Food Safety and
Inspection Service

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

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United States Department of Agriculture

NOV 08 2017

Vandhana Bala

Mercy for Animals

8033 Sunset Blvd., Suite 864
Los Angeles, California 90046

RE: FOIA-2018-00012
Dear Ms. Bala:

This is the final response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, dated
October 4, 2017, to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS). You requested access to a copy of all Memorandums of
Interview related to humane handling and slaughter, for the months of July, August,
and September 2017. We received your request in our Office on October 5, 2017.

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. FSIS’ search began on October 5, 2017.
Our search includes responsive records in FSIS’ control on that date.

We have located 18 pages that are responsive to your request. After a thorough
review, we have determined that portions of these 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, addresses, or cell phone
numbers of employees of Establishments and third parties, including, but not limited
to interviewees or customers.

You may appeal this determination within 90 days from the date of this letter. Your
appeal should include copies of your original request and this response, as well as a
discussion of the reasons supporting your appeal. The envelope should be plainly



Ms. Bala
Page 2

marked to indicate that it contains a FOIA appeal. If you decide to appeal this determination,
please send your appeal to:

Paul Kiecker

Acting Administrator

Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 2168, South Building
Washington, D.C. 20250-3700

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.

If you have any questions about the way this request was handled, please contact Alison
Kilrain at 202-720-0283 or via email at Alison.Kilrain@fsis.usda.gov. If you have general
questions about FSIS’ FOIA procedures or regulations, please contact our FOIA Public
Liaison, Mark Brook, at 202-690-1787 or via email at Mark.Brook@fsis.usda.gov.

Additionally, you may contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the
National Archives and Records Administration to inquire about the FOIA mediation services
they offer. The contact information for OGIS is as follows: Office of Government
Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration,

8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001, e-mail at ogis@nara.gov;
telephone at 202-741-5770; or facsimile at 202-741-5769.

Thank you for your interest in FSIS programs and policies.

Sincerely,

Director, Freedom of Information Act Staff
Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Education
Food Safety and Inspection Service

Enclosure

Be Food Safe: CLEAN: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often SEPARATE: Separate Raw
Meats from Other Foods
COOK: Cook To The Right Temperature CHILL: Refrigerate Food Promptly

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer