FSIS to Host Public Meeting on Risk-Based Inspection

March 23, 2007 - A public meeting to discuss the algorithm used to compute risk-based inspection levels for processing establishments will be held by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The meeting will be held April 2, 2007, from 1 to 5 p.m. at George Mason University - Arlington Campus, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, Va. The agency is also working to establish an audio conference for participants outside of the Washington, D.C., area.

FSIS is introducing a more robust risk-based inspection system in processing plants to better protect public health. By better utilizing information regularly collected by inspection program personnel at processing establishments, the agency will focus resources on products that post the highest inherent risk and processing plants that have demonstrated the least ability to control risk. Daily inspection will continue at processing facilities.

FSIS is using an algorithm, or mathematical formula, to determine the level of inspection that needs to be performed in processing plants. The algorithm combines two measures. The first is the inherent risk measure associated with different types of processed products and the volume of the processed products produced by the establishment. The second is the processing establishment risk control measure, which represents how well each plant is controlling risk in its operations. FSIS will test the algorithm in 30 prototype locations beginning in the spring of 2007.

Additional information, including the meeting agenda, is available at www.fsis.usda.gov.

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