|
Acting
FSIS Administrator Dr. Barbara Masters told a large number
of participants at AAMP's American Convention of
Meat Processors in Grand Rapids, Michigan that
abuse of authority in the Agency won't be tolerated.
She said that plant owners and employees running into that
kind of situation should contact "higher-ups"
at USDA.
Masters,
who spoke at AAMP's keynote session, Can YOU Survive Government
Meat Inspection?, said that FSIS "Consumer Safety Officers
were renamed "Enforcment Investigation & Analysis
Officers" (EIAO's) because FSIS needed personnel who
could determine HACCP scientific, public health and enforcement
problems in plants, rather than only scientific problems,
which necessitated additional employees to evaluate enforcement
issues, sometimes resulting in disagreements and confusion
between FSIS employees.
Masters
also noted that if small or very small plant operators are
being abused by any FSIS employees, including inspectors,
plant operators should contact their Frontline Supervisors,
and, if necessary, District Managers, to get these situations
resolved.
She
also told the group that the hiring of an "Ambudsman,"
an "outside" employee who will be able to settle
problems between plants and FSIS, has been delayed, because
the person chosen for the job turned it down. The Agency
is moving as quickly as possible to fill it, she said.
In
response to a question about more "safe harbors"
to enable small and very small plants to comply with FSIS
rules and directives, Masters said the Agency is creating
more "compliance guidelines," which are meant
to help the small industry. Also, the Policy Office
under Dr. Dan Engeljohn is working on a new hazards guide
to help small plants comply with HACCP. There has
been increased training of inspectors in regard to the new
E. coli Directive. All inspectors are receiving eight
hours of training, as well as a CD they can review on their
own. In the past, directives were just "thrown"
to the inspection workforce, with no help from management.
Masters
said the Agency is considering sponsoring joint training
for both inspectors and plant operators. She said
the Agency is moving towards it, with both regulators and
regulated industry sitting side by side during the current
E. coli Directives workshops being held around the country.
If there is a group of small plants that can't get to one
of the sessions, the Agency will send out an EIAO from the
local District Office to conduct training. She also
told AAMP after the meeting that FSIS would look at posting
draft directives for industry comment, as the Agency did
several years ago. She also said that the both the
meat processing industry and USDA is responsible for large
drops in the amount of foodborne pathogens detected in meat
and poultry products, as well as the level of illnesses
caused by those pathogens.
|
