WASHINGTON — The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) looks to increase transparency through enhancements of the Meat, Poultry and Egg Product Inspection (MPI) Directory and the Establishment Demographic Data (MPI Supplement) files.

The planned enhancements include the incorporation of additional establishment demographic variables and geolocation information like latitude and longitude that can uniquely identify an establishment.

FSIS also plans on increasing the number of slaughter subclasses reported. For example, animals like buffalo, bison and elk that were previously classified as “Other Meat” will be expanded into their own independent category. FSIS is adding ratite (large, flightless bird) slaughter information and including each subclass as appropriate.

Data on harvesting and processing of cell-cultured products will be added as well. The data will be distinguished by inspection type, such as “Meat” or “Poultry,” and activity type, such as “Harvest” or “Processing.”

As part of its updates, FSIS will begin identifying slaughter or processing exemptions, distinguished by class (“Meat” or Poultry”) and type (“Custom Slaughter,” “Custom Processing,” “Retail” or “Religious”).

The MPI Supplement will now name the species processed by an establishment, such as “Ready-To-Eat Chicken” or “Raw Intact Turkey.”

The MPI Directory will continue to be available in a PDF format. Both the directory and supplement will be publicly accessible in an open, non-proprietary CSV format.

FSIS welcomes comments on sample datasets and data documentation through Feb. 16.