Reflecting on 25 years of PR/HACCP – the policy and laboratories
This year marks the 25th anniversary of FSIS’ landmark final rule, «Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP),» which advanced science-based regulatory policies that successfully modernized and enhanced food safety inspection in the United States.
Before the finalization of the PR/HACCP final rule, FSIS inspection program personnel (IPP) relied heavily on sight, smell and touch in their work inspecting meat and poultry. In the 1990s, it was recognized that depending so much on this type of inspection was not enough to ensure safe meat and poultry products. In 1993, over 700 became ill and 4 died in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that occurred in the Pacific Northwest, illustrating the need for additional measures to detect, control and prevent foodborne pathogens. For many years leading up to 1993, the Agency was working on ways to control foodborne pathogens like E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. This work led to the development of the PR/HACCP regulations for FSIS-inspected meat and poultry processing establishments. The proposed rule was published in February 1995.
FSIS/USDA - Food Safety and Inspections Service, US Departement of Agriculture