USDA 

United States Department of Agriculture 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

ANNUAL PLAN 

Fiscal Year 2019 
 

 

Contents 

Message from the Administrator 

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Introduction........................................................................................................................................1 

Agency Performance Management and Governance......................................................................2 

Goal 1: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health 

Outcome 1.1: Prevent Contamination.................................................................................................3 

Outcome 1.2: Limit Illness From Regulated Products.........................................................................9 

Goal 2: Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, and the Use of Scientific Approaches

Outcome 2.1: Improve Food Safety and Humane Handling Practices Through 

 Adoption of Innovative Approaches..........................................................................13

Outcome 2.2: Enhance Access to Complete and Accurate Information

 to Inform Decisions....................................................................................................17 

Goal 3: Achieve Operational Excellence

Outcome 3.1: Maintain a Well-Trained and Engaged Workforce.....................................................19 

Outcome 3.2: Improve Processes and Services................................................................................22 

Cross-Cutting

Result 16: Enhance Collaboration With Our Partners.......................................................................25 

Appendix A: Collaborations, Partnerships, Organizations, and Meetings and Conferences......27 
Message From the Administrator 

I am excited to publish the FY 2019 Annual Plan of the 

United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food 

Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). This Annual Plan is 

aligned with FSIS’ 2017-2021 Strategic Plan and details the 

ways the agency will achieve its strategic goals over the 

next fiscal year (FY).

As evident in this year’s plan, FSIS expects a very busy 

and productive FY 2019. The agency will be working 

toward building on the past year’s accomplishments, 

while also rolling out new science-based and customerfocused initiatives. Modernizing our inspection systems 

and processes will continue to be a major focus for FSIS 

this year, as the agency works to finalize its proposals to 

strengthen swine slaughter and egg products inspections.

For FSIS, modernization efforts are not just limited to 

inspection systems. We are taking a holistic approach to 

modernization to improve how we do business and fulfill our mission, which cuts across every strategic 

goal. In FY 2019, FSIS will continue to strengthen our information technology (IT) infrastructure, enhance 

the Public Health Information System (PHIS) with new functionality, improve our training resources, 

and explore innovative tools to pilot in the field. By embracing the latest science and technology, FSIS is 

working to arm our workforce with the information and tools to make timely and informed public health 

decisions. 

In FY 2018, FSIS began extensive use of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to monitor and track 

foodborne illnesses. WGS is a perfect example of how the agency is using the latest science to more 

effectively protect consumers from foodborne illnesses. Having operationalized WGS at FSIS laboratories 

last year, in FY 2019, FSIS will continue to strengthen WGS capabilities, broaden its use to inform 

inspection and enforcement decisions, and enhance collaboration and data-sharing with our public health 

partners. 

We expect that our regular monitoring of results and measures outlined in this Annual Plan will help 

ensure that we stay focused on achieving our strategic goals. I look forward to working together to 

complete the actions in this plan so that we can continue to make a real impact in decreasing foodborne 

illness. 

Carmen M. Rottenberg

Administrator, Food Safety and Inspection Service 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FSIS Acronyms and Abbreviations

ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution

APHL Association of Public Health 

 Laboratories

APMS Adulterated Product Monitoring 

 System 

CARE Compliance, Assistance, Review, and 

 Evaluation

CCMS Consumer Complaint Monitoring 

System 

CFP Conference of Food Protection 

CIFOR Council to Improve Foodborne 

Outbreak Response

E. coli Escherichia coli 

EEO Equal Employment Opportunity

EEOC Equal Employment Opportunity 

Commission 

EG Enterprise governance 

EHS-Net Environmental Health Specialists 

 Network

EIAO Enforcement, Investigation and 

 Analysis Officer

ERM Enterprise risk management

EWA Early Warning Alert 

EWG Evaluation Workgroup

FERN Food Emergency Response 

Network

FEVS Federal Employee Viewpoint 

Survey 

FOIA Freedom of Information Act

FoodNet Foodborne Disease Active 

 Surveillance Network

FSA Food Safety Assessment 

FY Fiscal Year

Gen-FS Interagency Collaboration on 

Genomics for Food and Feed Safety

GIS Geographic Information System

HR Human Resources 

HR-GSS Human Resource General Support 

 System 

IPP Inspection Program Personnel

IT Information Technology

Lm Listeria monocytogenes 

LMA Labor Management Agreement

LRN Laboratory Response Network

MLST Multilocus Sequence Typing

MPI Meat and Poultry Inspection

NARMS National Antimicrobial Resistance 

Monitoring System 

NC Noncompliance 

NPIS New Poultry Inspection System

NRP National Residue Program

PFP Partnership for Food Protection

PFGE Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis

PHIS Public Health Information System

PHR Public Health Regulation

PHRE Public Health Risk Evaluation

PHV Public Health Veterinarian

POE Point of Entry 

RRT Rapid Response Team

RTE Ready-to-Eat 

SCORE Surveillance, Complaints, and 

 Outbreaks Response Enterprise

SRT Self-Reporting Tool

STEC Shiga-toxin producing E. coli 

WGS Whole Genome Sequencing

Referenced Organizations

APHIS Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

CDC HHS/Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention

FDA HHS/Food and Drug Administration 

FSIS Food Safety and Inspection Service

HHS Department of Health and Human 

Services 

HP FSWG Healthy People Food Safety 

 Workgroup

ICLN Integrated Consortium of Laboratory 

 Networks

IFORC Interagency Foodborne Outbreak 

 Response Collaboration

IFSAC Interagency Food Safety Analytics 

Collaboration 

INFAL Inter-American Network of Food 

 Analysis Laboratories

IRAC Interagency Risk Assessment 

Consortium

NACMCF National Advisory Committee on 

Microbiological Criteria for Foods 

NACMPI National Advisory Committee on 

Meat and Poultry Inspection

OPM Office of Personnel Management
Prevent 

Foodborne 

Illness and 

Protect Public 

Health 

GOAL2 

Modernize 

Inspection 

Systems, 

Policies, and the 

Use of Scientific 

Approaches 

GOAL3 

Achieve 

Operational 

Excellence 

Vision: Eve~one's food is safe 

Mission: Protecting the P-Ublic's healt 

ttie safe!Y of meat, P-Oultr,y, and P-rocess 

by ensuring 

egg P-roducts 

OUTCOME 

1.1- Prevent 

Contamination 

1.2 - Limit Illness From 

Regulated Products 

2.1- Improve Food 

Safety and Humane 

Handling Practices 

Through Adoption of 

Innovative Approaches 

2,2 - Enhance Access to 

Complete and Accurate 

Information to Inform 

Decision 

3,1 - Maintain a WellTrained and Engaged 

Workforce 

3.2 - Improve 

Processes and Services 

OBJECTIVE 

1.1.1- Drive Compliance With Food Safety Statutes and Regulations 

1.1.2 - Strengthen Sampling Programs • 

!~!:d~!:sure Establishments Are Meeting Pathogen Reduction Performance 

1.1.4 - Promote Food Defense Practices + 

1.2.1 - Improve Food Safety at In-Commerce Facilities 

1.2.2 - Improve Response to Foodborne Illness Outbreaks and Adulteration Events 

1.2.3 - Increase Public Awareness of Recalls, Foodborne Illness, and Safe Food 

Handling Practices 

2.1.1- Modernize Scientific Techniques and Inspection Procedures 

2.1.2 - Increase Adoption of Humane Handling Best Practices 

2.2.1-Improve the Reliability, Access, and Timely Collection and 

Distribution of Information 

3.1.1 - Improve Recruitment and Retention for Mission Critical Positions 

3.1.2 - Enhance Training and Development Opportunities Across Competency 

Areas 

3.1.3 - Ensure Equal Opportunity and a Diverse and Inclusive Work 

Environment 

3.2.1-Enhance Efficiency and Effectiveness of Key Business Processes and 

Systems 

3.2.2 - Improve Service Delivery 

• 

ACCOUNTAB L E • COLLABORATIVE • EMPOWERED • SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED 

Introduction 

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency in USDA whose mission is to protect the 

public’s health by ensuring the safety of the Nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and processed egg products. 

FSIS ensures food safety through the authorities of the Federal Meat Inspection Act1

, the Poultry Products Inspection 

Act2

, and the Egg Products Inspection Act3, as well as humane animal handling through the Humane Methods 

of Slaughter Act4

. FSIS employs approximately 9,600 employees working collectively to conduct a broad range of 

food safety activities to achieve FSIS’ overall vision—that everyone’s food is safe. FSIS employees are highly trained, 

motivated, and skilled professionals working as “one team with one purpose.” FSIS activities contribute to USDA’s 

Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-2022 Strategic Plan in its Goal 7, “Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health,” and FY 

2019 marks the third year of the agency’s FSIS 2017-2021 Strategic Plan. The goals, outcomes, and objectives set forth

in FSIS’ FY 2017-2021 Strategic Plan directly align to the agency’s Annual Plans, and provide an integrated framework 

for understanding how FSIS fulfills our mission and addresses 21st-century public health challenges. Specifically, 

15 Annual Plan results directly correlate to 15 Strategic Plan objectives, with an additional Result on partner 

collaborations.

1

Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA, P.L. 90-492).

 2Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA, P.L. 90-492).

 3Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA, P.L. 91-597).

 4Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA, P.L. 85-765).

1 
 

Agency Performance Management and Governance 

FSIS will implement this FY 2019 AP by utilizing its performance management framework, which includes monitoring 

and reporting processes underpinned by the agency’s enterprise governance (EG) process. FSIS fosters a performancebased environment by using an agency-wide dashboard, with executives and senior staff assigned to regularly track 

and monitor progress, ensure FSIS meets intended targets, and make timely and necessary adjustments to key 

activities or approaches. Our AP this year includes a greater focus on outcome-based measures, while continuing 

internal tracking of other key milestones, management controls, and outputs.

FSIS has used its EG process to present public health and other mission-related topics to executive leadership, 

particularly those that cut across programs and/or have agency-wide implications, and for collaborative decision 

making and implementation. All new investments, major projects, proposed policy initiatives, and major changes 

to existing policies go through this process. Three governance boards regularly meet to deliberate, and along with 

their associated work groups and committees (sub-boards), provide key analysis, evaluation, and recommendations 

regarding program enhancements that support data-driven decision making. The agency is also integrating new Office 

of Management and Budget enterprise risk management (ERM) requirements into its current governance activities 

and structure. To this end, FSIS leveraged existing internal risk-related expertise to develop an ERM profile and will 

continue to work on incorporating ERM into its decision-making culture.

2 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goal 1 

Prevent Foodborne Illness 

and Protect Public Health 

OUTCOME 1.1: PREVENT CONTAMINATION 

RESULT 1 Drive Compliance With Food Safety Statutes and Regulations 

This Result primarily focuses on the work of thousands of FSIS inspectors MEASURE TARGET

across the United States verifying industry compliance with applicable 

food safety regulatory requirements, which extends to both imported 

and domestically produced food products. Key areas of emphasis to drive 

compliance and reduce the risk of FSIS-regulated product contamination 

include the following:

• Conducting public health risk evaluations (PHREs) and Food Safety 

 Assessments (FSAs)5

 to ensure regulated establishments have 

 developed and implemented food safety systems that reduce or 

 prevent food safety hazards.

• Ensuring an effective international equivalence process.

• Strengthening existing efforts in sampling imported products.

• Continuing review of State Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) 

 Programs. 

• Enhancing outreach to small and very small establishments and other 

 domestic stakeholders about food safety requirements. 

PHREs: PHREs and FSAs often result in improvements to Hazard Analysis 

and Critical Control Point system design, process controls, and/or reduction 

in non-compliance that help to reduce hazards present in food. In FY 2019, 

FSIS will continue to perform activities and take steps to reduce noncompliance and for-cause FSAs based on public health risk determinants.

