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GENERAL INFORMATION: Applying For a Grant of Inspection

A. Application for Federal Inspection

Before inspection is granted, each person shall submit an application to the District 

Manager (DM) that has jurisdiction for that specific state. Every application shall be 

made on an official form provided by a Program employee. The application form is titled 

“Application for Federal Meat, Poultry, Egg or Import Inspection” on FSIS Form 5200-2.

To get an application, contact the District Office (DO), and ask for the DM or Deputy 

DM. You can click on the following link to acquire the appropriate district office phone 

number: DO Locations and phone numbers. Request an “Information Packet” to 

acquire a grant of inspection. They will take down your name, address, and phone 

number to mail you a packet. They will also provide you with the name and phone 

number to your contact that has responsibility for the Program employees in your area. 

Should you have any questions, please ask your contact person, who is a Frontline 

Supervisor. A Web page link to the FSIS regulations has been provided to assist you 

during your review of this material. 9 CFR 300 to 592.

Refer to 9 CFR 304.1 to 304.3 for red meat establishments, 9 CFR 381.1 to 381.7 for 

poultry establishments, and 9 CFR 590.140 to 590.155

B. Conditions for Receiving Inspection

1. Before being granted Federal inspection, an establishment shall have developed 

written Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (Sanitation SOPs), as required 

by 9 CFR 416.12 of this chapter.

2. Before being granted Federal inspection, an establishment shall have conducted 

a hazard analysis and developed and validated a HACCP plan, as required by 

Part 417.2 and 417.4 of this chapter. A conditional grant of inspection shall be 

issued for a period not to exceed 90 days, during which period the establishment 

must validate its HACCP plan.

Refer to 9 CFR Parts 304.3 and 381.22

C. Separation of Official Establishments 

Each official establishment shall be separate and distinct from any unofficial 

establishment (e.g., FDA regulated product, custom or retail exempt product). Inspection 

will not be granted in any building in which any part of it is used as living quarters, 

unless the part for which inspection is requested is separated from such quarters by 
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floors, walls, and ceilings of solid concrete, brick, wood, or similar material, and the 

floors, walls, and ceilings are without openings that communicate directly or indirectly 

with any part of a building used as living quarters. 

Refer to 9 CFR Parts 305.1, 305.2, 381.26, 381.27 and 590.146.

D. Inauguration of Inspection 

Prior to the inauguration of inspection, when the owner or designee believes they have 

met the necessary requirements (e.g. developed a written Sanitation SOP, conducted a 

hazard analysis and HACCP plan, prepared labels, and facility), to start operations they 

will notify their contact person. Upon notification to your assigned contact Frontline 

Supervisor (FLS), the D M or designee will schedule a date and time to conduct an onsite review of the establishment and documents by inspection personnel. If all items 

meet regulatory requirements, a “Conditional Grant of Inspection” will be issued. During 

a period not to exceed 90 days, which new product can be produced for distribution in 

commerce, the establishment shall validate its HACCP plan adequacy in controlling the 

food safety hazards identified during the hazard analysis, and shall verify that the plan is 

being effectively implemented in accordance with 9 CFR 417.4. 

Refer to 9 CFR Parts 304.3, 305.4, 381.26, 381.27, and 590.155

E. FSIS Inspection Office 

In establishments that require one or more full time IPP, office space shall be provided 

by official establishments, rent free, for the exclusive use for official purposes of IPP and 

other Program employees assigned thereto. The space set aside for this purpose shall 

meet with approval of the FLS and shall be conveniently located, properly ventilated, 

heated and provided with lockers suitable for the protection and storage of Program 

supplies and with suitable facilities for Program employees to change clothing. Laundry 

service for IPP’s outer work clothing shall be provided by each establishment when 

slaughter operations are being conducted or when the establishment requires that all 

personnel wear establishment provided clothing while on the inspected premises.

At the discretion of the Administrator, establishments that do not require the services of

a full time inspector need not furnish facilities for FSIS employees as prescribed in this 

section, where adequate facilities exist in a nearby convenient location. However, the 

establishment shall provide a lockable storage cabinet to secure FSIS paperwork and 

supplies pertaining to that establishment, and a work space while the inspector is in the 

establishment.

Refer to 9 CFR Parts 307.1, 307.2, 307.3, 381.27, 381.36(a) and 590.136
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F. Official Hours of Operation 

1. No operations requiring inspection shall be conducted except under the 

supervision of a Program employee. In establishments that conduct only further 

processing operations, the assigned inspector may not always be on site, but the 

operations are still considered “under the supervision of a Program employee”.

2. A shift is a regularly scheduled operating period, exclusive of mealtime. One lunch 

period is the only official authorized interruption in the inspector's tour of duty once it 

begins. Lunch periods may be 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or in any case may not 

exceed one hour in duration. Once established, the lunch period must remain 

relatively constant as to time and duration. Lunch periods for inspectors shall not, 

except as provided herein, occur prior to 4 hours after the beginning of scheduled 

operations nor later than 5 hours after operations begin.

3. Official establishments shall be provided 5 consecutive 8-hour days (per shift) of 

free inspection service during the basic work week of Sunday through Saturday (e.g., 

Sunday through Thursday, Monday through Friday), excluding the lunch period. 

4. Each official establishment shall submit a work schedule to the DM for approval. In 

consideration of whether the approval of an establishment’s work schedule shall be 

given, the DM shall take into account the efficient and effective use of IPP. The work 

schedule must specify daily clock hours of operation and lunch periods for all 

departments of the establishment requiring inspection. 

5. Establishments shall maintain consistent work schedules. Any request by an 

establishment for a change in its work schedule involving an addition or elimination 

of shifts shall be submitted to the DM at least 2 weeks in advance of the proposed 

change. Request for inspection service outside an approved work schedule shall be 

made as early in the day as possible for overtime work to be performed within that 

same workday; or made prior to the end of the day's operation when such a request 

will result in overtime service at the start of the following day. 

Refer to 9 CFR 307.4, 381.37, and 590.124.

G. Inspection Charges 

As noted above, inspection service is provided free of charge for the first 8 hours per 

shift. Any work conducted for more than 8 hours on any scheduled work day, or more 

than 40 hours in any administrative work week, shall reimburse the Program employee 

at the prevailing hourly overtime rate specified in 9 CFR 391.3 for the cost of the 

inspection service. If the operator of the establishment requests inspection during a 

designated Federal holiday, or outside the official core 8 hours, reimbursable charges 
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apply for the inspection services provided at quarter hour increments. For billing 

purposes, 8 or more minutes shall be considered a full quarter hour. Billing will be for 

each quarter hour of service rendered by each Program employee. Establishments 

requesting and receiving the services of a Program employee after they have completed 

their day's assignment and left the premises or called back to duty during any overtime 

or holiday period, shall be billed for a minimum of 2 hours overtime or holiday inspection 

service at the established rate. Bills are payable upon receipt and become delinquent 30 

days from the date of the bill. Overtime or holiday inspection will not be performed for

any establishment having a delinquent account. 

Refer to 9 CFR Parts 307.5, 307.6, 381.38, 381.39, 391.3, 590.126 to 590.130

H. FSIS IPP Hours of Duty 

The maximum time an on-line slaughter inspector may be assigned daily to a postmortem inspection position is 10 hours per day, and an off-line (e.g., further processing, 

egg products) inspector shall not be scheduled to more than a total of 12 hours per day. 

The 10-hour post mortem time, does not include time spent before and after slaughter 

operations, conducting ante-mortem, sanitation, and offal inspection; supervising 

disposal of condemned material, and preparing reports. Processing assignments shall 

not be more than 12 hours per day. Time used for meals is not included in counting the 

above hours. Lunch periods shall not be less than 30 minutes nor more than one hour. 

Lunch periods shall begin between the fourth and fifth hour of an IPP’s tour of duty. 

Refer to 9 CFR 307.4, 381.37, and 590.124.

