Japan ...
Japan
USDA Sends Report Of Investigation Into Ineligible Veal Shipment To Japan
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today (Feb. 17) announced the results of an investigation into the ineligible shipment of veal that was sent to Japan last month. He also released a copy of a comprehensive USDA report (a summary is online), which was sent to the Japanese government, that details the findings of the investigation and actions taken by USDA.
The 475-page report noted that the shipment posed no risk to human health and the unique circumstances surrounding this shipment: it was the first shipment of veal sent to Japan; only two plants were certified to ship veal to Japan; and both of them were delisted before any other shipments were sent to Japan. In addition, veal had only recently been added to the U.S. export agreement with Japan.
“We appreciate the efforts of Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, the Food Safety Inspection Service and the Office of the Inspector General in conducting such a thorough investigation and delivering what appears to be a very comprehensive report,” said President & CEO Philip Seng. “We are still studying the 475-page report ourselves, but we know the most critical review will have to come from the Japanese government. We hope officials at appropriate ministries will quickly review this report, and this issue can be resolved soon.
“Meanwhile, USMEF is working 24/7 to reassure Japanese consumers and trade that U.S. beef is safe, wholesome, delicious and affordable. We lament the interruption that occurred in our beef trade and look forward to a quick resumption.”
The document relayed to Japan contains two distinct reports: an investigation by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and an audit by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). In total, it contains eleven findings: five resulting from the FSIS investigation and six from a separate OIG audit, with the findings closely mirroring each other.
The report concludes that mistakes were made by the plants involved with the shipment and by USDA inspection personnel. Those mistakes resulted from a lack of understanding of which products were eligible for shipment to Japan. The ineligible product included veal with the vertebral column intact and veal offal.
In addition, the report concludes that FSIS inspection program personnel at the establishment were not sufficiently aware of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Export Verification program and should not have certified or approved the shipment of ineligible product to Japan.
USDA is taking several actions in response to the findings of this report:
· All FSIS inspectors who work in plants that are certified to export beef are undergoing additional mandatory training to ensure they fully understand U.S. export agreements.
· USDA will require plants to maintain a list of specific products they are certified to ship to any country, instead of a blanket export certification and that list will be kept readily available to USDA inspectors.
· USDA inspectors in the plants will be notified of changes to a plant's eligibility to export at three separate times in the certification process: when the plant applies for certification, when the plant is audited and when a plant is certified or delisted.
· Final export certification cannot be completed until in-plant inspectors have undergone additional training, ensuring coordination between AMS and FSIS.
· USDA will require a second signature on every shipment of beef for export, unless a trading partner indicates a second signature is not necessary for U.S. exports to that country.
The report available on the Web at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/ does not contain additional appendices, but these are available by contacting USDA's Office of Communications at (202) 720-4623 or FSIS at (202) 720-9113.
The USDA news release on the report is also online.
Japan
USDA Sends Report Of Investigation Into Ineligible Veal Shipment To Japan
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today (Feb. 17) announced the results of an investigation into the ineligible shipment of veal that was sent to Japan last month. He also released a copy of a comprehensive USDA report (a summary is online), which was sent to the Japanese government, that details the findings of the investigation and actions taken by USDA.
The 475-page report noted that the shipment posed no risk to human health and the unique circumstances surrounding this shipment: it was the first shipment of veal sent to Japan; only two plants were certified to ship veal to Japan; and both of them were delisted before any other shipments were sent to Japan. In addition, veal had only recently been added to the U.S. export agreement with Japan.
“We appreciate the efforts of Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, the Food Safety Inspection Service and the Office of the Inspector General in conducting such a thorough investigation and delivering what appears to be a very comprehensive report,” said President & CEO Philip Seng. “We are still studying the 475-page report ourselves, but we know the most critical review will have to come from the Japanese government. We hope officials at appropriate ministries will quickly review this report, and this issue can be resolved soon.
“Meanwhile, USMEF is working 24/7 to reassure Japanese consumers and trade that U.S. beef is safe, wholesome, delicious and affordable. We lament the interruption that occurred in our beef trade and look forward to a quick resumption.”
The document relayed to Japan contains two distinct reports: an investigation by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and an audit by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). In total, it contains eleven findings: five resulting from the FSIS investigation and six from a separate OIG audit, with the findings closely mirroring each other.
The report concludes that mistakes were made by the plants involved with the shipment and by USDA inspection personnel. Those mistakes resulted from a lack of understanding of which products were eligible for shipment to Japan. The ineligible product included veal with the vertebral column intact and veal offal.
In addition, the report concludes that FSIS inspection program personnel at the establishment were not sufficiently aware of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Export Verification program and should not have certified or approved the shipment of ineligible product to Japan.
USDA is taking several actions in response to the findings of this report:
· All FSIS inspectors who work in plants that are certified to export beef are undergoing additional mandatory training to ensure they fully understand U.S. export agreements.
· USDA will require plants to maintain a list of specific products they are certified to ship to any country, instead of a blanket export certification and that list will be kept readily available to USDA inspectors.
· USDA inspectors in the plants will be notified of changes to a plant's eligibility to export at three separate times in the certification process: when the plant applies for certification, when the plant is audited and when a plant is certified or delisted.
· Final export certification cannot be completed until in-plant inspectors have undergone additional training, ensuring coordination between AMS and FSIS.
· USDA will require a second signature on every shipment of beef for export, unless a trading partner indicates a second signature is not necessary for U.S. exports to that country.
The report available on the Web at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/ does not contain additional appendices, but these are available by contacting USDA's Office of Communications at (202) 720-4623 or FSIS at (202) 720-9113.
The USDA news release on the report is also online.