Heather Hicks Quesenberry Food Safety Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture

1. Farm to Fork: FSIS Initiatives Heather Hicks Quesenberry Food Safety Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture

2. . The United States has the best food production, processing and inspection systems in the world.

3. However, the system is not perfect. Continual Threats! Listeria monocytogenes Salmonella Campylobacter E. coli O157:H7 Food safety continues to be a serious matter.

4. USDA’s Responsibility Jurisdiction over products that generate more than $120 billion in sales annually.

5. Inspections of Food Animals and Egg Products Per Year * 39 million cattle and calves 97 million swine 3.5 million sheep and lambs 8 BILLION poultry and fowl 3.2 BILLION pounds of liquid egg products 3.8 BILLION pounds of imported product re-inspected * Graph is not drawn to scale.

6. FSIS has a dedicated and diverse workforce that vigilantly protects the meat, poultry and egg products supply. An inspection force of more than 7,600 deployed throughout the United States Inspectors present at various import stations every day Inspectors present in 6,400 plants every day

7. “Farm-to-Table” Continuum: safeguarding the nation’s food supply

8. “Enhancing Public Health: Strategies for the Future” • Enhanced inspector training • Food safety technologies – new review staff, refine guidance • USDA food safety risk assessment coordination • Coordination of food safety research agenda • Best practices for animal production • Microbiological baseline studies www.fsis.usda.gov

9. The Success of HACCP 40% The CDC has attributed HACCP implementation as an important factor in the overall decline in bacterial food-borne illnesses from 1996 through 2001. 30% 20% 10% 0% -10% -15% -21% Salmonella -20% -27% E. coli O157:H7 -30% Campylobacter -35% -40% Listeria

10. Re-assessment Of Plant HACCP Plans  FSIS Consumer Safety Officers started reviewing re-assessments in large and small plants this winter.  Re-assessments for very small plants began April 21, 2003. We are holding industry, and ourselves, responsible for successfully operating under the pathogen reduction/HACCP rule

11. Significant Steps Have Been Taken to Improve the Technical and Scientific Knowledge of Our Inspectors Federal, state and local inspectors are equipped with greater knowledge and understanding of how to protect the public.

12. Recalls

13. Outbreak Cycles Outbreak every 2 – 4 years Outbreak every 2 – 4 years Outbreak every year Outbreak every year Listeria monocytogenes E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak every 2 – 4 years Outbreak every year We must break the cycle!

14. USDA-FSIS Food Safety Strategy Up-to-date Science Well-trained and dedicated inspectors Practical Solutions

15. Improving Food Safety Step #1 Enhanced Data Integration • Anticipation and prediction of food safety risks through enhanced data integration • Analysis of FSIS regulatory sampling data as well as data to detect trends and identify connections between persistence, prevalence and other factors such as plant practices and seasonality. Inspection and Enforcement Laboratory Data

16. Improving Food Safety Step #2 Risk-based Regulatory and Enforcement Activities Science dictates our food safety programs. A strong science infrastructure at FSIS allows for science-based policy making. We operate under different models and sometimes are required to change policy as new crises emerge.

17. Improving Food Safety Step #3 Associate Program Outcomes to Public Health Surveillance Data Protecting the public’s meat, poultry and egg products is the purpose of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

18. Improving Food Safety Step #4 Improving Food Safety Beyond our Borders USDA Animal and Plant Health Service

19. We all play a part in ensuring the food on American tables is safe.