Food Inspection
- I propose that all food related agencies be combined into one entity
a. It can be very confusing as to which agency, USDA or FDA, has jurisdiction over a certain food item, especially when processed in a secondary manufacturing plant, example food processing plant that uses processed meat to make pizza.
b. The new agency should not be allowed to take any money or gifts from industries under its jurisdiction. - All food processing plants should develop a written Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventative Control Program (HARCP) and be required to follow it. It will not take much to move meat processing plants from Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point program (HAACP) as they are nearly identical, but enforced by different Federal agencies.
- All plants should be required to follow good manufacturing practices as outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations
- The new agency should have the authority to fine companies that do not follow the HARCP program and have the authority to recall products for health or labeling concerns.
- Live animal processing plants would no longer need to have the on-site inspector during the animal butchering stage.
a. FDA regulated food processing plants do not have on-site inspectors - Due to the high likelihood of live animal to carcass processing will introduce microbes to the exposed meat of the animal,
a. In bouse microbiological studies should be conducted on a regular basis. Possible example would be once a day for low volume plants (<6000 in single species or 20000 combined species annual processing) to once an hour or every so many animals for very high-volume plants (1-2 animals per minute).
b. Sent out testing should be conducted on a regular basis of once a week to once a month and sent to a food agency approved lab for the testing.
c. In the HARCP program should be a listing of how often, how to perform, and how to pick sampling spots. - Inspections: Inspection time interval will depend on the product type and business size.
a. Non live animal meat processing plants and non-meat processing plants will follow the inspection schedule outlined in the Food Modernization Act with an inspection once every 3 years for domestic high-risk plants and once every 5 years for domestic non-high-risk plants.
b. Live animal processing plants would need to be monitored more closely so low volume plants once every 6 months to a year and very high-volume plants once a month or once a quarter. Meat processing plants have a lot more risk for microbial contamination than non-meat plants.
Meat plants have required an on-site inspector for many decades, so this part could be stretched out, but I have low trust in foreign or foreign majority owned companies to look out for the well-being of United States citizens.
By removing the need for an on-site inspector, this could help to open up more small, local ran meat slaughter facilities to be competition to the few companies we current have controlling the meat supply in the United States.