In Significant Change, USDA Eases Catfish Inspections; May Have Implications for Foreign Producers
SEAFOODNEWS.COM by John Sackton and Amanda Buckle Sept 6, 2017
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service has made a significant change to catfish inspections, which may make it easier for foreign exporters to achieve USDA equivalence. At the end of the recently concluded an 18-month transition period September 1st, FSIS will only do inspections during production shifts.
In the Meat industry, the USDA has two types of inspection, one for slaughter plants, and one for meat processing only operations.
For slaughter plants, the USDA requires continuous inspection, with an inspector on site at all times the plant is operating. For meat processing only plants, inspections are made on a once a shift basis, and there is no requirement that an inspector be continuously overseeing production.
When the USDA started inspecting catfish they classified plants as slaughter plants..
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