Which agency regulates slaughter operations?

• A. FDA
• B. USDA-APHIS
• C. USDA-FSIS
• D. EPA

Answer: (C)

In the United States, slaughter operations are regulated by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). FSIS is the agency charged with ensuring the safety, wholesomeness, and proper handling of meat and poultry products. It conducts ongoing inspections in slaughter facilities, oversees ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections, enforces sanitation and HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) requirements, and ensures humane handling practices. This focused responsibility distinguishes FSIS from FDA, which regulates most other foods and dietary supplements, and from USDA-APHIS, which deals with animal health and disease control rather than routine slaughter facility inspections. The EPA handles environmental protection issues and does not regulate slaughter operations.