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USDA Inspection Requirements

Abraham Lincoln launched the United States Department of Agriculture in 1862 to spread education, ideas and technology to farming communities throughout the country. Lincoln wanted rural America to benefit from steam power and other ground breaking developments that emerged during the industrial revolution. But in 1905, the USDA expanded its mission in another direction when author Upton Sinclair published “The Jungle,” a novel that described the horrific conditions in Chicago’s slaughter houses. The following year, the USDA created the Food and Safety and Inspection Service to ensure health and safety of agricultural products destined for the consumer market.

  1. Meat Inspections

    • The Meat Inspection Act of 1906 established requirements for inspections within the meat packing industry. Inspectors must examine all animals before they are slaughtered and separate any that show signs of disease. Inspectors are also required to ensure animals are slaughtered humanely, to inspect each carcass after the kill and to stamp or mark all meat products that pass inspection. The act also sets sanitary standards for slaughterhouses that USDA workers must enforce.

    Poultry Inspections

    • The Poultry Products Inspection Act of 1957 requires USDA inspectors to check chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea fowl while they are being slaughtered and processed. The main goal of the act is to keep adulterated poultry products out of the consumer food chain. However, inspectors must also ensure that poultry processing plants meet the sanitary standards set by the USDA. They must also ensure products that have passed inspection are graded and labeled.

    Eggs and Egg Products

    • Americans eat close to 80 billion eggs each year and roughly 30 percent of those are purchased as processed egg products. In 1970, Congress authorized the USDA to conduct inspections of shell eggs and processed egg products. In plants that handle whole eggs, inspectors check for cleanliness and to ensure that eggs are being stored at the proper temperature. Those inspections are required once every three months. The USDA continually oversees the breaking and pasteurizing process at egg product plants. Inspectors are also required to ensure that the labels on egg products are accurate.

    Grain Inspections

    • The USDA created the Federal Grain Inspection Service in 1976 to assess and certify the quality of grains raised for domestic and international markets. Although the agency has been inspecting grain products since 1916, the FGIS set consistent standards throughout the industry. Inspectors test samples of grain from lots stored in grain elevators and warehouses. They also verify the weights of lots of grain and inspect the conditions of storage facilities. After an inspection, the FGIS issues a certificate to be used in marketing the product.

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