What is the USDA and its role?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming and food production, promoting agriculture trade and production, ensuring food safety and preserving our Nation's natural resources. The USDA is made up of 29 agencies that focus on a variety of duties including ensuring the food safety of meat, poultry and egg products through the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), implementing credit and loan programs through the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Rural Housing Service (RHS) as well as conservation of natural resources and the environment through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), to mention just a few.
Examples of some of the responsibilities of the FSIS include ensuring the safety and wholesomeness of imported meat, poultry, and egg products and reducing the incidence of foodborne illnesses and pathogenic microorganisms in meat and poultry products by the inspection of meat and poultry production establishments. 
How can I contact the USDA office?
A customer service representative can be contacted by calling (833) ONE-USDA or (202) 720-2791, contact via chat at <a href="https://ask.usda.gov/s/contactsupport" target="_blank"><ins>https://ask.usda.gov/s/contactsupport</ins></a> or send a question via email to the <a href="mailto:askusda@usda.gov" target="_self"><ins>askusda@usda.gov</ins></a> address. 
What is FSIS? What does it do?
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the USDA agency in charge of protecting the public from foodborne illness by ensuring that meat, poultry and egg products are safe, wholesome and properly labeled for consumers. The FSIS ensures this through the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act and the Egg Products Inspection Act. The FSIS also verifies the humane slaughter of livestock through the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.

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FAQ Seafood HACCP

FAQ USDA & FSIS

Food safety is a top priority for consumers and the food industry.
Among the many potential foodborne hazards, Listeria monocytogenes is a significant concern due to its ability to cause severe illness, especially among vulnerable populations. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has implemented a comprehensive Listeria plan to combat this silent threat. In this blog post, we will explore the USDA's Listeria plan, its purpose, key components, and the critical role it plays in ensuring the safety of our food supply. Whether you are a concerned consumer or a professional in the food industry, understanding the USDA's Listeria plan is essential to protect public health.
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 I. The Purpose of the Listeria Plan 1.1 Combating Listeria monocytogenes: Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen that can cause a severe illness known as listeriosis. It poses a significant threat to public health, particularly to pregnant women, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems. The USDA's Listeria plan aims to reduce the presence of L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products, thus minimizing the risk of listeriosis outbreaks.
It is primarily transmitted through consuming contaminated foods, particularly ready-to-eat (RTE) products such as deli meats. Symptoms of listeriosis may include fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea, with more severe cases exhibiting signs of infection spreading to the nervous system.
1.2 Ensuring Compliance and Consumer Protection: The Listeria plan establishes guidelines and regulations that food establishments must follow to ensure compliance with food safety standards. By implementing these measures, the USDA aims to protect consumers from the potential hazards associated with Listeria contamination and uphold the highest food safety standards.
II. Key Components of the USDA's Listeria Plan 2.1 Environmental Testing: The USDA's Listeria plan requires food establishments to conduct routine environmental testing to identify the presence of L. monocytogenes in processing environments. This includes swabbing and testing various surfaces, equipment, and utensils to detect potential sources of contamination.&nbsp;

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2.2 Corrective Actions: When environmental testing reveals the presence of L. monocytogenes, the Listeria plan mandates specific corrective actions. Food establishments must implement immediate measures to address the contamination, including thorough cleaning and sanitation, equipment maintenance, and retesting to ensure the effectiveness of corrective actions.
2.3 Monitoring of Listeria Controls: Under the Listeria plan, food establishments are required to implement and maintain control measures to prevent Listeria contamination throughout their operations. This includes monitoring critical control points, such as temperature controls, product handling, and sanitation practices, to minimize the risk of Listeria growth and cross-contamination.
2.4 Verification and Recordkeeping: The USDA's Listeria plan emphasizes the importance of verification and recordkeeping to ensure compliance and traceability. Food establishments are required to maintain detailed records of their environmental testing, corrective actions, and ongoing monitoring efforts. These records serve as evidence of adherence to the Listeria plan and provide valuable data for evaluation and analysis.
III. Benefits of the USDA's Listeria Plan 3.1 Industry Compliance and Standardization: The Listeria plan promotes industry compliance with food safety regulations and sets standardized guidelines for Listeria control. The plan helps ensure a consistent and effective approach to mitigating Listeria contamination across the food industry by establishing clear expectations and requirements.
3.2 Preventing Product Recalls and Reputation Damage: Complying with the Listeria plan significantly reduces the likelihood of Listeria-related product recalls. By preventing contamination and addressing potential issues promptly, food establishments can protect their reputation, maintain consumer trust, and avoid financial losses associated with recalls and potential legal consequences.
<ins>Conclusion</ins> The USDA's Listeria plan protects the public health by combating the silent threat of Listeria monocytogenes in RTE meat and poultry products. The plan ensures that food establishments maintain rigorous standards to prevent Listeria contamination through environmental testing, corrective actions, monitoring, verification, and recordkeeping. By adhering to the USDA's Listeria plan, the food industry demonstrates its commitment to consumer safety, compliance with regulations, and the continuous improvement of food safety practices. Together, we can combat Listeria and safeguard the integrity of our food supply. If you have any questions or would like to create your Listeria plan for your operation, feel free to contact us at GoHACCP with Experts. We have a qualified group of scientists who will gladly help you. 
Nahomy Garcia, B.Sc. “I currently work as a food safety expert in the HACCP department of the company. I am in charge, together with my team, of developing food safety plans such as HACCP and PC plans under FDA, CFIA, or USDA/FSIS regulations to achieve food certification projects for our clients.” &nbsp;

