The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice this week instructing its inspection program personnel (IPP) to make establishments aware of the need to have appropriate process controls for feed ingredients (allergens) of public health concern.The notice (35-11) also points out the need for the ingredients to be properly labeled and the importance of taking steps to prevent the production and shipment of products with undeclared allergens. This will be conveyed at the weekly meeting with establishment management, which will be documented in a memorandum of interview (MOI).
The notice also states that the IPP are to inform establishments that within 30 days of the issuance of this notice, FSIS intends to issue a second notice that provides instructions to IPP to verify that product formulations containing any of the “big eight” allergens are consistent with the ingredients statement on the approved labels. IPP will also be instructed to verify the control procedures an establishment uses when it changes suppliers, or when a supplier’s formulation changes, to ensure that all ingredients are fully disclosed. The “big eight” allergens FSIS will focus on are wheat, crustacean shellfish, eggs, fish, peanuts, milk, tree nuts, and soybeans. A copy of FSIS Notice 35-11 is available at www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISNotices/35-11.pdf.
