STRATEGIC PLAN 

FISCAL YEAR 2011-2016: 

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

United States Department of Agriculture

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE
Table of Contents

3 Message from the Administrator

4 Introduction

8 Major Accomplishments

11 Goal 1 | Ensure That Food Safety Inspection Aligns With Existing and Emerging Risks

14 Goal 2 | Maximize Domestic and International Compliance With Food Safety Policies

17 Goal 3 | Enhance Public Education and Outreach To Improve Food-Handling Practices

20 Goal 4 | Strengthen Collaboration Among Internal and External Stakeholders

24 Goal 5 | Effectively Use Science To Understand Foodborne Illness and Emerging Trends

29 Goal 6 | Implement Effective Policies To Respond to Existing and Emerging Risks

32 Goal 7 | Empower Employees With Training, Resources, and Tools

37 Goal 8 | Develop, Maintain, and Use Innovative Methodologies, Processes, and Tools

40 FY 2011-2016 Overall Performance Scorecard
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 3

Message from the Administrator

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) 

2017–2021 Strategic Plan builds on the agency’s 

prior successes and reflects emerging issues that 

FSIS faces in ensuring that the food products we 

regulate are safe to eat. Many of the successes 

were made possible through the careful planning 

that went into the FSIS 2011-2016 Strategic Plan. 

Today, we are releasing this Key Accomplishments 

report, which provides an overall summary of FSIS’

performance and key accomplishments as related 

to the 2011-2016 Strategic Plan framework, and 

brief summaries that map 2011-2016 Strategic Plan 

activities to current Strategic Plan activities. 

It is a priority of mine to increase transparency 

and accountability within FSIS. As stated in 

our new Strategic Plan, one of our goals is to 

improve reliability, access, collection, and timely 

distribution of information and data to facilitate 

communications among FSIS headquarters 

and field employees, as well as with external 

stakeholders. One of the ways that we can do this 

is by recording and tracking our goals through 

the use of data and measures, and sharing these 

results with our employees. Consistent tracking 

of our goals will not only make FSIS more 

accountable, but it will increase motivation to 

improve performance. 

You may know that the Government 

Accountability Office (GAO) named FSIS “an 

agency that manages for results” in a report to 

Congressional committees after learning of our 

Strategic Plan. By building on our recordkeeping 

and releasing data regularly, we will continue 

to strengthen our goal of becoming more 

accountable and results-oriented. 

I am proud of our accomplishments over the past 

5 years, as well as the work that has gone into the 

FSIS 2017-2021 FSIS Strategic Plan. In addition to 

establishing a clear foundation for our long-range 

and day-to-day operations, the Plan positions the 

agency to anticipate future needs and challenges. 

We will continue to engage and empower our 

employees as we maintain and further build 

one team, with one purpose, working diligently 

every day to protect public health by preventing 

foodborne illness.

Alfred Almanza

Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Food Safety 

Administrator, Food Safety and Inspection Service
4 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Introduction

The United States Department of Agriculture's 

Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) 

works to ensure the safety of foods produced and 

eaten in America as well as U.S. foods consumed 

abroad. FSIS is granted authorities under the 

Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products 

Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection 

Act, as well as humane animal handling responsibility through the Humane Methods of Slaughter 

Act. FSIS’ approximately 9,600 employees are 

located all across the country, and continually 

safeguard the processing of more than 150.7 

million livestock carcasses and 9.26 billion poultry 

carcasses to verify that FSIS regulatory requirements are met. Its regulatory presence reaches 

Figure 1. FSIS District Office and Regulated Establishment Locations.

more than 6,400 federally regulated food 

establishments, 158,200 in-commerce facilities, 

and 125 ports of entry each day, each shift. FSIS 

employees are highly trained, motivated, and 

skilled professionals working as “one team with 

one purpose.”

This document highlights key FSIS accomplishments and successes as aligned to its Goal and 

Measures framework in the agency’s FY 2011-

2016 Strategic Plan. Specifically, the following 

information in this document summarizes key 

results, accomplishments, and performance 

related to the measures FSIS used for each goal.
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 5

FSIS STRATEGIC 

FRAMEWORK

FSIS Vision

A trusted public health 

regulatory agency 

committed to preventing 

foodborne illness.

FSIS Mission

Protect consumers by 

ensuring that meat, 

poultry, and processed 

egg products are safe, 

wholesome, and correctly 

labeled and packaged.

STRATEGIC THEME: 

FOODBORNE ILLNESS

Goal 1

Inspection and Public 

Health

Goal 2

Compliance, 

Enforcement, and 

Humane Handling

Goal 3

Public Education and 

Outreach

Goal 4

Prevention Through 

Collaboration

STRATEGIC THEME: 

UNDERSTAND AND 

INFLUENCE THE 

FARM-TO-TABLE 

CONTINUUM

Goal 5

Science-Driven Analysis

Goal 6

Effective Policy

STRATEGIC THEME: 

EMPOWER PEOPLE 

AND STRENGTHEN 

INFRASTRUCTURE

Goal 7 Employee 

Empowerment

Goal 8 Innovative 

Methodology

FSIS FY 2011-2016 Strategic 

Plan Framework

The FSIS FY 2011-2016 Strategic Plan consisted of 

three strategic themes and eight goals reflecting the 

vision, mission, and values of the agency. During the 

2011-2016 strategic plan period, FSIS significantly 

increased its emphasis on modernizing policies and 

procedures to better utilize data and new scientific 

approaches and adapt to industry changes. 

Figure 2. FY 2011-2016 Strategic Framework, Themes, and Goals. To determine how well the agency accomplished 

its FY 2011-2016 goals, FSIS identified 37 measures, 

and for most of them, FSIS was able to develop 

baselines, set annual targets, and monitor progress 

toward achieving outcomes. FSIS also designated 

five measures as key corporate measures. Over time, 

the agency found that a small subset of the original 

measures was not as measurable as initially determined and, therefore, decreased emphasis on their 

completion, while others, as data became increasingly 

available, were subject to methodological updates or 

improvements to better gauge progress..1

1 FSIS set its targets each year for its measures, including taking into consideration 

performance on prior year targets if they were not met or were significantly 

exceeded. Most measures had a desired direction of up or down, yet FSIS also 

used a small number of management controls as measures, which remained flat 

throughout part or all of the 5-year period.
6 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

FY 2011-2016

Performance Snapshot 

Overall, FSIS’ performance associated with the measures 

it used in its 2011-2016 Strategic Plan was very strong. 

FSIS demonstrated considerable success in meeting 

targets for a large majority of the measures: of 36 

measured targets in 2016, the agency strongly exceeded 

21 targets, and met or slightly exceeded 6 targets. 

Among the measures on which FSIS did not meet its 

targets were two of the agency’s Key Performance 

Indicators (KPIs): Functional Food Defense Plan 

Adoption and the All Illness Measure. For its third KPI—

the percent of young chicken (broiler) establishments 

meeting the Salmonella performance standards—FSIS 

met its target range, yet fell just shy of the Department’s 

95 percent target. Other measures that were very close 

to meeting targets included those related to in-commerce surveillance and the FSIS employee vacancy rate. 

Measures on Individual Development Plan adoption and 

hiring of persons with targeted disabilities fell short of 

targets. When weighted measurement is considered and 

combined by goal, FSIS met six of eight goals. 

Mapping the FSIS 2011-2016 

Strategic Plan to the FSIS 

2017-2021 Strategic Plan 

As part of its 2017-2021 Strategic Plan development 

process, FSIS assessed the usefulness and reasonableness of its 2011-2016 measures and targets, with the 

intent of enhancing its overall ability to meaningfully 

forecast and measure performance. As such, information that briefly identifies the relevant focus areas and 

measures of the FY 2011-2016 Strategic Plan that carry 

into, or are similar to, those in the agency’s FY 2017-2021 

Strategic Plan, is also delineated in this document.

TOTAL TARGETS

28

5

3

36

ON OR ABOVE 

TARGET

SLIGHTLY 

MISSED TARGET

MISSED TARGET
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 7

ON TARGET CAUTION OFF TARGET

Public Education and Outreach

GOAL 3

Inspection and Public Health

GOAL 1

Prevention Through Collaboration

GOAL 4

Compliance, Enforcement,

and Humane Handling

GOAL 2

Effective Policy

GOAL 6

Science-Driven Analysis

GOAL 5

Innovative Methodology

GOAL 8

Employee Empowerment

GOAL 7

2012 2013 2014

n On Target

n Caution

n Off Target

n No Data

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

NUMBER OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES

2015 2016
8 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Major Accomplishments

From FY 2011 to FY 2016, FSIS instituted some of 

the most significant updates to our country’s food 

safety system since the 1950s to reduce pathogens 

in meat, poultry, and processed egg products and to 

prevent illnesses. Those updates especially related 

to Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia STEC (E. 

coli), and Listeria monocytogenes (Lm). The agency 

emphasized adopting a more risk-based, datadriven approach to prevent foodborne illness, tighter 

and more strategic food safety requirements for 

establishments, enhanced consumer engagement, 

and smart innovations to internal processes during 

this period. The agency’s Salmonella Action Plan 

tied many of these activities together, focusing 

on modernizing poultry inspection; new sampling 

programs, in-plant strategies, and policy documents; 

modifying the Salmonella performance standard 

category and developing new standards; developing 

new enforcement strategies; exploring new research 

on contamination; and other activities.2 

2 See also http://www.fsis.usda.gov/salmonella.
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 9

FSIS’ most noteworthy accomplishments over the 

past 5 years include the following:

• Poultry Slaughter Inspection: FSIS further 

implemented the Modernization of Poultry 

Slaughter Inspection, which mandates that all 

poultry establishments take scientifically based 

approaches to prevent contamination, rather 

than addressing contamination after it has 

occurred. The rule also provides establishments 

with the option to join the New Poultry 

Inspection System (NPIS). With NPIS, food safety 

inspectors are now better equipped to verify 

that establishments maintain effective Hazard 

Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) 

systems by increasing food safety and sanitation 

tasks, which is a more effective and efficient way 

to use our inspection resources.

