Constituent Update - July 17, 2026

Constituent Update - July 17, 2026

FSIS Leadership Update

We welcome Bryan Norrington back to FSIS as assistant administrator for the Office of International Coordination. Norrington most recently served as director of the Office of International Research Engagement and Cooperation at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), beginning in December 2017. As director, he led ARS' international engagement portfolio, including oversight of USDA's biological control laboratories and international research collaborations. While serving as director, he also became acting chief of staff for USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area from July 2022 to March 2024, providing executive leadership across five agencies. Later, Norrington was detailed to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' International Plant Protection Convention Secretariat in Rome from March 2024 to October 2024.

Norrington's wealth of experience will help bolster FSIS' international activities and enhance the agency's food safety mission.

You can find this update, and all leadership personnel changes, on the FSIS website.

FSIS to Expand Animal Drug Residue Testing Capabilities

FSIS is updating the methods it uses to analyze samples of FSIS-regulated products for certain animal drug and pesticide residues.

FSIS laboratories are adding fluralaner and propoxur to the agency's multiresidue screening methods (CLG-MEGA1 and CLG-MRM3) for bovine muscle and kidney samples. These analytes are associated with products that may be used to prevent or treat New World screwworm infestations in livestock. FSIS currently screens National Residue Program samples for several other residues associated with these treatments, including doramectin, ivermectin, coumaphos, and sulfanilamide.

FSIS also plans to incorporate cypermethrin screening into a new method currently undergoing validation, "Screening of Pesticide Residues by Gas Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS)" (CLG-PSTG1).

These updates enhance FSIS' ability to monitor for chemical residues in livestock presented for slaughter and support the agency's continued oversight of residue testing under the National Residue Program.

The updated methods will be posted to the Chemistry Laboratory Guidebook page on the FSIS website no later than July 20, 2026. Please direct questions regarding specific elements of any method to the USDA website via askFSIS.

Pseudorabies Response Update

The Pseudorabies Virus animal health restrictions resulting from the confirmation of pseudorabies in a small, commercial swine herd in Iowa, as announced in the May 1, 2026, Constituent Update, have been lifted for:

• Mexico
• Colombia
• Chile
• Korea

For some countries, there are still attestations that need to be included in the export certificate, which are outlined in the Export Library . With the United States regaining its disease-free status in commercial swine, there is no need for industry to provide additional documentation in order for inspection program personnel to be able to sign the export certificate. However, industry should continue to maintain required records per 9 CFR 320, in case there is a request from a foreign government to provide supporting documentation.

FSIS Posts National Residue Sampling Report and Data

FSIS' National Residue Program Quarterly Report (October - December 2025) and associated datasets are now available on the FSIS website. The report and datasets include residue sampling data for domestic surveillance, inspector-generated and import sampling programs for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026. The quarterly report summarizes the chemical residue results for the U.S. National Residue Program for meat, poultry, and egg products, helping to ensure a safe food supply.

Please visit the FSIS website for more details on the annual sampling plans and reports.

FSIS Updated Import Presented Refused and Import Refusal Reason Datasets

Today, FSIS updated the Import Presented Refused and Import Refusal Reason datasets on the Import and Export Data page. The Import Presented Refused dataset includes lot-level information for import volume along with import refusal data at the lot-level. The Import Refusal Reason is provided as a secondary dataset, providing each refusal reason as its own row to facilitate analysis.

The Import Presented Refused and Import Refusal Reason datasets are updated monthly and posted the third Friday of each month, with data broken out by fiscal year (FY), starting with data from FY 2014 (starting on October 1, 2013) through the most recent FY. These datasets are released in an open, non-proprietary comma separated values (csv) format. Instructions on how to open csv files using Excel are available on the FSIS Sampling web page in the Comma Separated Values Guide section.

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 July 21: Notice of Request to Renew an Approved Information Collection: Accreditation of Laboratories, Transactions, and Exemptions
• Until September 14: Notice of Request to Renew an Approved Information Collection: Salmonella Initiative Program

Export Requirements Update

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

FSIS:

• Mexico
• Chile

APHIS:

• Japan
• Albania

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.