The United States announced the use of non-destructive surface sampling methods for sampling cut and trimmed cattle

On November 21, 2022, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the use of non-destructive surface sampling to sample domestic cattle cut and trimmed meat. Effective February 1, 2023, FSIS plans to discontinue the use of the N60 cut meat sampling method to sample cut and trimmed meat from domestic cattle in the United States to better understand the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and salmonella situation. FSIS now plans to replace the N60 cut meat sampling method with a non-destructive surface sampling method, using cloth manual sampling tools and methods. FSIS found that cloth sampling tools and methods were as effective as N60 cut meat sampling methods to restore organic matter from trimmed cattle meat. In addition, cloth sampling tools and methods are faster and safer because they do not require inspectors to use tools such as hooks and knives to collect samples. Cloth sampling tools and methods allow FSIS to sample without destroying the product and reduce food waste. FSIS will use cloth tools and methods for sampling from 1 February 2023.