• Pathogen Reduction Performance Standards:

FSIS recently finalized and began testing 

whether establishments meet new pathogen 

reduction performance standards for chicken 

parts, which represent 80 percent of the 

chicken available for purchase in the United 

States. FSIS also finalized and began testing 

to assess whether establishments meet new 

pathogen reduction performance standards for 

comminuted chicken and turkey. By creating 

new standards for chicken parts and performing 

regulatory testing at a point closer to the final 

product, FSIS’ standards intend to greatly 

reduce consumer exposure to Salmonella and 

Campylobacter and prevent thousands of cases 

of foodborne illness annually. 

FSIS recently finalized and began 

testing whether establishments meet 

new pathogen reduction performance 

standards for chicken parts.

80% CHICKEN PARTS

REPRESENT

OF ALL CHICKEN 

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE 

IN THE UNITED STATES.
10 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

• Data-Driven Information System to Support 

Inspection: From 2011 through 2016, FSIS 

launched, fully implemented, and further 

enhanced its Public Health Information 

System (PHIS) for domestic inspection and 

import re-inspection. PHIS covers all domestic 

establishments and all import facilities. FSIS 

extensively uses data gathered through this 

system, as do most State Meat and Poultry 

Inspection Programs. Major functionalities include 

questionnaire capability, capturing establishment 

profiles, providing cross-establishment inspection 

tasks, and managing sampling assignments.

• Improved Approaches for Beef Safety: FSIS 

enhanced its regulation of beef in several ways, 

including improved labeling of mechanically 

tenderized beef—meat that is pierced with 

needles or small blades to break up tissue and 

make it more tender—to enable greater awareness 

regarding the increased possibility of pathogens 

from the surface being introduced to the interior, 

and making proper cooking imperative. FSIS also 

enhanced its beef recordkeeping requirements 

for grinding logs at official establishments and 

retail to better trace the source of foodborne 

illness outbreaks involving ground beef, and to 

identify the source materials that need to be 

recalled. Similarly, FSIS strengthened its policy 

to trace contaminated ground beef back to its 

source more quickly and to determine whether 

the supplying establishment shipped product 

that could be contaminated to other grinding 

facilities or further processors. FSIS also enhanced 

its labelling regulations to increase consumer 

awareness of the added solutions in raw meat 

and poultry products. FSIS further implemented 

risk-based testing programs for non-O157 Shiga 

toxin producing E. coli (STEC) in addition to E.coli

O157:H73, in raw beef manufacturing trimmings. 

Finally, FSIS conducted a nationwide beef and veal 

carcass baseline survey to estimate the national 

prevalence of select pathogens, evaluate the preevisceration and pre-chill dressing procedures 

and slaughter controls, and develop compliance 

guidance and other policy.

In addition to the above key accomplishments, 

the following information provides important 

accomplishments by goal, as well as FSIS 

performance as related to the measures and targets 

the agency used during this time period. 

3 https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/9c5840dd-c126-4d79-983e-4b42cd794457/2010- 0023FRN.

pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 11

In addition to modernizing poultry inspection, FSIS 

achieved several noteworthy accomplishments 

related to this Goal, including updating 

methodologies for inspection and illness 

estimation, enhancing import inspection and incommerce surveillance approaches, and updating 

methodologies to decrease public health risks. 

Key Accomplishments

Targeted and Streamlined Approach to 

Food Safety Assessments 

FSIS implemented a new, focused Food Safety 

Assessment (FSA) methodology that included 

conducting a Public Health Risk Evaluation (PHRE) to 

determine whether an FSA or immediate enforcement 

action was warranted. This new approach helps to 

ensure that FSIS resources are aligned with public 

health risk, and allows FSIS to more efficiently use 

resources by targeting higher risk establishments.

Improved Performance of Verification Tasks 

for Shiga-toxin Producing E. coli (STEC) 

In taking a number of steps to improve how inspection 

program personnel (IPP) perform verification tasks, 

FSIS has worked to further reduce the public’s 

exposure to STEC. This included increasing sampling 

for bench trim and raw ground beef components 

other than trim, improving instructions to IPP to 

verify the scientific support for and effectiveness of 

antimicrobial interventions in controlling pathogens, 

and implementing new traceback procedures to take 

enforcement actions, when necessary, more quickly.

GOAL 1

GOAL 1

Ensure That Food Safety Inspection Aligns 

With Existing and Emerging Risks
12 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Enhanced Inspection Approach for 

Products From Other Countries 

FSIS worked with more than 35 countries to reduce 

consumer exposure to food safety hazards by providing 

food safety education, holding bilateral meetings on 

science-based policy, and performing in-country audits 

of higher risk countries. By working alongside various 

foreign regulatory counterparts, the Agency has helped 

other countries build and strengthen their own national 

food safety inspection programs, and improving the 

safety of our food imports. 

Drove Greater Industry Compliance 

through Investigations, Enforcement,

and Surveillance

FSIS increasingly conducted 

critical investigations, 

enforcement, and surveillance 

activities to protect public 

health and respond to food 

safety and food defense 

activities. These activities 

resulted in FSIS reaching more than 85 percent of all 

enforcement actions’ targeting food safety-related 

violations. Also, follow-up surveillances resulted in an 

increase in compliance, exceeding FSIS’ targets: 89.5 

percent of follow-up surveillances resulted in compliance, 

and nearly 69 percent of not-for-cause surveillance 

activities were conducted in priority in-commerce 

facilities (e.g., warehouses and distributors).

Performance Measurement

FSIS used five measures to gauge Goal 1 progress, and 

successfully met the targets for 3 of the 5 measures.4

While FSIS reported overall declines in the total number 

of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), and E. coli

O157:H7 illnesses attributed to FSIS-regulated products 

from FY 2012 to FY 2015, it did not meet the associated 

FY 2016 target. This was both because the targets, 

which were anchored to Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) 

pathogen-specific goals, were highly ambitious, and 

because the manner in which attribution was estimated 

was highly influenced by year-to-year variations in 

outbreaks, causing major changes in illness estimates. 

As FSIS adopts an enhanced attribution methodology 

for 2017 and beyond, it will continue to monitor illness 

GOAL 1

GOAL 1

Ensure That Food Safety Inspection Aligns 

With Existing and Emerging Risks

4FSIS halted measurement of 1.2.1 in 2016 because it began to use a different methodological approach in this area.

85%

INCREASED

COMPLIANCE

FOLLOW-UP 

SURVEILLANCES 

RESULTED IN

35 COUNTRIES TO REDUCE 

EXPOSURE TO FOOD 

SAFETY HAZARDS

FSIS WORKED WITH MORE THAN
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 13

trends. Regarding its measure related to FSAs, FSIS 

changed its methodology in 2016, to improve the way it 

prioritizes FSAs and therefore decided to no longer gather 

data for the outdated measure.

Linkage to New Strategic Plan

The 2017-2021 Strategic Plan continues and enhances 

its focus on several of the areas above. Goal 1, Prevent 

Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health, has 

outcomes and objectives that focus inspection on 

driving compliance domestically and internationally. 

Specifically, FSIS both maintains and updates 

approaches on PHREs and FSAs, other countries’ 

equivalence, implementing pathogen reduction 

performance standards, increased in-commerce 

surveillance activities, and other areas in its new Goal 

1, specifically in Objectives 1.1.1, 1.1.3, and 1.2.1. FSIS 

will also continue to monitor illnesses attributable to 

FSIS-regulated products. 

Goal Measures

Actuals Strategic 

Plan 

2016 

Target

Desired 

Direction 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

 1.1.1

Total number of Salmonella, Listeria 

monocytogenes, and E. coli O157: H7 illnesses 

from products regulated by FSIS.  479,621 427,171 386,265 382,123 658,405 363,547

 1.2.1

% of domestic establishments that meet the "for 

cause" Food Safety Assessments and monthly 

Hazard Analysis Verification decision .criteria 

more than once per year.

 N/A N/A 3.68% 3.15% N/A 1.50%

1.2.2

% of importing countries requiring more 

immediate inspection attention more than twice 

within the previous year.  14% 14% 24.10% 31% 10% 20%

1.3.1 % of priority in-commerce facilities covered by 

surveillance activities.  85.80% 85.60% 85.60% 83.90% 68.90% 70.00%

1.3.2 % of follow-up surveillance resulting in 

compliance.  87.06% 89.90% 88.80% 86.60% 91.10% 83.00%

Measure/Target Performance

GOAL 1

GOAL 1

Ensure That Food Safety Inspection Aligns 

With Existing and Emerging Risks
14 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

FSIS saw significant progress and success related to 

this Goal’s broad range of activities and measures—

including adherence to food safety pathogen 

reduction performance standards, humane handling, 

and food defense.

