USDA: "No Objection Letter" Not Required Cloth Sampling Procedure for STEC Testing
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has notified constituents that establishments wishing to adopt the cloth sampling method (i.e., manual sampling device or continuous sampling device) for Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) testing of raw beef products no longer require a “No Objection Letter” (NOL) from FSIS. Additionally, these establishments will not have to collect additional microbiological data when validating the cloth sampling method, if using the same parameters as their supporting documentation.
Establishments interested in implementing cloth sampling will still need to support the two elements of validation, such as scientific support and in-plant data, as they would for other routine changes. These elements are outlined on page four of the FSIS Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Systems Validation guideline.