Montana State Congressional Delegation Asks For Investigation Into Actions Of Federal Inspectors

A state congressional delegation from Montana has sent a second request to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service asking for an investigation into the actions of federal inspectors overseeing meat plants in that state, according to a report by the Associated Press.The lawmakers first sent a letter in December to the agency’s Inspector General Phyllis K. Fong expressing concern that small meat processors in the state were “intimidated, coerced and tormented” by federal inspectors in incidences dating back to 2005. This followed a series of reports in the Montana Standard newspaper as well as reports on the Meatingplace website.The stories detail complaints that a Butte, Mont., processor and others made about a federal inspector who routinely required expensive upgrades that were not required by federal regulation, and allegedly issued unfounded non-compliance reports in retaliation for complaints made to the agency.The state legislature’s Economic Affairs Interim Committee sent its second letter asking for an investigation, and also for a personal apology to the businesses they said had been targeted.Officials at FSIS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last year the agency provided this statement to the Montana Standard:“FSIS makes no exceptions when it comes to the safety of our food supply and protecting the health of American families. Our inspectors take appropriate regulatory actions to ensure that the nation’s food is safe and wholesome, regardless of the size of the establishment. It is our policy and responsibility to investigate complaints and inquiries thoroughly, to take appropriate action on the basis of the findings, and to ensure that any disagreements between plant managers and FSIS inspection program personnel are reviewed and resolved.”