Key Accomplishments

Substantial Improvements on Broiler 

Carcass Standards

FSIS intensified its efforts to improve establishments’ 

performance in reducing overall public exposure 

to Salmonella from broiler carcasses. With the 

implementation of tightened Salmonella performance 

standards for broilers, FSIS observed increasing 

percentages of broiler establishments’ consistently 

passing the carcass Salmonella Verification Testing 

Standard over the past 5 years. FSIS also established 

the 52-week moving window as a way to consistently 

evaluate sample results under the routine sampling 

regime, replacing the previous set-based regime.

Major Strides in Humane Handling

Over this 2011-2016 period, FSIS significantly increased 

the number of personnel and training available to 

inspectors on humane handling oversight, and worked 

to ensure that a consistent method for compliance 

was applied at all federally inspected livestock 

slaughter establishments. The compliance guidelines 

FSIS issued in 2013 also helped inform annual onsite assessments, which have played a major role in 

establishments’ use of a systematic humane handling 

approach over the past several years.

GOAL 2

Maximize Domestic and International 

Compliance With Food Safety Policies
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 15

Significant Progress in Domestic and 

International Outreach on Food Defense

Through increased outreach and presence in the industry, 

FSIS saw an increase in domestic establishments’ having 

voluntary functional food defense plans in place. Food 

defense practices in-commerce—after a product leaves 

the establishment yet before it enters a person’s home—

also increased. FSIS developed and began implementing 

a multi-year Food Defense Strategy in FY 2016. The 

agency increased its outreach to eligible countries (that 

is, countries that can export to the United States) to 

encourage implementation of a system that protects 

product from intentional contamination, and conducted 

more outreach in general.

Performance Measurement

FSIS used five measures for this goal, three of which were, 

or became, corporate performance measures by the 

end of 2016. The broiler carcass measure was generally 

met each year, reaching nearly 95 percent overall. On 

humane handling, of the 764 active slaughter plants with 

a current humane handling assessment over an 18-month 

cycle, 78 percent (596)—100 percent of large, 91 percent 

of small, and 72 percent of very small establishments—

were found to have a systematic approach to humane 

handling. FSIS also far exceeded its 2016 and final target 

for establishments’ having had a District Veterinary 

Medical Specialist visit within a rolling 18-month window. 

FSIS further met two of its three targets on food defense, 

falling just shy on its domestic establishment measure.

GOAL 1

GOAL 2

Maximize Domestic and International 

Compliance With Food Safety Policies

ACTIVE SLAUGHTER PLANTS WITH A

HUMANE HANDLING 

ASSESSMENT

LARGE

PLANTS

SMALL

PLANTS

VERY SMALL 

PLANTS

78% 91% 72%
16 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Linkage to New Strategic Plan

The 2017-2021 Strategic Plan continues and enhances 

its focus on several of the areas above. Goal 1, Prevent 

Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health, Outcome 

1.1, Prevent Contamination, includes a focus on 

performance standards, including broiler carcasses, 

chicken parts, and comminuted poultry, and retains 

the importance of this focus by including a key 

performance indicator on the pathogen reduction 

performance standards (Objective 1.1.3). Food defense 

remains a focus, with an increased emphasis on the 

adoption of key food defense practices—a step beyond 

having plans in place (Objective 1.1.4). International 

activities, also in the new Plan’s Outcome 1.1, are 

broader in scope and measurement than they were in 

FSIS’ FY 2011-2016 Plan. Humane handling focus falls 

under Goal 2 in the new plan, and the focus has also 

evolved toward conducting more targeted outreach 

to the livestock industry, specifically on restraint and 

stunning requirements, to achieve greater compliance. 

Goal Measures

Actuals Strategic 

Plan 

2016 

Target

Desired 

Direction 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

2.1.1 Percent of broiler plants passing the carcass 

Salmonella verification testing.  90.28% 90.37% 92% 95.60% 93.96% 95.00%

2.2.1

Percent of slaughter plants identified during District 

Veterinary Medical Specialist (DVMS) humane 

handling verification visits as having an effective 

systematic approach to humane handling (all four 

elements of a systematic approach implemented).

 42% 56% 63% 69% 78% 75%

2.3.1 Percent of all official establishments with a 

functional Food Defense Plan.  77% 83% 84% 85% 85% 90%

2.3.2 Percent of food defense practices implemented at 

in-commerce facilities.  94.10% 94.80% 95% 96.40% 96.49% 91.00%

2.3.3

Outreach to eligible countries to encourage 

implementation of a system that protects product 

from unintentional contamination.  31% 65.50% 82.80% 93.50% 96.90% 90.00%

Measure/Target Performance

GOAL 1

GOAL 2

Maximize Domestic and International 

Compliance With Food Safety Policies
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 17

FSIS made significant progress in its efforts to improve 

consumer food-handling practices through enhanced 

educational and outreach activities. 

Key Accomplishments

Enhanced Use of Various Online Platforms 

and Tools to Reach Industry and the Public

FSIS adapted to new trends that emerged over the 

past 5 years using social media and other digital tools 

to improve public outreach. FSIS increased awareness 

through the FSIS website, FoodSafety.gov, YouTube, 

Twitter, and Facebook, with results far exceeding 

expectations. In developing and promoting messaging 

about the four food safety steps - Clean, Separate, Cook, 

and Chill - FSIS educated millions of consumers about 

proper food handling behaviors. This was accomplished 

through seasonal communications campaigns, strategic 

outreach around key events, and routine public service 

advertising. The agency also saw an increase in email 

subscriptions to fsis.usda.gov for recalls and other 

food safety-related content. Other initiatives, such as 

the FoodKeeper mobile application (launched in April 

2015), provided consumers with information about safe 

handling and storage times for hundreds of commonly 

consumed food items. In July 2016, FSIS updated the 

application to include food storage information in 

Spanish and Portuguese and conducted outreach to 

Spanish language media outlets.

GOAL 1

GOAL 3

Enhance Public Education and Outreach To 

Improve Food-Handling Practices
18 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

GOAL 1

GOAL 3

Enhance Public Education and Outreach To 

Improve Food-Handling Practices

Increased Outreach Through Greater 

Community Presence

In taking a number of steps to improve how inspection 

program personnel (IPP) perform verification tasks, 

FSIS has worked to further reduce the public’s 

exposure to STEC. This included increasing sampling 

for bench trim and raw ground beef components 

other than trim, improving instructions to IPP to 

verify the scientific support for and effectiveness of 

antimicrobial interventions in controlling pathogens, 

and implementing new traceback procedures to take 

enforcement actions, when necessary, more quickly.

Performance Measurement

Goal 3 used two main measures with three supporting 

measures. The agency targets for measures 3.2.1 (b, 

c, d, and e) were substantially exceeded. The target 

for measure 3.1.1, which focused on the percentage of 

consumers who follow the four key food safety “best 

practices,” was a collaborative effort with the Food and 

Drug Administration (FDA) and just missed the target 

of 79 percent ending with an actual of 76 percent. 

FSIS has significantly increased its social media 

presence and exceeded the established targets for 

traffic to the agency’s website and social media 

91 MILLION

CUMULATIVE WEBSITE VIEWS

BY FY 2016 FSIS ACCUMULATED MORE THAN

1.4 MILLIONYOUTUBE VIEWS

787,401 TWITTER 

FOLLOWERS
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 19

Goal Measures

Actuals Strategic 

Plan 2016 

Target

Desired 

Direction 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

3.1.1 

Average percentage of consumers 

who follow the four key food safety 

“best practices” (i.e., clean, separate, 

cook and chill) and thermometer use.

 76% N/A N/A N/A 76% 79%

3.2.1-b 

(1)

FSIS Electronic Media Outreach: 

Page views on the FSIS Website.  N/A 70,961,562 59,019,170 74,689,643 91,624,120 84,000,000

3.2.1-c 

(1)

FSIS Electronic Media Outreach: 

YouTube Views.  171,544 401,465 704,525 1,156,567 1,486,120 1,400,000

3.2.1-d 

(1)

FSIS Electronic Media Outreach: 

Twitter Followers.  332,600 466,000 593,607 772,514 787,401 780,000

3.2.1-e 

(1)

FSIS Electronic Media Outreach: 

Visitors to the Food Discovery Zone.  669,711 619,539 1,715,845 1,712,868 1,038,550 720,000

Measure/Target Performance

GOAL 1

GOAL 3

Enhance Public Education and Outreach To 

Improve Food-Handling Practices

platforms. This measure trended upward consistently 

year after year and is one of the agency’s top 

achievements under this strategic plan. During FY 2016, 

FSIS accumulated more than 91 million website views, 

more than 1.4 million YouTube views, and reached 

787,401 Twitter followers. The FoodKeeper mobile 

application has been downloaded more than 125,000 

times between launch and the end of FY 2016, and was 

mentioned in more than 300 publications.

