The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the establishment of an FSIS and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Export Verification program designed to verify establishments' control of closed-faced sandwiches destined for Canada. Canada is requiring that closed-faced sandwiches be produced under a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. The sandwiches will be produced in establishments that are subject to FSIS' voluntary reimbursable inspection service and that are operating under conditions that are as consistent as practical with those under which other post-lethality exposed meat and poultry products are produced.
Closed-faced sandwiches are under jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but FDA does not require that the sandwiches be produced under a HACCP plan. As a result, FSIS and AMS are establishing this voluntary program. Once the program is implemented, only establishments participating in this program will be able to export closed-faced sandwiches to Canada. Public comments may be submitted through February 1, 2016, either electronically or by mail to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Mailstop 3782, Room 8-163B, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
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