§350j Targeting of inspection resources for domestic facilities, foreign facilities, and ports of entry; annual report

Summary

The Secretary must find which food facilities are high risk and send inspection teams based on how risky each place is. Risk is judged by things like the safety of the food made there, the facility’s past problems (such as recalls or outbreaks), how well the facility’s safety plans work, whether the food meets other priority rules, any certifications, and any other factors the Secretary decides. Starting January 4, 2011, inspections must happen more often: each high‑risk domestic facility must be inspected at least once in the 5‑year period after that date and at least once every 3 years after that; non‑high‑risk domestic facilities must be inspected at least once in the 7‑year period after that date and at least once every 5 years after that. In the 1‑year period after January 4, 2011, at least 600 foreign facilities must be inspected, and in each of the next 5 years the Secretary must inspect at least twice as many foreign facilities as were inspected the year before. The Secretary may use inspections done by other federal, state, or local agencies under agreements. For imported food, the Secretary and the Secretary of Homeland Security must target inspections based on risks like the food type, origin countries, importer history, importer verification steps, participation in the voluntary qualified importer program, priority rules, certifications, and other needed factors. Agencies including Health and Human Services, Commerce, Homeland Security, and the Federal Trade Commission may make agreements to improve seafood safety. Those agreements can cover joint testing and inspections, sharing and standardizing data, investigating violations, training, and outreach. “Facility” means any domestic or foreign place that must register under the law.