USDA Extends Lab Accreditation Paperwork for Meat Safety
Published Date: 5/22/2026
Notice
Summary
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service wants to keep collecting info from labs and meat, poultry, and egg businesses to make sure everything stays safe and official. No changes are coming, but they need your comments by July 21, 2026, before the current approval expires on October 31, 2026. This keeps the safety checks running smoothly without extra costs or hassles.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 4 costs, 0 mixed.
Renewal of FSIS Data Collection
If you run an accredited laboratory or a meat, poultry, or egg business, FSIS plans to renew its existing information collection with no changes. The agency estimates 26,120 respondents, 122 annual responses per respondent, and a total annual burden of 113,458 hours; the current approval expires October 31, 2026.
Lab Recordkeeping Requirement Continues
Accredited non‑Federal analytical laboratories must continue to maintain records as required under 9 CFR 439.20 and 590.580. FSIS uses these records to verify that non‑Federal labs follow FSIS regulations.
Transaction Recordkeeping for Establishments
Official meat and poultry establishments, egg products processors, brokers, and wholesalers must continue to keep records that fully disclose all transactions related to animal carcasses, parts, and egg products under the FMIA, PPIA, and EPIA. These records are required to verify product traceability and compliance.
Records for Exempt Products and Retail Violations
Establishments must keep records to ensure meat and poultry products exempted from inspection are not commingled with inspected products (9 CFR 303.1(b)(3) and 381.175). Retail operations found to violate retail exemptions must keep purchase and sales records to ensure future compliance (9 CFR 303.1(d)(3) and 381.10(d)(3)).
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Key Dates
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