AskUSDA (2024)

FAQs

What is AskUSDA? ›

​​​ AskUSDA is a contact center that answers general inquiries from the public using trained agents and self-service options. To date, AskUSDA has partnered with 19 agencies to improve the customer experience offered to the public.

The guidance resource, askFSIS, is a Web-based computer application, designed to respond to technical and policy-related questions from FSIS inspectors, industry, consumers, other stakeholders, and the public.

FSIS protects public health by preventing illness from meat, poultry and egg products. We do this by ensuring these products are safe, wholesome and properly labeled. FSIS is part of a science-based national system to ensure food safety and food defense.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service is the food safety regulatory agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) responsible for ensuring that domestic and imported meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled.

FSIS is a large, independent agency that functions separately from the FDA and participates in business oversight.

FSIS provides for the inspection of each animal or bird at slaughter and processed products during various stages of production. FSIS inspects all raw meat and poultry sold in interstate and foreign commerce, including imported products. It monitors meat and poultry products after they leave federally inspected plants.

FSIS promotes food defense by encouraging establishments to voluntarily adopt a functional food defense plan; implement food defense practices (including inside, outside, and personnel security measures); and conduct training and exercises to ensure preparedness.

Prerequisite programs are written procedures that describe particular activities of an establishment/plant that can be used to support decisions made in the hazard analysis. Prerequisite programs do not control food safety hazards.

An inspection mark on the label lets you know the meat or poultry product has been inspected and that it is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled. See FSIS' Inspection Programs.