
In the previous three articles, I described what I consider the underlying causes of the devolution of FSIS as an organization. Any fool can criticize. I am not a fool. Here is what I would do to address my criticisms
Continue Reading FSIS and fixing the problem
— OPINION —
Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a 4-part series.
Between 1906 and 1992, FSIS and its predecessors attracted minimal public attention as they quietly pursued their assigned mission: assure that adulterated and/or misbranded meat, poultry, or egg products are not distributed in commerce. Then in January
Continue Reading FSIS and a fundmental truth
Editor’s note: This is the first of a four-part series.
I had two simultaneous careers: the U.S. Army Reserve and the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). I graduated from the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) with a masters degree in Strategic Studies. I earned a bachelors of science
Continue Reading Federal meat inspection has failed to adapt to operational environment
Some food safety staff at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are being asked if they want to go on strike because of their pay.
Several hundred meat inspectors, vets, and office-based staff in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are involved, said Unison, a union in the United Kingdom.
Mike Short, Unison’s
Continue Reading FSA staff may strike over pay; agency consults on meat charges
Authorities such as the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are struggling with a skills gap after the United Kingdom left the European Union, according to a report.
The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee said there is a problem for agencies in recruiting and keeping the skills needed to regulate effectively
Continue Reading FSA struggling with skills gap post-Brexit says report
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and Arkansas have finalized a cooperative agreement under which state inspectors rather than federal inspectors may inspect meat products produced for shipment within the state.
Under the agreement, the state inspection program must enforce requirements “at least equal to” those implemented under the
Continue Reading FSIS and Arkansas sign cooperative agreement for meat inspection program
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the State of Oregon have reached a cooperative agreement, under which the state inspection program may inspect meat products produced for shipment within the state.
Under the cooperative agreement, the state inspection program must develop, administer, and enforce requirements “at least
Continue Reading Oregon’s state inspection program is 28th in the nation
New technology could bring benefits to meat inspection in the United Kingdom but there are still issues to overcome, according to a report.
A project assessed the feasibility of using sensor technologies and advanced data analytics for poultry inspection. It focused on post-mortem inspection and included technologies such as visual,
Continue Reading Project looks at how to modernize meat inspection
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service’s Quarterly Enforcement Reports always begin the same way. They wrap up the thousands of inspection procedures performed by FSIS staff at federally inspected establishments into one number,
For Oct. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2021, that number is 98.7 percent, which is the
Continue Reading FSIS reports first enforcement numbers for federal fiscal year 2022
