Constituent Update - July 31, 2026

Constituent Update - July 31, 2026

FSIS Updated Residue Methods and Surveillance in Response to New World Screwworm

In response to New World screwworm (NWS), FSIS is enhancing its residue surveillance program under the National Residue Program with updated laboratory analysis methods and targeted increases in sampling. These actions are intended to strengthen FSIS' ability to detect potential residues from veterinary drugs used to treat or prevent NWS in livestock.

On June 3, 2026, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the first positive detection of NWS in the United States. NWS itself does not pose a food safety risk in edible meat or poultry products, but residues from veterinary drugs used to treat and prevent infestations of NWS are potential chemical hazards. FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine has issued conditional approvals and emergency use authorizations for several drugs in multiple species of livestock. Producers and veterinarians in affected and adjacent areas may increase use of these over the counter and prescription products to protect and treat their livestock. Adherence to specified withdrawal periods is necessary to prevent violative levels of drug residues in meat products.

FSIS already tests for a wide range of veterinary drug residues, including residues associated with several NWS drugs. On July 17, the agency announced updates to two of its residue analysis methods, CLG-MEGA1 and CLG-MRM3, to detect additional analytes associated with the newly approved or authorized drugs. Beginning on September 1, 2026, FSIS will also increase routine residue surveillance at livestock slaughter establishments in targeted geographic regions as described in FSIS Notice 30-26. Establishments are required to retain carcasses and their parts pending test results, unless FSIS condemns the carcass or the establishment elects to discard it voluntarily.

The agency will continue to publish its findings on the FSIS website through the NRP quarterly reports. Establishments with questions can contact their inspector or submit a question through askFSIS, selecting Sampling as the inquiry type.

Georgia Joins the Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program

FSIS and the State of Georgia have finalized a Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) agreement. Participating Georgia state-inspected meat establishments may now be inspected by the state and ship their products throughout the United States. Georgia is the 11th state to join the program, along with Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Under the CIS program, participating state-inspected establishments that comply with federal inspection requirements can ship their products in interstate commerce under the USDA mark of inspection. The program, authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill, is designed to expand business opportunities for small and very small processors that would otherwise be limited to selling within their home state.

Food safety requirements do not change under a CIS program. Georgia's CIS program must provide inspection that is the same as federal inspection, including the same sanitation performance standards, HACCP requirements, sampling frequencies, and laboratory accreditation. State inspectors receive the same training and apply the same regulatory standards as their FSIS counterparts, and FSIS provides ongoing oversight of the state's CIS program.

Georgia establishments interested in participating should apply through the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Meat Inspection Section, which evaluates applications and recommends qualifying establishments to FSIS for participation. For more information about the CIS program, including eligibility requirements and a list of participating establishments, visit https://www.fsis.usda.gov/cis.

Stakeholder Engagement

On July 21, 2026, Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Mindy Brashears addressed the American Association of Avian Pathologists, where she connected poultry health to food safety and outlined USDA's science-based Salmonella approach, including the Salmonella SAFE Strategy: Science, Action, Faster Response and Effective Control, Listeria prevention, inspection modernization, and support for small establishments. She described a risk-based approach, shifting from presence/absence testing toward quantification, focusing on highly pathogenic serotypes, and using validated methods backed by preliminary ARS data.

She emphasized that poultry veterinarians are food safety partners, noting that pre-harvest prevention, flock health, vaccination, and live-side data all reduce risk. She closed with a New World screwworm update, clarifying it is not a food safety issue and that consumers can be confident in the meat and poultry supply.

FSIS had a significant presence at the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) annual meeting in New Orleans, La. Agency staff showcased their work from the past year across a broad range of subjects, with podium and poster presentations exploring innovation, genomics, laboratory and sampling methods, and data gathering on food safety.

On July 26, 2026, Administrator Dr. Justin Ransom addressed the IAFP Meat and Poultry Safety and Quality Professional Development Group, where he outlined how the agency is using data and technology to advance inspection and food safety.

The following day at IAFP, Dr. Brashears reviewed recent regulatory updates, showcasing FSIS' progress over the past year on Product of USA implementation, line speed modernization, and the Small Processors Action Plan. Preliminary ARS Salmonella quantification data showed most positive samples falling into non-quantifiable ranges, with collection continuing to inform future standards and policy.

On the Salmonella SAFE Strategy, FSIS is piloting a 13-week moving window and a biomapping and validation effort to strengthen establishment-level process control. On Listeria, the agency has launched a new environmental sampling pilot in ready-to-eat, post-lethality exposed establishments, with next steps including trend analysis and expanded lab capacity.

FSIS' engagement at IAFP, through the work of agency staff and the participation of Dr. Brashears and Dr. Ransom, underscored USDA's commitment to transparency, science-based decision making, and collaboration with stakeholders to protect public health and ensure a safe food supply.

FSIS to Host Webinar PHIS Egg Product Exporters

FSIS invites egg products exporters to a webinar demonstrating how to apply for export certification using the Public Health Information System (PHIS). This demo will walk participants step by step through the process. Egg products exporters will be able to use the test environment and then start processing egg products exports in PHIS in real time in September.

This webinar will take place on August 13, at 1:00pm EST, it will be recorded and posted for later viewing. For questions about this webinar, please email [email protected]. 

Join Webinar for PHIS Egg Product Exporters: 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET

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 September 14: Notice of Request to Renew an Approved Information Collection: Salmonella Initiative Program

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 30-26: Updates to Laboratory Analysis Method and National Residue Program Testing in Response to New World Screwworm

FSIS Directive 3300.1: Fiscal Instructions for State Cooperative Inspection Programs - Revision 3

Export Requirements Update

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

FSIS:

• South Africa
• China
• Philippines

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.