Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1007 Procedure 

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 April 1, 2019

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 1 of 3 

Date Issued: 11/05/13 

Quality Systems Verification Program (QSVP)

Never Fed Beta Agonists Program

1 Purpose

This document provides the requirements for establishments that wish to supply pork or beef to customers 

that require verification of a marketing claim that the meat is derived from animals that were never fed 

beta agonists and is free of beta agonist residues. 

2 Scope

The Never Fed Beta Agonists marketing claim is available to companies that produce livestock, beef and 

pork products and submit marketing programs to the Livestock and Poultry (L&P) Program for 

verification and monitoring. Companies must meet the requirements of the Never Fed Beta Agonists 

marketing claim through an approved USDA Quality Systems Verification Program (QSVP). This would 

include the USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) and the USDA Quality System Assessment (QSA) 

Program. The requirements for these programs are defined in the USDA Process Verified Program QAD

1001 Procedure: USDA Process Verified Program and the USDA Quality System Assessment Program 

QAD 1002 Procedure: USDA Quality System Assessment Program. The USDA QSVP ensures that the 

Never Fed Beta Agonists program requirements are supported by a documented quality management 

system.

3 References

7 CFR Part 62 – Livestock, Meat, and Other Agricultural Commodities (Quality Systems Verification 

Programs) 

QAD 1000 Procedure: Quality Systems Verification Programs, General Policies and Procedures

QAD 1001 Procedure: USDA Process Verified Program

QAD 1002 Procedure: USDA Quality System Assessment Program 

USDA Process Verified Program website

USDA Quality System Assessment Program website

4 Responsibilities

4.1 Companies must meet the applicable requirements outlined in this procedure, QAD 1000 

Procedure, and either the QAD 1001 or QAD 1002 Procedure. 

4.2 The QAD must meet the applicable requirements outlined in this procedure, QAD 1000 Policies 

and Procedures. 

4.3 Any suggested changes to this procedure should be submitted via email to the QAD Audit 

Program Manager.
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1007 Procedure 

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 April 1, 2019

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 2 of 3 

Date Issued: 11/05/13 

5 Specified Product Requirements

The specified product requirements listed below must be met through the USDA Quality Systems 

Verification Programs. The USDA QSVP ensures that the specified product requirements are supported 

by a documented quality management system; and that products are identified and traceable through the 

system.

5.1 Supplier Evaluations

5.1.1 Establishments must develop a program to evaluate and approve suppliers of hogs or cattle 

that have never been fed beta agonists. 

5.1.2 Establishments that intend to perform verification at the suppliers’ premises must state the 

intended verification arrangements in their quality manual.

5.2 Approved Supplier Lists

5.2.1 Establishments must maintain an approved list of suppliers who have been verified as 

capable to supply hogs or cattle that have never been fed beta agonists. A supplier could be a 

collection of production units that are under a common management system.

5.2.2 Suppliers that have USDA AMS approved programs (including programs managed by 

accredited third-party verifiers) that verify that hogs or cattle have never been fed beta agonists 

can be added to an approved suppliers list without the establishment conducting supplier 

evaluations. 

5.3 Segregation of Live Animals and Final Products 

5.3.1 Establishments are required to maintain controls to ensure the segregation of live animals 

that have been fed beta agonists from those that have not prior to harvest. 

5.3.2 Controls shall also be in place to ensure that segregation is maintained throughout the 

harvest and fabrication process.

5.4 Verification Testing

5.4.1 Establishments must develop a verification testing regime using an AMS-approved test 

method on the basis of a carcass sampling plan that ensures that each approved supplier is tested at 

least once per quarter. Only suppliers that actually provide animals to the facility during the 

quarter will be required to be tested. The first lot from each supplier must be tested, then the 

number of samples tested by each slaughterhouse harvest facility must be at least at least 0.001% 

of animals harvested under the program each year. Only kidney, liver or muscle may be tested. 

The samples may not be composited. 

5.4.2 If meat from animals that were raised by an approved supplier produces a positive test 

result, that supplier and product must be excluded from the program until corrective actions have 

been implemented and verified as effective. After corrective actions have been taken, the 
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1007 Procedure 

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 April 1, 2019

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 3 of 3 

Date Issued: 11/05/13 

establishment must test at least the first 5 lots of animals provided by that supplier following a 

positive test result. 

6 Product Identification and Traceability

6.1 The company must maintain a documented product identification system to identify 

eligible products produced under the Beta Agonists Verification program.

6.2 The product identification system may be comprised of a list of specific products, as 

outlined in QAD 1030: EV Program Additional Requirements; or as an alternative, a product 

identification system in another format may be designated by the company.

6.3 The product identification system must be created in Microsoft Excel format and submitted 

to AMS with the company’s program update.

6.4 The method for identifying the product under the product identification system must be 

transferable and traceable throughout production. 

7 Corrective Action Audits

Establishments that are delisted, suspended or are under intensified testing because of a port-ofentry violation may be required to undergo an onsite corrective action audit by AMS. Corrective 

actions will be based on the information provided to FSIS about their port-of-entry violation. 

8 Additional AMS Approved Never Fed Beta Agonists Programs

If hogs or cattle are derived from AMS approved programs, including, Pork for the European 

Union (PFEU) suppliers and the Non-Hormone Treated Cattle Program (NHTC), Section 5 will 

not apply and there will not be any further carcass testing required outside of the current PFEU or 

NHTC testing program. 

___________________________________

Jeff Waite, Branch Chief

Quality Assessment Division

Livestock and Poultry Program

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