Constituent Update - October 9, 2026

Stakeholder Engagement

On October 6, Administrator Dr. Justin Ransom addressed the Food World Summit in Dallas, Texas, where more than 300 food safety, quality, and manufacturing leaders gathered to discuss emerging trends and best practices. He shared how FSIS is strengthening its workforce, modernizing its tools, and always working to improve food safety outcomes. Dr. Ransom ended by emphasizing the value of continued engagement with stakeholders.

On October 8, Dr. Ransom addressed the Meat Institute Solutions Summit in New Orleans, La., a three-day conference built around learning and shared problem-solving for leaders across the meat and poultry sector. He spoke on change, culture, and leadership, sharing his perspective on leading through a changing environment. He also discussed the role culture plays in organizations carrying out a public health mission and the responsibility leaders have to shape it. The session concluded with a discussion with attendees.

Dr. Ransom encouraged leaders to anticipate change, build a culture that supports their people, and keep public health at the center of every decision.

ADMINISTRATOR DR. JUSTIN RANSOM SPEAKS WITH NICOLE JOHNSON-HOFFMAN, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE MEAT INSTITUTE, DURING THE MEAT INSTITUTE SOLUTIONS SUMMIT IN NEW ORLEANS, LA. PHOTO BY MEAT INSTITUTE.

FSIS to Incorporate Structural Enhancements to Import Datasets - Comment by November 13

FSIS will be updating the publicly available Import Refusal Reasons dataset, scheduled for inclusion in the November 2026 posting. The updates support the agency's commitment to providing clear, complete, and accessible import data for regulatory partners, researchers, and the public.

The November 2026 release will add the Application Number, Lot Number, and demographic fields such as Country and Import House that currently appear in the Import Presented Refused dataset. Including these fields in the Import Refusal Reasons dataset will give users more complete information and reduce the need to join multiple datasets.

This update will also ensure that the Failed Type of Inspection field is consistently populated when a refused entry results from failed laboratory analyses. In addition, FSIS will remove duplicate records that contain identical information in every field except refusal_create_date, retaining the record with the earliest refusal_create_date. These changes will make the dataset clearer and more intuitive for public use.

FSIS is also revising its refresh cadence for the Import Presented Refused and Import Refusal Reasons datasets:

• Files for the current fiscal year will continue to be refreshed monthly.
• Files for the most recent previous fiscal year will be refreshed quarterly.
• Files for all older fiscal years will be refreshed annually.

This approach aligns refresh frequencies with observed data stability and reduces unnecessary updates to older datasets.

A sample dataset reflecting the planned enhancements to the Import Refusal Reasons dataset, along with corresponding data documentation, is available on the FSIS Sample Datasets and Documentation webpage. FSIS is accepting public comments on these updates through November 13, 2026. To submit a comment, email [email protected] and include "Import Dataset Enhancements" in the subject line.

FSIS to Use FY 2026 Public Health Regulations for FY 2027

FSIS will use the FY 2026 Public Health Regulations (PHRs) for FY 2027 as the agency assesses additional data-driven approaches for optimizing the allocation of inspection resources.

PHRs help inform Public Health Risk Evaluations and support the agency's broader efforts to target inspection oversight where it can have the greatest public-health impact.

Detailed information about PHRs - including the FY 2026 PHRs and archived PHRs - is available on the FSIS website at FSIS Public Health Regulations.

FSIS FOIA Now Under USDA's Office of General Counsel

As part of USDA's consolidation efforts, FSIS Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) functions have moved to the Office of the General Counsel. Send future FSIS FOIA requests to [email protected], addressed to FSIS FOIA. Visit the OIA FOIA website⁠ for information on submitting a request.

FSIS to Add a Product Name Field in Laboratory Sampling Datasets - Comment by November 6

FSIS is proposing to add a product name data field to the primary table of publicly available product-sampling FSIS Laboratory Sampling datasets in January 2027. The product_name field is a free-text field entered by FSIS inspectors during sample collection and may include brand or product-specific details not captured in other data fields.

The addition of this field provides supplementary product-level detail, enhances data transparency, and increases the usefulness of FSIS' datasets for regulatory partners, researchers, and the public. The product_name field is only applicable to product-sampling projects and will remain blank for environmental and other non-product sampling projects. Any corporate proprietary information will be redacted and replaced with '[REDACTED]' prior to publication.

FSIS is accepting public comments on the proposed addition of the product_name field through November 6, 2026. Although the sample dataset reflects the Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Product & Risk-based Listeria monocytogenes Sampling dataset, the product_name field will be added to all establishment-specific laboratory sampling datasets involving product sampling.

A sample dataset is available on the FSIS Sample Datasets and Documentation webpage in JSON and CSV formats. The webpage also includes a document summarizing updates to the metadata, data dictionary, and the data limitation sections for convenience.

To submit a comment, email [email protected] and include "Product Name Addition" in the subject line.

FSIS Posted Updated Datasets

On October 2, 2026, FSIS updated the individual establishment Salmonella performance standard category information for raw poultry carcasses, raw chicken parts, and comminuted poultry products on the SalmonellaVerification Testing Program Monthly Posting page on the FSIS website. Additionally, FSIS posted the aggregate sampling results showing the number of establishments in categories 1, 2, or 3 for establishments producing young poultry carcasses, raw chicken parts, or not ready-to-eat comminuted poultry products at the location linked above.

The following datasets were also updated to include the latest quarter of data:

1. Quarterly establishment-specific laboratory sampling datasets:

• Raw Poultry Product Sampling
• Egg Product Sampling
• Raw Beef Product Sampling
• Ready-to-Eat Product Sampling
• Raw Pork Product Sampling
• National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Cecal Sampling Data

1. Quarterly establishment-specific datasets on inspection tasks:

• Livestock Humane Handling Inspection Tasks
• Poultry Good Commercial Practices Inspection Tasks

Available for Public Comment

FSIS seeks public comments on proposed rules and notices, which are viewable on the FSIS Federal Register & Rulemaking webpage. FSIS is currently seeking comments on the following:

• Until October 13: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Egg Products Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures
• Until November 6: Proposed Additions to the Laboratory Sampling Datasets. Email [email protected] and include "Product Name Addition" in the subject line.
• Until November 9: Notice of Request to Renew an Approved Information Collection: Mechanically Tenderized Beef Products
• Until November 13: Proposed Updates to Import Datasets. Email [email protected] and include "Import Dataset Enhancements" in the subject line.

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 41-26: Fiscal Year 2027 Continuing Education Program for Veterinarians

Export Requirements Update

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

FSIS:

• Brazil
• Japan
• Türkiye
• Chile

APHIS:

• Japan
• Azerbaijan
• Japan

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.