Restraints impacting chicken exports include availability of refrigerated shipping containers, port delays and documentation. Inspection of product in cold storage facilities has recently been identified as a new pinch point. The USAPEEC has addressed a letter to Paul Kiecker Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service urging action to alleviate problems at ports and specifically Savannah, GA. responsible for a considerable volume of U.S. broiler exports.
UASPEEC has suggested a review of the re-inspection program as outlined in FSIS Directive 9000.1. This program would require re-inspection of only a small proportion of pallets consigned and not every container. In the letter to Paul Kiecker, USAPEEC suggested using retired FSIS inspectors and establishing a cooperative program with the Agricultural Marketing Service until new inspectors can be recruited and trained. It is considered essential to coordinate inspection of products in cold storage facilities to conform to the scheduled departure time of vessels in order to move product and reduce demurrage and port congestion.