Federal food safety officials are asking for public input on potential changes to how they classify processing facilities that handle meat, poultry, and egg products.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has relied on the same classification system for nearly three decades, dating back to 1996. That system groups facilities using Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point categories, which look at how many people work at each plant and their yearly revenue figures.
Agency officials use these classifications to evaluate how new regulations might affect different businesses and to provide targeted support to smaller operations. In recent years, the service has also started using production volume measurements to group facilities when analyzing regulatory impacts and determining how often inspections should occur.
Through this advance notice of proposed rulemaking, federal officials are seeking feedback from industry stakeholders about whether the current classification system needs updating and what changes might be appropriate.
