FSIS Revises Emergency Procedures for Its Import Inspection Division Under DHS Threat Conditions
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Safety Inspection Service has posted a revised directive (5420.4, Revision 4) which details the procedures that its Office of International Affairs (OIA) Import Inspection Division (IID) field personnel are to follow when the Department of Homeland Security declares a threat condition Yellow (Elevated), Orange (High), or Red (Severe).
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FSIS states that while the threat may or may not involve the nation's food supply, it is imperative that FSIS personnel take certain actions immediately during such threat conditions to ensure the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products. For example, during an Orange or Red threat condition with a specific threat to the food and agricultural sector, all imported egg shipments are to be directed to an official import establishment. Additionally, import inspectors are directed to reinspect shipments targeted as a food security risk per OIA regardless of their alert condition.
General Procedures in the Event of DHS-Declared Threat Conditions
In the event of a declaration of any Yellow, Orange, or Red threat condition by DHS:
(a) FSIS' Office of Food Defense and Emergency Response (OFDER) is to inform the FSIS Administrator and FSIS Management Council. OFDER is to issue an e-mail to all employees notifying them of the heightened threat condition. OFDER is to issue an e-mail annually when heightened threat conditions remain unchanged.
(b) The Regional Import Field Office (RIFO) is to notify import field personnel at the time of the declaration to conduct Food Defense Verification Procedures for the threat condition according to certain activities set forth in the directive to identify and mitigate possible potential vulnerabilities in imported meat, poultry, or egg products. The import inspector is to notify the import facility management of the threat condition and of the implementation of the Food Defense Verification Procedures.
(c) Import Surveillance Liaison Officers (ISLOs) are to maintain communications with the Department of Homeland Security (Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Coast Guard), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), other agencies, and other FSIS personnel at POEs and are to initiate the appropriate Food Defense Verification Procedures in accordance with FSIS Directive 5420.3, which describes the procedures that certain FSIS personnel must follow at non-official establishments under threat conditions.
(d) OFDER is to communicate the downgrading of a threat condition to the FSIS Administrator and the FSIS Management Council. Upon notification from OIA senior executive leadership, the RIFO is to notify import field inspection personnel of the downgrade. The RIFO is to notify import establishments that the downgrading has taken place.
FSIS Directive 5420.4, Revision 4 on IID emergency procedures (revised 01/07/08) available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/5420.4_Rev4.pdf
FSIS Directive 5420.1, Revision 4, which provides details on emergency food defense verification procedures (revised 01/07/08) available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/5420.1_Rev4.pdf