Outreach: For domestic stakeholders, including small and very small 

establishments, FSIS will continue to deploy innovative approaches 

to develop and deliver outreach that is focused on enhancing the 

communication of technical, scientific, and regulatory compliance 

information. The agency will utilize advanced technologies, such as 

digital applications and the FSIS Small Plant Help Desk, to simplify how 

stakeholders receive technical assistance and resources. FSIS will also 

conduct webinars for establishment owners, operators, and other industry 

partners that highlight relevant agency initiatives and recently published 

agency policy and regulations. Additionally, the agency will continue 

outreach to small and very small establishments through Enforcement, 

Investigation, and Analysis Officers (EIAOs). 

5

The PHRE is a decision making process that FSIS uses to determine whether an FSA needs to be scheduled. It is a distinct, separate activity from an FSA. 

See FSIS Directive 5100.4 Rev. 1. The purpose of an FSA is to assess and analyze an establishment’s food safety system to verify that the establishment is 

able to produce safe and wholesome meat or poultry products in accordance with FSIS statutory and regulatory requirements. See FSIS Directive 5100.1 

STRATEGIC 

PLAN 

% of establishments 

scheduled for a PHRE 

due to public health risk 

determinants6 (1.1.1.1)

 1.13% 

% of product 

combinations tested from 

equivalent countries for 

biological and chemical 

hazards7 (1.1.1.2) 

21% 

Establish revised baseline 

for number of foreign 

countries engaged in FSIS 

international outreach 

activities (1.1.1.3)

N/A 

ANNUAL 

PLAN 

% of international audits 

conducted based on FY 

2019 schedule 

90% 

% of enforcement actions 

that address food safety 

violations

> 87% 

% of planned onsite 

State MPI Program audits 

completed 

> 87% 

% of planned State lab 

audits and desk reviews 

completed 

> 87% 

Rev. 4. 

6

This measure calculates the percentage of establishments scheduled for a PHRE due to specific public health criteria out of all establishments eligible for 

a PHRE, using PHIS as the data source. Expected performance is downward in small increments through FY 2021.

7

This measure calculates the percentage of all country/product combinations submitted for import reinspection that are assigned lab analysis for 

biological and chemical hazards.

FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 3
 4

State MPI Program 

In FY 2019, FSIS will measure the effectiveness of its outreach by surveying stakeholders and partners on value, 

efficiency, quality of delivery, and if expectations were met. Based on the results of such surveys, FSIS will develop 

resources that reflect the stakeholder 

comments. 

State MPI Programs: FSIS’ work in the 

area of compliance also includes State 

MPI Programs. The agency will continue 

its work to ensure that the 27 States 

with an MPI Program maintain “at least 

equal to” status with Federal food safety 

requirements. As in FY 2018, FSIS will 

continue in FY 2019 to ensure it meets 

annual onsite audits and State selfassessment verification requirements, and 

to audit State MPI laboratory programs. 

Imported Products: FSIS’ food safety 

mission also extends to ensuring the 

safety of imported products. FSIS’ 

equivalence process ensures that eligible foreign countries maintain equivalent food safety inspection systems through 

continuous monitoring. This includes document review, point of entry (POE) reinspections, and an onsite audit of 

each eligible country at least triennially. In FY 2019, FSIS expects to see continued growth in the number of foreign 

countries seeking an equivalence determination from FSIS to become eligible to export meat, poultry, or processed 

egg products to the United States. In FY 2018, FSIS leveraged the new and improved Self-Reporting Tool (SRT) that 

crosswalks previously submitted information for equivalent countries exporting FSIS-regulated products to the United 

States. In FY 2019, the agency will provide guidance to help countries complete the new SRT. 

A significant component of ensuring the safety of imported products is FSIS’ reinspection of products at official import 

inspection establishments. In FY 2018, FSIS reduced the number of Failures-to-Present that required recall from 

commerce through implementation of strategies for reducing POE violations. These include proactive education and 

outreach to foreign government counterparts to focus their attention on mitigating POE violations before they occur, 

and the use of data analytics tools to monitor POE reinspection activities.

Sampling Imported Food8: In FY 2019, FSIS will continue to support a risk-based sampling plan for imported foods. 

This plan consists of both samples that are planned based on country profiles that include amenable species and 

volume shipped, as well as samples that are unplanned/for-cause. For-cause samples can be triggered by recent 

violative samples, issues identified during FSIS audits, and/or other data or information received. FSIS will also utilize 

analytics tools to identify trends of concern from data obtained through foreign country audits and POE reinspection 

activities to direct the agency’s annual sampling plan and support decisions on further for-cause sampling initiatives.

International Outreach: FSIS will continue working with foreign regulatory counterparts to share information about 

FSIS regulatory requirements and about how the agency uses the latest technology to ensure protective public health 

standards for food safety. This will be done through technical assistance exchange programs, meetings with foreign 

government officials and organizations, educational seminars, and FSIS-sponsored visits to U.S. laboratories and 

regulated establishments. FSIS aims to increase the overall participation of foreign governments and officials in FSIS 

international outreach activities in FY 2019. FSIS also intends to continue reaching out to international regulatory 

counterparts who are currently implementing or working to modernize existing food safety inspection programs to 

inform them of our best practices and technological advances, and work with them to improve food safety standards 

and vital health protections worldwide. In FY 2019, the Office of International Coordination will report the number of 

foreign countries engaged in FSIS outreach activities to develop a revised baseline for future growth in this area.

8

Import samples are collected to verify that eligible countries are maintaining equivalent food safety inspection systems. See also Result 2.

4 GOAL 1: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health 
 

 

 

 

OUTCOME 1.1: PREVENT CONTAMINATION 

RESULT 2 Strengthen Sampling Programs 

This Result focuses on the establishment of an annual sampling plan that MEASURE TARGET

will structure sampling programs and projects to inform agency decision 

making and policy. The annual sampling plan will facilitate the gathering 

of knowledge on the relative risk of contamination of FSIS regulated 

products. It will also include approaches such as unifying testing to only 

collect one sample of each product at an establishment and test it for 

multiple microbiological hazards or chemical residues. The new plan will 

help FSIS leverage new technology to increase precision, gain efficiencies, 

and better identify and define hazards to decrease their presence in food.

Develop baseline and 

establish targets for 

the % of FSIS sampling 

projects that are used to 

inform decision making 

by the end of FY 2019 

Quarter 2 (1.1.2.1)

 N/A 

STRATEGIC 

PLAN 

New Sampling Approach: To support planning, analysis, and future 

decision making related to sampling, FSIS conducted an internal evaluation in FY 2018 of its existing sampling 

programs and projects. One overarching concept in that evaluation is that the main value of conducting sampling 

programs lies in the data they generate and the use of those data in agency decisions. Based on that premise and this 

analysis, FSIS identified criteria for evaluating how much information is generated by a sampling program to help FSIS 

allocate and use its sampling and inspection resources as effectively as possible. Those criteria capture the following 

ways that FSIS uses sampling information in its decisions: 

1. To assess individual establishments or countries;

 2. To conduct investigations;

 3. To modernize agency policies and regulations; and

 4. To track agency progress, conduct national surveillance, and 

 establish/support priorities.

In FY 2018, FSIS also assessed the beef bench trim sampling project and 

comminuted chicken sampling projects including the current sample 

design and associated outcomes of assigned samples within various 

categories, such as by establishment type and product volume. Based on 

the findings, FSIS will make recommendations for stratification or other 

design improvements to improve collection rates.

FSIS will begin to use the results of the sampling program/project 

evaluation and the above criteria to modify our annual sampling plans 

as needed in FY 2019. By prioritizing testing based on degree of hazard, 

FSIS will more efficiently allocate and manage sampling resources and 

maximize the benefits to public health. As part of this effort, FSIS has 

modified its Strategic Plan measure to reflect this revised approach and 

to assure that planned samples are collected and analyzed as scheduled, 

and that FSIS uses the results of those sampling programs in its decisions. 

Taking into account the criteria from the internal evaluation, the agency 

may also consider additional sampling programs or projects such as analyzing raw beef components for Shiga-toxin 

producing E. coli (STECs), analyzing raw chicken livers for Salmonella and Campylobacter, and analyzing egg products 

for pesticide residues. Additional sampling projects include the following:

Pork – Salmonella 

FSIS completed Phase II of its raw pork exploratory sampling program for Salmonella in slaughter establishments in 

FY 2018 and will complete data analysis in FY 2019. This will include conducting a predictive risk assessment model 

based on the sampling data gathered. In addition, FSIS will start to gather data on the risks from STEC in pork products. 

FSIS will use the data gathered from these projects to inform FSIS policies, industry guidance and/or performance 

standards for these products. 

FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 5
 6

Beef – Salmonella 

In FY 2018, FSIS assessed data from sampling programs implemented in 20149, along with newer baseline data and 

outbreak/illness data to assess risks associated with raw beef. In FY 2019, FSIS will use these data to inform FSIS 

policies, industry guidance and/or performance standards for such products. 

Poultry – Campylobacter 

FSIS will continue to sample and analyze poultry products for Campylobacter10 using an enrichment method 

as opposed to direct plating. The agency will consider new performance standards for Campylobacter in these 

products using the same analytics used to generate the current performance standards. Should new Campylobacter 

performance standards be established, results may be re-incorporated into this Strategic Plan measure or reported in 

a new Campylobacter-specific measure. 

Residue Sampling 

FSIS developed the FY 2019 National Residue Program (NRP) (also known as the Blue Book) and will post the plan 

to the FSIS website in early FY 2019. The FY 2018 NRP results (also known as the Red Book) will be posted in early 

FY 2019. FSIS will continue to work through its current interagency partnerships via the Surveillance Advisory Team 

and the Interagency Residue Control Group meetings and the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring Program 

(NARMS) to develop new partnerships or projects in FY 2020 as needed. 

9

79 FR 32436 

10See Chapter 4 of the Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook

6 GOAL 1: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health 
 

 

 

 

OUTCOME 1.1: PREVENT CONTAMINATION 

RESULT 3 Ensure Establishments Are Meeting Pathogen Reduction 

Performance Standards 

This Result focuses on using pathogen reduction performance standards to MEASURE TARGET

assess the food safety performance of establishments that slaughter and 

process poultry and meat products. 

Poultry: Salmonella 

FSIS is implementing a data-driven regulatory strategy to improve 

Salmonella control in raw poultry slaughter and processing establishments. 

In FY 2018, this strategy informed the development and issuance of 

two instructional notices to the field covering FSIS inspection program 

personnel (IPP) follow-up sampling and verification of establishment 

initiated corrective actions/reassessment activities for establishments 

that are not meeting the Salmonella performance standards. FSIS also 

hosted four informational webinars: two targeted industry stakeholders, 

and communicated the results of an analysis of the effect of neutralizing 

Buffered Peptone Water on the current poultry carcass and chicken 

parts performance standards, and two additional informational webinars 

described how categories are assigned to individual establishments subject 

to the Salmonella performance standards. 

To provide additional transparency to establishments, FSIS implemented category alerts for when an establishment’s 

category status declines. In FY 2019, FSIS will assess whether follow-up associated with Category 2 alerts is effective 

in preventing establishments from failing performance standards. FSIS began to post the category status for individual 

establishments producing raw chicken and turkey carcasses subject to a Salmonella performance standard in January 

2018, and announced plans to begin posting the Salmonella category status for individual establishments producing 

raw chicken parts (legs, breasts, wings) and comminuted chicken and turkey products in the first quarter of FY 2019. 

% of establishments 

that meet Salmonella 

reduction performance 

standards11 (1.1.3.1)

 72% 

% of poultry 

establishments that 

decline to Category 2 for 

Salmonella in carcasses 

do not continue to 

decline into Category 3 

60% 

STRATEGIC 

PLAN

ANNUAL 

PLAN 

FSIS created a new PHIS report to help Enforcement, Investigation and Analysis Officers (EIAOs) determine whether 

any Salmonella isolates from a poultry establishment’s positive samples have Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) 

patterns that match a recent PulseNet cluster. In FY 2019, FSIS will continue to develop criteria based on a risk-ranking 

process for determining when serotype, PFGE, antibiotic resistance, and WGS results should trigger a PHRE, and 

to further distinguish Category 3 establishments. 

