WASHINGTON – The Food Safety and Inspection Service are instructing inspectors to not collect samples of oils, shortening, lard, margarine, oleomargarine or mixtures of rendered animal fats that are Ready-to-Eat (R.T.E.) until further notice. These items are not to be collected for sampling under the ALLRTE or RTE001 sampling programs because there is no validated method for testing these products for Listeria monocytogenes, according to the agency.

F.S.I.S. will continue, however, to sample popped pork skins, pork rinds, dried soup bases, concentrated soup mixes and pickled pig’s feet under R.T.E. sampling programs.

F.S.I.S. Directive 10,240.4 will be updated by the agency to reflect the information in this notice (10-10) and will notify I.P.P. when to begin collecting samples of oils, shortening, lard, margarine, lard margarine and mixtures of rendered animal fats again.

To read this notice, click:http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISNotices/10-10.pdf