Additional education in systems approach concepts will help supervisors communicate more effectively with inspection personnel and plant managers as everyone adjusts to the changed inspection environment with its new concepts of systems and processes. To foster the effective handling of appeals in a professional, businesslike way, the role of appeals as a non-adversarial part of the process of managing the effective provision of inspection services also will be stressed. Emphasis will be placed on business relationship principles in conducting productive weekly meetings they have with plant inspectors and managers to discuss trends at the plant and the adequacy of plant measures in addressing and correcting system inadequacies and potential problems. The notice lays out the process to ensure establishments are given sufficient advance notice of Agency regulatory actions. The FSIS notice explicitly covers discussion of developing trends at weekly meetings FSIS supervisors have with plant management, and explains how the Agency will inform management of the industry's opportunity to respond to repetitive deficiencies that do not involve adulterated products leaving the plant.
Inspectors act immediately to address adulterated products.
This document adds interim procedures while final Rules of Practice are underway. In addition, two new documents, a notice to inspectors and a letter to plants, explain FSIS policy on the appeal of inspection findings and decisions. The microbiological committee is a valuable resource for ensuring that the regulatory application of microbiological requirements for plants is scientifically valid.