FSIS signs CIS agreement with state of Iowa

The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has entered a cooperative interstate shipment (CIS) agreement with the State of Iowa.

According to the agreement, the FSIS has given permission to the State of Iowa to operate a CIS programme, under which certain meat and poultry processors will be allowed to ship their products across state lines.

FSIS noted that the approval was given after reviewing the agreement for a period of 11 months.

The CIS programme has been designed to promote business expansion opportunities to state-inspected meat and poultry establishments.

Meat and poultry plants that are part of the programme can operate as federally inspected facilities, under specific conditions and will have the flexibility to ship their meat products across the US.

Since the programme was created by the 2008 Farm Bill, the FSIS has signed agreements with states such as Indiana, Maine, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin in the US.

The programme is currently limited to plants located across 27 states, which have established a Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programme and maintained ‘at least equal to’ FSIS regulatory standards.

FSIS said in a statement: “FSIS provides ongoing oversight of the CIS programme to ensure that participating states maintain and operate their ‘same as’ programmes in a manner that complies with all applicable federal statutes and regulations and follows FSIS directives and notices.

“FSIS also verifies that selected establishments in the CIS participating state remain eligible to participate in the CIS programme.”