Constituent Update - January 7, 2022
2022 Rate Changes for the Basetime, Overtime, Holiday, Laboratory Services, and Export Application Fees
On December 29, 2021, the Agency published a Federal Register notice announcing the 2022 fees it will charge meat and poultry establishments, egg products plants, and importers and exporters for providing voluntary, overtime, and holiday inspection and identification, certification, and laboratory services. The notice also announces that there will be no change to the fee FSIS assesses to exporters that choose to apply for export certificates electronically through the export component of the Agency’s Public Health Information System. The rate changes were applied on January 2, 2022.
Please note the Office of the Federal Register made a typographical error in the notice pending revision. The overtime rate for 2022 is $82.60. The rates per hour, per employee, by type of service for 2022 are below. FSIS is working with OFR to get this error corrected in the Federal Register.
Service | 2022 Rate (estimates rounded to reflect billable quarters) |
Basetime | $67.00 |
Overtime | $82.60 |
Holiday | $98.20 |
Laboratory | $85.72 |
FSIS Posts Quarterly Updates
In the Constituent Update posted on December 23, 2021, FSIS announced it would post quarterly updates to establishment-specific datasets on the FSIS website on January 7, 2022. In addition to updating the establishment-specific datasets, FSIS is posting two additional datasets: Livestock Humane Handling and Poultry Good Commercial Practices inspection tasks. The quarterly updates can be found on the following pages of the FSIS website:
Reminder: FSIS Seeking Proposals for Pilot Projects to Control Salmonella in Poultry Slaughter and Processing Establishments
FSIS is inviting poultry slaughter and processing establishments to submit proposals for pilot projects that will test different control strategies for Salmonella contamination in poultry products. Pilot projects will last for a defined period of time, during which establishments will experiment with new or existing pathogen control and measurement strategies and share data collected during the pilots with FSIS. The data will be analyzed by FSIS to determine whether it supports changes to FSIS’ existing Salmonella control strategies.
For more information, please view the FSIS website and the December 3, 2021 Constituent Update.
Reminder: USDA Seeks Nominations for Membership on Food Safety Advisory Committee
FSIS is soliciting nominations for membership to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI). USDA expects to appoint committee members in 2022.
USDA is seeking nominations from individuals with knowledge and interest in meat and poultry food safety and other FSIS policies. We also seek representation of small and very small establishments and geographic diversity of members. As the agency continues to advance racial justice and equity into its decision-making and policymaking processes, our goal is to ensure that our food safety committees represent the diverse perspectives and expertise of those we serve. Persons in academia, state and local government officials, public health organizations, and industry and consumer organizations are invited to submit nominations. Self-nominations are welcomed.
Established in 1971 by FSIS, NACMPI consists of 20 members and provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on food safety concerns and other matters affecting inspection program activities, including food safety policies, that will contribute to USDA’s regulatory policy development. More information on NACMPI is available on the FSIS website.
NACMPI nominations must be accompanied by a cover letter addressed to the Secretary of Agriculture. Submissions must include a typed resume or curriculum vitae and a completed USDA Advisory Committee Membership Background Information form AD-755.
Nominations packages must be received by Feb. 18, 2022, and should be sent by email to Valeria Green, Director, Resource and Administrative Staff, Office of Policy and Program Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service at NACMPI@usda.gov.
Those who have questions about their nomination package can contact Valeria Green at (301) 504-0846 or by email at valeria.green@usda.gov. For more information on how to apply, click here.
Reminder: FSIS Proposes to Add Lithuania to List of Countries Eligible to Export Egg Products to the U.S.
FSIS is proposing to add Lithuania to the list of countries eligible to export egg products to the United States. Based on on-site audits and records review, FSIS determined that Lithuania’s egg product laws, regulations, and inspection system achieve an equivalent level of protection as applied domestically in the U.S.
FSIS is requesting public comment before it makes a final determination. Should FSIS make a final determination to list Lithuania as eligible to ship egg products to the U.S., egg products produced in certified Lithuanian establishments would be eligible for export to the U.S. All such products would be subject to reinspection at U.S. points-of-entry by FSIS inspectors and FSIS would continuously evaluate and verify the equivalence of Lithuania’s food safety inspection system for egg products through document reviews, on-site audits, and point-of-entry reinspection, as done for all countries exporting to the U.S.
FSIS encourages interested stakeholders to submit comments here. For more information, please view the Federal Register notice.
Policy Update
FSIS notices and directives on public health and regulatory issues are available on the FSIS Policy webpage. The following policy update was recently issued:
FSIS Notice 01-22 - Raw Pork Products Sampling Program
Export Requirements Update
The Library of Export Requirements has been updated for products for the following:
- South Africa
- Egypt
- Singapore
- European Union
- India
Complete information can be found at the FSIS Import & Export Library.