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• National Agricultural Law Center

Summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) must inspect most meat, poultry, and processed egg products for safety, wholesomeness, and labeling. Federal inspectors or their state counterparts are present at all times in virtually all slaughter plants and for at least part of each day in establishments that further process meat and poultry products. Debate has ensued for decades over whether this system, first designed in the early 1900s, has kept pace with changes in the food production and marketing industries. The following are among issues of possible interest to lawmakers in the 110th Congress. Is enough being done to address longstanding concerns about naturally occurring microbiological contamination? In 1996, FSIS added a sweeping new system known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) -- essentially plant-specific contamination prevention plans -- on top of the traditional "sight-, smell-, and touch-based" inspection system. Past bills, proposing to clarify USDA's use of pathogen performance standards, could be reintroduced. Does FSIS have adequate funding and resources, and/or should industry pay more for inspection? FSIS inspection is mainly funded through USDA's annual appropriation. Congress has denied successive Administrations' proposals to impose new user fees. Separately, USDA has announced that it would start introducing in 2007 a controversial new "risk based inspection system" aimed at shifting some existing resources from processing (but not yet slaughter) plants and products that pose relatively lower safety risks to others posing relatively higher risks. Should state-inspected meat and poultry products be allowed in interstate commerce? H.R. 1760/ S. 1149 would lift the longstanding ban on such shipments. Should USDA be given more authority to recall suspect meat and poultry products? Bills to broaden recall authority also could be offered, as in the past. Is legislation needed to improve the ability to trace animals, meat, and poultry products? Past bills to establish mandatory or voluntary systems to do so, at least for animal disease purposes, could be reintroduced. On the other hand, one bill (H.R. 1018) would prohibit a mandatory animal ID system. Should Congress further address animal welfare? Proposed bills (H.R. 661; S. 394) are pending that would require the immediate euthanization of nonambulatory livestock and that would ban their use for human food. Separately, H.R. 503 and S. 311 would ban horse slaughter for human consumption. Should U.S. food safety responsibilities be consolidated under a single agency? Companion bills did not advance in the 109th Congress, but there is continued interest in them in the 110th Congress, where H.R. 1148 and S. 654, to create a single food agency, have been introduced.

Related Legislation:
• H.R.1760
• S.1149
• H.R.1018
• H.R.661
• S.394
• H.R.503
• S.311
• H.R.1148
• S.654

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