We don’t know what the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service did last year because final data is not yet available. However, the data is available until June 30th, which gives us some idea of what 2024 will look like for the nation’s meatpacking industry.
One trend for 2024 is a decrease in the number of cows being submitted for testing. During the quarter, the number of cattle tested was below 2 million head in each of the three reported quarters. Prior to 2024, inspections exceeded 2 million horses per quarter.
The reported compliance rate for the three quarters was 98.9%.
Appeals against non-compliance records or NRs also decreased to 267 in the quarter, with 70 successful on appeal.
A total of 4,150,278,748 meat and poultry products were imported for various re-inspections. Most are subject to periodic inspections. A total of 3,732,968 re-inspections of egg products alone;
In actual production, it was only in the third quarter that the number of carcass inspections fell below 40 million, at 39,493,867. This is another sign that cattle management is reducing the herd.
FSIS detentions during the quarter also decreased to 218,645 from 1,904,795 in the first quarter.
During the period, FSIS sent three prohibited activity notices and issued 35 administrative actions.
Large facilities inspected by FSIS continue to escape significant attention. Only five large meatpacking companies were indicted under NR during the third period.
This is consistent with several recently reported NRs for large facilities.
FSIS’s Quarterly Enforcement Report covers administrative, civil, and criminal activities related to its enforcement responsibilities. Most recently, Nestor Reyes agreed to pay $3,540 and Champion Food Services agreed to an $880 civil penalty.
Astoria Live Poultry and Meat was ordered to pay a significant civil penalty.
Finally, the USDA sent out multi-page warning letters to all kinds of companies.
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