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The West Virginia Department of Agriculture’s (WVDA) Meat Inspection Program is ready for changes to the meat inspection program by adoption of the Public Health Information System (PHIS), which is expected late this year, according to West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass.
Meat and Poultry Inspection Division (MPID) Director Dr. Robert Pitts says that equipping field inspectors with laptop computers in recent years means they will have the ability to use the same PHIS software that will be used by federal inspectors to conduct inspections.
In the past, the computer system would randomly generate tasks for inspectors to complete on a given day, but those tasks did not always coincide with the daily activities of a particular processing plant. These uncompleted tasks led to “holes” in the dataset.
The new system will allow those tasks to be pushed forward until an appropriate day so that a monthly report can be generated. It will also require more information on inspector findings to show that processors are operating in an acceptable manner.
“When I was first elected agriculture commissioner in 1964, it was apparent to me that many meat distributors saw West Virginia as a dumping ground for inferior products,” Commissioner Douglass said. “I vowed that the WVDA would have a meat inspection program second to none.”
That goal has become a reality. The program has received top marks in USDA reviews over the past three decades, and the program has remained technologically up-to-date. Last year, MPID purchased a polymerase chain reaction machine, which allows rapid genetic testing of samples for pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 or Listeria monocytogenes in both raw and cooked products.
The state program parallels USDA’s meat inspection system, which mainly oversees plants involved in interstate commerce. State programs such as West Virginia’s fill gaps in the federal program, both in terms of manpower and programming.
“There simply are not enough federal inspectors to cover all the small commercial processing plants out there,” said Dr. Pitts. “Plus, in West Virginia, we provide a great deal of technical assistance in helping plants construct or remodel facilities, develop proper labels and meet pathogen reduction regulations.”
He also noted that USDA does not routinely inspect distributors or custom plants, which typically process animals for the farmers that raised them. Although the state program does not inspect the animals in custom plants as it does in commercial facilities, the state does inspect the facilities quarterly to ensure sanitary conditions. Similarly, distributors are inspected for sanitation, storage temperatures, pest control and product separation.
“This program is really a bargain for West Virginia consumers,” said Commissioner Douglass. “We have a dozen inspectors throughout the state, ensuring safe and wholesome products, and the federal government picks up half the tab.”
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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