In a press release, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture''s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the
opening of its new small plant help-desk, which will provide for operators of
small and very small meat, poultry and processed egg products establishments
seeking help with agency requirements with direct access to knowledgeable staff
specialists. The help-desk also will provide assistance to state and local food
regulatory agencies – FSIS'' partners in keeping meat, poultry and egg products
safe for consumers. The FSIS small plant help-desk will serve as a
"one-stop shop" for plant owners and operators with questions. More
than 90% of the 6,000 plants inspected by FSIS are small or very small. FSIS
staff will assess callers'' requests and provide information and guidance
materials that best meet their needs. In situations where the answer is not
readily available, the staff will research the issue and follow-up with the
caller. As appropriate, the help-desk will provide a portal to other services,
such as AskFSIS, FSIS'' existing Internet service offering official agency
responses to inquiries on agency policy. Inquiries can be made to the small
plant help-desk by toll-free telephone or by email. The help-desk is open from
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays.
To speak to a staff specialist during this time, call 1-877-FSISHelp
(1-877-374-7435). Customers may also contact the help-desk by email at
InfoSource@fsis.usda.gov.
