The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) was established by the Secretary of Agriculture on June 17, 1981, pursuant to authority contained in 5 U.S.C. 301 and Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953 (5 U.S.C. app.). FSIS is responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.
Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Federal meat and poultry inspection is mandatory for cattle, calves, swine, goats, sheep, lambs, horses (and other equines), chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and guineas used for human food. FSIS provides for the inspection of each animal or bird at slaughter and processed products during various stages of production.
FSIS inspects all raw meat and poultry sold in interstate and foreign commerce, including imported products. It monitors meat and poultry products after they leave federally inspected plants. FSIS tests samples of egg products and meat and poultry products for microbial and chemical contaminants to monitor trends for enforcement purposes.
FSIS provides inspection at Federal facilities for meat, poultry, and egg products, as well as voluntary inspection for animals not covered under mandatory inspection regulations such as buffalo, rabbit, and deer. It monitors meat and poultry products in storage, distribution, and retail channels; and takes necessary compliance actions to protect the public, including detention of products, voluntary product recalls, court-ordered seizures of products, administrative withdrawal of inspection, and referral for criminal prosecution. FSIS also monitors state inspection programs which inspect meat and poultry products sold only within the state in which they were produced.
FAQs
Food Safety and Inspection Service: FSIS is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and properly labeled and packaged.
What is the U.S. agency responsible for Food Safety? ›
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The FDA is charged with protecting consumers against impure, unsafe, and fraudulently labeled products. FDA, through its Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), regulates foods other than the meat, poultry, and egg products regulated by FSIS.
Which organization is responsible for inspecting food? ›
Final answer: The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) is the organization responsible for food inspection.
What is the difference between USDA and FSIS? ›
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is the public health regulatory agency responsible for ensuring that United States' commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.
What is the difference between the FDA and the USDA? ›
The FDA sets the rules for almost all the foods we eat. The USDA sets the rules for meat products, poultry products, and egg products. All foods labeled gluten-free are fine for you to eat.
What are the 3 federal agencies with a role in food safety? ›
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) serve important roles in ensuring food safety in the United States.
Which agency works to ensure food safety? ›
FDA has jurisdiction over domestic and imported foods that are marketed in interstate commerce, except for meat and poultry products. FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) seeks to ensure that these foods are safe, sanitary, nutritious, wholesome, and honestly and adequately labeled.
Which government agency inspects foodservice operations? ›
Foods that are used in a restaurant or food service operation within the U.S. are regulated by the FDA. In general, the FDA has authority over restaurants and regulates food establishments, including: Food service businesses (e.g., restaurants and retail food stores) Vending machine operations.
Which agency enforces food safety in a restaurant or food service operation? ›
While the FDA is the primary agency responsible for enforcing food safety in restaurants at the federal level, it often works in collaboration with state, county, and local health departments. These local agencies also have authority in inspecting and enforcing food safety regulations within their jurisdictions.
What does the USDA regulate and inspect? ›
USDA regulations provide official marketing standards for grains and oilseeds, and require that exported grains and oilseeds be officially weighed and inspected. The Department's laws also regulate the slaughter and manufacture of meat products.
FSIS protects public health by preventing illness from meat, poultry and egg products. We do this by ensuring these products are safe, wholesome and properly labeled.
Which items must be inspected by the USDA? ›
About the Food Safety and Inspection Service
These laws require Federal inspection and regulation of meat, poultry, and egg products prepared for distribution in commerce for use as human food. It also verifies compliance with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act for livestock.
What food is regulated by the USDA? ›
USDA is responsible for regulating meat and poultry, processed egg products, and catfish, whereas the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees food safety for fresh eggs and almost all other foods.
Who has more authority FDA or USDA? ›
The FDA regulates more than 80% of the US food supply, including dairy, seafood, processed and packaged foods, and even bottled water. Many Americans think the USDA is the primary inspection agency for food inspection as the blue stamps on a food feature the USDA logo prominently.
Are sandwiches FDA or USDA? ›
Open-faced meat sandwiches, where the ratio of meat to bread and other ingredients is more than half, are regulated by the USDA. But closed sandwiches, which have two slices of bread, are regulated by the FDA because the ratio of meat to other ingredients is less than 50 percent.
Are eggs FDA or USDA? ›
The FDA regulates whole eggs in the shell, whereas USDA regulates egg products once they come out of the shell, like packaged egg whites and powdered eggs.
What is the FDA responsible for? ›
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
What is the role of the CDC in food safety? ›
CDC's role in food safety
CDC helps make food safer by: Working with partners to determine the major sources of foodborne illnesses and annual changes in the number of illnesses, investigate multistate foodborne disease outbreaks, and implement systems to better prevent illnesses and detect and stop outbreaks.
What does the USDA regulate? ›
USDA regulations provide official marketing standards for grains and oilseeds, and require that exported grains and oilseeds be officially weighed and inspected. The Department's laws also regulate the slaughter and manufacture of meat products.
Which agency is responsible for food? ›
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC);
