USDA Food Safety 11nd Inspection Serlice 

-- US.OGMnENl'OFAGRIO.Lll.RE 

Steps to Sampling 

Contact IPP - prescheduling planning. 

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• Plan ahead and stay organized!

• Contact the in-plant inspection team.

• Schedule the date for sampling and order supplies

• Notify plant management.

• Assemble a team.

• Conduct Entrance Meeting with the establishment.

• Take walk through, consider where and what to sample.

• Organize sampling supplies.

• Collect/ Submit samples.

Example questions for IPP;

• What is the size of the establishment?

• How many RTE lines do they utilize?

• What RLm or IVT eligible products are produced?

• What are their PLE, RTE production processes, e.g., is brine or a PLT

utilized, are they freezing, drying, fermenting, etc.?

• What are the production schedules of those products?

• How are the products packaged, e.g., size?

• Is the establishment Kosher? (DE broth is not Kosher.)

• What is the FSIS and establishment sampling history?

• What issues have they had? What concerns do you have?

• Consider FedEx. Do they pick up or will you have to drop off? When?

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Scheduling a Sampling Date 

Ordering Supplies 

Ordering Supplies a@ 

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At least 2 weeks prior to the week of sampling, submit an email to the

correct address in Outlook:

For Rlms:

manually enter RLMSampleScheduling@usda.gov

or search using “FSIS - RLm Sample Scheduling”

For IVTs:

manually enter IVTSampleScheduling@usda.gov

or search using “FSIS - IVT Sample Scheduling”

• Ordering supplies and requesting a sampling date are done

simultaneously.

• Attach a questionnaire to your email.

• Use prompts to ensure all necessary information is included;

• Proposed collection date and shift.

• Number of sample units required.

• Designated field laboratory.

• Establishment number. 

• Your contact information (cell).

Prompts continued;

• Physical location to send supplies;

• Can be office, home, or the establishment, but supplies must be checked

on day of receipt.

• Refrigerate pre-moistened swabs and/or broth upon delivery for long

term storage. 

• Can be held at room temperatures for short term but must ensure no

temperature abuse.

• Requests for special supplies;

• Consider product package size ahead of scheduling. Are more or larger

shipping containers needed?

• Is a kosher broth needed?

• Are brine sampling supplies needed?

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Receiving the Supplies 

Notifying Plant Management 

Assembling the Team 

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• Supplies are typically mailed within a few days of the

lab’s emailed confirmation of a sampling date.

• If supplies are not received, inquire by resubmitting

the lab confirmation response and a copy of the

questionnaire back to the appropriate mailbox.

• If you receive the supplies, but did not receive

everything you need, reply to the lab’s confirmation

response to tell them what you’re missing ASAP.

• For IVTs

• provide 48 hours advance notice or enough time to

hold product, but not enough time to change

practices.

• For RLms

• provide one-week advance notice.

• Identify team members. May include in-plant FSIS personnel.

• Assign roles to team members.

• Possible team member roles;

• Team Leader/ Sample Collector (EIAO).

• Sample Collector Assistant (CSI, PHV, IIC, FLS, etc.).

• Forms Assistant – complete and double check forms, pack, 

and prepare samples for shipment.

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Entrance Meeting at the Establishment 

Entrance Meeting at the Establishment 

At the Establishment 

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Review the “Entrance Letter to Establishment Management” with plant

personnel;

• RTE product, food contact, and environmental samples will be

collected.

• Production lot(s) must be held.

• Equipment does not need to be rinsed after each sample is taken

because Dey Engley (DE) broth is considered GRAS.

• Most negative results are published within 3 days.

• A RTE product lot is usually defined as all product produced from

clean-up to clean-up.

• Reconfirm that the establishment will be producing post-lethality

exposed, RTE product on the day that the IVT or RLm sampling has

been scheduled.

• Ask the establishment if there have been any changes to its

documented production, sanitation, or food safety practices.

• Ask where records are held.

• Ask where records are held.

• Take a “walk through” with plant management to familiarize and

help develop a sampling plan.

• Review the establishment’s Listeria sampling program and previous

results.

• What sites have previously tested positive?

• Are samples being collected as required?

• Are all possible FCS sampling sites represented?

• Are samples and supplies being handled, stored, and

shipped appropriately?

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Establishment Walk Through 

Determine Where You Might Sample 

Pre-Sampling Preparation 

r~l 9:lli 

r~l 9:lli 

if 

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• Identify RTE areas and determine which products are processed in

each area;

• Processing

• Cooking

• Packaging

• Coolers and/ or freezers

• Related RTE storage areas

• packaging supply storage

• Ingredient storage

• finished product storage

• Scope out possible Listeria niches and harborage, e.g., look for hard

to clean, damp areas.

