Small Plant News
The newsletter and guidebooks are written for small and very small federal- and state-inspected establishment owners and operators who produce meat, poultry and egg products. Get help, in plain language, translating FSIS rules and regulations into daily operational practices. | To Contact the Editors
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SMALL PLANT NEWS GUIDEBOOK SERIES
- How to Develop a Meat and Poultry Product Recall Plan (Sep 2015; PDF Only) | Arabic | Chinese | Korean | Spanish | Vietnamese
- Introduction to the Microbiology of Food Processing (Jul 2012; PDF Only; 2.36mb)
- Help for Dealing With Plant Emergencies (Jun 2011; PDF Only) | Korean | Spanish
Translations are provided in PDF only.
NEWSLETTERS
Choose PDF for the 4-page, full-color newsletter. A plain text version is also provided.
Volume 8
- Vol. 8, No. 4 | PDF
Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program: 3 Years in Review - Vol. 8, No. 3 | PDF
Part I: How To Prevent Undeclared Allergen Recalls - Vol. 8, No. 2 | PDF
Foodborne Illness Investigations: Shopper Cards Are Game Changers as Problem Solvers - Vol. 8, No. 1 | PDF
Validating HACCP in Small and Very Small Plants
Volume 7
- Vol. 7, No. 12 | PDF
National Advisory Committee Provides Guidance to FSIS on Topical Issues - Vol. 7, No. 11 | PDF
Weekly Meetings - Vol. 7, No. 10 | PDF
Decreasing Contamination in Veal Slaughter Plants - Vol. 7, No. 9 | PDF
Part II: Controlling Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) - Vol. 7, No. 8 | PDF
Part I: Controlling Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) - Vol. 7, No. 7 | PDF
Mobile Slaughter: Are the Units on the Road to Success? - Vol.7, No. 6 | PDF
Food Safety Assessments: Lessons Learned From Experiences in the Field - Vol. 7, No. 5 | PDF
Food Defense Within FSIS-Regulated Establishments: Are You Prepared? - Vol. 7, No. 4 | PDF
FSIS’ Listeria Compliance Guideline Finalized - Vol. 7, No. 3 | PDF
Generic Labeling: Why It Is Important to You - Vol. 7, No. 2 | PDF
Cooperative Interstate Shipment – Providing Opportunities for States and Small Plants - Vol. 7, No. 1 | PDF
Prevent Salmonella in Ready-to-Eat Products
BACK ISSUES
Some resources mentioned in older issues may have moved, or may no longer be available. Points of contact for various initiatives may have changed.
Volume 6 (2013)
- Vol. 6, No. 11
Updated to reflect the changes in the generic labeling regulations that took effect on January 6, 2014; More - Vol. 6, No. 10
Updated to reflect the changes in the generic labeling regulations that took effect on January 6, 2014; More - Vol .6, No. 9
Listeria monocytogenes and Deli Slicers; More - Vol. 6, No. 8
Demystifying Direct Observation; More - Vol. 6, No. 7
How To Submit a Petition to FSIS; More - Vol. 6, No. 6
Chemical Residue Violations: Are You Doing Enough To Prevent Them; More - Vol. 6, No. 5
Changes Proposed to Defined Workday; More - Vol. 6, No. 4
Tapping Into the Organic Market; More - Vol. 6, No. 3
Know OSHA's Safety and Health Standards; More - Vol. 6, No. 2
Developing a Recall Plan; More - Vol. 6, No. 1
Staying on Top of Allergen Management in Your Plant; More
Volume 5 (2012)
- Vol. 5, No. 12
Gaining Some Insight Into the Agency's Situation-Based Humane Handling; More - Vol. 5, No. 11
FSIS' Food Defense Plan Survey: The Results Are In. What Was Your Impact?; More - Vol. 5, No. 10
Common Food Safety Violations Documented by Federal Regulatory Agencies, Part II; More - Vol. 5, No. 9
Tackling Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli; More - Vol. 5, No. 8
Common Food Safety Violations Documented by Federal Regulatory Agencies, Part I; More - Vol. 5, No. 7
Preventing the Production of Foods With Undeclared Food Allergens; More - Vol. 5, No. 6
Knowing the Exemptions Regarding Inspection; More
NOTE (Sep 30, 2016): The Vol. 5 No. 6, issue of Small Plant News featured a question on donated product in the section titled “Commonly Asked Questions and Answers.” The question was, “Is a statement of limited use required on donated product?” The answer to that question is now obsolete.
For current information on donated products, please review FSIS Directive 7020.1, Verifying Donation Of Misbranded And Economically Adulterated Meat And Poultry Products To Non-Profit Organizations, issued on January 26, 2016.
