Food Safety and
Inspection Service

1400 Independence
Avenue, SW.
Washington, D.C.
20250

USDA
SOVA

United States Department of Agricuiture

Zachary B. Corrigan APR 27 2018
Food & Water Watch

1616 P Street, NW, Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20036

RE: FOIA-2018-00213
Hog HIMP

Dear Mr. Corrigan:

This is the second interim response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
request, dated February 23, 2018, to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). You requested access to a copy of
records regarding Hog HIMP, from 2006 to 2017. We received your request in
our Office on February 23, 2018.

The FSIS FOIA staff works with subject matter experts across the Agency to
locate responsive documents. For this request, we conducted a records search in
the Office of Data Integration and Food Protection, the Office of Public Health
Science, and the Office of Policy and Program Development. FSIS’ search
began on February 26, 2018. Our search includes responsive records in FSIS’
control on that date.

We have processed an additional 823 pages and 10 Excel spreadsheets that are
responsive to your request. After a thorough review, we have determined that
portions of the pages fall within the exemptions to the FOIA’s mandatory
disclosure requirements, as explained below. In particular, we have determined
that portions of these documents are exempt from disclosure under (b)(4) and
(b)(6) of the FOIA, 5 U.S.C. § 552, as amended. Accordingly, this request is
granted in part.

Some responsive records constitute confidential commercial or financial
information, which is exempt from disclosure under FOIA Exemption 4, 5 U.S.C.
§ 552(b)(4). Disclosure of this information may cause substantial competitive
harm to the person from which this information was obtained. Further, disclosure
of this information would impair the government’s ability to obtain necessary
information in the future.

Portions of the responsive records are exempt from disclosure under FOIA
Exemption 6, 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(6). Exemption 6 protects information that
would constitute an unwarranted invasion of an individual’s personal privacy.
The types of information withheld under Exemption 6 include the names,


Zachary Corrigan
Page 2

addresses, or cell phone numbers of employees of Establishments and third parties,
including, but not limited to interviewees or customers.

Please be advised that your FOIA request, including your identity and the information
made available, is releasable to the public under any subsequent FOIA requests.
However, FSIS does not release your personal privacy information, such as home
addresses, telephone numbers, or Social Security Numbers, all of which are protected
from disclosure under FOIA Exemption 6.

FSIS will continue to process records responsive to your request, and will forward them
promptly upon completion of review. As this is not a final response to your FOIA request,
we request that you reserve your right to appeal. We will include your appeal rights in
our final release.

If you have any questions about the way this request is being handled, or about the
USDA’s FOIA regulations, please contact Mark Brook at (202) 690-1787 or via email at
Mark.Brook@fsis.usda.gov

hank you for your interest in FSIS programs and policies.

Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Education
Food Safety and Inspection Service

Enclosure

Be Food Safe:

v: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often
Meats from Other Foods
COOK: Cook To The Right Temperature CHILL: Refrigerate Food Promptly

: Separate Raw

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