FSIS has issued new guidance for inspection program personnel to update the raw, non-intact beef products in the Public Health Information System (PHIS).

On Sept. 1, 2017, certain product groups that have caused erroneous sample requests were removed from the raw, non-intact product list in the profile. They will be replaced by new product options designed to fix sample assignment errors and simplify the product group options.

FSIS uses the raw, non-intact product group selections to determine and schedule sample requests.

The product groups to be removed include: ground beef product from in-house source materials; ground beef combined with other species from in-house source materials; hamburger/beef patty combined with other species from in-house source materials; hamburger/beef patty product; ground beef product from purchased source materials; ground beef combined with other species from purchased source materials; and hamburger/beef patty combined with other species from purchased source materials.

They will be replaced with new categories of: ground beef/hamburger/beef patty from in-house source materials; ground beef/hamburger/beef patty from in-house source materials, which can include other raw ground beef components; ground beef/hamburger/beef patty from purchased source materials intended for intact use; ground beef/hamburger/beef patty from purchased source materials accompanied by COA, no bench trim.