The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service named its key achievements for 2021 that the agency claims highlight progress in its mission to prevent foodborne illness and protect public health.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) provides on-the-spot inspection services at more than 6,200 meat and poultry processing facilities spread throughout the country. But its leadership has just put in another pandemic year, where telephonic conferences accomplished almost all communication.
Public calendars’ records of FSIS leadership meetings with people outside the federal government are not yet available for the last three months of 2021. When available, they will provide more evidence of why the hallways of the Jamie Whitten Building are so quiet. For yet another year, no in-person meetings with FSIS brass occurred.
“The hallmark of 2021 was the announcement of the agency’s new approach to Salmonella in poultry,” FSIS said. “The initiative, launched in October, casts an inclusive net in the pursuit of innovative approaches to pathogen control that is responsive to evolving food safety hazards and embraces the latest science and technology.
“As a public health agency, we can and must find a more effective way to reduce foodborne illness,” said Sandra Eskin, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. “We’ve embarked on a collaborative effort to revise how we reduce Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry products.”