• Identify possible sampling sites.

• Think through a general sampling plan, i.e., where and when.

• Allow for flexibility.

• Final sample site selection should be based on your knowledge, 

experience, and your observations.

• Areas that are difficult to clean and sanitize, e.g., behind

shields, cracks, crevices, floor-wall junctions, drains, etc.

• Surfaces with a lot of employee contact.

• Employee behavior at time of sampling.

• Movement of people, equipment, and supplies at time of

sampling.

• Moisture, condensation, drips, etc., at time of sampling.

• Final double check to ensure that you have everything needed for

sampling.

• Begin “staging” and labeling the supplies.

• Organize using your sampling template sheets.

• Determine how you will store the samples before shipping, i.e., 

secure and refrigerated.

• Double check Fed-ex pick-up logistics.

• Discuss team members roles/responsibilities.

• Possibly practice aseptic technique and swabbing with your team.

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Room 

OescriptionofSarrplingSite 

Sample Set If sticker Time Room 

Description 

-of Sampling site 

Sample Set If sticker Time Room 

OescriptionofSarrp

-lingSite 

RLm Sampling Est. 0000 / ABC Food 

Corp 

RLMCUNT Line 1 / Packing 

RL~. Sampling Est. 0000 / ABC Food Corp RLMENVC Line 1 / 

RLm Sampling Est. 0000 / ABC Food Corp RLMPROD Line 2 / Slicing 

II I I I I I I 

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Date

#

Time / Shift Room / Line Laboratory Form # Sampling Site Description Type of Sample Sample Seal #

1 03/13/07 Pre-op Packing / 1 11000243 Splitter blade CONT 632831

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Pre-op Cooler / 1 11000244 Probe thermometer # 1 CONT 632832

0900 hr Packing / 1 11000245 Pack room cutting table CONT 632833

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0900 hr Packing / 1 11000246 Bagger flaps CONT 632834

0900 hr Packing / 1 11000247 Splitter table CONT 632835

6 1145 hr Cooler / 1 11000248 Probe thermometer # 4 CONT 632836

#

Date Time /

Shift

Room / Line Laboratory Form # Sampling Site Description Type of Sample Bar code label #

21 03/13/07 Pre-op Packing / 1 11000263 Packing room drain scraper RLmENVC 632891

22 0900 hr Packing / 1 11000264 Packing room wash hose RLmENVC 632892

23 0900 hr Packing / 1 11000265 Packing room electric switch RLmENVC 632893

24 1150 hr Packing / 1 11000266 Packing room refriger. unit RLmENVC 632894

25 1330 hr Packing / 1 11000267 Packing room door RLmENVC 632895

#

Date Time / Shift Room / Line Laboratory Form # Sampling Site Description Lot Number Bar code label #

35 03/13/07 1130 / 1st Slicing / 2 11000275 Sliced Roast Beef 4384 632903

36 03/13/07 1145 / 1st Slicing / 2 11000276 Sliced Roast Beef 4384 632904

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Collecting Samples 

Collecting Samples 

Collect the Samples 

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• Some samples may be collected at pre-op., but most should be

collected during production, during breaks if possible.

• Establishment must be producing FSIS amenable product. Must

be post-lethality exposed for RLm sampling.

• With justification, you may sample a line that is not currently being

used.

• Notate this on sampling sheets.

• Inform the lab before samples arrive that no product samples

will be submitted with the unit.

• Each unit of samples should all be associated with a single line, a

single lot, and a single production Alternative.

• Can collect samples anywhere FSIS, RTE products or equipment are

processed or held (coolers, hallways, production rooms).

• If the number of FCSs is very limited, then sample those same sites

at different times throughout the day of production.

• Each sample is just a snapshot in time.

• The timing of your sample collection can be important.

• Generally, collect samples closest to the product first and move out.

• Generally, collect NFCS, environmental samples from areas closest

to processing lines, but you can possibly sample in other areas.

• Can sample hands, gloves, aprons, etc.

• May be FCS or NFCS, depending observations.

• Briefly notate and justify sampling locations for future reference.

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Brine Samples 

Summary 

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• Collect one brine sample per unit or line (depending on number of

brine chillers in use).

• If the casing is permeable or semi-permeable then the brine is

considered a food contact surface (FCS) sample.

• If the casing is impermeable then the brine is considered a nonfood-contact surface sample (NFCS).

• Pre-planning is an essential part of the RLm or IVT sampling

processes.

• A team approach is recommended.

• Team member roles should be well-defined, prior to the start of

sampling.

• Effective communication with both plant management and team

members is critical throughout the entire process.

fsis.usda.gov

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