Overview of USDA’S Food Safety and Inspection Service

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) responsible for ensuring that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products, whether domestic or imported, is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. This webinar gives a broad overview of FSIS’ roles and responsibilities in protecting public health through food safety. We also provide insight on FSIS’ Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit (OIEA) as this is the program area within FSIS that conducts surveillance and investigative activities at businesses that handle meat, poultry, and egg products for commerce; investigation of foodborne illness outbreaks; response to natural disaster and intentional contamination events; and enforcement of FSIS criminal, civil and administrative sanctions, and authorities.