On Feb. 12, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued Directive 5000.3, Rev. 1, Identification and Segregation of Product. The directive instructs inspection program personnel (IPP) on how to verify that meat and poultry establishments identify, segregate and properly hold adulterated product that has been returned to the establishment or has been received by the establishment for further processing. It also provides instructions for verifying that an establishment properly holds products pending laboratory results for adulterants.
The instructions for verifying that adulterated products are properly identified, segregated and held when received by an establishment are unchanged from previous directives and are relatively straightforward. If adulterated product is returned to an establishment because of a recall or other reason, IPP are to verify that the establishment has controls in place to segregate and hold the product until proper disposition. If adulterated product is received by an establishment for further processing, IPP are to verify that the establishment has addressed the treatment of the product in its HACCP plan and that the adulterated product is identified and segregated from non-adulterated product pending proper disposition. FSIS will request a recall if adulterated product does not receive proper disposition and enters commerce.