Constituent Update - July 10, 2026

Constituent Update - July 10, 2026

Dr. Ransom Visits Milwaukee for Stakeholder Engagement

On July 9, FSIS Administrator Dr. Justin Ransom addressed attendees at the American Association of Meat Processors 87th American Convention of Meat Processors and Suppliers' Exhibition in Milwaukee, Wis. Dr. Ransom spoke about supporting and strengthening small processors through the Department's Small Processors Action Plan, announced in June by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

Dr. Ransom highlighted economic opportunities available to small processors, including $20 million in overtime fee reductions and $60 million through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program. Improvements such as a modernized appeals process, rewriting policies in plain language, and rethinking how the agency uses its resources reinforces FSIS' commitment to food safety and the success of small processors. The recent announcement of the SPUR program further demonstrates USDA's commitment in supporting stronger and stable market opportunities for small and midsize beef processing establishments.

Additional Guidance for Raw Poultry Establishments Participating in the New Pilot Project

On June 26, 2026, FSIS announced a new pilot project for raw poultry establishments to measure Salmonella levels throughout slaughter or processing operations. Participating establishments may choose to conduct biomapping throughout their processes or implement one or more validated critical control points (CCP) in their hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) plans to prevent, reduce, or eliminate Salmonella.

A validated CCP refers to an intervention that has met the two elements of validation. The first element is scientific or technical support that the intervention controls Salmonella. This includes identifying the specific conditions (i.e., critical operational parameters) for the intervention to achieve the expected level of Salmonella control described in the support. The second element is in-plant validation that demonstrates that the intervention can be executed in the establishment to achieve the intended result. The FSIS Guideline: HACCP Systems Validation provides more information.

Establishments may request a regulatory waiver for the frequency of microbiological organism sampling for chicken and turkey carcasses, 9 CFR 381.65(g)(2)(i), to participate in the new pilot project. Specifically, a biomapping program may support a waiver request for reduced sampling at pre-and post-chill locations. All biomapping data points are to include Salmonella enumeration. If establishments would like to propose a waiver of this regulation for alternative sampling frequencies, they may do so under the Salmonella Initiative Program. Questions may be submitted to askFSIS, Inquiry Type New Technology/Innovations.

FSIS Implements New Laboratory Method and Expands Metals Testing

As announced by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, FSIS has signed an updated Memorandum of Understanding with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlining how the agencies will work together to implement the National Residue Program.

FSIS has also implemented a new, streamlined trace metals analysis to measure the quantity of 18 metals, including metals of public health concern, such as lead, thallium, cadmium, and arsenic. The new method also detects mercury, which will be routinely reported for samples collected on or after July 20, 2026.

As part of the National Residue Program, FSIS currently measures the quantity of metals in muscle from raw beef, pork, poultry, goat, sheep, and Siluriformes (catfish) products. Beginning July 20, FSIS will extend its trace metals analysis to include multi-ingredient processed products containing meat or poultry sampled as part of the Allergen Verification Sampling Program.

FSIS has conducted metals testing since the 1990s. This testing contributes to the broader surveillance of the U.S. food supply and enhances FSIS' ability to detect emerging trends or risks. Many metals are widespread throughout the environment - finding them at very low levels is unavoidable and does not necessarily constitute an acute public health concern. Data from this program enable FSIS to contextualize individual results, build and maintain trust in the U.S. food supply, and, through collaboration with public health partner agencies, identify and respond to potential sources of contamination.

This expansion will complement heavy metals surveillance conducted by state partners through the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN). FSIS is strengthening its processes for consistent communication with state partner laboratories and expectations for reporting results. While FSIS data show that concerning levels of heavy metal contamination of meat and poultry products is extremely rare, any regulatory actions will be supported by thoroughly validated results and tailored assessment of public health risk.

FSIS will also continue to be transparent with the public on its metals testing program and share testing results on the agency website as part of the National Residue Program quarterly reports. The new method, "Quantitation of Trace Metals by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)" (CLG-METALS1), will be posted on the Chemistry Laboratory Guidebook page of the FSIS website no later than July 20, 2026.

FSIS Announces a New PHIS Notification Process

FSIS is continually looking for ways to improve your Public Health Information System (PHIS) experience. We understand that unexpected interruptions in service can have an impact on your daily operations. To help keep you informed, PHIS will display a maintenance page to alert you if the system is unavailable.

A notification page with the following message will automatically appear during service interruptions when you attempt to log into PHIS:

"The Public Health Information System (PHIS) is currently unavailable. Our team is actively working to restore service as quickly as possible. Please check back soon.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience."

This change is designed to help give PHIS users a clear idea when the system is not available. For more information about using PHIS, visit Industry PHIS Help or refer to PHIS Industry User Guide. You can also contact the following groups with questions:

• [email protected] for technical help, error messages, and outages
• [email protected] for questions about getting PHIS access or using PHIS
• [email protected] or 1-800-473-9135 for issues related to logging into PHIS

FSIS to Host Webinar on Modernized PHIS Export 9060 Process 

FSIS invites exporters and trade groups to a webinar demonstrating the modernized Public Health Information System (PHIS) Export 9060 process. The session will walk participants through the updated export application workflow and is planned ahead of the July 27 deployment to the PHIS Industry Test Environment. 

Two sessions are scheduled on Thursday, July 16, 2026, to accommodate participants' schedules. The content will be identical in both sessions, so participants may join either one. 

• Session 1 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. ET: Modernized PHIS Export 9060 Process
• Session 2 from 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET: Modernized PHIS Export 9060 Process (encore)

Each session is approximately 90 minutes and will be recorded. A link to the recording will be made available after the event for those unable to attend live. 

The modernized 9060 export process will be available in the PHIS Industry Test Environment (ITE) beginning July 27, giving exporters an opportunity to explore the new workflow before it deploys to the PHIS production environment in late September 2026. Content will be developed and delivered by the PHIS program team in collaboration with the PHIS contractor. 

This webinar is one part of a broader communications effort that includes updated PHIS Help tutorials and articles in the FSIS Constituent Update and Small Plant Newsletter. Participants will have an opportunity to submit questions during the session. For questions about this webinar, email [email protected]. 

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 29-26 - FSIS Metals Testing for Ready-To-Eat Products

FSIS Directive 6100.2 - Post-Mortem Livestock Inspection - Revision 2

FSIS Directive 6600.1 - New Swine Slaughter Inspection System: Ante-Mortem and Post-Mortem Inspection and Verification of Food Safety and Ready-To-Cook Requirements - Revision 2

Export Requirements Update

The Library of Export Requirements has been updated for products for the following:

FSIS:

• Chile
• Colombia
• Hong Kong

APHIS:

• Albania
• Azerbaijan
• Japan
• Taiwan

Complete information for FSIS products can be found at the FSIS Import & Export Library.

Complete information for APHIS products can be found at Export Restrictions on U.S. Animal Products for Human Consumption website. Select the countries listed above from the drop down menu for complete information.