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Grant of Inspection – Establishment Sanitation

PART 416: SANITATION PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (SPS)

Each official meat, poultry, and egg products establishment must be operated and 

maintained in a manner sufficient to prevent the creation of insanitary conditions and to 

ensure that product is protected from adulteration during processing, handling and 

storage. In addition, each official establishment shall maintain the grounds identified as 

the official inspected premises to prevent insect or vermin harborage or breeding of 

pests on the grounds and within the facility. The SPS regulations address specific 

facility issues such as building construction requirements, which includes lighting, 

ventilation, plumbing, sewage disposal, potable water requirements, dressing rooms 

and lavatories. The SPS regulations also address equipment and tools used for 

processing or otherwise handling edible products, receptacles for handling inedible 

products, employee hygiene, all food contact surfaces, non-food contact surfaces, and 

cleaning compounds.

Refer to 9 CFR 416.1 to 416.5

SANITATION STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (Sanitation SOPs)

Each official meat and poultry establishment shall develop, implement, and maintain 

written Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures for sanitation in accordance with 

416.12, 416.13, and 416.14. A written Sanitation SOP prescribes a frequency for 

conducting a specific procedure and describes all procedures an official establishment 

will conduct daily, prior to and during production operations. The written Sanitation SOP

procedures are to be sufficient to prevent direct contamination or adulteration of 

products.

For small or very small establishments that may need assistance in developing their 

written Sanitation SOPs, FSIS has two offices designed specifically to meet this need. 

There is the “Small Plant Help” line that can be reached at 877-374-7435 or the Office 

of Outreach, Employee Education and Training (OOEET) help line that can be reached 

at 800-336-3747.

Refer to 9 CFR 416.11 to 416.14

CORRECTIVE ACTIONS

(a) Each official establishment shall take appropriate corrective action(s) when either 

the establishment or FSIS determines that the establishment's Sanitation SOPs or the 

procedures specified therein, or the implementation or maintenance of the Sanitation 

SOPs, may have failed to prevent direct contamination or adulteration of product(s).
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(b) Corrective actions include procedures to ensure appropriate disposition of product(s) 

that may be contaminated, restore sanitary conditions, and prevent the recurrence of 

direct contamination or adulteration of product(s), including appropriate reevaluation 

and modification of the Sanitation SOPs and the procedures specified therein or 

appropriate improvements in the execution of the Sanitation SOPs or the procedures 

specified therein.

Refer to 9 CFR 416.15

RECORD-KEEPING REQUIREMENTS

(a) Each official establishment shall maintain daily records sufficient to document the 

implementation and monitoring of the Sanitation SOPs and any corrective actions taken. 

The establishment employee(s) specified in the Sanitation SOPs as being responsible 

for the implementation and monitoring of the procedure(s) specified in the Sanitation 

SOPs shall authenticate these records with his or her initials and the date.

(b) Records required by this part may be maintained on computers provided the 

establishment implements appropriate controls to ensure the integrity of the electronic 

data.

(c) Records required by this part shall be maintained for at least 6 months and made 

accessible available to FSIS. All such records shall be maintained at the official 

establishment for 48 hours following completion, after which they may be maintained 

off-site provided such records can be made available to FSIS within 24 hours of 

request.

Refer to 9 CFR 416.16