I. Refusal to Grant Inspection

The FSIS Administrator may refuse to grant Federal inspection because an applicant:

a. Does not have a written HACCP system as required by part 417 of this 

chapter;

b. Does not have written Sanitation SOPs as required by part 416 of this chapter;

c. Has not demonstrated that adequate sanitary conditions exist in the 

establishment as required by part 308, part 381, subpart H and I, and part 416 of 

this chapter;

d. Has not demonstrated that livestock will be handled and slaughtered 

humanely;

e. Is unfit to engage in any business requiring inspection as specified in section 

401 of the FMIA, section 18(a) of the PPIA or section 18 of the EPIA
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f. If the Administrator refuses to grant inspection, the applicant will be provided 

the opportunity for a hearing in accordance with the Rules of Practice, 9 CFR 

500.7 (b).

For item (d) above, refer to 9 CFR 313.1 to 313.50 regarding humane handling of 

animals while on the inspected premises.

Refer to 9 CFR 304.2, 381.21, and 590.160.

J. Withdrawal of Inspection 

The FSIS Administrator may file a complaint to withdraw a grant of Federal inspection in 

accordance with the Uniform Rules of Practice, 7 CFR Subtitle A, part 1, subpart H 

because:

a. An establishment produced and shipped adulterated product;

b. An establishment did not have or maintain a HACCP plan in accordance with 

part 417 of this chapter;

c. An establishment did not have or maintain Sanitation SOPs in accordance with 

part 416 of this chapter;

d. An establishment did not maintain sanitary conditions;

e. An establishment did not collect and analyze samples for Escherichia coli 

Biotype I and record results as prescribed in 310.25(a) or 381.94(a) of this 

chapter;

f. An establishment did not comply with the Salmonella performance standard 

requirements as prescribed in 310.25(b) and 381.94(b) of this chapter;

g. An establishment did not slaughter or handle livestock humanely;

h. An establishment operator, officer, employee, or agent assaulted, threatened 

to assault, intimidated, or interfered with an FSIS program employee; or

i. A recipient of inspection or anyone responsibly connected to the recipient is 

unfit to engage in any business requiring inspection as specified in section 401 of 

the FMIA, section 18(a) of the PPIA, or section 18 of the EPIA

The “Rules of Practice” are listed in 9 CFR 500.1 to 500.8
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Sewage Disposal System 

Sewage must be disposed into a sewage system separate from all other drainage lines 

or disposed of through other means sufficient to prevent backup of sewage into areas 

where product is processed, handled, or stored. When the sewage disposal system is a 

private system requiring approval by a State or local health authority, the establishment 

must furnish FSIS with a letter of approval from that authority upon request.

Refer to 9 CFR 416.2 (f), or 590.146

L. Obtaining and Use of Approved Labels

1. After an application for inspection request for official inspection has been filed 

at the DO, an official plant number will be reserved for that applicant. This 

number is used to identify all inspected and passed products prepared in the 

establishment. All carcasses from slaughtered animals must be ink-branded with 

the U.S. Inspection legend, which includes the plant number. All packaged meat, 

poultry and egg products must have the U.S. Inspection legend, with the plant’s 

number printed on the label of the package. 

2. No final label shall be used on any product unless the sketch labeling of such 

final label has been submitted for approval to the Labeling and Program Delivery 

Division (LPDD), Food Safety and Inspection Service. The label application is 

accompanied by FSIS Form 7234.1, Application for Approval of Labels, Marking, 

and Devices and a copy of the proposed finished product label. Instructions for 

how to complete the label application are included on the FSIS Website at the 

link below. 

3. Additionally, if a label qualifies for generic approval in accordance with 9 CFR 

317.5 or 381.133, such labeling does not need to be submitted for approval by 

LPDD. The official establishment must maintain a copy of all labeling applications 

and labels used, along with the product formulation and processing procedure, in 

accordance with part 320 of this subchapter. Such records shall be made 

available to an FSIS program employee upon request. 

See - FSIS Form 7234.1 and instructions

Refer to 9 CFR Parts 312, 316, 317, & 381.96 thru 381.144, and 590.411 thru 590.419

See - Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book

See - Additional FSIS Contacts for Information