More specifically, for poultry establishments that are 

Category 3 for Salmonella, FSIS will explore the use 

of WGS analysis with other existing techniques to 

determine if product isolates contain Salmonella of 

relevance to public health. The agency will use this 

information to develop a framework for regulatory 

considerations.

In FY 2019, FSIS will develop and implement an action 

plan to encourage establishments which have been 

chronically, or intermittently assigned to Category 3 

and not meeting the performance standards, to regain 

process controls for Salmonella. 

11 For each product with a Salmonella performance standard, this measure is calculated by dividing the number of establishments that passed their 

included moving window by the total number of establishments with a completed moving window that either passed or failed. (A moving window is an 

approach to sampling in which FSIS evaluates a set number of sequential results from a single establishment to assess process control. For example, if 

FSIS chose to evaluate 20 results under the moving window approach, FSIS would assess the most recent 20 FSIS results for a particular establishment. 

The “moving window” approach provides FSIS with more flexibility for scheduling sample collection at different establishments.)

FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 7
 

 

 

 

8

OUTCOME 1.1: PREVENT CONTAMINATION 

RESULT 4 Promote Food Defense Practices 

This Result focuses on how FSIS will remain vigilant and sustain progress 

made in food defense and preparedness to respond to acts of intentional 

contamination of food. The evolving threat landscape and emerging risks 

demand that the agency maintain and enhance its capability and capacity 

to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from all 

hazards. The agency will continue to promote agency preparedness, and 

that of the regulated industry, to drive enhanced capabilities and capacities 

to respond to and recover from threats and hazards of greatest risk.

In FY 2018, FSIS continued implementing a multi-year strategy for food 

defense. This included conducting food defense tasks at establishments 

and analyzing task data to inform program activities; continued integration 

of food defense into FSIS policies; development of an Outreach and 

Communication Plan to better direct food defense outreach activities; 

performance of vulnerability assessments to identify emerging threats and 

associated countermeasures; and collaboration with the Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA) and other agencies and organizations. 

MEASURE TARGET

% of establishments that 

maintain food defense 

practices12 (1.1.4.1)

 85% 

# of surveillance 

testing samples at Food 

Emergency Response 

Network (FERN) 

Cooperative Agreement 

Laboratories performed 

5,500

STRATEGIC 

PLAN

ANNUAL 

PLAN 

In addition, the agency completed the first Vulnerability Assessment 

Framework, which is a new risk-based approach FSIS is using to determine if new or updated vulnerability assessments 

are needed based on new and emerging threats. As a result of this Framework, FSIS updated vulnerability assessments 

for both cyber and domestic transportation. The agency also focused on promoting the newly released Food Defense 

Preparedness and Recall Exercise Package, which was well received by industry. Additionally, preparedness activities 

included data analyses of food incidents to prioritize agency efforts, exercises to validate response and recovery plans, 

and development of a FSIS Special Security Events Planning Guide for food defense-targeted threat surveillance at 

National Special Security Events. This Guide was used to perform targeted threat surveillance testing for Super Bowl 

LII. 

In FY 2019, FSIS will continue its work in aligning and integrating key food defense concepts and activities into dayto-day inspection operations, and will continue to update critical food defense policies and resources, as needed. By 

conducting food defense surveillance activities in regulated establishments, the agency will continue to identify food 

defense practices in use. FSIS will also continue to conduct vulnerability assessment activities to identify critical risks 

and the best practices to reduce them.

Also in FY 2019, FSIS will continue to seek out and enhance collaborative opportunities with stakeholders. These 

activities will include providing information to public and private partners to emphasize the importance of food 

defense and highlight tools and resources available on the FSIS website, support for foreign governments to protect 

the supply of food to the United States, and publishing food defense articles in multiple sources.

FSIS will also continue to improve capabilities to respond to and recover from any hazards through preparedness 

activities, including conducting analyses of food incidents to prioritize agency efforts and conducting exercises to 

validate response and recovery plans and to minimize negative public health and economic impacts. The agency will 

continue to promote preparedness by remaining engaged in National Special Security Event activities at least twice in 

FY 2019, while implementing updated risk assessments and a normalized food defense sampling strategy to drive the 

enhanced capabilities and capacities for all food defense practices.

12In FY 2017, FSIS revised the food defense task for IPP, which resulted in the establishment of a baseline of the percent of FSIS-regulated establishments 

that voluntarily maintain food defense practices as the basis of this measure.

8 GOAL 1: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health 
 

 

 

 

 

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OUTCOME 1.2: LIMIT ILLNESS FROM REGULATED PRODUCTS 

RESULT 5 Improve Food Safety at In-Commerce Facilities 

Proper handling of meat, including Siluriformes fish, poultry, shell egg, MEASURE TARGET

and egg products at in-commerce facilities like warehouses, distributors, 

and retailers, is critical to preventing foodborne illnesses. Product volumes 

at some of these facilities can be very high, and the way products are 

handled or even further processed at some of these facilities can introduce 

additional food safety hazards. FSIS focuses its surveillance, investigations, 

enforcement, and other in-commerce activities on those facilities that 

present the greatest risk to consumers. FSIS conducts follow-up surveillance 

activities at facilities where conditions have been observed that could lead 

to unsafe products. FSIS also collaborates with State and local authorities 

to ensure to the extent possible that all types of in-commerce firms are 

routinely monitored. FSIS also promotes safe food handling practices at incommerce facilities through outreach and education.

In FY 2018, FSIS distributed 

several thousand Retail Deli 

Best Practices brochures to 

retailers across the country 

while performing surveillance 

activities to verify food safety 

at in-commerce facilities. 

FSIS will continue to conduct 

the majority of its surveillance 

activities at the business types that pose the highest risk to public health 

in FY 2019. The agency will also perform follow-up surveillance activities 

at in-commerce facilities where initial surveillance reveals food safety 

violations, and take product control actions when appropriate and 

STRATEGIC 

PLAN 

% of retailers following all 

8 of the most important 

FSIS Deli Lm guidelines13 

(1.2.1.1) 

62% 

% of retailers following 

the majority of the 33 

recommendations in the 

FSIS Deli Lm guidelines 

(1.2.1.1) 

92% 

PLAN 

% of surveillance 

AL

activities that are at the >70% 

ANNU

highest risk (Tier 1) firms

necessary to remove unsafe food from commerce. 

In FY 2019, FSIS will continue to verify that retail locations that operate 

delis are safely handling ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry intended for 

sale to consumers to mitigate contamination with Listeria monocytogenes 

(Lm). Lm is associated with a significantly higher fatality rate than most 

other foodborne pathogens. It can survive and grow at cool temperatures, 

including during refrigeration, and can persist in retail deli environments. 

The agency will continue to focus on educating and tracking progress 

on the adoption of safe food handling practices at retail delis, and 

enforcing the recordkeeping requirements for retailers that grind beef. 

FSIS will continue to collect and analyze surveillance data to assess the 

effectiveness of its efforts at retail and to inform the development of 

strategies to improve those efforts. As part of this effort, FSIS plans to 

work with FDA and other public health partners including State and local 

health departments to jointly develop specific outreach materials for 

retailers (e.g., for ground beef traceback) and to disseminate them. 

13The Strategic Plan measure tracks the percentage of retailers that are following all 8 of the most important retail deli Lm guidelines. These 8 are among 

the 33 recommendations in the AP measure that follows. The large difference between the targets is in part because all 8 need to be followed to be 

counted in the percentage. The AP measure with a 91% target reflects an aggregate of recommendations being followed that are weighted equally. The 

recommendations cover product handling, cleaning and sanitizing, facility and equipment controls, and employee practices. 

FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 9
 10

In addition to the control of Lm at retail delis, FSIS 

continues to identify other food safety priorities at retail/

in-commerce facilities and performs surveillance activities 

focused on these priorities. Specifically, FSIS is verifying 

that grinding log records are maintained at retail stores 

that grind raw beef products. This is to improve FSIS’ 

ability to accurately trace the source of foodborne illness 

outbreaks involving ground beef products and identify the 

source materials that may need to be recalled. In FY 2018, 

FSIS began issuing Notice of Warning letters to facilities 

that are not in compliance with grinding log recordkeeping requirements. In FY 2019, FSIS will continue to 

monitor compliance with grinding log recordkeeping 

requirements, educate retailers on the rule, conduct 

targeted outreach to retail industry organizations and 

issue Notice of Warning letters when violations of the rule 

are identified.

FSIS serves in an advisory role on the Executive Board 

for the Conference of Food Protection (CFP), and in this 

capacity, works with the FDA and the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC) to recommend changes to 

the Food Code that impact the safety of meat and poultry 

products in-commerce. In FY 2018, FSIS supported the CFP 

biennial meeting planning by developing a workshop and 

presenting three recommended issues for consideration. 

These issues included the creation of a committee to 

develop guidance on the safe preparation, handling, and 

cooking of roaster pigs for retailers including caterers; 

the creation of a committee to develop guidance on 

the safe practices for handling and cooking rotisserie 

chicken at retail; and the inclusion of a link in the Food 

Code Annex to FSIS’ guidance on chicken livers. Of these 

recommendations, the CFP agreed to the creation of a 

committee to develop guidance for roaster pigs and to 

include a link in the Food Code Annex to FSIS’ guidance on 

chicken livers. In FY 2019, FSIS will continue to collaborate 

with CFP to develop guidelines for these products. In 

addition, FSIS will also continue working with the FDA 

during monthly meetings to harmonize language between 

FSIS regulations and the FDA Food Code. 

10 GOAL 1: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health 
 

 

 

 

OUTCOME 1.2: LIMIT ILLNESS FROM REGULATED PRODUCTS 

RESULT 6 Improve Response to Foodborne Illness Outbreaks and 

Adulteration Events 

FSIS collaborates with public health partners, including the CDC, FDA, MEASURE TARGET

and State and local departments of health and agriculture, to respond 

to foodborne illness outbreaks and food adulteration events. Timely 

information exchange between partners facilitates rapid response. 

Collection of evidence from consumer complaints, case-patient interviews, 

product traceback/traceforward, environmental inspection and sampling, 

and laboratory testing are essential to identifying and controlling 

foodborne illness and hazards, including foreign material and undeclared 

allergens. The agency continues to utilize advances in technology, such as 

WGS, to better understand and respond to foodborne illness that are of 

greatest concern to public health.

% of State partners 

that indicate that they 

routinely notify FSIS of 

information regarding 

illness outbreaks that 

may be associated with 

FSIS-regulated products14 

(1.2.2.1)

 70% 

STRATEGIC 

PLAN 

In FY 2017, FSIS began annual surveys of State public health partners to inform and prioritize outreach efforts. From 

the FY 2018 survey results, FSIS identified the agency in each State most likely to notify FSIS of outbreaks and noted 

that investigative information sharing remains a key topic of interest among partners. Additionally, in FY 2018, FSIS 

shared lessons learned and information on prevention efforts with stakeholders by posting its second outbreak 

summary, regarding salmonellosis outbreaks associated with pork products.

In FY 2019, FSIS will continue surveys of State partners to identify ways to strengthen communication and 

collaboration. Additionally, FSIS will continue to explore mechanisms to share investigative information and lessons 

learned with partners to assist in outbreak vehicle identification and illness prevention. The agency will also continue 

to encourage partners to notify FSIS promptly of illnesses associated with FSIS-regulated products and to provide 

detailed investigative information, since early notification can better enable FSIS to take effective action to protect 

public health. FSIS also plans to improve response to recalls associated with foreign material by drafting an industry 

guide and creating a visualization tool for FSIS employees to better understand trends of adulterated product (foreign 

material) within establishments and movement between establishments. 

14 This measure reviews the percentage of State and local partners based on survey responses who, because of FSIS outreach efforts, can provide 

information that improves identification of contaminated product.

FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 11
 

 

 

 

12

OUTCOME 1.2: LIMIT ILLNESS FROM REGULATED PRODUCTS 

RESULT 7 Increase Public Awareness of Recalls, Foodborne Illness, and 

Safe Food-Handling Practices 

FSIS continues to increase public awareness of recalls, foodborne illness, MEASURE TARGET

policies, and safe food handling practices through a broad range of 

communications channels with the goal of reducing the rates of foodborne 

illness. The agency will continue strategic outreach through traditional 

media, social media, events, partnerships, educational materials, mobile 

applications, seasonal outreach, and other forms of public engagement. This 

outreach communicates the importance of safe food handling, informs the 

public of current recalls and public health alerts, and educates them about 

important policy modernization efforts that affect their food.

In FY 2018, the agency completed the first year of a multi-year social 

science research effort examining food handling practices of consumers in 

a test kitchen. The insights gained from this research allow FSIS to better 

understand how consumers handle and prepare food, and when the most 

unsafe food handling practices occur during meal preparation. With this 

newfound information, FSIS began communicating to the public about the 

most risky food safety practices in the summer of FY 2018 and will continue 

to do so in FY 2019. 

% increase in public 

awareness of safe food 

handling guidance 

and recalls through 

communication 

channels15 (1.2.3.1) 

5% 

% of total yearly 

outreach target from all 

communication channels 

is based on safe food 

handling behaviors 

research16 (1.2.3.2) 

40% 

STRATEGIC 

PLAN 

In FY 2019, FSIS will expand its proactive outreach efforts to the press, will continue to work with partners to serve 

as message multipliers to extend and expand the reach of safety messaging, and will engage with the public and key 

stakeholders through traditional and new media. By updating our outreach to address areas where consumers can 

reduce risk, FSIS will reach more consumers with actionable and tested safety messages to increase public awareness 

of recalls, foodborne illness, and safe food handling practices and promote positive behavior change.

Additional key activities for FY 2019 include achieving more proactive placements of stories about recalls, foodborne 

illnesses, important policy modernization efforts, and safe food handling practices with national, regional/State, and 

local media. FSIS will track the impressions these placements achieve and will also track the subset of placements that 

are based on insights gained from the agency’s consumer research efforts. FSIS will promote the agency as a researchbased, 21st century public health institution by facilitating presentations about our communications and outreach at 

national conferences. Other key activities will include: 

executing policy-related communications strategies 

that educate the public about important policy 

modernization efforts that affect their food, training a 

limited number of field staff to serve as spokespeople 

during local interviews and food demonstrations, and 

providing better customer service via user experience 

improvements to the agency’s website.

15This indexed measure includes weighted metrics primarily of impressions, including direct connections, website traffic, application downloads, event 

participation, physical and digital educational material distribution, social media engagement, media impressions and emails distributed. The percentage 

represents more than 50 million weighted impressions as its target for FY 2019.

16 This measure is a subset of the index measure used in 1.2.3.1. This measure tracks the component of our overall public outreach that applies the 

lessons learned from consumer research to improve our messages. 

12 GOAL 1: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health 
 

 

 

 

Goal 2 

Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, 

and the Use of Scientific Approaches 

OUTCOME 2.1: IMPROVE FOOD SAFETY AND HUMANE HANDLING PRACTICES 

THROUGH ADOPTION OF INNOVATIVE APPROACHES 

RESULT 8 Modernize Scientific Techniques and Inspection 

Procedures 

This Result focuses on identifying or developing innovative tools, MEASURE TARGET

techniques, and methodologies or approaches to support continued 

modernization. More specifically, advanced tools for WGS analysis will be 

used to inform risk management and regulatory decisions; new pathogen 

screening platforms will be deployed in FSIS laboratories; innovative 

inspection tools will be explored through pilot projects; and, as appropriate, 

new and innovative methodologies will be implemented to modernize 

inspection systems and improve hazard detection and response. This 

Result also focuses on enhancing PHIS functionalities and data system 

interoperability. In addition to PHIS, FSIS will also modernize critical 

laboratory IT infrastructure that supports all the applications including 

WGS and new screening platforms. The goal is to provide our inspectors, 

EIAOs, and regulatory partners with the information they need to support 

decision making in a timely manner. Key activities in this Result aim to 

reduce consumer risks by systematically controlling and preventing hazards 

associated with FSIS-regulated products with the use of modern practices, 

technology, and science to inform regulatory requirements and inspection 

procedures. 

Tools and Techniques 

Whole Genome Sequencing

As a part of WGS capacity building in FSIS, in FY 2018, the agency used 

WGS to characterize pathogen isolates from regulatory samples, including 

Salmonella, Campylobacter, Lm, and STEC. In addition, FSIS used WGS 

to characterize bacterial isolates from NARMS cecal samples and other 

sources18. In FY 2018, FSIS 

used both PFGE and WGS 

to characterize pathogens, 

however, in January 2018, PFGE for Lm was discontinued. In FY 2019, 

in consultation with appropriate stakeholders, FSIS plans to broaden 

the application for WGS in our regulatory framework to inform 

inspection and enforcement activities by transitioning from PFGE to 

WGS for Salmonella, Campylobacter, and STEC. As the application of 

WGS is broadened, the use of PFGE will be phased-out to the extent 

practicable. In addition, FSIS is continuing to work with FDA and 

other partners to develop a standardized approach for sharing WGS 

information involving dual jurisdiction establishments. 

STRATEGIC 

PLAN

% of establishments 

whose noncompliance 

rate decreases 120 days 

after receiving an EWA17 

(2.1.1.2) 

73% 

Develop and 

disseminate outreach/

educational materials 

to enhance stakeholder 4 

ANNUAL 

PLANcommunications related 

to WGS

% of establishments 

that opt in, are ready 

to adopt, and have 

implemented NPIS 

95% 

17This measure is calculated as the percent of establishments receiving a Public Health Regulation Early Warning Alert whose Public Health Regulation 

noncompliance rate is below the threshold for receiving an Early Warning Alert 120 days after receiving the alert.

18All Salmonella, Campylobacter, and some E. coli and Enterococcus from the NARMS cecal sampling program and a small fraction of Salmonella from 

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service were subject to WGS analysis.

FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 13
 14

The agency uses WGS analysis to assess 

sequence relatedness among food, 

environmental, or clinical Lm isolates, applying 

two primary analytic approaches: Multilocus 

Sequence Typing (MLST) and High Quality 

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism. When high 

genetic similarities are found between clinical 

and food or environmental isolates, FSIS uses 

this information to identify harborage or to 

explore further epidemiological connections 

and linkage during outbreak investigations. 

FSIS communicates WGS information for Lm 

to RTE establishments in quarterly letters and 

will incorporate such communication for other 

pathogens as PFGE is phased out. 

FSIS will also explore the use of WGS analysis 

with other existing techniques (including 

serotype, PFGE, antibiotic resistance, etc.) to develop criteria based on a risk-ranking process to determine if product 

isolates contain Salmonella of relevance to public health. The agency will use this information to develop a framework 

for regulatory considerations. 

In FY 2019, FSIS will develop and deliver targeted communication on the use of WGS in FSIS’ investigative process 

by field personnel and other stakeholders by conducting educational outreach to EIAOs, developing an annual 

summary report on all FSIS WGS activities and analyses, and developing communication tools (i.e., Fact Sheets and/or 

Frequently Asked Questions.)

Laboratory Screening for Pathogens in FSIS Samples

For over a decade, FSIS has used a specific platform and methodology for screening samples that are enriched. 

While this approach has been reliable and robust, there have been several developments in the field of detection 

and screening. Hence, FSIS evaluated its current and future needs, developments in screening and detection 

technology and selected a new screening platform for its routine screening to complement the current technology. 

In FY 2019, FSIS will incorporate the new detection platform for screening FSIS enrichments. FSIS will also update the 

methodology in the Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook and announce these changes to the stakeholders.

Potential Inspector/EIAO Tools

In FY 2018, FSIS performed a laboratory evaluation of three portable water activity meters. The tools were compared 

to the benchtop unit in the Eastern Laboratory for accuracy, as well as potential usability for infield conditions. The 

agency continues to explore the development and application of real-time microbiological testing methodology for 

field application. In FY 2019, FSIS will continue to work with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and FDA to 

explore different platforms that are suitable for FSIS in-field application for real-time testing. Initially the focus will be 

on a real-time in-field system applicable to Lm environmental sampling, as well as quantitation of indicator bacteria for 

initial deployment for PHRE and FSAs. The information could potentially be used to screen out negative results prior to 

sending samples to FSIS laboratories.

FSIS continually explores alternatives for evaluating the effectiveness of process control, and for identifying conditions 

that may lead to cross-contamination of product during slaughter and processing. In FY 2019, FSIS will continue 

assessing N60 alternatives and other methods for food contact surface sampling in FSIS-regulated establishments 

(e.g., for Salmonella, STEC, Lm, or indicator organisms).

In FY 2018, FSIS explored expansion of the Accredited Laboratory Program to include microbiological testing and 

to update analytic methods. In FY 2019, FSIS plans to communicate the results of this exploration. This will provide 

FSIS additional flexibility to have commercial laboratories accredited to perform FSIS methods if the agency requires 

additional analytical capacity.

14 GOAL 2: Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, and the Use of Scientific Approaches 14
 

In FY 2018, FSIS began developing functionality in PHIS for the System 

Tracking E. coli O157:H7 Positive Suppliers, Recall Management, and 

Industry Notification of Adulteration applications. These functionalities 

are scheduled to be released in FY 2019 under the Adulterated Products 

Monitoring System (APMS). In addition, FSIS will begin integrating APMS 

reporting features, Alerts and Notifications, and the APMS Dashboard 

into PHIS. 

Inspection Procedures and Approaches

In FY 2019, FSIS will continue to monitor the number of establishments 

whose noncompliance rate decreases 120 days after receiving an Early 

Warning Alert (EWA) for Public Health Regulations/ Noncompliance 

Records (PHR/NRs). In FY 2018, FSIS developed analytical tools and 

reports to assist monitoring and evaluation of EWA data. FSIS continues 

to develop interactive data driven graphics to research individual 

establishment performance over time. These tools will assist FSIS in 

identifying recidivist establishments that need further assistance or 

action and influence policy decisions to address specific food safety 

concerns and improve public health. In FY 2018, FSIS developed a PHIS 

alert for IPP in poultry establishments whose performance declined 

from the previous category. FSIS will continue to use these alerts in FY 

2019, and IPP will also receive a follow-up sampling performance alert 

summarizing recent performance to assist in trend analysis. The alerts 

will include number of positives, number of samples analyzed, and 

running percentage positive. 

Modernized Inspection Systems

FSIS will continue to modernize inspection procedures and develop 

new approaches to assess the industry’s control of hazards. Specifically, 

FSIS will continue to implement the New Poultry Inspection System 

(NPIS) in poultry establishments that opt in and are ready to adopt the 

new system. This inspection system is designed to facilitate pathogen 

reduction in poultry products by focusing the agency’s online activities 

to provide for more efficient and effective carcass-by-carcass inspection, 

allowing some of the agency’s online inspection resources to be used to 

perform additional offline inspection activities that are more effective in 

ensuring food safety. 

In FY 2018, FSIS continued efforts to modernize inspection systems by 

proposing the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System for market hog 

slaughter establishments and the Egg Products Rule for egg products 

plants. FSIS also announced the expansion of line speed waivers for 

poultry establishments. In FY 2019, FSIS will assess comments from 

these two proposed rules and the data gathered from the line speed 

waivers to determine if additional changes are needed. 

Development of New Science To Inform Regulatory Requirements 

In FY 2018, FSIS completed Phase II of pork exploratory sampling, which entailed the testing of finished raw pork 

products for Salmonella from establishments that conduct both slaughter and processing, and STEC for establishments 

that are involved in slaughter only. In FY 2019, data generated from this sampling will be used to identify risk 

management options for policy consideration. 

 FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 15
 

 

 

 

OUTCOME 2.1: IMPROVE FOOD SAFETY AND HUMANE HANDLING PRACTICES 

THROUGH ADOPTION OF INNOVATIVE APPROACHES 

RESULT 9 Increase Adoption of Humane Handling Best Practices 

This Result primarily focuses on livestock slaughter through using humane MEASURE TARGET

methods, with a specific focus on restraint and/or stunning of livestock to 

improve establishment compliance and reduce the risk of humane handling 

incidents at slaughter establishments. FSIS will continue to communicate 

with and train staff on these important requirements.

