U.S. Department of Agriculture

Food Safety Mission

Assuring that the nation's meat and poultry supply is safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and packaged -- that is the mission and responsibility of USDA's Food Safety organization.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) conducts specific activities to ensure the safety of meat and poultry products consumed in this country:

• USDA inspectors and veterinarians conduct slaughter inspection of all carcasses at meat and poultry slaughtering plants for disease and other abnormalities and sample for the presence of chemical residues.
• USDA also conducts processing inspection for sanitation and cleanliness, labeling, and packing at facilities where meat and poultry is cutup, boned, cured, and canned.
• Scientific testing in support of inspection operations is performed by USDA/FSIS laboratory services to identify the presence of pathogens, residues, additives, disease, and foreign matter in meat and poultry.
• Inspection systems in countries exporting meat and poultry products to the United States are reviewed by USDA as part of the import-export inspection system.
• USDA is placing increased on pathogen reduction and hazard analysis and on critical control points (HACCP) in the entire meat and poultry production chain. This involves developing new methods for rapid detection of pathogenic microorganisms, new production and inspection practices to reduce bacterial contamination, and educating consumers on safe food handling practices.
• USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline is a toll-free service where consumers, educators, researchers, and the media can speak with experts in the field of food safety.

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