Legal Definitions - Food Safety and Inspection Service

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is a critical agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with the primary mission of protecting public health. Its core responsibility is to ensure that all meat, poultry, and processed egg products sold in the United States are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled. FSIS accomplishes this through continuous inspection, regulatory oversight, and enforcement throughout the entire production process, from the slaughterhouse or processing plant to the point of sale.

Here are some examples illustrating the role of the Food Safety and Inspection Service:

• Example 1: Daily Inspections at a Meatpacking Plant
  A large beef processing facility operates around the clock, preparing various cuts of meat for distribution. An FSIS inspector is present daily, observing the slaughter process, checking for proper sanitation, verifying the health of the animals, and ensuring that all processing steps meet federal safety standards before the meat is packaged. This demonstrates how FSIS directly oversees the production environment to guarantee the wholesomeness and safety of meat products.

• Example 2: Reviewing Product Labels for Accuracy
  A company develops a new line of frozen chicken nuggets and wants to label them as "all-natural" and "gluten-free." Before these products can be sold to consumers, the company must submit its proposed labels to FSIS for approval. FSIS reviews the ingredients list, nutritional information, and all marketing claims to ensure they are truthful, not misleading, and comply with federal labeling regulations. This illustrates FSIS's role in ensuring consumers receive accurate information about the products they purchase.

• Example 3: Investigating a Suspected Foodborne Illness Outbreak
  After several reports of people falling ill with symptoms consistent with salmonella linked to a specific brand of ground turkey, FSIS would launch an investigation. Inspectors would visit the implicated processing plant to collect samples, review sanitation records, and trace the distribution of the product. If contamination is confirmed, FSIS would work with the company to issue a public recall, removing the unsafe product from store shelves to prevent further illness. This highlights FSIS's crucial role in responding to food safety threats and protecting the public from contaminated products.