Linkage to New Strategic Plan

The FY 2017-2021 Strategic Plan continues to focus 

on increasing public awareness of safe food-handling 

practices and preventing foodborne illness, with an 

added emphasis on recalls in its Objective 1.2.3 in Goal 

1, Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health, 

under Outcome 1.2, Limit Illness from Regulated Products. 

The agency will continue to promote its “Clean, Separate, 

Cook, Chill” messaging through media pitching, and will 

also move toward more proactive outreach strategies. 

Additionally, the agency will conduct limited analysis on 

consumer adoption of safe food-handling practices to 

inform how it produces new educational materials. FSIS 

will also further develop and deploy targeted outreach 

approaches to audiences related to Lm in delicatessens, 

humane handling, as well as focus on enhancing 

collaboration with our public health partners. 

(1) Measure 3.2.1-a was retired due to more effective measurements in the form of 3.2.-b-e
20 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

FSIS made significant strides in both expanding 

and targeting its internal and external collaborative 

activities. Across more than a dozen different 

collaborations, FSIS worked with a broad range of 

partners to communicate research priorities, share 

information, conduct collaborative projects, and 

advance scientific knowledge on key areas of mutual 

interest, such as foodborne illness attribution, all of 

which positively contributed to FSIS’ ability to protect 

public health by preventing foodborne illness. 

Key Accomplishments

Maximized Relationships with

Intra-departmental Partners

FSIS recognizes the importance of keeping abreast 

of the latest scientific endeavors, as well as its role in 

promoting research in areas important to the FSIS 

mission, which is why it developed and has actively 

updated a Research Priorities list to encourage food 

safety research that is relevant to FSIS-regulated 

products. Through this list, FSIS built on its existing 

partnerships with USDA’s Agricultural Research 

Service (ARS), Economic Research Service (ERS), 

and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) 

through organizing and hosting regular meetings to 

discuss research priorities, align areas for collaboration, 

and work on projects of benefit to several agencies. 

Foundational research conducted includes studies 

on Lm in retail grocery store environment, the 

detection and isolation of non-O157 STEC from meat 

products, and collaboration with ARS that resulted 

in an improved way to evaluate contamination levels 

on poultry carcass, which FSIS adopted in July 2016. 

FSIS also worked closely with its USDA partners, and 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on antimicrobial 

GOAL 4

Strengthen Collaboration Among Internal 

and External Stakeholders
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 21

resistance issues, including through its responsibility 

for conducting antimicrobial susceptibility testing 

for animal-derived cecal samples under the National 

Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS).

Major Strides in Humane Handling

Over this 2011-2016 period, FSIS significantly increased 

the number of personnel and training available to 

inspectors on humane handling oversight, and worked 

to ensure that a consistent method for compliance 

was applied at all federally inspected livestock 

slaughter establishments. The compliance guidelines 

FSIS issued in 2013 also helped inform annual onsite assessments, which have played a major role in 

establishments’ use of a systematic humane handling 

approach over the past several years.

Maintained and Deepened

Existing Collaborations

to Achieve Multi-Agency Goals

The Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) Initiatives have 

served as a science-based framework for public health 

activities by FSIS, CDC, FDA, and other sections of 

the public health community for years. Food safety 

is a key component of HP2020, with an entire focus 

area dedicated to joint USDA, FDA, and CDC efforts 

to reduce foodborne illnesses in the population, 

such as Salmonella. FSIS has used HP2020 goals as 

a foundation in a variety of high-level performance 

setting efforts, namely the FSIS All Illness Measure—

with long-term goals that are based on HP2020 

pathogen-specific goals; and the FSIS Salmonella and 

Campylobacter Pathogen Reduction Performance 

Standards, which factored in what reductions in these 

two pathogens would be necessary to meet the 

HP2020 goals. In addition, the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services’ Agency Priority Goal to 

reduce the incidence rate for Lm is directly tied to the 

HP2020 goal to reduce the incidence of Lm infections, 

and represents a collaboration across CDC, FDA, and 

the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Strengthened Key Collaborations

with Federal Agencies

The Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration 

(IFSAC) was formed in 2011 as a tri-agency effort with the 

CDC and FDA to improve foodborne illness attribution. 

In the last 5 years, IFSAC has made enormous strides, 

including developing a Charter and Strategic Plan, and 

completion of nine foundational analyses.5 

IFSAC has significantly improved attribution models, 

methods, and estimates, and helped FSIS to align its 

food safety strategies with FDA and CDC, achieving 

the overall goal of enhancing collaboration for FSIS. 

GOAL 1

GOAL 4

Strengthen Collaboration Among Internal 

and External Stakeholders
22 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

GOAL 1

GOAL 4

Strengthen Collaboration Among Internal 

and External Stakeholders

IFSAC also made significant strides in communications, 

through further development and use of its website, as 

well as through public and scientific meetings, webinars, 

and publications in peer-review journals, and recently 

developed a new charter and Strategic Plan.

Conducted Critical Outreach, Coordination, 

and Information Sharing Activities with 

External Partners and Industry

Beyond working with Federal partners, FSIS has 

conducted cross-cutting outreach activities, 

leveraged resources, and provided technical expertise, 

information, and advice to small and very small 

plant owners and operators, as well as promoted 

State participation in achieving food safety goals 

by engaging in cooperative activities—for example, 

special webinars—with State agencies. The agency 

also increased its targeted efforts with State Meat 

and Poultry Inspection Program (MPI) Directors, with 

greater resulting participation; the 27 MPI programs 

5These analyses include: a new food categorization scheme to classify foods implicated in outbreaks that is more 

relevant to food regulatory agencies; a comparison of the characteristics of outbreak and sporadic (non-outbreak) 

cases to help assess the usefulness of outbreak data in estimating which food categories are most often sources 

of illness; estimates of the proportion of Salmonella serotype Enteritidis infections that can be attributed to 

shell eggs and other major food categories before FDA’s 2010 Egg Rule was implemented; and development of 

harmonized estimates of foodborne illness source attribution with uncertainty bounds for Salmonella spp., E. coli

O157:H7, Lm, and Campylobacter using outbreak data.

27 STATE MEAT AND 

POULTRY INSPECTION 

PROGRAMS (MPI) 

COORDINATING WITH FSIS 

TO ENSURE THE NATION’S 

FOOD SAFETY
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 23

Goal Measures

Actuals Strategic 

Plan 

2016 

Target

Desired 

Direction 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

4.1.1

Research: Percentage of time products from 

three USDA research agencies (i.e., Agricultural 

Research Service, Economic Research Service, 

and National Institute of Food and Agriculture) 

used by FSIS and shared with stakeholders.

 N/A 23% 27% 27% 32% 32%

4.1.2

Key Federal partners U.S. Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 

Percentage of results from interagency 

collaboration on analytics used in FSIS policy.

 N/A 56% 56% 74% 100% 95%

4.1.3

Small and Very Small Plants: Percentage of 

identified opportunities realized to improve 

information sharing.  N/A 74% 76% 84% 83% 75%

Measure/Target Performance

GOAL 1

GOAL 4

Strengthen Collaboration Among Internal 

and External Stakeholders

represent a significant FSIS investment and provide a 

critical link in this Nation’s food safety infrastructure. 

FSIS also expanded its outreach to regulated small 

establishments through its popular Small Plant Help 

Desk, including a new Virtual Representative. Further, 

FSIS organized and hosted the annual National Advisory 

Committee meeting on Meat and Poultry Inspection 

(NACMPI) in March 2016. The meeting addressed topics 

ranging from FSIS' identification and management of 

chemical hazards within the National Residue Program, 

the ERS’s Foodborne Illness Cost Calculation Model, 

Food Safety Handling Labels, Lm in retail, and mandatory 

features on labels of products that appear ready to eat.

Performance Measurement

FSIS used three measures to gauge collaboration 

progress, all of which met or exceeded their targets.

Linkage to New Strategic Plan

Both the FY 2017-2021 Strategic Plan and the 

2017 Annual Plan further elevate the importance 

of collaboration by highlighting a multitude of key 

collaborations and associated measures across several 

Outcomes and Objectives in Goals 1 and 2. 
24 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

FSIS achieved several accomplishments related to this 

Goal, including championing a comprehensive science 

agenda, conducting several key risk assessments, 

establishing a team and process to identify and assess 

emerging hazards, and collaborating with key partners 

to realize food safety synergies.

Key Accomplishments

Leveraged Collaborations in Championing 

a Comprehensive Science Agenda

FSIS instituted a comprehensive science agenda that 

focused on the agency’s most significant needs and 

updated it over time to respond to emerging concerns 

and support policy decisions. To advance its science 

agenda, FSIS collaborated with several internal and 

external partners on various research priorities to 

create synergies with other partners and stakeholders on shared priorities. The agenda addressed such 

significant needs as the National Residue Program, environmental contaminants, plans to meet the HP2020 

goals for Salmonella illness reduction, communicating 

scientific measures to mitigate the risk of Lm in retail, 

and emerging issues such as the safety of products 

containing chemicals that do not have a tolerance.

