The fiscal 2022 appropriations bill signed into law March 15 by President Joe Biden updates U.S. Department of Agriculture statutes to allow workplace flexibilities for Food Safety Inspection Service in-plant inspection personnel. 

Inspectors will no longer need to be in overtime status for the plant to be charged for services that are provided outside established hours of operation. The change will be cost neutral to industry, and inspection services provided will not change. Establishments will be billed for any time that services are requested outside of their approved hours of inspection.

The change does not impact the requirement for inspection of slaughter and processing procedures as required under the statutes.

FSIS also will update the individual establishment Salmonella performance standard category information for raw poultry carcasses, raw chicken parts and comminuted poultry products on the Salmonella Verification Testing Program Monthly Posting page.

Source: USDA