FSIS Issues Directive on RTE Oils, Rendered Animal Fat

WASHINGTONUSDAs FSIS announced a directive to inspection program personnel (IPP) to not to collect samples of oils, shortening, lard, margarine, oleomargarine, or mixtures of rendered animal fats sampling under the ALLRTE or RTE001 sampling programs because there is no validated method for testing these products for Listeria monocytogenes.

The directive removed the exceptions for lard, margarine, lard margarine, mixtures of rendered animal fats, popped pork skins, pork rinds, dried soup bases, concentrated (high salt content) soup mixes, and pickled pigs feet from the ALLRTE sampling program.

FSIS will continue to sample popped pork skins, pork rinds, dried soup bases, concentrated (high salt content) soup mixes and pickled pigs feet under both RTE sampling programs. FSIS intends to update the directive and will notify IPP when to begin collecting samples of oils, shortening, lard, margarine, lard margarine, and mixtures of rendered animal fats again.