USDA Procedures on Meat

The United States Department of Agriculture has a number of procedures that must be followed for domestic and imported meats. These focus on sanitation, disease, certification and processing standards. To ensure the safety of the citizens of the United States it is important that all the proper requirements are met.

Import Certification

• Foreign countries must have a similar inspection system to that of the USDA in order to import meat into the United States. Packages must include proper certification showing the manufacturer and product information as well as the inspection agency.

Import Protection

• The Food Safety and Inspection Service requires all imported meat to have the original certificate of inspection. The import company has to file an entry form with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection within five days after the shipment arrives. A FSIS inspector then reinspects the package.

Testing Standards

• Foreign companies must have a similar residue control program to that of the United States to import meat. Once the meat is in the country, it is tested for listeria monocytogenes and salmonella.

Label Inspection

• The FSIS inspects all labels on both shipping containers and retail-size packages. They must have the product and manufacturer information as well as any handling instructions.