During FY 2018, a new task was created in PHIS which has public 

health veterinarians (PHVs) doing a monthly assessment of whether 

establishments slaughtering livestock have a Robust Systematic Approach 

to humane handling. In FY 2019, FSIS will analyze the results from this task 

and, based on that analysis, make appropriate changes to current policy.

% of slaughter 

establishments that 

are compliant with all 

livestock restraint and/

or stunning requirements 

(2.1.2.1)

 90.2% 

STRATEGIC 

PLAN 

The agency will also continue its enhanced education and outreach strategy recently designed to target small and very 

small establishments to ensure more consistent application of humane handling best practices and compliance with 

humane handling regulatory requirements. To support these efforts, FSIS plans to analyze data from the FY 2018 small 

and very small slaughter establishment survey, which solicited information on knowledge gaps regarding humane 

handling regulations and policies. The survey also collected data about small and very small slaughter establishments’ 

preferred format for FSIS guidance documents. Using the survey results, the agency will develop an action plan for 

implementing a new educational strategy focused on preventing multiple stun events resulting in FSIS enforcement 

actions.

16 GOAL 2: Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, and the Use of Scientific Approaches
 

 

 

 

OUTCOME 2.2: ENHANCE ACCESS TO COMPLETE AND ACCURATE 

INFORMATION TO INFORM DECISIONS 

RESULT 10 Improve the Reliability, Access, and Timely Collection 

and Distribution of Information and Data 

This Result focuses on improvements to systems, tools, and MEASURE TARGET

communications that will enable FSIS employees and external stakeholders 

to more easily access and apply agency information. Improvements 

in the content, format, and delivery of information allow for more 

consistent implementation and better understanding of policy by both 

field employees and industry. Leveraging technology by developing and 

enhancing systems and tools (1) facilitates the timely distribution and 

coordination of information among agency employees, and (2) equips 

analysts with ways to synthesize the large volume of data and present 

quality analyses for informed and sound regulatory decision making and 

policy development for food safety. 

In FY 2018, FSIS created four tools using a server-based visualization 

program, integrated the Consumer Complaint Monitoring System (CCMS) 

functionality into PHIS for improved user access, created a Spanish version 

of the electronic CCMS form, reformatted and condensed a key FSIS 

directive on safe and suitable ingredients to make information easier to 

find, and implemented a pilot project in two establishments utilizing tablets 

to increase online access for FSIS employees. 

The composite score of 

analysts able to access, 

analyze, and visualize 

data19 (2.2.1.1)

 22.9 

% of employees with 

online access to FSISapproved systems 

(2.2.1.2) 

73% 

# of establishmentspecific or other FSIS 

datasets made publicly 

available (2.2.1.3)

4 

STRATEGIC 

PLAN 

In FY 2019, FSIS plans to continue to expand on the activities from 

FY 2018. This includes development of more tools to aid in access, analysis, and visualization of FSIS data to assist 

IPP in performing inspection tasks, and providing innovative ways to present guidance to industry, information to 

inspectors and consumers, and analyses with partners, such as:

• Expanding a server-based 

 visualization program that integrates 

 Geographic Information System (GIS) 

 modeling functionality with FSIS data, 

 increasing the number of data 

 visualization tools on the Analytics 

 Portal (deployed in FY 2018), and 

 continuing to expand data 

 visualization access for FSIS 

 analysts in headquarters and district 

offices.

• Continuing to design the Compliance 

 Guide Index webpage to make the 

 information more accessible for 

 establishments. 

• Continuing collaboration with our 

 Federal food safety partners on 

 allergen control. 

19This measure calculates a weighted score, from survey results of FSIS data analysts who have access to and use FSIS’ major data systems (such as 

PHIS), and who can and have verified that they analyze and visualize FSIS data using statistical or other software. FSIS assesses progress in achieving this 

measure through an annual survey of FSIS analysts. FSIS developed this measure because of its focus on continually modernizing the agency’s use of 

technical and analytic tools. An assessment about how the score is calculated will be conducted. Based on the assessment, the measure or target may 

change. 

 FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 17
 

• Modernizing and migrating surveillance and investigation databases into PHIS within the Surveillance, Complaints, 

 and Outbreaks Response Enterprise (SCORE) interface and developing an integrated GIS for SCORE modules.

• Continuing to improve the functionality of the Residue Violator Tracking system on the FSIS Analytics Portal that 

 replaced the legacy system on residue violators.

FSIS plans to continue developing and researching other innovative ways to present instructions to inspectors and 

guidelines to industry in FY 2019. FSIS will continue sharing key datasets and reports, and plans to post four new 

establishment-specific datasets each fiscal year. In FY 2018, FSIS posted datasets on the microbiological sampling 

results for raw beef components, raw beef follow-up sampling, raw chicken carcasses, and raw turkey carcasses. 

Sharing these data allows FSIS better engagement with its stakeholders and enables them to have quality information 

on an ongoing basis.

FSIS aims for more employees to 

gain online access to FSIS-approved 

systems through increasing the 

availability and use of electronic 

devices and to ensure access to FSIS 

training materials, data reports, 

and other information on the FSIS 

intranet. FSIS plans to implement a 

pilot program in two locations in the 

first quarter of FY 2019 to test a new 

method for obtaining eAuthorization 

certification and LincPass for 

employees within their first week on 

the job through the e-Onboarding 

program. If successful, this adjusted 

methodology will be implemented 

agency-wide, with LincPass 

credentialing stations placed in each 

District Office to allow employees to 

obtain their LincPass during initial 

orientation. 

18 GOAL 2: Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, and the Use of Scientific Approaches
 

 

 

 

 

Goal 3 

Achieve Operational Excellence 

OUTCOME 3.1: MAINTAIN A WELL-TRAINED AND ENGAGED WORKFORCE 

RESULT 11 Improve Recruitment and Retention for Mission Critical 

Positions 

This Result primarily focuses on continuing to implement an expanded MEASURE TARGET

set of incentives, strategies, and initiatives that will sustain or improve 

mission-critical hiring and improve retention, including for hard-to-fill 

locations. It also focuses on recruitment activities for specific populations, 

such as veterinarians, veterans, and IT professionals to support FSIS’ ability 

to maintain a diverse and highly qualified workforce. As a large majority 

of FSIS’ workforce is critical to the day-to-day oversight of inspection 

operations, these strategies help reduce the inherent risks the agency 

faces in ensuring a sufficient number of inspectors are in place to conduct 

inspection activities to prevent FSIS-regulated product contamination and 

ensure animals are treated humanely before slaughter.

In FY 2018, FSIS utilized its direct hiring authority for targeting 

veterinarians, and conducted end-to-end on-site hiring events that 

provided individuals an opportunity to apply, be evaluated, interviewed, 

and medically examined within a few days, culminating in a tentative job 

offer. In FY 2019, FSIS will also execute the following:

• Pursue options to create a Pre-Apprenticeship program 

 to target transitioning military service members for food 

 inspector and consumer safety inspector positions.

• A retention program that enables FSIS to best utilize incentives, 

 focused on public health veterinarians, which would require continued 

% of mission-critical 

STRATEGIC 

PLANfront-line positions that 95.5% 

are filled (3.1.1.1)

% of employees that 

remain at FSIS for 2 years 

or more (3.1.1.2) 

81.1% 

ANNUAL 

PLAN

% of PHVs remaining 

with FSIS for >2 years 

after acquiring incentive 

(including Malak 

Scholars)

81% 

 Federal service agreements to 

 improve long-term career 

 opportunities. Further develop 

 and implement the multipronged 

 PHV incentive program to improve 

 PHV staffing. 

• Implement the Human Resource 

General Support System (HR-GSS) to 

 enable better position tracking, 

 improved hiring metrics calculations, 

 and report development. 

• Use hiring metrics and reports from 

 HR-GSS to identify and address 

 hiring bottlenecks to improve hiring.

• FSIS aims to continue Student Loan 

 Repayment opportunities.

 FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 19
 

 

 

 

OUTCOME 3.1: MAINTAIN A WELL-TRAINED AND ENGAGED WORKFORCE 

RESULT 12 Enhance Training and Development Opportunities 

Across Competency Areas 

This Result focuses on delivering a range of training and development MEASURE TARGET

activities to FSIS employees, as well as developing and deploying 

competency models and skill gap assessments for key occupations to 

enhance employee training and development. FSIS continues to enhance 

and expand its training offerings through using new training delivery 

mechanisms and frequent course offerings. The FSIS workforce is critical 

to the day-to-day oversight of inspection operations, and these training 

strategies help reduce the inherent risks the agency faces in ensuring that 

its inspection workforce is sufficiently trained to prevent FSIS-regulated 

product contamination and to ensure animals are treated humanely before 

slaughter. 

In FY 2018, FSIS continued to focus on expanding and transforming training 

programs and offerings. To date, FSIS has delivered training and established 

competency models in certain mission-critical occupations. FSIS plans to 

continue to modernize its training efforts in FY 2019 and will continue to 

support a range of training and development activities, including: 

% increase in knowledge 

gained in key occupations 

within 180 days (3.1.2.1)

 82.4% 

% of FSIS workforce skill 

gaps assessed (3.1.2.2) 54% 

STRATEGIC 

PLAN 

• Implementing a redesigned, interactive formal PHV classroom program.

• Posting quick, on-demand, online refresher trainings and reference materials.

• Continuing with the redesign of Inspection Methods and starting the redesign of Imports, and Imports Inspection 

 classroom training. 

• Employing alternative delivery methods and training approaches that are suitable to the content and audiences 

 FSIS is reaching. 

• Marketing and promoting increased Office of Field Operations participation and use of online technical materials 

 available through IPP Help, PHIS Help, Supervisor Help, Industry Help, FSIS Intranet, and AgLearn.

• Supporting external training offerings to both maintain competencies and fill key gaps in key areas.

• Providing easy to find and quick access to visuals online such as photographs, animations, videos, and point-of-

 view reference materials. 

Leadership training will focus on offerings/opportunities to improve leadership and management competencies in 

the areas of accountability, vision, problem-solving, and leveraging diversity. FSIS will fill core classes to at least 90% 

capacity. Inspection and technical training will focus on competencies in staff through new and expanded offerings, 

such as in data and information analysis, animal pathology, regulation compliance, consumer safety knowledge, and 

critical thinking. 

To measure progress, FSIS will assess knowledge gained from these efforts to analyze training results to better 

interpret and measure training outcomes. FSIS will also continue to analyze and use Federal Employee Viewpoint 

Survey (FEVS) results and employee responses to training and FSIS’ annual surveys to advance content development, 

training delivery, and interpret and measure outcomes. 

In FY 2019, FSIS will also continue its work assessing competency gaps in the PHV occupation by providing training 

modules to supervisors to address gaps identified. FSIS will continue to assess workforce competencies by completing 

additional competency gap assessments on Consumer Safety Inspectors and beginning assessments of Food 

Inspectors. 

20 GOAL 3: Achieve Operational Excellence 
 

 

 

 

OUTCOME 3.1: MAINTAIN A WELL-TRAINED AND ENGAGED WORKFORCE 

RESULT 13 Ensure Equal Opportunity and a Diverse and Inclusive 

Environment 

FSIS stays committed to ensuring equal opportunity for all stakeholders MEASURE TARGET

and fostering a workforce that is diverse, inclusive, and engaged. This 

result seeks to build on these values by ensuring compliance with Civil 

Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws and regulations 

and by promoting and enhancing employee engagement initiatives and 

activities. Required activities that the agency will continue to implement 

which support this goal include: distributing civil rights policies, conducting 

compliance reviews, processing EEO complaints, managing Special 

Emphasis Programs, and reporting affirmative action plans and complaint 

activity data to the Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity 

Commission (EEOC). 