• Agricultural Research Service (ARS) ARS is the 

USDA’s in-house research agency and frequently 

partners with FSIS on its science and research 

agenda needs. ARS and FSIS studied the impact 

of antimicrobial interventions on pathogen testing, evaluating the five common interventions and 

identified promising rinsate additives to negate 

the impact of peracetic acid and cetylpyridinium 

chloride on Salmonella recovery. FSIS also worked 

GOAL 5

Effectively Use Science To Understand 

Foodborne Illness and Emerging Trends
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 25

with ARS to develop and adopt a new carcass 

rinse solution, which contains neutralizing agents 

that negate the potential impact of intervention 

carry-over on FSIS pathogen monitoring.

• National Institute of Food and Agriculture 

(NIFA): The USDA’s NIFA provides extramural research funding to academic institutions, 

States’ experiment stations, and cooperative 

extension systems. FSIS facilitated several meetings and discussions with NIFA on areas where 

FSIS and NIFA could collaborate to incorporate 

FSIS research priorities into activities funded by 

NIFA. For example, in response to FSIS’ request, 

NIFA funded the Shiga toxin producing E.coli 

coordinated Agriculture Project to improve beef 

safety (STEC-CAP). The $25 million NIFA grant 

was awarded to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and included a team of 50 collaborators 

from 12 institutions, which was modified, at the 

request of FSIS, to add veal to the meat products being studied. Also, in support of the FSIS 

research priority, “Develop practical in-establishment/in-field screening techniques to identify samples requiring no additional laboratory 

analysis,” NIFA funded a Small Business Innovative Research grant for the development of field 

techniques to detected pathogens in meat. 

• National Advisory Committee on Microbiological 

Criteria for Foods (NACMCF): NACMCF 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. Through NACMCF, 

FSIS works with Federal partners including FDA, 

CDC, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the 

National Marine Fisheries Service, the Department 

of Defense, and others. NACMCF spearheaded 

the introduction of two new charges—on effective 

Salmonella control strategies in poultry, and on 

attributes that define foodborne STEC as a severe 

human pathogen. FSIS also published a Journal 

of Food Protection article based on NACMCF 

recommendations related to the U.S. School 

Lunch Program ground beef food safety.

Promoted an International Science Agenda 

through Codex Alimentarius

In addition to its domestic science agenda, FSIS 

actively cultivated an international science agenda 

through the Codex Alimentarius Commission, an 

international body with more than 180 member 

countries and organizations. Codex standards, codes 

of practice, guidelines, and recommendations aim 

to ensure that food is safe and can be traded. FSIS 

GOAL 1

GOAL 5

Effectively Use Science To Understand 

Foodborne Illness and Emerging Trends
26 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

GOAL 1

GOAL 5

Effectively Use Science To Understand 

Foodborne Illness and Emerging Trends

shepherded guidelines for the control of Salmonella in 

beef and pork through the Codex Committee on Food 

Hygiene. These guidelines are now an official document 

for use by countries worldwide.

Expanded Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS)

FSIS has recently increased its focus on using WGS to 

characterize isolates from samples the agency collects. 

FSIS has standardized WGS methods and workflow; 

in addition, the agency now conducts WGS on 

Salmonella, STEC, Campylobacter and Lm isolates from 

ready-to-eat products, as well as all isolates collectedm 

as part of a human foodborne illness investigation. 

Specifically, FSIS laboratories have performed WGS on 

3,475 FSIS isolates (1,565 Salmonella, 240 STECs, 1,140 

Campylobacter, and 230 Lm) and uploaded the data 

to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. 

In addition, FSIS actively collaborated with its Federal 

partners—FDA, CDC, and NIH—on WGS-related issues.

Enhanced the National Residue Program 

(NRP) to Increase Efficiency in Analysis 

and Reporting

FSIS enhanced its NRP by updating its scheduling 

algorithm, implementing new multi-analytic methods 

in the FSIS laboratories to identify and quantify 

chemical residues at much lower levels than previous 

methods, and outlining final policies on holding 

livestock carcasses targeted for chemical residue 

sampling. The agency also began publishing an NRP 

quarterly report on residue data from samples FSIS 

3,475 ISOLATES

FSIS LABORATORIES 

PERFORMED WGS ON
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 27

GOAL 1

GOAL 5

Effectively Use Science To Understand 

Foodborne Illness and Emerging Trends

collects and analyzes to complement the agency’s 

annual residue reporting. FSIS also launched a 

pilot project designed to increase efficiencies 

of in-plant chemical residue testing and provide 

additional guidance when selecting carcasses for 

testing. Additionally, FSIS developed an approach 

to enhance its ability to address chemical hazards 

without established tolerances.

Conducted Multiple Baseline Studies

and Risk Assessments

Baseline studies are special studies designed to collect 

and analyze samples of meat and poultry products 

that FSIS oversees. In the past 5 years, FSIS completed 

national baseline studies on (1) raw chicken parts, (2) 

market hogs, (3) raw liquid egg products, and (4) beef/

veal carcasses to provide national prevalence estimates 

of pathogens for these products. These estimates are 

critical for understanding the microbiological profiles of 

FSIS-regulated products, supporting FSIS policies, and 

risk assessments that help develop pathogen reduction 

performance standards for these products. 

Risk assessment activities have provided the scientific 

basis for the agency’s policies and allocation of 

inspection resources. FSIS completed several 

complex assessments that have shaped how the 

agency is modernizing food safety. For example, the 

Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Risk Assessment 

and Mechanically Tenderized Beef Risk Assessment 

were critical in shaping and informing the earlier 

referenced Poultry Slaughter Modernization Rule and 

Mechanically Tenderized Beef Rule.

Improved Outbreak Investigations

The agency took a multi-pronged approach to limit 

consumers’ exposure to FSIS-regulated products 

associated with foodborne-illness outbreaks by 

enhancing current processes that helped achieve 

greater efficiencies and by generating better quality 

information from outbreak and traceback systems. For 

example, the agency developed an automated tool to 

rapidly summarize multiple establishments’ inspection 

histories when their products are suspected of being 

involved in an outbreak. Doing so allowed FSIS to 

identify potential problems within an establishment—

RAW CHICKEN PARTS

FSIS COMPLETED NATIONAL 

BASELINE STUDIES ON:

MARKET HOGS

RAW LIQUID EGG PRODUCTS

BEEF/VEAL CARCASSES

TO PROVIDE NATIONAL PREVALENCE 

ESTIMATES OF PATHOGENS
28 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

GOAL 1

GOAL 5

Effectively Use Science To Understand 

Foodborne Illness and Emerging Trends

Goal Measures

Actuals Strategic 

Plan 

2016 

Target

Desired 

Direction 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

5.1.1 Percent of annual science agenda completed and 

number of agenda items initiated.  N/A 95% 96% 96% 90% 95%

5.1.2

Percent of completed science agenda items that 

meet quality standards for information rigor, 

clarity, and defensibility of methods used.  N/A 95% 95% 88% 100% 95%

5.2.1

Percent of identified public health and food 

safety gaps addressed across the Farm-to-Table 

Continuum.  N/A 64% 68% 68% 84% 60%

Measure/Target Performance

such as a history of sanitation problems or positive 

samples—and to help direct the agency’s outbreak 

investigation. FSIS also has identified lessons learned 

from outbreak investigations and has shared those 

findings with its food safety partners to improve 

information sharing, coordination, and facilitate better 

outcomes from outbreak investigations.

Performance Measurement

FSIS used three measures to gauge Goal 5 

progress and successfully met the targets for them. 

Meeting these targets represented major strides 

in collaboration with key partners on advancing 

the use of more, and enhanced, science-based 

approaches to better understand foodborne illness, 

and identify and address emerging trends or gaps 

across the farm-to-table continuum.

Linkage to New Strategic Plan

The 2017-2021 Strategic Plan continues and enhances 

the agency’s focus on several of the areas above. Its Goal 

1, Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health, 

contains Objective 1.2.2. Enhance Response to Foodborne 

Illness Outbreaks and Adulteration Events, the Plan’s 

Goal 2, Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, and the 

Use of Scientific Approaches, Objective 2.1.1. Modernize 

Scientific Techniques and Inspection Procedure, 

delineates how FSIS plans to pilot and determine how 

to best utilize innovative approaches and techniques, 

including maximizing its use of WGS. FSIS continues to 

pursue a rigorous science agenda, and its FY 2017 Annual 

Plan contains actions that continue to focus on using 

scientific- and evidence-based information to respond to 

emerging concerns and inform policy decisions. 
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 29

Goal 6 aimed to ensure FSIS implemented effective, 

purposeful, clear, and executable food safety policies to 

reduce risk. Many of the key results from this goal are 

reflected in the agency’s cross-cutting accomplishments 

as well as in Goals 1, 2, 4, and 5. The agency’s efforts 

under this goal illustrate how FSIS continued to improve 

its drafting, implementation, evaluation, and refinement 

of data-driven policies for food safety.

Key Accomplishments

Increased the Use of Data, Assessments, 

and Science to Drive Policy Development

With the implementation of the agency’s Public Health 

Information System (PHIS), the availability of real-time 

field inspection and sampling data became far more 

accessible and instrumental in informing both policy 

content and process implementation. For example, FSIS 

has used PHIS data to queue sampling tasks across 

individual establishments and to improve sampling 

algorithms. The agency also created approximately 

100 standardized PHIS reports to inform supervisors 

and inspectors on how to track and monitor inspection 

results. The findings of these reports yielded valuable 

data that was then used to significantly update the 

agency’s policy development process and several 

existing policies, as well as to inform new regulations. 

