Which statement best describes FSIS's role in the USDA?

• A. FSIS is responsible for meat, poultry, and egg product safety and labeling.
• B. FSIS regulates dairy product quality.
• C. FSIS handles marketing and advertising for agricultural products.
• D. FSIS oversees food safety in restaurants.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that FSIS is the USDA agency charged with protecting consumers by ensuring the safety and proper labeling of meat, poultry, and egg products. It carries out inspections at slaughterhouses and processing plants, enforces sanitation and HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) requirements, and takes action to remove unsafe or misbranded products from the market. It also reviews product labeling to ensure accurate names, ingredients, nutrition facts, and allergen information for these products, so what ends up on shelves and in menus is trustworthy.

Dairy product quality falls primarily under FDA oversight, not FSIS, so that choice doesn’t fit. Marketing and advertising for agricultural products are handled by other USDA components like the Agricultural Marketing Service, not FSIS. Food safety in restaurants is governed by FDA guidelines or state/local health authorities, rather than FSIS.