The Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) has made a commitment to conduct a Food Safety Assessment, better known as a FSA, in each establishment that processes meat or poultry products. These assessments are considered routine, based on the fact that a plant operates under a Grant of Inspection. In addition to the normal FSA’s, FSIS also conducts FSA’s “for cause”. These “for cause” FSAs may be conducted due to a positive laboratory result for
Listeria
monocytogenes or
E. coli 0157:H7
, or a company’s product being implicated in a food illness outbreak, either as a product processor or as a supplier to another company. Other factors that may result in a FSA are multiple Non-compliance Records, especially if they are linked to a common root cause, or if a processor is involved in a product recall.
If FSIS determines that a plant’s operation is not under control, the District Manager may issue a Notice of Intended Enforcement (NOIE), or if the findings are considered severe, a Notice of Suspension (NOS). Regardless, plant management will be required to present a corrective action proposal to the District Office within a limited period of time. The corrective action proposal must address the concerns that are described in the Notice. If plant management does not respond adequately, FSIS may move to withdraw the plant’s Grant of Inspection.
HCG’s group of Professionals can:
