A day in the life of Animal Health Specialist Darryl Kuehne begins at 6 am as he walks into his own barn and greets his livestock. Darryl raises beef cattle and Karakul sheep, and crops hay. Once morning chores are complete, Darryl removes his farmer “hat” (and boots) and suits up for a long day protecting Vermont agriculture in his official capacity as the Agency’s most experienced animal health specialist.

Darryl first stops at a small dairy farm in Windham County, VT to provide free radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags for the new calves. The farmer requested tags because she knows that livestock in Vermont must be officially identified before leaving the farm. This intrastate ID requirement is a cornerstone of Vermont’s robust Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) program. ADT is a system that allows for swift identification and movement tracking during a disease outbreak and minimizes the related economic and health impacts. Darryl explains to the farmer that the RFID tags she is receiving are linked to her farm, and it is important that these tags only go into her animals - no sharing allowed! The Animal Health section maintains animal ID distribution data for use during animal disease contact tracing. The team can quickly identify the farm of origin of exposed or infected animals and can work with those owners to mitigate disease spread. This effort protects Vermont’s animal agricultural industry sector and benefits our State’s economy.

The farmer mentions that she has some market dairy calves heading to slaughter. These animals must have official ID, too. Instead of RFID tags, Darryl recommends visual official ID tags, which the Animal Health team also provides to farmers at no charge! Finally, Darryl demonstrates how to apply the tags so they remain securely in place; regulation with a healthy dose of in-person technical assistance! All questions answered and agreement forms signed, Darryl scrubs his boots and moves on to his next stop.

A short (for Vermont) drive later, Darryl arrives at a poultry farm. He is there to test birds the farmer is preparing for an upcoming poultry swap. Birds over 20 weeks old must be tested for Pullorum before being sold. Pullorum is a form of Salmonella that is transmitted between birds and through eggs. It doesn’t make people sick, but infection can be fatal in poultry. Thanks to bird testing on farms and at poultry events, Pullorum has been eliminated from 45 of the continental US states, including Vermont!  

 

To close out the day, Darryl pulls off the highway into a DMV weigh station. He checks in with the DMV inspectors and asks if they have any referrals for the day. Years ago, Darryl led the development of a program with the DMV intended to increase the regulatory awareness and compliance of truckers moving livestock into and within Vermont. This program is still going strong today! Depending on the type of movement, drivers may need to license as livestock dealers or transporters, and all livestock moving into Vermont must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (health chart) or equivalent interstate movement document. Darryl and the Agency’s Animal Health team now collaborate with DMV inspectors and USDA to monitor livestock conveyances for the presence of these special license plates and movement documents to ensure livestock moving on Vermont roads are traceable and do not pose a health threat to Vermont’s resident animals.

 

 

Who Audits Your State Food Safety Auditors?
The Meat Inspection Program Completes its Every-3-year On-site Audit by USDA

by: Dr. Katherine McNamara, FSCP Division Deputy Director
 

The Vermont Meat Inspection Program provides inspection services for meat and poultry slaughter operations, simple processing for ground products and individual cuts, and complex processing for products such as ham, bacon, summer sausage, Jerky products, and much more. The inspection of these products and processes allows local producers to market their meat and poultry products to consumers, restaurants, retailers, and wholesalers throughout the state.


 

The Vermont State Legislature determined that meat and poultry products are an important source of the state’s total supply of food, and that it is essential to the public interest that the health and welfare of consumers be protected in the production of these commodities. Therefore, the Vermont Meat Inspection Section was established by the Legislature in 1967.

The Agency of Agriculture has a cooperative agreement with the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) which allows Vermont’s Meat Inspection Program to provide inspection services to meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities that produce product to be sold within Vermont. To qualify for this agreement, the Vermont Meat Inspection Program must continually implement and maintain an inspection system that is “at least equal to” the federal inspection program in its administration and enforcement of requirements. 

In order to verify that Vermont is operating in an “equal-to” manner, FSIS conducts an annual audit of program documents and records and performs an in-person on-site review of the Vermont Meat Inspection Program once every three years.

Amidst all of the other uncertainty of the past year, 2021 was the year for an on-site audit!

For 2 weeks in June, the FSIS auditor reviewed all of the state-inspected slaughter and processing facilities that were operating during that period of time. At each facility, the auditor observed Vermont Program personnel as they performed their inspection duties.  The auditor reviewed the State Program’s verification of Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point plans, non-food safety consumer protection, control of specified risk materials, humane handling, slaughter inspection procedures and custom and retail exempt requirements. That is quite a list of tasks, and it can be summarized by saying that the FSIS auditor reviewed everything the State Program personnel do in the slaughter and processing plants!

The auditor completed this intensive visit to Vermont with no significant findings. In other words, your state meat inspection team passed the audit with flying colors! What does this mean for you? It means that you can be confident that the meat and poultry products that originate from Vermont slaughter and processing facilities are continuously held to the highest standards!
 

 

Before moving on from the Agency this spring, Hugh shared some insights developed during his many years of service and emphasized the job satisfaction he experienced when he performed duties that protect consumers. As a meat inspector, Hugh was proud that the meat products leaving the plants under his regulatory purview were safe for consumers and met the associated regulations. He believes that food safety and sanitation are worthy principles and repeatedly expressed his commitment to and respect for the consumer protection role he served while upholding them.
 
Even after transitioning to the weights and measures world, Hugh’s consumer protection focus continued. His work centered on tests, inspections, and investigations surrounding commercial transactions where goods and services are sold by weight or measure. Hugh inspected retail scales, gas pumps, retail packages and scanning systems in stores, and large capacity scales at concrete plants. He also prioritized his response to consumer complaints to ensure a fair marketplace for all of us.
 

Hugh was known throughout the Agency as an expert on propane meters used in the delivery of fuel to businesses and homes and was the lead inspector of these devices for 25 years. The Vermont Weights and Measures team tests and inspects approximately 225 of these vehicle-mounted devices each year, ensuring that Vermont consumers receive an accurate measure, price disclosure, and an invoice as required by regulation.          
 
Hugh witnessed some interesting changes in the propane sector during his career, stating “When I started, all of the propane meters being used for home delivery were mechanical. They had springs in the temperature compensators and gears, and these mechanical parts often failed, leading to inaccurate deliveries, adjustments, and repairs. Almost all of the meters today are electronic; they don’t have all of the moving parts and have far fewer problems.” When Hugh began his career with the Agency, weights and measures specialists adjusted out-of-tolerance meters. However, with the change from mechanical meters to electronic ones, responsibility for the adjustments shifted to trained personnel employed by registered service companies. This is a shift that Hugh supports.
    
Hugh noted other trends over his 42 year career, including a shift toward consumer protection-centered scopes of work that also maintain the goal of equity between buyer and seller. He supported this shift by embracing opportunities to work closely with the registered service companies and ensuring both parties are present during inspections to increase regulatory transparency and improve program efficiency.
 
In 2018, Hugh led the team responsible for replacing the Agency’s 100-gallon propane prover, a move that will benefit Vermonters for years to come. This testing equipment is used to calibrate propane meters used in the commercial delivery of fuel. Hugh worked diligently with equipment manufacturers to ensure strict specifications were met for this highly specialized testing unit. Like the 30-year-old unit it replaced, the new propane prover will ensure accuracy and continuity in the program while allowing the weights and measures team to protect consumers for decades to come.    
 

 

Picture these fresh strawberries (or another favorite fruit or vegetable). Do you know all the important steps along those berries' journey before they make their way into your refrigerator? How can you be assured that the berries were handled safely during each of those steps? Those strawberries were likely grown in an open field, harvested by hand, stored in coolers, transported in a truck, and placed in a market display before ultimately being purchased by you. When we talk about produce safety, we’re really talking about safeguarding your food at every step of that journey - including growing, harvesting, packing, and holding - until the product reaches your family’s dinner table.

 

 

Have you wondered about the specialization needed to allow milk tanker trucks to do what they do - pick up milk from multiple farms, keep it cold during transport, and safely offload milk at the processing plant so your favorite dairy products can show up on your grocery store shelves? The Agency of Agriculture’s Dairy Section team thinks about this regularly and works hard to ensure these state-of-the-art vehicles can do these things safely and in a way that protects Vermont’s farmers and consumers, and safeguards Vermont’s dairy supply.