overview
In January of 2001, ERS, along with Washington State University, conducted two surveys about food safety technologies and Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP) compliance. One survey was answered by 861 meat slaughter and processors, the other by 135 poultry slaughter and processors. The survey queried processors about several facets of their operations: the effects of the PR/HACCP rule on plant operations and costs, plant characteristics, miscellaneous questions, and food safety questions dealing with plant operations, sanitation, equipment, product and environmental testing, and dehiding (cattle slaughter only). Summary results from the survey may be found here, as well as the original survey forms. More about the survey...

data files

• Meat slaughter and processing plants: survey questions and responses and original questionnaire
• Poultry slaughter and processing plants: survey questions and responses and original questionnaire

release date
Data were released November, 2003. The survey respondents answered questions as they pertained to the 2000 calendar year.

feature
Meat and Poultry Plants' Food Safety Investments: Survey Findings—Results from the first national survey of the types and amounts of food safety investments made by meat and poultry slaughter and processing plants since the late 1990s provide evidence that market forces have worked in conjunction with regulation to promote the use of more sophisticated food safety technologies. From 1996 through 2000, U.S. plants as a group spent about $380 million annually and made $570 million in long-term investments to comply with USDA's 1996 Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP) regulation, according to a survey initiated by the Economic Research Service. The U.S. meat and poultry industry as a whole during the same period spent an additional $360 million on food safety investments that were not required by the PR/HACCP rule.

related resources

• The report Food Safety Innovation in the United States: Evidence from the Meat Industry and the related Amber Waves article, Savvy Buyers Spur Food Safety Innovations in Meat Processing
• The report Managing for Safer Food: The Economics of Sanitation and Process Controls in Meat and Poultry Plants, and the related Amber Waves article, Weighing Incentives for Food Safety in Meat and Poultry
• A safe food supply emphasis area
• Economics of foodborne disease briefing room
• Government food safety policies briefing room
• Industry food safety actions briefing room
• Consumer food safety behavior briefing room
• Information policy briefing room
• Traceability in the U.S. food supply briefing room
• Foodborne illness cost calculator data product

for more information, contact: Michael Ollinger
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
page updated: July 12, 2004