PHIS data and the associated analysis of those data has 

also enabled FSIS to begin to develop guidance and 

tools that make new policies easier for field staff and 

establishments to implement them. 

GOAL 1

GOAL 6

Implement Effective Policies To Respond to 

Existing and Emerging Risks

100 STANDARDIZED

PHIS REPORTS

TO INFORM SUPERVISORS AND 

INSPECTORS ON HOW TO TRACK 

AND MONITOR RESULTS

FSIS CREATED APPROXIMATELY
30 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

GOAL 1

GOAL 6

Implement Effective Policies To Respond to 

Existing and Emerging Risks

As mentioned briefly in earlier sections, FSIS developed 

several major new or updated regulations, policies, 

and guidelines during this time period, including 

the Poultry Slaughter Modernization rule; pathogen 

reduction performance standards for Salmonella and 

Campylobacter in not-ready-to-eat comminuted chicken, 

turkey products, and raw chicken parts; the Salmonella

Initiative Program (SIP); guidance to reduce Lm in retail; 

new traceback procedures and recall policy for STEC; and 

new generic labeling regulations. The development of 

those initiatives was all informed by FSIS data.

Enhanced Approaches for Beef Sampling, 

Labeling, and Trace Back

As noted previously, key policy changes enabled FSIS 

to quickly identify and remove unsafe beef products 

in commerce and better identify the risks associated 

with different beef products. For example, the new 

labeling regulations on mechanically tenderized beef 

products allow consumers and retailers to identify 

beef products with a higher risk to cause illnesses 

if not properly cooked so that they can be cooked 

appropriately. Improvements to risk-based sampling 

enabled the agency to broaden its sampling to detect 

additional STECs in specific products and the beef 

carcass baseline provided FSIS with microbiological 

data and data on slaughter and processing practices, 

and informed the agency on how to best encourage 

industry to better address STECs. Finally, expedited 

traceback investigations enabled FSIS to more quickly 

identify the source of contamination and remove 

STEC contaminated product from commerce to 

prevent foodborne illness.

Introduced Allergen Labeling Guidance to 

Protect Consumers

In addition to policy activities associated with preventing 

pathogen contamination, FSIS also increased its focus on 

reducing exposures to undeclared allergens to protect 

consumers. Meat and processed egg products that 

contain allergens that are not appropriately labeled result 

in preventable recalls. These recalls are often because 

establishments have made changes in ingredients; they 

are due to products being put in the wrong packages 

or products with misprinted labels. Given an increase in 

recalls of FSIS-regulated products containing undeclared 

allergens, FSIS issued the Compliance Guidelines for 

Allergens and Ingredients of Public Health Concern: 

Identification, Prevention and Control, and Declaration 

through Labeling to improve and facilitate establishment 

compliance with public health regulations, and reduce 

potential threats to public health through consumers’ 

being exposed to undeclared allergens.
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 31

GOAL 1

GOAL 6

Implement Effective Policies To Respond to 

Existing and Emerging Risks

Updated Validation Guidance

The implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical 

Control Points (HACCP) has helped ensure the overall 

safety of products that FSIS regulates. HACCP is a 

scientific system of process controls that has long been 

used in food production to prevent problems by applying 

controls at points in a food production process where 

potential hazards can best be controlled, reduced, or 

eliminated. FSIS-regulated establishments must have 

effective HACCP systems to comply with regulatory 

requirements and prevent product adulteration. To 

ensure field employees and industry stakeholders clearly 

understood HACCP Systems Validation guidelines, 

FSIS employed YouTube training videos as well as live 

webinars on HACCP validation requirements.

Performance Measurement

FSIS used three measures to gauge Goal 6 progress and 

successfully met the targets for all of them. In tracking 

granted appeals, non-compliances, and analyses on 

the effectiveness of implemented policies, FSIS worked 

to assess and improve the overall effectiveness of its 

policies and guidelines developed for use by industry.

Linkage to New Strategic Plan

The FY 2017-2021 Strategic Plan’s focus on policy 

effectiveness is found across several elements in both 

Goals 1 and 2. In Goal 1, Prevent Foodborne Illness and 

Protecting Public Health, policy priorities are found in its 

Prevent Contamination Outcome under Objective 1.1.3 

Ensure Establishments Are Meeting Pathogen Reduction 

Performance Standards. In Goal 2, Modernize Inspection 

Systems, Policies, and the Use of Scientific Approaches, 

policy effectiveness is again addressed in an Outcome 

focused on enhancing access to information reliability, 

access, and timely collection and distribution (2.2). 

Goal Measures

Actuals Strategic 

Plan 

2016 

Target

Desired 

Direction 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

6.1.1

Percent of food safety appeals granted 

(categories of appeals that were overturned by a 

higher level supervisor).  35% 50% 10% 29.80% 27% 39%

6.1.2

Percent of regulated industry adhering to key 

public health-related policies (establishments 

with no public health-related non-compliances/

year).

 73.80% 20% 21.49% 20.53% 22% 22%

6.1.3

Frequency of reviews examining the 

effectiveness of FSIS policies regarding 

significant public health risks.  3 5 4 4 4 4

Measure/Target Performance
32 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

GOAL 1

GOAL 7

Empower Employees With Training, 

Resources, and Tools

Support of FSIS employees with the training, resources, 

and tools they need is critical to the mission of the 

agency. Several activities contributed to improved 

Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) results, and 

FSIS improved in hiring, Equal Employment Opportunity 

(EEO) and Civil Rights, and administrative services. FSIS 

also made improvements in occupational safety and 

health, resulting in reduced injuries and illnesses.

Key Accomplishments

Increased Employee Satisfaction 

Demonstrated in a Higher FEVS Ranking

Overall, FSIS employees reported increasing levels of 

satisfaction over this period, reaching 93rd out of 320 

“Best Places to Work in the Federal Government.” Top 

results included employees indicating that they like 

their work, understand how it relates to agency goals, 

have a sense of accomplishment, and believe in being 

held accountable.

Launched New FSIS-Wide Employee 

Engagement Activities, Including the 

I-Impact Food Safety Campaign

FSIS successfully deployed the first phase of a major 

internal campaign, i-Impact, to engage employees on 

how their work is reflected in the agency’s strategic 

and annual plans, and how the agency’s key goals, 

priorities, measures, and targets are aligned with 

each employee’s standards. This campaign included 

employee engagement sessions across the country 

with a more than 91-percent participation rate and 

a strong positive response from participants. It 

also laid the groundwork for broader and deeper 

93RD

"BEST PLACES TO WORK 

IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT" OUT OF 320
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 33

GOAL 1

GOAL 7

Empower Employees With Training, 

Resources, and Tools

understanding of FSIS’s new FY 2017-2021 Strategic 

Plan and 2017 Annual Plan, and each employee’s “line 

of sight” that clearly shows how an employee’s work 

matters to advancing food safety and public health.

Improved Safety and Workers’ 

Compensation Procedures

FSIS leveraged the Department’s updated policy for 

returning injured workers to employment status as 

well as its standard operating procedures to allow 

greater ease in case management and returning 

employees to work after recovery. The agency was 

also able to reduce its injury rate over the past 5 years.

Increased Education and Awareness on 

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) 

and Civil Rights (CR) 

FSIS took several actions to increase awareness of 

EEO and civil rights among employees; this included 

conducting cyclical Compliance, Assistance, Review, 

and Evaluation (CARE) assessments to evaluate work 

units’ compliance with EEO and Civil Rights laws, 

regulations, and policies, as well as their knowledge and 

perceptions of their program’s EEO and CR programs. 

It also included requiring the workforce to have annual 

EEO and civil rights training. FSIS continues to hold 

well-received annual Diversity Conferences, with a large 

mix of attendees from all over the country each year.

Enhanced Overall Hiring Process and 

Performance, as well as its Employee 

Relations Case Record 

FSIS took several steps to improve the applicant 

experience, its tracking system, and other hiring reforms. 

These contributed to a reduction in the time to hire for 

front-line occupations—i.e. from submission of materials 

to onboard—from more than 250 days to fewer than 

80 days on average, while the agency processed a 

significantly higher number of hires and promotions in 

the 2015-2016 time period. FSIS continues to conduct 

REDUCED HIRING TIME 

FOR FRONTLINE OCCUPATIONS BY

68% - 250 DAYS TO 80 DAYS

91% PARTICIPATION

IN I-IMPACT FOOD SAFETY, 

FSIS’ NATIONWIDE EMPLOYEE 

ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM
34 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

GOAL 1

GOAL 7

Empower Employees With Training, 

Resources, and Tools

outreach and recruitment efforts designed to increase 

applicant pools, including for individuals with targeted 

disabilities. The agency also reduced its employee 

relations case backlog and implemented effective case 

tracking to prevent recurrence.

