| June 25, 2021 USDA Invests $55.2 million in Grants to Increase Capacity and Expand Access in Meat and Poultry Inspection Operations On June 21, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $55.2 million in competitive grant funding available through the new Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG) program. The new program is funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. USDA encourages grant applications that focus on improving meat and poultry slaughter and processing capacity and efficiency; developing new and expanding existing markets; increasing capacity and better meeting consumer and producer demand; maintaining strong inspection and food safety standards; obtaining a larger commercial presence; and increasing access to slaughter or processing facilities for smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged producers, and veteran producers. Eligible meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities include commercial businesses, cooperatives, and tribal enterprises. MPIRG's Planning for a Federal Grant of Inspection (PFGI) project is for processing facilities currently in operation and are working toward Federal inspection. Applicants can be located anywhere in the states and territories. Whereas, MPIRG's Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) Compliance project is only for processing facilities located in states with a Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) CIS program. These states currently include Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin. Applicants must be working toward CIS program compliance requirements to operate a state-inspected facility or make a good faith effort toward doing so. Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, August 2, 2021. Any grant application submitted after the due date will not be considered unless the applicant provides documentation of an extenuating circumstance that prevented their timely submission of the grant application. Read more in AMS Late and Non-Responsive Application Policy (PDF, 431 KB). AMS offers webinars for applicants to help walk them through the Request for Application. Additionally, grants management specialists are standing by to answer any incoming questions and emails during regular business hours. For more information about grant eligibility and program requirements, visit the MPIRG webpage, or contact us at mpirg@usda.gov. More information on the MPIRG, as well as other available grants and financial options for inspection offered through FSIS, can be found at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/apply-grant-inspection/grants-financial-options. FSIS Finalizes Rule to Eliminate Requirement to Defibrinate Livestock Blood FSIS finalized the rule to remove the requirement that establishments defibrinate livestock blood collected for human food. Defibrination is the process for removing the protein fibrin, which causes blood to clot. Eliminating this requirement would allow the collection of coagulated livestock blood for use in ethnic and specialty food products. The defibrination requirement is unnecessary to ensure food safety in accordance with the Federal Meat Inspection Act. Coagulated blood, like fluid blood, is safe for human consumption, provided it is saved from inspected and passed animals, and otherwise produced and prepared in compliance with all other FSIS regulations. The final rule will allow industry to fulfill a demand for non-defibrinated blood products in niche markets. The final rule was published in the Federal Register on June 24, 2021, and can be found at: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/06/24/2021-13160/elimination-of-the-requirement-to-defibrinate-livestock-blood-saved-as-an-edible-product. FSIS to Post Establishment-Specific Datasets On July 2, 2021, FSIS will post quarterly updates to the following establishment-specific datasets on the FSIS website: - Egg Product Sampling Data
- Intensified Verification Testing Data
- Raw Beef Components Sampling Data
- Raw Beef Follow-up Sampling Data
- Raw Beef Trim Sampling Data
- Raw Ground Beef Sampling Data
- Raw Chicken Carcasses Sampling Data
- Raw Chicken Parts Sampling Data
- Raw Comminuted Chicken Sampling Data
- Raw Comminuted Turkey Sampling Data
- Raw Turkey Carcasses Sampling Data
- Raw Poultry Follow-up Sampling Data
- Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Meat and Poultry Sampling Data
- Risk-based Listeria monocytogenes Sampling Data
- Siluriformes Product Sampling Data
Please note that the establishment-specific data on tested product contained in laboratory sampling results datasets are not sufficient to determine an association to human illnesses. Further epidemiologic information is needed to determine if there is an association between the non-clinical isolates and human illnesses. Additional details can be found at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/science-data/data-sets-visualizations/laboratory-sampling-data. Export Requirements Update The Library of Export Requirements has been updated for products for the following: - Singapore
- China
- Taiwan
- Japan
- United Kingdom
Complete information can be found at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/import-export/import-export-library. Policy Update FSIS notices and directives on public health and regulatory issues are available at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/directives-notices. The following policy update was recently issued: FSIS Notice 25-21 - Profile Updates in Domestic Egg Products Plants That Opt-in Early to Implement Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System Requirements | 
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