In FY 2018, FSIS led numerous efforts to enhance its EEO and Civil 

Rights programs, such as developing an extensive library of new EEO 

and Civil Rights trainings, marketing and promoting its Alternative 

Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs, and modifying its EEO compliance 

review process. In order to ensure employees understand EEO and 

Civil Rights laws and protections, FSIS developed eight new training 

modules on the EEO process, Anti-Harassment, Anti-Retaliation, and 

other Civil Rights topics. These training modules were uploaded and 

made available in AgLearn or as hard-copy training packets, and upon 

request, were delivered through in-person presentations. Additionally, 

the agency implemented a new process for evaluating the effectiveness 

of its training program; FSIS incorporated standardized knowledge check 

questions into its training modules to assess employees’ EEO and Civil Rights competency. The agency also took 

several steps to promote its ADR program and educate the workforce on its conflict resolution services. In FY 2018, 

FSIS issued mandatory ADR training for all employees to complete, launched a lunch-and-learn series, and marketed 

the ADR program through various articles published in the Wednesday Newsline and other FSIS publications. 

Improvements were also made to Compliance Assistance, Review and Evaluation (CARE), the agency’s EEO compliance 

review program. In particular, FSIS enhanced the program’s communication strategies to ensure employees were 

knowledgeable about CARE, and to increase participation in CARE surveys and the review process. The agency also 

began the development of a data analysis plan that will allow FSIS to more effectively assess the CARE survey results 

and workforce demographic data. FSIS will continue to analyze FEVS results to develop employee engagement 

activities.

% of ADR acceptance 

rate for formal 

and informal EEO 

complaints (3.1.3.1)

 45% 

% of employees who 

complete mandatory 

EEO/Civil Rights training 

that satisfy competency 

requirements (3.1.3.2)

80% 

% increase in FSIS’ FEVS 

employee engagement 

survey index (3.1.3.3) 

7% 

(increase to 

67.95%) 

STRATEGIC 

PLAN 

In FY 2019, FSIS plans to continue several EEO activities it began in FY 2018. Utilizing its new training library, FSIS will 

issue mandatory EEO training to all employees and will assess the effectiveness of the training through its competency 

assessment questions and tracking. The agency will also continue its CARE process improvement efforts and finalize 

and use its newly developed data analysis plan to complete five 

reviews of program areas and districts. To encourage employee 

participation during the reviews, FSIS will implement marketing 

strategies to include delivering a personalized message from the 

FSIS leadership team to the field and headquarters offices on the 

importance of EEO and the CARE process. In response to several 

statutory and regulatory changes imposed by EEOC, the agency will 

also modify its affirmative action plan and conduct a comprehensive 

barrier analysis to address any potential barriers to EEO. Most 

especially, FSIS will review employment actions and practices 

affecting the hiring and retention of persons with disabilities.

FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 21
 

 

 

 

22

OUTCOME 3.2: IMPROVE PROCESSES AND SERVICES 

RESULT 14 Enhance Efficiency and Effectiveness of Key Business 

Processes and Systems 

This Result focuses on ensuring FSIS’ business practices and systems MEASURE TARGET

are efficient and effective, and increasingly enabling FSIS personnel—in 

particular its frontline workforce—to dedicate more of their time to 

day-to-day mission activities. FSIS continues to further align and enhance 

organizational business and management processes, data flows, and 

technology to support sound operations, with a particular focus on HR, 

IT, and procurement. These activities will help reduce inherent risks 

associated with processes and systems by better optimizing them to 

improve reliability or accessibility and to ensure FSIS adequately supports 

its personnel. 

FSIS will leverage progress from FY 2018 activities to enhance strategic 

human capital planning activities, procurement, IT, and Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA) processes, external audit and internal evaluation 

processes, and further build out or complete budget and financial 

management system enhancements in FY 2019. Examples include the 

following: 

Human Resources (HR): In FY 2019, FSIS anticipates continuing the 

mission-critical position review for the remaining frontline positions based 

on forecasted requirements and modernization initiatives to proportionally 

align its frontline and non-frontline workforces. The subsequent workforce 

reshaping will progress as FSIS implements modernization efforts that 

provide for a sustainable frontline-to-support ratio.

Procurement: To better project the upcoming FY 2019 acquisition 

workload, FSIS will hold meetings with each program area to develop an 

acquisition plan in the first quarter. Within the context of the existing fiscal 

environment, this will aid Procurement in identifying when to best execute 

the agency’s procurement actions. 

Evaluation: The Evaluation Working Group (EWG) was established in FY 

2017 as a cross-agency, collaborative effort to establish a yearly program 

evaluation agenda. The EWG’s evidence-based evaluations directly support 

FSIS enterprise governance and agency decision making by providing 

information about how activities, policies, processes, or changes may 

be optimized to achieve desired results. In FY 2019, FSIS will continue 

to support programs by conducting both EWG and program identified 

evaluations, surveys, and other analyses in high-priority areas to help 

enhance program and/or process efficacy. 

STRATEGIC 

PLAN 

% of defined process 

times met for hiring, 

procurement, and IT20

(3.2.1.1)

 77% 

(aggregate 

target) 

% of actions taken as a 

result of evaluation and/

or survey results 

70% 

ANNUAL 

PLAN 

% of reviews conducted 

of agency enterprise 

governance-approved 

projects to ensure they 

are operating within their 

authorized budget and on 

track in meeting project 

goals and milestones21 

100% 

% reduction in travel 

voucher delinquency 28% 

% of grievances and 

Unfair Labor Practices 

complaints processed 

in accordance with the 

Labor Management 

Agreement (LMA) 

95% 

20FSIS uses an indexed measure to drive improvements related to meeting defined process times for hiring, procurement, and IT. Hiring: FSIS will target 

the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) 80-day time to hire metric, and add assessment of pre-recruit activities, which captures activities prior to 

submission of the manager’s request to fill a position. FSIS is using 80 days as a baseline under OPM hiring guidance. The FSIS target is meeting 80 days 

or less for 75% of the hiring actions. IT: This measure calculates the process times for which development, modernization, and enhancement investments 

are met for specific projects. The FY 2019 target is 85%. Procurement: A representative number of contracts have been identified according to their 

impact and dollar value. The process times for each contract across three phases (planning, implementation, and closeout) will be met 70% of the time. 

Separately, FSIS will also continue to use internal process time metrics for resolving grievances and unfair labor practices as prescribed in the LMA, as well 

as preparing and deciding on discipline cases in accordance with 5 CFR.

21Reviews will include non-baseline projects only and will be conducted for projects until development is complete; more reviews will be conducted 

toward the end of the fiscal year as more activity will be available for review from the start of the year. Reviews exclude operational type projects such as 

travel. 

22 GOAL 3: Achieve Operational Excellence 
 

IT: FSIS will continue to evaluate and modernize its processes and IT Roadmap, including increasing the use of cloud 

and mobile technologies as possible, to ensure its business technology and enterprise architecture will continue to 

meet its evolving mission and increasingly mobile workforce. FSIS will redesign and streamline processes and select 

innovative technologies to help support workforce productivity and, in FY 2019, respond to updated Departmental 

and Federal requirements. The IT Procurement Process Toolkit v2.0 was launched on April 16, 2018, to improve the 

customer experience with IT procurements, and FSIS will conduct additional IT road mapping activities, such as a 

multi-year transition plan to deploy additional cloud and mobile technologies, and continue its transition to more 

Agile methodologies.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): FOIA efforts this year will focus on improving customer service through an 

enhanced FOIA process, continued training of FSIS personnel and stakeholder outreach. This enhanced FOIA process 

will include consistent engagement of a broader array of subject matter experts from across FSIS, and enhanced 

communication with stakeholders. FSIS will also launch a new catalogue containing a searchable list of sampling 

projects/test codes with data available through the FOIA process. The FOIA staff will assess how the new catalogue 

and enhanced process impacts the timeliness and quality of FOIA responses involving sampling data. FSIS will issue 

a new FOIA directive by December 30, 2018, to reflect the process enhancements. The FOIA staff will also conduct 

several training sessions with FSIS staff that highlight all employees’ responsibilities under FOIA, ensuring knowledge 

of FSIS processes and requirements, and improving the quality and timeliness of FOIA responses. The FOIA staff will 

continue to brief stakeholders on the FSIS FOIA process and evaluate stakeholder feedback to further enhance the 

customer experience. 

Audit: FSIS will continue to identify approaches that will streamline our audit liaison process to help improve 

implementation of corrective actions in response to audit recommendations.

Financial Systems: In FY 2018, FSIS implemented its Financial Reporting Improvements Optimization project and the 

new Departmentwide relocation tracking and execution system which will create greater efficiencies in its financial 

and budgeting processes. In FY 2019, FSIS will continue work on building or modifying interfaces and automating 

business processes, increasing analysis capabilities, and gaining efficiencies in transforming complex financial data into 

practical information. This includes completing FSIS-specific projects related to budgeting and financial management. 

The agency will also continue to support the modernization of its export certificate process and industry billing 

processes. 

Investment Reviews: The Enterprise Investment Board will conduct periodic reviews of agency enterprise 

governance-approved projects. This coordinated approach will promote good fiscal stewardship and accountability for 

agency funds by monitoring project progress to ensure that the project milestones are being met and, if they are not, 

corrective actions are being taken to bring the projects back in alignment, as appropriate.

FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 23
 

 

 

 

24

OUTCOME 3.2: IMPROVE PROCESSES AND SERVICES 

RESULT 15 Improve Service Delivery 

In parallel with Result 14, this Result focuses on the delivery of high-quality MEASURE TARGET

services in a responsive manner—particularly, but not only, in acquisition 

management, human resources, and IT. FSIS continues to develop and 

maintain a more robust service standard that is more attuned to individual 

and organizational needs. In addition, FSIS has emphasized more and 

better communication across mission and servicing organizations to ensure 

informational needs are met, mutual accountabilities are clearly known, 

and outcomes are shared and mutually beneficial.

The agency will leverage progress from FY 2018 activities to enhance 

customer satisfaction in HR, procurement processes, and IT governance 

analyses into FY 2019. Examples include the following:

Human Resources: In HR, FSIS will maintain or improve upon its survey 

results for applicants and hiring managers as provided through the Office 

of Personnel Management. The agency will also compress pre-employment 

activities to keep candidates engaged. This will be accomplished through 

on-site recruiting events targeting mission-critical occupations, assisting candidates with the application process, 

assisting managers with the selection process, and moving away from paper-based pre-employment tools to digital 

tools such as digital fingerprints and electronic forms submission. Additionally, HR will improve the employee onboarding experience by acquiring a LincPass for each new employee by the end of the first week of employment, 

thereby providing access to FSIS systems more rapidly. HR will also begin creating individual employee electronic 

identification and e-mail accounts as part of employee profile for faster receipt of agency information. 

% of client satisfaction 

with key FSIS services 

(3.2.2.1)

 80% 

Maintain the agency’s IT 

ranking in the American 

Customer Service Index 

#4 

(ranking)

STRATEGIC 

PLAN

ANNUAL 

PLAN 

Procurement: In FY 2019, FSIS acquisition management will improve service delivery by assigning the program areas 

of FSIS a central point of contact in the Procurement Branch to ensure quality and timeliness of requested actions and 

effectively communicate status of their procurement requests. Additionally, each program will have an identified team 

lead assigned to their program. This lead will serve to efficiently provide updates to program officials on the status 

of their program’s actions and manage workflow. This new process will eliminate the need for program officials to 

identify and address multiple contract specialists who may be working their requirement, improving service delivery. 

Financial Systems: In FY 2018, FSIS implemented its Financial Reporting Improvements Optimization project and the 

new Department wide relocation tracking and execution system which will create greater efficiencies in its financial 

and budgeting processes. In FY 2019, FSIS will continue work on building or modifying interfaces and automating 

business processes, increasing analysis capabilities, and gaining efficiencies in transforming complex financial data into 

practical information. This includes completing FSIS-specific projects related to budgeting and financial management. 

The agency will also continue to support the modernization of its export certificate process and industry billing 

processes. 