Increased Emphasis on Leadership 

Development and Management 

Accountability 

While investing in its workforce as a whole, FSIS 

also specifically focused on enhancing leadership 

development for its managers and supervisors. Key 

activities included developing a Leadership Competency 

Model and an accompanying reference guide to assist 

with outreach, recruitment, career development, 

succession planning, and evaluation. The agency 

additionally began developing models for missioncritical occupations. Relatedly, FSIS exceeded USDA 

requirements for 360 assessments. 

Improved Administrative Services 

FSIS led USDA’s Marketplace for Shared Service 

initiative, which resulted in the deployment of an 

electronic service menu for administrative services 

within USDA to reduce the number of service providers 

and costs, while increasing service quality, timeliness, 
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 35

GOAL 1

GOAL 7

Empower Employees With Training, 

Resources, and Tools

and standardization. FSIS’s Fleet Management Program 

received designation as a Best Practice Model, a model 

that USDA adopted, and FSIS was also awarded 

the 2015 USDA Small Business Special Achievement 

designation for exceeding every metric for small 

business for socially disadvantaged contractors. 

Performance Measurement

The agency met targets for five of the nine measures 

in this goal, which were measured in several different 

ways, including those on closing competency gaps, EEO 

training, and its two FEVS-related measures. FSIS just 

missed its vacancy rate target and its workplace injury/

illness targets, and significantly missed its targets related 

to employees’ having Individual Development Plans in 

place and hiring of persons with targeted disabilities.

Linkage to New Strategic Plan

The 2017-2021 Strategic Plan places renewed, and 

greater, emphasis on supporting its workforce through 

establishing its Goal 3 as Achieve Operational Excellence. 

This Goal’s outcomes include Maintain a Well-Trained and 

Engaged Workforce (3.1) and Improve Processes and 

Services (3.2). Its five objectives and nine measures focus 

on hiring, retention, EEO training and alternative dispute 

resolution, employee engagement, knowledge gained 

from training, filling competency gaps, and improving key 

business processes and service delivery.
36 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

GOAL 1

GOAL 7

Empower Employees With Training, 

Resources, and Tools

Goal Measures

Actuals Strategic 

Plan 

2016 

Target

Desired 

Direction 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

7.1.1

Average score on the Annual Federal 

Employee Viewpoint Survey for questions 

related to workers’ understanding of their 

impact on public health.

 90% 90% 89% 92.25% 93% 93%

7.2.1 Percent of competency gaps closed for 

targeted groups.  N/A N/A 10% 15% 40% 25%

7.2.2 Percent of all eligible FSIS employees with an 

Individual Development Plan (IDP) in place.  100% 95% 95% 95% 91% 100%

7.2.3

Percent of all managers/supervisors who 

complete 3 hours of Equal Employment 

Opportunity (EEO) training annually.  N/A 96% 83% 95% 100% 95%

7.2.4

Percent of all non-managers/non-supervisors 

who complete 2 hours of EEO training 

annually.  N/A 95% 95% 91% 100% 90%

7.3.1 Percent of workplace injury/illness cases.  9.10% 8.65% 5.47% 5.10% 5.88% 5.80%

7.3.2 Annual rate of staff vacancies.  5.47% 3.42% 10.10% 4.15% 6.10% 6%

7.3.3

Ranking in the Partnership for Public Service’s 

Annual Report, Best Places to Work in the 

Federal Government.  25% 25% 32% 34% 30% 33.04%

7.3.4 Increase the workforce for Persons with 

Targeted Disabilities.  N/A 1.23% 1.26% 1.24% 1.22% 3%

Measure/Target Performance
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 37

During the 2011-2016 Strategic Plan, FSIS created a 

process to expand innovation throughout the agency. 

From establishing baselines for initiatives such as 

Data.gov, Microblog Site for Food Safety Awareness, 

Self Reporting Tool (SRT), and Managed Services to 

conducting internal evaluations for the completed SRT 

and the Microblog Site, FSIS made significant strides in 

creating a more innovative agency culture.

Key Accomplishments

Prioritized Innovation Within the Agency 

to Modernize Food Safety

Recognizing that a food safety agency of the 21st 

century must respond to a variety of threats, FSIS 

prioritized the expansion of innovative processes and, 

for the first time, established criteria to identify and 

develop innovative processes, methodologies, and 

technologies. Of those identified, the agency created 

performance baselines to measure effectiveness, 

evaluated their performance, and implemented those 

passing the effectiveness criterion. Additionally, 

FSIS introduced a life-cycle management process 

to analyze initiatives’ post-baseline review to ensure 

the agency received continued value in terms of time 

savings, cost savings, improved accuracy, increased 

data availability, or public health impact. 

Utilized Social Media to Amplify 

Consumer Engagement

FSIS utilized innovative tactics to expand its 

consumer engagement reach through the use of 

social media for targeted campaigns, such as livetweeting food safety information with images to 

coincide with a weekend movie event. This effort 

led to an increased number of new Twitter followers 

who proved more likely to share information.

GOAL 1

GOAL 8

 Develop, Maintain, and Use Innovative 

Methodologies, Processes, and Tools
38 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Improved Public Access to More Data 

and Services

FSIS designed/redesigned several mobile 

applications for greater interaction with the public 

as well as ensured that the data behind the apps 

were made public online via Data.gov. The Agency’s 

FSIS Meat, Poultry, and Egg Product Inspection 

(MPI) Directory mobile app has helped improve 

public access to more data and information on 

regulated establishments. FSIS’ FoodKeeper mobile 

app, which provides information and public data to 

help consumers use food properly, was downloaded 

more than 125,000 times. In support of open data 

and transparency initiatives, the agency also held 

its first DataJam and began the public release of 

establishment-specific data, an FSIS first.

GOAL 1

GOAL 8

 Develop, Maintain, and Use Innovative 

Methodologies, Processes, and Tools
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 39

GOAL 1

GOAL 8

 Develop, Maintain, and Use Innovative 

Methodologies, Processes, and Tools

Goal Measures

Actuals Strategic 

Plan 

2016 

Target

Desired 

Direction 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

8.1.1

Percent of innovative processes, methodologies, 

or technologies for which the agency has 

established a baseline.  N/A 100% 55% 55% 100% 60%

8.1.2

Percent of innovative processes, methodologies, 

or technologies that, once employed, are 

evaluated by the agency.  N/A 100% 71% 71% 100% 76%

8.2.1

Percent of documented implemented processes, 

methodologies, or technologies that are 

evaluated to assess whether they meet the 

intended outcomes or otherwise contribute to 

the agency’s efforts to perform its mission.

 N/A 100% 80% 80% 84% 80%

8.2.2 

(2)

Percent of innovative processes, methodologies, 

or technologies for which the agency has 

established a baseline to be continually 

monitored for effectiveness or potential value.

 N/A N/A N/A N/A 50% 50%

Measure/Target Performance

(2) Measure 8.2.2 was adopted in FY 2016 to evaluate effectiveness of continually monitored agency baselines.

Performance Measurement

The four measures for this goal were to increase 

the percentage of innovation projects that with 

established baselines (Measure 8.1.1) perform 

internal evaluation of these projects (Measure 8.1.2), 

implement evaluated projects that contribute to the 

mission of the agency (Measure 8.2.1), and monitor for 

effectiveness or value (Measure 8.2.2). FSIS exceeded 

all targets but one, which it hit.

Linkage to New Strategic Plan

FSIS has incorporated innovative approaches primarily 

in Goal 2, Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, 

and the Use of Scientific Approaches with objectives 

focused on improving data access, information flow, 

and use of approaches to provide our inspectors, 

regulatory partners, and the public with needed 

information in innovative ways, as well as in its Goal 1 

Objective focused on public awareness (1.2.3).

DOWNLOADS

125,000+

OF FOODKEEPER APP
FY 2011-2016 Overall Performance Scorecard

40 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

FSIS Annual Performance Plan Desired

Direction FY 2012

GOAL 1: ENSURE THAT FOOD SAFETY INSPECTION ALIGNS WITH EXISTING AND 

EMERGING RISKS TARGET ACTUAL

1.1.1 Total number of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli O157: H7 illnesses 

from products regulated by FSIS. q Down n 405,178 479,621 

1.2.1 Percent of domestic establishments that meet the “for cause” Food Safety Assessments 

and monthly Hazard Analysis Verification decision criteria more than once per year. q Down n Baseline 

(1.7%) N/A 

1.2.2 Percent of importing countries requiring more immediate inspection or reinspection 

attention more than twice within the previous year. q Down n 20% 14% 

1.3.1 Percent of priority in-commerce facilities (e.g., warehouses, distributors, and 

transporters) covered by surveillance activities. p Up n 85.00% 85.80% 

1.3.2 Percent of follow-up surveillances resulting in compliance. p Up n 79.00% 87.06% 

GOAL 2: MAXIMIZE DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE WITH FOOD 

SAFETY POLICIES TARGET ACTUAL

2.1.1 Percent of broiler plants passing the carcass Salmonella verification testing. p Up n 90.00% 90.28% 

2.2.1

Percent of slaughter plants identified during District Veterinary Medical Specialist 

(DVMS) humane handling verification visits as having an effective systematic approach 

to humane handling (all four elements of a systematic approach implemented).

