In a review of some 600 swine slaughtering plants, the Office of the Inspector General focused on 30 plants that raised red flags.
Onsite visits by the OIG revealed inspectors were not following proper steps to ensure diseased meat does not enter the food supply.
Inspectors were also not issuing citations or suspensions for egregious violations, effectively leaving the enforcement system useless for improving standards.
Additionally, the OIG found that a pilot program designed to improve the inspection process and implemented 15 years ago is failing due to a lack of oversight. A plant participating in the program was also one with the most repeated and egregious violations.
| Title | Food Safety and Inspection Service – Inspection and Enforcement Activities At Swine Slaughter Plants |
| Description | OIG audited FSIS’ inspection and enforcement activities at swine slaughter plants to determine if they complied with food safety and humane handling laws. |
| Date | 2013-05 |
| Creator | United States Department of Agriculture |
| Contributor | Office of Inspector General |
| Identifier | http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/24601-0001-41.pdf |
| Subject | Audit, Enforcement, Food safety, Inspection, Swine, Slaughter, USDA |
| Coverage | Slaughter plants throughout U.S. |
| Publisher | United States Department of Agriculture |
| Relation | http://usda.gov/oig |
| Source | Audit Number 24601-0001-41 |
| Type | Text |
| Format | |
| Language | English |
| Rights | Publicly available information |