IT: In IT, FSIS will improve its approval process and customer support procedures to increase customer satisfaction and 

workforce productivity. For example, FSIS plans to use recent survey results to make improvements to the customer 

experience when requesting new hardware or software. It also includes working with FSIS program areas to launch 

and implement innovative ways to visually display information to support decision making.

Customer Service: In FY 2019, FSIS will analyze data from recent surveys on services within FSIS, and this data will 

inform decisions on future potential enhancements. FSIS will also use survey data on employee preferences related to 

course access and delivery, as well as to continue to incorporate online resource information and customer feedback 

materials into IPP Help and new Supervisor Help to increase customer satisfaction. 

24 GOAL 3: Achieve Operational Excellence 
 

 

 

 

CROSS-CUTTING 

RESULT 16 Enhance Collaboration With Our Partners 

FSIS maintains a multitude of collaborations and partnerships to improve food safety outcomes in a manner that would 

be impossible to achieve alone. FSIS engages with Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local agencies and stakeholders 

at meetings, conferences, and in working groups aimed at preventing and responding to foodborne illness and 

protecting public health.

Each year, FSIS builds on its successes from existing collaborations and initiating new relationships to further its 

strategic goals to prevent foodborne Illness, protect public health, and modernize inspection systems, policies, and the 

use of scientific approaches. During FY 2019, FSIS will focus on the following collaborations that will further U.S. food 

safety efforts. A description of each group referenced and additional collaborations can be found in Appendix A.

FSIS-FDA Dual-Jurisdiction Establishments Workgroup: In January 2018, USDA and FDA entered into a formal 

agreement to increase regulatory and operational efficiency and improve program effectiveness through enhanced 

collaboration and coordination on areas of mutual interest. As part of the agreement, interagency workgroups were 

convened to improve coordination on issues of common concern. FSIS and FDA established an interagency Dualjurisdiction Establishments Workgroup to bring greater clarity and consistency to jurisdictional decisions under FSIS 

and FDA’s respective authorities, identify and potentially reduce the number of establishments subject to the dual 

regulatory requirements, and define a transition period. The efforts of the working group will increase regulatory 

efficiency, decrease unnecessary regulatory burdens, and use government resources more efficiently to protect public 

health.

During FY 2019, the work group will focus on near-term activities to further coordination and information sharing on 

inspectional findings; sampling and test results; contaminated, adulterated, or illness-associated ingredients that are 

used in both FSIS and FDA products; enforcement actions; and food recalls. The working group will also catalogue all 

applicable statutes, regulations, memoranda of understanding, and inspection and sampling tasks and identify possible 

changes through rulemaking.

Healthy People Food Safety Workgroup (HP FSWG): Healthy People is a long-standing Governmentwide initiative 

aimed at improving the health of all Americans through establishing and monitoring science-based 10-year national 

objectives. Food safety is one of the topic areas. The HP FSWG includes subject matter experts from CDC, FDA, other 

HHS organizations, USDA FSIS, and the Food and Nutrition Service. The goal of the HP food safety topic area is to 

reduce foodborne illness in the United States by improving food safety-related behaviors and practices. In FY 2019, 

FSIS will continue to co-lead, with FDA, the HP FSWG, work to continue tracking HP 2020 food safety objectives and 

finalize the objectives, data sources, and targets for the HP 2030 decade.

Interagency Retail Lm Action Plan: Enhancing Outreach on the Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Retail 

Delicatessens: In FY 2018, FSIS convened a retail workgroup to develop an interagency retail Lm action plan to guide 

outreach to support the control of Lm at retail delicatessens. This effort was in response to a recommendation from 

the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) to FSIS.

During FY 2019, FSIS will work through its retail workgroup to improve intra-agency coordination of retail-related 

activities, and will collaborate with FDA and CDC to map out current Federal outreach activities related to the control 

of Lm at retail and use this information to identify opportunities to better leverage limited Federal resources to 

support retail food safety. FSIS, with input from FDA and CDC, will garner input from retailers and State and local 

health departments on the access and usefulness of Federal outreach and other sources of information to support 

sanitation and safe handling of RTE foods at retail to mitigate the risk of listeriosis. This information will be used by FSIS 

and its public health partners to develop the Interagency Retail Lm Action Plan supporting best practices in the control 

of Lm at retail delicatessens and to jointly develop specific outreach materials for retailers (e.g., for slicers) and to 

disseminate them.

 FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 25
 

 

Interagency Collaboration on Genomics for Food and Feed Safety (Gen-FS) and PulseNet: During FY 2018, GenFS formed a molecular markers workgroup to focus on genes involved in virulence and pathogenicity, survival and 

adaptability, resistance to biocides including antimicrobial resistance, and mobilome. In FY 2019, an FSIS-led subgroup 

will focus on virulence and pathogenicity genes in Salmonella of One Health interest. At the end of FY 2019, this 

workgroup expects to develop a framework to zero-in on genes that could have potential in further categorizing 

certain genotypes based on one health risk potential.

In order to provide a harmonized view of what WGS can do in a public health or one health setting, and capture how 

it is being used currently, the Gen-FS steering committee has initiated work on a WGS publication titled “The Use of 

Whole Genome Sequencing for Food Safety and Public Health in the United States - A Publication by the Gen-FS”. The 

manuscript for this publication is in early stages of development and expected to go in multi-agency clearance process 

in FY 2019 and the final publication/print will follow after the clearance process is completed.

From the start of WGS, the agency has used both PFGE and WGS to characterize Salmonella, Campylobacter, STEC, and 

Lm. However, PFGE for Lm was discontinued in January 2018 and FSIS started relying on WGS analysis for regulatory 

applications including determining harborage. FY 2019 forward, in consultation with appropriate stakeholders, FSIS 

intends to phase-out the use of PFGE with primary reliance on WGS analysis to inform inspection and enforcement 

activities for Salmonella, Campylobacter, and STEC. While transition from PFGE to WGS analysis approach called MLST 

depends on CDC - our public health partner, we anticipate this transition to take place in FY 2019 unless there are 

delays due to unforeseen circumstances. 

Interagency Risk Assessment Consortium (IRAC): In FY 2019, FSIS will participate on an Environmental Protection 

Agency and FDA-led multi-agency Federal effort exploring current quantitative approaches to evaluate the 

interpretation of epidemiological data for use in risk assessments. This evaluation is part of on-going efforts to utilize 

current approaches to enhance the rigor and reproducibility of Federal risk assessments. 

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF): In FY 2018, the NACMCF finalized 

two draft reports, Salmonella Control Strategies in Poultry, and Virulence Factors and Attributes that Define Foodborne 

STEC as Severe Human Pathogens, and made them publicly available. During FY 2019, NACMCF will work on publishing 

the two reports in the Journal of Food Protection. The Committee will also hold at least two subcommittee meetings 

to work on two new charges, the Use of Water in Animal Slaughter and Processing and Appropriate Product Testing 

Procedures and Criteria to Verify Process Control for Microbial Pathogens or appropriate indicator organisms in RTE 

Foods under FDA’s jurisdiction. Regulatory agencies such as FSIS must be able to provide supportable alternatives to 

current water consumption practices that allow industry to potentially use less and recycle water through developing 

criteria on the appropriate uses of varying water sources and treatment technologies in the processing of meat, 

poultry, and egg products. 

National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI): The Committee will host a plenary session 

and renew its Charter.

26 RESULT 16: Enhance Collaboration with Our Partners 26
 

Appendix A: Collaborations, Partnerships, Organizations, and 

Meetings and Conferences

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) 

FSIS serves on the APHL Food Safety Committee in a liaison capacity. The committee, which is comprised of 

representatives from State agriculture, environmental, and public health laboratories, meets by teleconference each 

month and in-person twice a year. The committee’s purpose is to share information, promote beneficial strategies, 

coordinate training, and develop methods standardization across labs. In the past, FSIS has collaborated through APHL 

to provide coordination for FERN activities, but this could be expanded to consider other laboratory efforts. 

Conference for Food Protection

The CFP is a biennial forum where representatives from the food industry, government, academia, and consumer 

organizations identify and address emerging problems of food safety and formulate recommendations. Though CFP 

has no formal regulatory authority, it significantly influences food safety guidance, model laws, and regulations among 

all government agencies and minimizes disparate interpretations and implementation.

Consumer Food Safety Education Conference

The Consumer Food Safety Education Conference is a gathering of consumer health-focused professionals from public 

and private sectors to explore influences on consumers and the way forward to enhance proper food preparation and 

hand hygiene practices. Participants include food safety educators and communicators, public health, environmental 

health, and Cooperative Extension professionals, consumer advocates, food and beverage industry professionals, local, 

State and Federal Government and military personnel, and K-12 and college and university educators. The conference 

features take-home strategies, tools, and resources to support attendees in their efforts to tackle their biggest food 

safety education program challenges and influence consumer food safety attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors. The 

conference also provides opportunities to network and engage in collaborative dialogue with a range of health and 

food safety professionals. 

Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response 

The Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) is a multidisciplinary collaboration of national 

associations and Federal agencies, including FSIS, working together since 2006 to improve methods at the local, 

State, and Federal levels to detect, investigate, control, and prevent foodborne disease outbreaks. Council member 

representatives include expertise in epidemiology, public health laboratory, and environmental health activities and 

food regulation at the local, State, and Federal levels. CIFOR was created to develop and share guidelines, processes, 

and products that will facilitate effective and collaborative foodborne outbreak response. 

Dual-Jurisdiction Establishments Workgroup (January 2018 USDA-FDA Memorandum of Understanding) 

In January 2018, USDA and FDA entered into a formal agreement to increase regulatory and operational efficiency and 

improve program effectiveness through enhanced collaboration and coordination on areas of mutual interest. As part 

of the agreement, interagency workgroups were convened to improve coordination on issues of common concern. 

FSIS and FDA established an interagency Dual-jurisdiction Establishments Workgroup to bring greater clarity and 

consistency to jurisdictional decisions under FSIS and FDA’s respective authorities, identify and potentially reduce the 

number of establishments subject to the dual regulatory requirements, and define a transition period. The efforts of 

the working group will increase regulatory efficiency, decrease unnecessary regulatory burdens, and use government 

resources more efficiently to protect public health.

Enhancing Outreach and Partnerships with 27 State MPI Programs

FSIS maintains a multitude of collaborations and partnerships to improve food safety outcomes in a manner that 

would be impossible to achieve alone. FSIS engages with State, Tribal, territorial, and local agencies and stakeholders 

at meetings, conferences, and in working groups aimed at preventing and responding to foodborne illness and to 

protect public health. FSIS builds on its successes from existing collaborations/partnerships with State MPI programs to 

prevent foodborne illness and protect public health.

 FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 27
 28

Appendix A: Collaborations, Partnerships, Organizations, and 

Meetings and Conferences

Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net) 

EHS-Net (pronounced S-Net) is a CDC-led collaborative forum of State and local environmental health specialists 

and Federal agencies, including FSIS, whose mission is to improve environmental health practice. These specialists 

collaborate with epidemiologists and laboratorians to identify and prevent environmental factors contributing to 

foodborne illness outbreaks.

Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) 

In 2004, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9 established the creation of the FERN under the joint oversight of 

FSIS and the FDA. The network’s mission is to integrate the Nation’s multi-level food testing laboratories to detect, 

identify, respond to and recover from a bioterrorism or public health emergency involving the food supply. FERN 

provides Federal funding to FERN partner/State laboratories annually for the development of analytical methods, 

validation of analytical methods and targeted surveillance of FDA/FSIS-regulated commodities at the retail level. FSIS 

will continue to provide joint oversight with the FDA FERN National Program Office. FSIS will continue to partner with 

the FDA in targeted surveillance oversight of National Special Security Events (e.g., Presidential Inauguration) and 

National Security Events (e.g., Super Bowl) annually.