In addition, the FSIS Labeling and Program Delivery Staff (LPDS) and the Policy Development Staff (PDS) manage the donated product askFSIS Questions & Answers available at http://askfsis.custhelp.com/app/answers/list/p/0/c/0/kw/Donated+Product. FSIS has added a category for Donated Products in askFSIS to handle those questions more rapidly and to gather data for analysis to guide future policies for donated products for the Agency.
- Vol. 5, No. 5
Make Sure Your Label Application Is Correct; More - Vol. 5, No. 4
Harvesting Wild Game; More - Vol. 5, No. 3
Food Allergies: Why It's Important To Double Check Your Labels; More - Vol. 5, No. 2
Nutrition Labeling on Major Cuts and Chopped or Ground Products; More - Vol. 5, No. 1
Knowing Your Rights Under the Freedom of Information Act; More
Volume 4 (2011)
- Vol. 4, No. 12
What Does It Take To Create a Regulation; More - Vol. 4, No. 11
Preventing Salmonella Contamination in Ready-to-Eat Pork Barbecue; More - Vol. 4, No. 10
Making a Food Defense Plan Functional; More - Vol. 4, No. 9
The Growing Farmers Market Sector; More - Vol. 4, No. 8
Reminder To Keep Species Separated; More - Vol. 4, No. 7
Implementing the Public Health Information System (PHIS): An Overview of Its Benefits (Part II); More - Vol. 4, No. 6
Implementing the Public Health Information System (PHIS): An Overview of Its Benefits (Part I); More - Vol. 4, No. 5
Help on How To Deal With a Chemical Leak in Your Plant; More - Vol. 4, No. 4
Interested in Grading? Here are the Basics; More - Vol. 4, No. 3
Controlling Listeria in Ready-to-Eat Products; More - Vol. 4, No. 2
Reporting Work-Related Injuries and Illness; More - Vol. 4, No. 1
Controlling E. coli O157:H7 Through Effective Sanitary Dressing Procedures; More
Volume 3 (2009-2010)
- Vol. 3, No. 12
Controlling Listeria in Processing and Retail Environments; More - Vol. 3, No. 11
Controlling Listeria in Processing and Retail Environments; More - Vol. 3, No. 10
Applying for Financial Assistance When Disaster Strikes; More - Vol. 3, No. 9
Safeguarding the Nation from Small Amounts of Meat and Poultry from Unapproved Sources; More - Vol. 3, No. 8
The Small Plant Help Desk—Help is a Phone Call Away; More - Vol. 3, No. 7
How to Access Directives on FSIS' Web Site; More - Vol. 3, No. 6
Utilizing Cooperatives To Improve Food Safety; More - Vol. 3, No. 5
Developing Food Defense Plans: Shifting Greater Awareness Into Action; More - Vol. 3, No. 4
Make "Test and Hold" an Integral Part of Your Operation; More - Vol. 3, No. 3
Choosing Your Suppliers: Some Helpful Tips From Small Plant Owners; More - Vol. 3, No. 2
Preparing Yourself for a Food Safety Assessment; More - Vol. 3, No. 1
Validating Your HACCP System for the Control of E. coli O157:H7; More
Volume 2 (2008-2009)
- Vol. 2, No. 12
Are Your Corrective Actions Correct?; More - Vol. 2, No. 11
Network Offers Assistance to Niche Meat Processors; More - Vol. 2, No. 10
Getting to Know the Retail Rule and Its Implications for You; More - Vol. 2, No. 9
Plants Served in Many Helpful Forms; More - Vol. 2, No. 8
FSIS Launches Podcasting To Enhance Communication With Small Plants; More - Vol. 2, No. 7
10 Years Later Reflecting on HACCP, Part II; More - Vol. 2, No. 6
10 Years Later Reflecting on HACCP; More - Vol. 2, No. 5
What to Do if Your Product Needs to be Recalled; More - Vol. 2, No. 4
New Office Established for Small Plant Outreach and Training; More - Vol. 2, No. 3
How You Can Prevent Recalls; More - Vol. 2, No. 2
Labeling for Child Nutrition Programs; More - Vol. 2, No. 1
Reducing the Insider Threat; More
Volume 1 (2007)
- Vol. 1, No. 3
Assistance Available to Small Plants in Rural Areas; More - Vol. 1, No. 2
askFSIS Available Online 24 Hours a Day to Answer Technical and Policy Questions; More - Vol. 1, No. 1
FSIS Launches New Web Page for Small and Very Small Plants; More
Contact Information
Send comments and questions to the editors at
Small Plant News
USDA FSIS OOEET
Patriots Plaza III, Rm. 9-267A, Mailstop 3778
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20250
SmallPlantNews@fsis.usda.gov