p Up n 32% 42% 

2.3.1 Percent of all official establishments with a functional Food Defense Plan. p Up n 76% 77% 

2.3.2 Percent of food defense practices implemented at in-commerce facilities. p Up n 91.00% 94.10% 

2.3.3 Outreach to eligible countries to encourage implementation of a system that 

protects product from unintentional contamination. p Up n 30% 31% 

GOAL 3: ENHANCE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO IMPROVE FOODHANDLING PRACTICES TARGET ACTUAL

3.1.1 Average percentage of consumers who follow the four key food safety “best 

practices” (i.e., clean, separate, cook and chill) and thermometer use. p Up n 75% 76% 

3.2.1-b/1 FSIS Electronic Media Outreach: Page views on the FSIS Website. p Up n N/A N/A 

3.2.1-c/1 FSIS Electronic Media Outreach: YouTube Views. p Up n 39,025 171,544 

3.2.1-d/1 FSIS Electronic Media Outreach: Twitter Followers. p Up n 118,600 332,600 

3.2.1-e/1 FSIS Electronic Media Outreach: Visitors to the Food Discovery Zone. p Up n 500,000 669,711 

GOAL 4: STRENGTHEN COLLABORATION AMONG INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL 

STAKEHOLDERS TARGET ACTUAL

4.1.1

Research: Percentage of time products from three USDA research agencies (i.e., 

Agricultural Research Service, Economic Research Service, and National Institute of 

Food and Agriculture) used by FSIS and shared with stakeholders.

p Up n Baseline 

(18%) N/A 

4.1.2

Key Federal partners U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers 

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Percentage of results from interagency 

collaboration on analytics used in FSIS policy.

p Up n Baseline 

(11%) N/A 

4.1.3 Small and Very Small Plants: Percentage of identified opportunities realized to 

improve information sharing. p Up n Baseline 

(66%) N/A 

1

 Measure 3.2.1-a was retired due to more effective measurements in the form of 3.2.-b-e.
Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 41

A Year-Over-Year Comparison

FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016

TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL

n 394,770 427,171 n 384,362 386,265 n 373,955 382,123 n 363,547 658,405

n 1.65% N/A n 1.60% 3.68% n 1.55% 3.15% n 1.50% N/A

n 20% 14% n 20.00% 24.10% n 15% 31% n 20% 10%

n 85.00% 85.60% n 85.00% 85.60% n 85.00% 83.90% n 70.00% 68.90%

n 82.00% 89.90% n 83.00% 88.80% n 83.00% 86.60% n 83.00% 91.10%

TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL

n 91.00% 90.37% n 92% 92% n 94.00% 95.60% n 95.00% 93.96%

n 45% 56% n 60% 63% n 65% 69% n 75% 78%

n 81% 83% n 85% 84% n 90% 85% n 90% 85%

n 91.00% 94.80% n 91% 95% n 91.00% 96.40% n 91.00% 96.49%

n 60.00% 65.50% n 70.00% 82.80% n 85.00% 93.50% n 90.00% 96.90%

TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL

n 75% N/A n N/A N/A n N/A N/A n 79% 76%

n 43,900,000 70,961,562 n 61,000,000 59,019,170 n 66,000,000 74,689,643 n 84,000,000 91,624,120

n 381,544 401,465 n 500,000 704,525 n 700,000 1,156,567 n 1,400,000 1,486,120

n 451,000 466,000 n 520,000 593,607 n 712,000 772,514 n 780,000 787,401

n 467,240 619,539 n 478,160 1,715,845 n 600,000 1,712,868 n 720,000 1,038,550

TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL

n 18% 23% n 25% 27% n 27% 27% n 32% 32%

n 32% 56% n 53% 56% n 74% 74% n 95% 100%

n 68% 74% n 71% 76% n 73% 84% n 75% 83%
42 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

2 Measure 8.2.2 was adopted in FY 2016 to evaluate effectiveness of continually-monitored Agency baselines.

FY 2011-2016 Overall Performance Scorecard

FSIS Annual Performance Plan Desired

Direction FY 2012

GOAL 5: EFFECTIVELY USE SCIENCE TO UNDERSTAND FOODBORNE ILLNESS 

AND EMERGING TRENDS TARGET ACTUAL

5.1.1 Percent of annual science agenda completed and number of agenda items initiated. p Up n Baseline 

(98%) N/A 

5.1.2 Percent of completed science agenda items that meet quality standards for 

information rigor, clarity, and defensibility of methods used. p Up n Baseline 

(100%) N/A 

5.2.1 Percent of identified public health and food safety gaps addressed across the 

Farm-to-Table Continuum. p Up n Baseline 

(70%) N/A 

GOAL 6: IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE POLICIES TO RESPOND TO EXISTING AND 

EMERGING RISKS TARGET ACTUAL

6.1.1 Percent of food safety appeals granted (categories of appeals that were overturned by 

a higher level supervisor). q Down n 40.33% 35.00% 

6.1.2 Percent of regulated industry adhering to key public health-related policies 

(establishments with no public health related non-compliances/year). p Up n 75.00% 73.80% 

6.1.3 Frequency of reviews examining the effectiveness of FSIS policies regarding 

significant public health risks. p Up n 3 3 

GOAL 7: EMPOWER EMPLOYEES WITH TRAINING, RESOURCES, AND TOOLS TARGET ACTUAL

7.1.1 Average score on the Annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey for questions 

related to workers’ understanding of their impact on public health. p Up n 90% 90% 

7.2.1 Percent of competency gaps closed for targeted groups. p Up n N/A N/A 

7.2.2 Percent of all eligible FSIS employees with an Individual Development Plan (IDP) in place. p Up n 95% 100% 

7.2.3 Percent of all managers/supervisors that complete 3 hours of Equal Employment 

Opportunity (EEO) training-annually. p Up n New 

Measure N/A 

7.2.4 Percent of all non-managers/non-supervisors who complete 2 hours of EEO 

training annually. p Up n New 

Measure N/A 

7.3.1 Percent of workplace injury/illness cases. q Down n 6.20% 9.10% 

7.3.2 Annual rate of staff vacancies. q Down n 6.67% 5.47% 

7.3.3 Ranking in the Partnership for Public Service’s Annual Report, Best Places to Work in 

the Federal Government. q Down n 38.39% 25.00% 

7.3.4 Increase the workforce for Persons with Targeted Disabilities. p Up n New 

Measure N/A 

GOAL 8: DEVELOP, MAINTAIN, AND USE INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGIES, 

PROCESSES, AND TOOLS TARGET ACTUAL

8.1.1 Percent of innovative processes, methodologies, or technologies for which the 

agency has established a baseline. p Up n Baseline N/A 

8.1.2 Percent of innovative processes, methodologies, or technologies that, once 

employed, are evaluated by the agency. p Up n Baseline N/A 

8.2.1

Percent of documented implemented processes, methodologies, or technologies 

that are evaluated to assess whether they meet the intended outcomes or 

otherwise contribute to the agency’s efforts to perform its mission.

p Up n Baseline N/A 

8.2.22

Percent of innovative processes, methodologies, or technologies for which the 

agency has established a baseline to be continually monitored for effectiveness or 

potential value.

p Up n N/A N/A 
A Year-Over-Year Comparison
 

FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 

TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL 

n 95% 95% n 95% 96% n 95% 96% n 95% 90% 

n 95% 95% n 95% 95% n 95% 88% n 95% 100% 

n 60% 64% n 60% 68% n 60% 68% n 60% 84% 

TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL 

n 40% 50% n 39.70% 10.00% n 39.00% 29.80% n 39% 27% 

n 19% 20% n 20.00% 21.49% n 21.00% 20.53% n 22% 22% 

n 5 5 n 4 4 n 4 4 n 4 4 

TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL 

n 91% 90% n 92% 89% n 92.00% 92.25% n 93% 93% 

n 

n 

n 

N/A 

100% 

60% 

N/A 

95% 

96% 

n 

n 

n 

10% 

100% 

75% 

10% 

95% 

83% 

n 

n 

n 

15% 

100% 

85% 

15% 

95% 

95% 

n 

n 

n 

25% 

100% 

95% 

40% 

91% 

100% 

n 40% 95% n 60% 95% n 75% 91% n 90% 100% 

n 

n 

6.10% 

6.50% 

8.65% 

3.42% 

n 

n 

6.00% 

6.00% 

5.47% 

10.10% 

n 

n 

5.90% 

6.00% 

5.10% 

4.15% 

n 

n 

5.80% 

6.00% 

5.88% 

6.10% 

n 37.05% 25.00% n 37.50% 32.00% n 34% 34% n 33.04% 30.00% 

n 2.00% 1.23% n 2.00% 1.26% n 2.50% 1.24% n 3.00% 1.22% 

TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL TARGET ACTUAL 

n 100% 100% n 55% 55% n 55% 55% n 60% 100% 

n 100% 100% n 71% 71% n 71% 71% n 76% 100% 

n 100% 100% n 80% 80% n 80% 80% n 80% 84% 

n N/A N/A n N/A N/A n N/A N/A n 50% 50% 

Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2011-2016 | Key Accomplishments | 43 
44 | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

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.

www.fsis.usda.gov | BeFoodSafe@usda.gov | (202) 690-6188

JUNE 2017

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.

FSIS CORE VALUES