This makes sense to have companies manage their own safety through HACCP systems without the need for continuous government inspection. This also brings these facilities in line with meat and poultry product regulatory rules.
USDA New Release
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/news-releases-statements-transcripts/news-release-archives-by-year/archive/2020/nr-09092020-01
USDA Modernizes Egg Products Inspection
FSIS Office of Congressional and Public Affairs Press Inquiries (202) 720-9113
FSISpress@usda.gov
WASHINGTON, Sep. 09, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced that it is modernizing egg products inspection methods for the first time since Congress passed the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) in 1970. The Egg Products Inspection Regulations final rule aligns the egg products regulations to be consistent with current requirements in the meat and poultry products inspection regulations.
“Requiring egg product plants to develop food safety systems and procedures similar to meat and poultry requirements is a significant milestone in modernizing our inspection system," said FSIS Administrator Paul Kiecker. “FSIS is continuing to carry out its public health mission to prevent foodborne illness."
Under the new rule, federally inspected egg products plants are required to develop and implement Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs). FSIS will continue to test for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in egg products. FSIS requires that plants produce egg products that meet food safety standards and are edible without additional preparation and nothing in the final rule changes those requirements.
Under the HACCP system, plants will be able to tailor a food safety system that best fits their particular facility and equipment. Furthermore, by removing prescriptive regulations, egg products plants will have the flexibility and the incentive to innovate new means to achieve enhanced food safety.
In addition, FSIS will be assuming regulatory authority over egg substitutes and freeze-dried egg products, which pose the same risk as egg products and will be inspected in the same manner, enhancing the existing food safety system.
The agency has also realigned the regulations governing the importation and inspection of foreign egg products more closely with the regulations governing the importation of foreign meat and poultry products. FSIS will notify foreign countries of the regulatory changes. Countries that have ongoing equivalence and most countries that have requested initial equivalence for egg products already have HACCP implemented for egg products for their domestic products.
A pre-publication copy of the rule can be viewed at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/9c7eca7a-29dd-49ca-ae0b-e3faece17d52/2005-0015.pdf?MOD=AJPERES .
Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/article/usda-eggs-inspections/trump-administration-rolls-back-u-s-inspection-rules-for-egg-products-idUSL1N2G51M7
Trump administration rolls back U.S. inspection rules for egg products
By Tom Polansek
CHICAGO, Sept 9 (Reuters) - The Trump administration said on Wednesday it will stop requiring U.S. plants that produce egg products to have full-time government inspectors, in the first update of inspection methods in 50 years.
Under a new rule that takes effect immediately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will allow companies like Cargill Inc and Sonstegard Foods to use different food-safety systems and procedures designed for their factories and equipment.
The change marks the Trump administration’s latest move to ease government regulations over the nation’s food system. Some inspectors and public-interest groups have warned food safety may suffer as a result.
The new rule affects 83 plants that USDA has been inspecting, according to the agency. USDA will also assume oversight from the Food and Drug Administration of additional facilities that produce egg substitutes.
Inspectors will visit plants once per shift, instead of being there whenever egg products are being processed.
The change, first proposed in 2018, makes inspections consistent with those for meat and poultry products, said Paul Kiecker, administrator of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. Inspectors will operate under a “patrol” system, in which they will cover multiple plants each day, he said.
“We feel very confident that, based on the once per shift that we have them there, we’ll still be able to verify that they’re producing safe product,” he said.
Environmental group Food & Water Watch said in 2018 the patrol system may make inspections less effective.
The new rule aims to make better use of inspectors and allow companies to develop new food-safety procedures, Kiecker said.
Companies must implement standard operating procedures for sanitation and food-safety management systems known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.
“We are giving them more of the responsibility to ensure that they are producing safe products,” Kiecker said.
The coronavirus pandemic disrupted egg product sales this spring, as closures of restaurants, schools and offices reduced demand. (Reporting by Tom Polansek; Editing by Tom Brown)
FSISpress@usda.gov
WASHINGTON, Sep. 09, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced that it is modernizing egg products inspection methods for the first time since Congress passed the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) in 1970. The Egg Products Inspection Regulations final rule aligns the egg products regulations to be consistent with current requirements in the meat and poultry products inspection regulations.
“Requiring egg product plants to develop food safety systems and procedures similar to meat and poultry requirements is a significant milestone in modernizing our inspection system," said FSIS Administrator Paul Kiecker. “FSIS is continuing to carry out its public health mission to prevent foodborne illness."
Under the new rule, federally inspected egg products plants are required to develop and implement Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs). FSIS will continue to test for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in egg products. FSIS requires that plants produce egg products that meet food safety standards and are edible without additional preparation and nothing in the final rule changes those requirements.
Under the HACCP system, plants will be able to tailor a food safety system that best fits their particular facility and equipment. Furthermore, by removing prescriptive regulations, egg products plants will have the flexibility and the incentive to innovate new means to achieve enhanced food safety.
In addition, FSIS will be assuming regulatory authority over egg substitutes and freeze-dried egg products, which pose the same risk as egg products and will be inspected in the same manner, enhancing the existing food safety system.
The agency has also realigned the regulations governing the importation and inspection of foreign egg products more closely with the regulations governing the importation of foreign meat and poultry products. FSIS will notify foreign countries of the regulatory changes. Countries that have ongoing equivalence and most countries that have requested initial equivalence for egg products already have HACCP implemented for egg products for their domestic products.
A pre-publication copy of the rule can be viewed at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/9c7eca7a-29dd-49ca-ae0b-e3faece17d52/2005-0015.pdf?MOD=AJPERES .
Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/article/usda-eggs-inspections/trump-administration-rolls-back-u-s-inspection-rules-for-egg-products-idUSL1N2G51M7
Trump administration rolls back U.S. inspection rules for egg products
By Tom Polansek
CHICAGO, Sept 9 (Reuters) - The Trump administration said on Wednesday it will stop requiring U.S. plants that produce egg products to have full-time government inspectors, in the first update of inspection methods in 50 years.
Under a new rule that takes effect immediately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will allow companies like Cargill Inc and Sonstegard Foods to use different food-safety systems and procedures designed for their factories and equipment.
The change marks the Trump administration’s latest move to ease government regulations over the nation’s food system. Some inspectors and public-interest groups have warned food safety may suffer as a result.
The new rule affects 83 plants that USDA has been inspecting, according to the agency. USDA will also assume oversight from the Food and Drug Administration of additional facilities that produce egg substitutes.
Inspectors will visit plants once per shift, instead of being there whenever egg products are being processed.
The change, first proposed in 2018, makes inspections consistent with those for meat and poultry products, said Paul Kiecker, administrator of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. Inspectors will operate under a “patrol” system, in which they will cover multiple plants each day, he said.
“We feel very confident that, based on the once per shift that we have them there, we’ll still be able to verify that they’re producing safe product,” he said.
Environmental group Food & Water Watch said in 2018 the patrol system may make inspections less effective.
The new rule aims to make better use of inspectors and allow companies to develop new food-safety procedures, Kiecker said.
Companies must implement standard operating procedures for sanitation and food-safety management systems known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.
“We are giving them more of the responsibility to ensure that they are producing safe products,” Kiecker said.
The coronavirus pandemic disrupted egg product sales this spring, as closures of restaurants, schools and offices reduced demand. (Reporting by Tom Polansek; Editing by Tom Brown)
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