Understanding the Listeria Plan in USDA: Safeguarding Food from a Silent Threat

Anyone who has been inside a supermarket in recent years has seen multiple examples of products labeled as organic. Marketing data shows an increased interest in caring for the environment among consumers, paralleled with maintaining a healthy lifestyle and making more informed purchases when it comes to their food. This growing trend has led to an increased interest among producers seeking to sell, label or represent their products as organic through organic certification. 
Maybe you are one of them, so let's introduce you to the topic of Organic Certification.
WHAT IS ORGANIC?
It is a labeling term that indicates a food or agricultural product has been produced under cultural, biological and mechanical practices that encourage the recycling of resources, conserve biodiversity and help promote ecological balance. For a product to be labeled as Organic, farms and their associated handling facilities may not use synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation or genetic engineering in any of their products related production processes.
WHAT IS ORGANIC CERTIFICATION?
It’s simply the verification of whether or not a farm or handling facility complies with the USDA organic regulations. The certification process itself can be performed by a private, foreign or State entity that has been accredited by the USDA.
It is important to mention that there are four labeling categories for organic products, which are described as follows:
100 Percent Organic
<ul>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">Products must be made up of 100% ingredients and processing aids certified as organic.</li>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">The label must include the name of the certifying agent.</li>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">The label may include the USDA Organic Seal and/or the 100% organic claim.</li>
</ul>
Organic
<ul>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">All ingredients must be certified organic unless specifically allowed per the National List.</li>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">Products can’t exceed a combined total of 5% of allowed nonorganic content (excluding salt and water)</li>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">The label must include the name of the certifying agent.</li>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">The label may include the USDA Organic Seal and/or the organic claim.</li>
</ul>
Made with organic
<ul>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">At least 70% of the product must be certified organic ingredients (excluding salt and water).</li>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">The final product cannot be represented as organic.</li>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">The organic seal cannot be used on the product.</li>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">Any remaining ingredients are not required to be organically produced but must be produced without excluded methods (genetic engineering).</li>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">All non-agricultural products must be allowed on the National List.</li>
</ul>
Specific organic ingredients
<ul>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">Products with less than 70% certified organic content don’t need to be certified.</li>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">Products can be any combination of organic and non-organic ingredients</li>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">Products cannot display the USDA Organic Seal or use the word organic on the principal display panel.</li>
<li style="margin-left:35.4pt;" dir = "auto">Can list certified organic ingredients in the ingredient list and the percentage of organic ingredients.</li>
</ul>
Based on the above descriptions, you can determine the proper category for your products and choose the type of certification you need. We can help guide you in case you need more information.
HOW TO OBTAIN AN ORGANIC CERTIFICATION?
While farms or handling facilities may differ based on each specific operation type and their individual characteristics, organic certifications address all practices of the farming or handling systems, such as tilling, grazing, harvesting, storing, and transporting.
If you are interested in becoming a certified organic producer, follow the steps as outlined below:
Develop an organic system plan
Basically, the plan will consist of a detailed description of the operation to be certified. The plan must specify approved substances used during the growing or handling process, monitoring practices for organic systems, recordkeeping systems and descriptions of barriers used to prevent the commingling between organic and non-organic products, or contact with any prohibited substances.
Implement the organic system plan
Once the organic system plan is completed and implemented, the applicant should contact a certifying agent who is USDA accredited to review the application and to verify that all stated practices comply with USDA organic regulations
Receive inspection
An inspector will conduct an on-site inspection of the applicant’s operation. It is important to note that these comprehensive, top-to-bottom inspections differ in scope, depending on the farm or facility being inspected.
Have a certifying agent review the inspection report
The certifying agent reviews the application and the inspector’s report to determine if the applicant complies with the USDA organic regulations
Receive a decision from the certifier
If an applicant’s operation complies with the rules, the certifying agent will issue an organic certificate listing products that can be sold as organic from that operation. It is important to ensure that the organic farm or facility continues to comply with the requirements and updates their plan as to any modifications of their activities or processes relating to the organic product that was certified.
Finally, keep in mind that you must schedule an inspection at least once each year to maintain certification.
This process can be simple if you have the right tools and training. It doesn't have to be stressful! Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding organic certification. 
Fernanda Tapia, Food and Biotechnology Engineer. “I am part of the HACCP Team at GoHACCP, specifically supporting as a Junior SOP writer. I have experience in food quality and safety area, developing and implementing HACCP to comply with audit requirements.” 
Links of interest:
https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/national-list-allowed-and-prohibited-substances https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/organic-certification/organic-basics https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/national-organic-program <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/07/22/understanding-usda-organic-label" target="_self"><ins>https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/07/22/understanding-usda-organic-label</ins></a> &nbsp;

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Understanding the Listeria Plan in USDA: Safeguarding Food from a Silent Threat

USDA Organic Certification