The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is continuing its sampling plan and has published updates for the 2025 fiscal year.

The plan is designed to leverage technological and sampling advances to detect microbiological contaminants and chemical residues, thereby protecting the food supply.

In addition to regular testing, the FSIS is conducting a review of the deadly 2024 Listeria monocytogenes illness outbreak associated with Boar’s Head deli meat. When the review is completed, FSIS could make changes to its sampling plan, as appropriate, to address recommendations from the review.

Process for scheduling, collecting and analyzing samples

The number of sampling tasks inspectors can receive at a domestic establishment varies greatly depending on the types and quantities of products produced, according to the USDA’s plan.

Non-routine sampling can be assigned to an establishment in response to results or other historical establishment performance. Sampling “type of inspection” tasks are assigned to imported products for each foreign country and product combination based on the number of imported shipments received. These sampling rates vary based on the amount and type of product imported each year. 

Additional non-routine type of inspection tasks can also be assigned to countries for imported product in response to sampling results, foreign establishment performance history, or as part of foreign country equivalence determination activities.

“Several variables can impact the plan as...