WASHINGTON — The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the launch of a one-year sampling program of domestic beef, pork and Siluriformes fish beginning Nov. 1.

The agency will survey levels of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds in the products. From the results, FSIS hopes better to understand changes in human exposure to dioxins through diet.

FSIS personnel will collect the samples and then be sent to the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) for analysis.

This is the latest sampling program for dioxin studies in a recurring five-year cycle of surveys. The surveys are conducted in partnership with ARS, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Conclusions from the survey will be published on the Chemical Residues and Contaminants page of the FSIS website. Previous studies may also be found there.