Food and Agriculture Government and Sector Coordinating Councils 

In 2003, the Federal Government designated the Food and Agriculture Sector as a critical infrastructure sector, 

recognizing its significant contribution to national security and the economy. Since then, the sector has successfully 

built public-private partnerships that improved information sharing, created forums to share best practices, and 

developed tools and exercises to improve incident response and recovery. FSIS will continue to work with partners 

from the private sector, academia, and Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments through the Food and 

Agriculture Government and Sector Coordinating Councils to promote voluntary adoption of food defense practices by 

FSIS-regulated establishments.

Food Safety and Inspection Service Research Priorities and Research Collaborations 

FSIS maintains and publishes a list of food safety research priorities to promote research in areas of importance to the 

FSIS mission. FSIS convenes its Research Priorities Review Panel annually to identify data gaps and propose research 

topics and associated study priorities to FSIS management for approval. To facilitate support, Research Priorities are 

communicated to the food safety research community via the FSIS web page, scientific meetings, and university/

industry outreach. These priorities are also communicated to USDA ARS Food Safety National Program and USDA 

National Institute of Food and Agriculture Food Safety Program via regularly scheduled meetings. FSIS often facilitates 

accomplishment of priority research by collaborating with food safety researchers. Such collaborations may include 

contributing samples, data, microbiological isolates, and scientific expertise.

Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) 

FoodNet conducts surveillance for Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Listeria, Salmonella, STEC O157 and 

non-O157, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia infections diagnosed by laboratory testing of samples from patients. The 

network was established in July 1996 and is a collaborative program among the CDC; 10 State health departments—

Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, and selected counties in California, 

Colorado, and New York; FSIS; and the FDA. FoodNet accomplishes its work through active surveillance, surveys of 

laboratories, physicians, and the general population and population-based epidemiologic studies.

Healthy People Food Safety Workgroup (HP FSWG)

Healthy People is a long-standing Governmentwide initiative aimed at improving the health of all Americans through 

establishing and monitoring science-based 10-year national objectives. Food Safety is one of the topic areas. The HP 

FSWG includes subject matter experts from CDC, FDA, other Department of Health and Human Services organizations, 

USDA FSIS and FNS. The goal of the HP food safety topic area is to reduce foodborne illness in the United States by 

improving food safety-related behaviors and practices. 

28 APPENDIX A 
 

Appendix A: Collaborations, Partnerships, Organizations, and 

Meetings and Conferences

Inter-American Network of Food Analysis Laboratories (INFAL) 

INFAL is hosted by the Pan American Health Organization. The network includes laboratories in every country in the 

Americas and offers a vehicle through which the laboratories exchange information, share data, and offer training. 

The INFAL mission is to promote the assurance of food safety and food quality in the region of the Americas for the 

prevention of foodborne diseases, protect consumers’ health and facilitate trade, and encouraging and strengthening 

the development and interaction of food analysis laboratories within the framework of national integrated programs 

for food protection. Its general objectives are promoting methodological harmonization and methodological 

equivalence of food analysis laboratories, promoting the implementation of equivalent quality management systems 

in INFAL laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025), and strengthening the technical-scientific cooperation among the countries 

involved. FSIS is available to host laboratory methods training for countries in the Network.

Integrated Consortium of Laboratory Networks (ICLN) 

ICLN was established in June 2005 by a Memorandum of Agreement among 10 Federal Departments/Agencies. 

Signatories work cooperatively to optimize national laboratory preparedness, promote common standards of 

performance, and fill gaps in coverage across all response phases. FSIS participates monthly in Laboratory Network 

Coordinating meetings hosted by the ICLN. This group primarily develops and proposes policies and procedures but 

also establishes common operating guidelines/standard operating procedures for the ICLN. FSIS participates in table 

top exercises, functional proficiency events, and leveraged training coordinated by the ICLN.

Integrated Foodborne Outbreak Response and Management Conference 

The biannual Integrated Foodborne Outbreak Response and Management Conference and PulseNet/OutbreakNet 

Regional meetings bring Federal, State, and local agency laboratorians, epidemiologists, environmental health 

specialists, and regulatory officials together to share the latest best practices in surveillance and outbreak detection 

and response to enteric diseases, with a focus on those caused by contaminated foods, water, and animals. 

Interagency Collaboration on Genomics for Food and Feed Safety (Gen-FS) 

Gen-FS is an interagency group with agency leaders from FDA, CDC, and USDA FSIS, ARS, and Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the National Institutes of Health, with 

the primary function to coordinate, strengthen, and lead U.S. WGS efforts among Federal and State partners and 

further improve public health. The group works on crosscutting priorities for molecular sequencing of foodborne and 

other zoonotic pathogens causing human illness—for data collection and analysis and for the use of these data in 

support of surveillance and outbreak investigation activities.

Interagency Foodborne Outbreak Response Collaboration (IFORC) 

IFORC, chartered in 2013, represents an important effort to improve coordination of Federal foodborne outbreak 

response responsibilities of CDC, USDA FSIS, and FDA. IFORC works to improve activities by CDC, USDA FSIS, and 

FDA concerning multistate foodborne outbreak detection, hypothesis generation, hypothesis testing, food vehicle 

identification, control measures to prevent illnesses and deaths, root cause analyses, and the dissemination of 

information on identified food safety systems gaps to inform efforts to prevent future outbreaks.

Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) 

To enhance the safety of our food, three Federal agencies—CDC, FDA, and USDA FSIS—teamed up in 2011 to create 

IFSAC. The goal of this collaboration is to improve coordination of Federal food safety analytic efforts and address 

crosscutting priorities for food safety data collection, analysis, and use. The current focus of IFSAC’s activities is 

foodborne illness source attribution, defined as the process of estimating the most common food sources responsible 

for specific foodborne illnesses.

 FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 29
 

Appendix A: Collaborations, Partnerships, Organizations, and 

Meetings and Conferences

Interagency Retail Lm Action Plan: Enhancing Outreach on the Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Retail 

Delicatessens 

In FY 2018, FSIS, in collaboration with FDA and CDC, convened a workgroup to develop an interagency retail Lm action 

plan to guide outreach to support the control of Lm at retail delicatessens. This effort was undertaken in response 

to a recommendation from the NACMPI to FSIS. During FY 2019, the interagency workgroup will map out current 

Federal outreach activities related to the control of Lm at retail. FSIS, with input from FDA and CDC, will garner input 

from retailers and State and local health departments on the access and usefulness of Federal outreach and other 

sources of information to support sanitation and safe handling of RTE foods at retail to mitigate the risk of listeriosis. 

This information will be used by FSIS and its public health partners to develop the Interagency Retail Lm Action Plan 

supporting best practices in the control of Lm at retail delicatessens. 

Interagency Risk Assessment Consortium (IRAC)

This consortium consists of representatives from 23 U.S. Government agencies, institutes, and centers with 

responsibilities and related interests in the conduct of food safety risk assessments. In this consortium, agencies 

collectively work to enhance communication and coordination among the member agencies and promote the 

conduct of priority scientific research useful for the conduct of food safety risk assessment, advancement of modelling 

methods, and sharing data and information. IRAC supports continued advancement of the emergent field of 

quantitative microbiological risk assessment and evolving field of chemical risk assessment; both are required to guide 

major Federal policies and support risk management decisionmaking. 

International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting

The International Association for Food Protection hosts an annual meeting which provides attendees with information 

on current and emerging food safety issues, the latest science, innovative solutions to new and recurring problems, 

and the opportunity to network with thousands of food safety professionals from around the globe. The meeting, 

which is held in various locations throughout North America and is attended by over 3,600 top industry, academic, 

and governmental food safety professionals, has become the leading food safety conference worldwide. FSIS experts 

present on the agency’s contributions in the field of food safety.

Laboratory Response Network (LRN) 

The LRN was established by CDC in accordance with Presidential Decision Directive 39, which outlined National 

anti-terrorism policies and assigned specific missions to Federal Departments and agencies. The LRN is charged with 

the task of maintaining an integrated network of State and local public health, Federal, military, and international 

laboratories that can respond to bioterrorism, emerging infectious diseases, chemical terrorism, and other public 

health emergencies. FSIS has maintained its status as LRN member lab since 2002. 

National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) 

This committee advises the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on matters affecting Federal and State inspection program 

activities, including on food safety policies that will contribute to USDA’s regulatory policy development. 

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)

This committee provides impartial scientific advice to Federal agencies to use in developing integrated food safety 

systems from farm to table and to ensure food safety in domestic and imported foods.

30 APPENDIX A 30
 

Appendix A: Collaborations, Partnerships, Organizations, and 

Meetings and Conferences

National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) 

NARMS is an interagency, collaborative partnership with State and local public health departments, FDA, CDC, and 

USDA. This national public health surveillance system tracks changes in antimicrobial susceptibility of select foodborne 

enteric bacteria found in ill people (CDC), retail meats (FDA), and food animals (FSIS). The NARMS program at USDA 

focuses on sampling and testing of intestinal cecal contents, carcasses, and meat and poultry by FSIS. The primary 

objectives of NARMS are to monitor trends in antimicrobial resistance among enteric bacteria from humans, retail 

meats, and animals; disseminate timely information on antimicrobial resistance to promote interventions which 

reduce resistance among foodborne bacteria; conduct research to achieve better understanding of emergence, 

persistence, and spread of antimicrobial resistance; and provide data that assists FDA in decision making involving the 

approval of safe and effective antimicrobial drugs for animals. The NARMS findings from all the agency partners are 

published on a periodic basis in a single NARMS Integrated Report.

Partnership for Food Protection (PFP)

The PFP is a group of professionals from Federal, State, and local governments with roles in protecting the food supply 

and public health. PFP is the structure used to coordinate representatives with expertise in numerous specialties—

food, feed, epidemiology, laboratory, animal health, environment, and public health—to integrate activities in the 

food safety system. PFP is led by a Governing Council of members from Federal, State, and local agencies, for which 

FSIS has a non-voting representative; Governing Council is responsible for oversight and management of the overall 

partnership.

PulseNet 

PulseNet is a national laboratory network, consisting of more than 83 laboratories in seven U.S. regions and 

headquartered at CDC, that connects foodborne illness cases to detect outbreaks. PulseNet uses DNA fingerprinting, 

or patterns of bacteria making people sick, to detect thousands of local and multistate outbreaks. Since the network 

began in 1996, PulseNet has improved our food safety systems through identifying outbreaks early. This allows 

investigators to find the source, alert the public sooner, and identify gaps in our food safety systems that would not 

otherwise be recognized.

Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) 

RRTs are State-led multi-agency, multi-disciplinary teams that operate using Incident Command System/National 

Incident Management System principles and a Unified Command structure to respond to human and animal food 

emergencies. The teams can be comprised of partners from local, State, and Federal agencies, including FSIS, as 

well as stakeholders from academia and industry. The desired outcome of RRT development is to minimize the time 

between agency notification of a human food or animal feed contamination event and implementation of effective 

control measures. 

State-led Food Safety Councils and Taskforces 

FSIS routinely participates on State agency-led food safety councils and taskforces that bring together the various 

stakeholders to discuss upcoming events and exercises, public outreach, and information sharing on current activities 

through monthly or quarterly in-person meetings. The stakeholders include State and local agriculture; consumer

protection; environmental health and public health officials; Federal food safety agencies; Federal, State, and local law 

enforcement personnel; and State emergency management personnel.

 FSIS FY 2019 Annual Plan 31
FSIS CORE VALUES

ACCOUNTABLE

FSIS holds itself accountable in fulfilling its regulatory 

mission and in serving the public interest.

COLLABORATIVE

FSIS actively promotes and encourages collaboration 

within our agency and with our partners to prevent 

illness and protect public health.

EMPOWERED

FSIS employees are empowered with the necessary 

training, tools, and approaches they need to make and 

carry out informed decisions that protect public health 

and promote food safety. 

SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED

FSIS is committed to deploying effective, 

evidence-based solutions to ensure that the Nation’s 

food supply is safe. 

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and 

policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs 

are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender 

expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public 

assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity 

conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by 

program or incident. 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large 

print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at 

(202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, 

program information may be made available in languages other than English. 

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found 

online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and 

provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call 

(866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office 

of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; 

(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 

November 2018