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Script: The Small Plant Help Desk |
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Intro:
Welcome to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service podcast. Each episode
will bring you cutting edge news and information about how FSIS is working to ensure public
health protection through food safety. While we’re on the job, you can rest assured that
your meat, poultry, and processed egg products are safe, wholesome, properly labeled,
and packaged correctly. So turn up your volume and listen in.
Host:
Hello and welcome! I’m Alexandra Tarrant with
FSIS and I’ll be your host for this segment. Today,
we’re going to discuss the Small Plant Help Desk.
Joining me is Dr. Janet McGinn from the Office of
Outreach, Employee Education, and Training. She has been
with FSIS for six years and is currently the deputy
director of the State Outreach and Technical Assistance
Staff - the folks who run the help desk.
Janet has worked in a variety of slaughter and
processing operations and has extensive knowledge about
E. coli O157:H7, residues, and food safety methodology.
Hello, Janet, welcome.
Guest:
Thank you, Alexandra, I’m happy to be here.
Host:
Let’s start by talking about the reason for the Small
Plant Help Desk. Why did FSIS create this service?
Guest:
Well, we created the Small Plant Help Desk for several
reasons. First, the vast majority of establishments
regulated by FSIS fall into the small business category.
In fact, more than 90 percent of the 6,000 plants
inspected by FSIS are classified as small or very small.
These establishments are important to many communities
and to our economy as a whole. FSIS wants to provide
whatever support we can give them to be a successful
business and to produce safe food.
Secondly, complying with our Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Point – HACCP – regulations can pose
special challenges for smaller plants. Unlike large
plants, they may not have the specialized staff or
resources to help them understand and comply with all
our regulatory requirements.
Finally, FSIS is committed to providing whatever help it
can to anyone who wants to learn more about FSIS
requirements.
Host:
Sounds great! Now that you’ve covered why the agency
started the Small Plant Help Desk, could you tell us
more about your services?
Guest:
The Small Plant Help Desk is designed to provide small
and very small establishments with direct access to
knowledgeable, customer-friendly staff specialists.
These specialists are committed to providing reliable,
easy-to-understand information about agency requirements
and procedures.
Additionally, the Small Plant Help Desk is a resource
for the 27 State Meat and Poultry Inspection Programs.
These programs are responsible for overseeing
approximately 2,000 state-inspected plants.
The Help Desk is also a resource for the broader
business community – such as retailers or livestock
producers – that may have questions about FSIS and the
regulation of meat, poultry and processed egg products.
Finally, the Help Desk is a resource for state
regulators of retail food stores and other businesses
processing or handling meat, poultry and egg products.
Host:
How is the Small Plant Help Desk different from askFSIS?
Guest:
The Small Plant Help Desk is designed to be a one-stop
shop for resources and information regarding the
regulation of meat, poultry and processed egg products.
The staff at the Small Plant Help Desk does not
interpret FSIS policy, nor does it determine the
applicability of specific policies in specific
situations. That’s the function of askFSIS, which is run
by the agency’s Office of Policy and Program
Development.
So, for policy-specific questions, small and very small
establishments should continue to use askFSIS. If
establishments need help using askFSIS, the Small Plant
Help Desk is glad to assist.
Host:
Thanks for clearing that up. So, how do I get in touch
with the Small Plant Help Desk?
Guest:
Just call 1-877-FSIS-HELP. That’s 1-877-374-7435. Our
staff is available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.
until 4p.m. Eastern time and each of us is committed to
personally answering questions and providing all
available assistance.
We’re also available any time via e-mail at
InfoSource@fsis.usda.gov.
If we don’t have the answer right away, we’ll get it for
you, or get you to the right person.
Host:
Anything else you’d like to add?
Guest:
Manning the Help Desk also provides our staff an
opportunity to learn more about the issues that are most
pressing to small and very small plant operators.
By working and interacting directly with the operators,
the Help Desk staff can better understand the concerns
of small and very small plants. Staff can then use this
knowledge to help guide future outreach materials and
training to better meet the small plant operator’s
needs.
Host:
This sounds like an excellent service for small and very
small establishments. How can our listeners reach you
again?
Guest:
The Small Plant Help Desk’s toll-free number is
1-877-FSIS-HELP or 1-877-374-7435. Staff is available 8
a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Also, we’re available 24/ 7 by e-mail. The e-mail
address is
InfoSource@fsis.usda.gov.
We look forward to being able to help!
Host:
Thank you, Janet, for sharing information about the
Small Plant Help Desk.
These podcasts are another resource that FSIS provides
to small and very small plants. We strive to give you
information that will help you meet FSIS regulations and
ensure that the food you produce is safe, wholesome and
properly labeled.
If you have ideas for future podcasts, please send them
to
podcast@fsis.usda.gov.
Thank you for joining us today.
Outro:
Well, that’s all for this episode. We’d like your feedback on our podcast. Or if you
have ideas for future podcasts, send us an e-mail at
podcast@fsis.usda.gov. To learn more about food safety, try our web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov. Thanks for tuning
in.
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Last Modified: March 17, 2010 |
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