Elimination of Trichinae Control Regulations and Consolidation of Thermally Processed, Commercially Sterile Regulations

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending the Federal meat inspection regulations to eliminate the requirements for both ready-to-eat (RTE) and not-ready-to-eat (NRTE) pork and pork products to be treated to destroy trichinae (Trichinella spiralis) because the regulations are inconsistent with the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations, and because these prescriptive regulations are no longer necessary. FSIS is ending its Trichinella Approved Laboratory Program (TALP program) for the evaluation and approval of non-Federal laboratories that use the pooled sample digestion technique to analyze samples for the presence of trichinae. FSIS is also consolidating the regulations on thermally processed, commercially sterile meat and poultry products (i.e., canned food products containing meat or poultry).