Constituent Update - February 13, 2026

Constituent Update - February 13, 2026

FSIS Establishes New Position to Strengthen Field Training and Inspection Consistency

FSIS is establishing a new Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) Training Leader position within the Office of Field Operations to strengthen on-the-job training and promote consistent application of policy for inspection program personnel nationwide.

CSIs (GS-05 to GS-09) complete classroom-based instruction through the FSIS Center for Learning as a condition of employment. The CSI Training Leader reinforces this instruction through structured, field-based mentoring to help inspection personnel apply agency policies consistently at their assigned establishments.

In fiscal year (FY) 2026, FSIS will phase in 100 CSI Training Leader positions in three waves. The first wave will be implemented in the second quarter of FY26. Position placement is based on the number of inspection personnel, operational complexity, and workforce needs across districts.

This new role is focused on training and mentoring. It does not create additional inspection authority, does not change inspection frequency, and does not add a second layer of inspection. Training Leaders support inspector development by working alongside inspection personnel to reinforce consistent application of existing regulatory requirements.

By providing dedicated field-based training support, FSIS aims to promote nationwide consistency in inspection activities, improve documentation quality, and strengthen overall workforce readiness.

The CSI Training Leader position also creates a non-supervisory career advancement opportunity for eligible inspection personnel, supporting retention and long-term workforce stability.

FSIS remains committed to continuous improvement in inspection consistency and workforce development to support effective food safety oversight.

Update: Salmonella Categorization Postings

Today, FSIS published the October, November, and December Salmonella Verification Testing Program Monthly Postings, which were delayed due to the government shutdown. FSIS also posted the revised August and September postings. As announced in the December 12, 2025, Constituent Update, FSIS learned that more than 4,000 samples collected between June and July 2025 had not been transferred from FSIS' laboratory information system into PHIS. Approximately 1,100 of these samples were from routine poultry sampling projects. The missing data affected the accuracy of Salmonella sample counts and categorization. With this revision, the PHIS reports now contain accurate categorization data.

FSIS samples establishments producing young chicken and turkey carcasses, raw chicken parts, and not-ready-to-eat comminuted chicken and turkey products so that it can more closely monitor an establishment's process control over time. FSIS uses these Salmonella sampling results to assess establishment performance during a reference period of one completed 52-week moving window based on a 3-category system.

In January, FSIS resumed its regular posting cadence, releasing updates during the first week of each month.

FSIS to Onboard Chile and Argentina in PHIS Export Component

Starting June 1, 2026, all FSIS meat and poultry product export certificates for products exported to Chile and Argentina will be generated, issued and officially maintained in FSIS' Public Health Information System (PHIS). This change excludes certificates for casings and egg products. FSIS plans to make the PHIS Industry Test Environment (ITE) for Chile and Argentina available for testing on March 2, 2026.

All export certificates (FSIS Form 9060-5 series) generated through PHIS will be digitally signed by FSIS and will be printed on plain paper by industry personnel with PHIS access. These plain paper forms must include the PHIS-generated watermark. Any attestations for these countries, as documented in the FSIS Export Library, will be captured in the FSIS Form 9060-5 remarks section or the FSIS Form 9060-5B (continuation sheet). The digitally signed FSIS Form 9060-5 series printed on plain watermarked paper and available for validation in PHIS will replace all letterhead certificates for meat and poultry exported to Chile or Argentina. Beginning June 1, 2026, no wet-signed 9060-5 series export certificates, including letterhead certificates, will be issued for meat and poultry products for export to Chile or Argentina.

When it becomes available in March, industry is strongly encouraged to use the ITE to test application submittals for export to Chile and Argentina. To facilitate preparation and a successful industry testing period, FSIS will provide industry users with testing instructions for export requirements unique to these countries. These instructions, once available, can be found by navigating to the PHIS components page, under the heading Export, Information for Industry, Constituent Updates.

An active PHIS account is required to access both the test environment and the live production environment. Please note that user accounts are disabled for those who have not used PHIS in 60 days. Register with Login.gov to initiate, update, or complete the electronic identification account and the PHIS enrollment process. Instructions can be found in the PHIS Industry User Guide, section 2 (Overview of PHIS). For further guidance on PHIS export and enrollment, please refer to the following user guides:

• PHIS Industry User Guide
• Editing 9060 Records Quick Reference Guide
• PHIS Quick Reference Guide for Corporate and Establishment Management

Contact [email protected] with questions regarding these changes. Technical questions can be directed to [email protected].

FSIS Releases FY24 Annual Summary of Consumer Complaints and Surveillance Data

FSIS has posted the FY24 annual summary of consumer complaints entered into the FSIS Consumer Complaint Monitoring System. Consumer complaints provide data that supports FSIS' surveillance and response activities, enabling the agency to identify and investigate reports of potentially unsafe food in commerce and evaluate trends over time. The report includes information on how consumers report complaints to FSIS, the types of complaints reported, and complaint outcomes.

FSIS Updates and Implements Revised FY26 Public Health Regulations

Today, FSIS published the updated FY26 Public Health Regulations (PHR) report. The updated FY26 PHRs take effect from February through September 2026.

FSIS originally posted the FY26 PHRs in August with plans to implement them in October. Before implementation, the agency identified inconsistencies in the data used to generate the FY26 thresholds. To ensure decisions are based on validated, accurate information, FSIS continued using the FY25 PHRs while staff corrected and validated the FY26 set. During this revision, the agency also took the opportunity to enhance the underlying methodology to improve accuracy and strengthen threshold calculations. That work is now complete. The FY26 PHRs include the changes previously announced, specifically the introduction of four operational categories: Processing (processing only), Meat Slaughter, Poultry Slaughter, and Meat & Poultry Slaughter. Establishments categorized as "Slaughter" may also engage in processing.

Access detailed information about PHRs and archived PHRs by fiscal year on the FSIS website at FSIS Public Health Regulations.

Upcoming Events

• Feb. 19-20: Agricultural Outlook Forum

Export Requirements Update

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

• Chile
• Japan
• Jamaica
• Azerbaijan
• Cuba
• Dominican Republic
• Australia
• North Macedonia
• Taiwan
• Mexico

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