How to Report a Meat, Poultry, or Egg Product Safety Issue to USDA FSIS

Seek medical care first. If you have severe symptoms — high fever, bloody diarrhea, dehydration, difficulty breathing, neurological symptoms — go to an emergency room or call 911.

Many foodborne illnesses (Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter) can be serious, especially for young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.

Save the food. If safely possible, keep the leftover product, packaging, and any receipt — FSIS investigators may want it for lab testing. Store it in a sealed bag in the freezer.

USDA FSIS regulates:

• Meat — beef, pork, lamb, veal, goat, bison
• Poultry — chicken, turkey, duck, goose
• Processed egg products — liquid, frozen, and dried egg products (NOT shell eggs)
• Catfish (since 2016)

Not USDA FSIS: shell eggs, seafood other than catfish, fruits and vegetables, dairy, packaged foods, bakery items, and dietary supplements — those go to the FDA. Most game meat and small farm sales fall under state jurisdiction.

• Suspected foodborne illness after eating a USDA-regulated product
• Contamination: bacterial (Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria), parasitic, or chemical
• Foreign material: metal, plastic, glass, bone, or other unexpected objects in product
• Mislabeling: undeclared allergens, incorrect ingredient lists, missing nutrition info
• Improper handling at retail: product stored at unsafe temperatures, expired product sold
• Tampering or seal damage on USDA-inspected products
• Mold or spoilage in unopened, in-date product

• USDA inspection mark — the round "USDA Inspected" stamp with an establishment number (e.g., "Est. 12345")
• Product name and brand
• Sell-by, use-by, or pack date from the package
• Lot or batch code if present
• Where and when you bought it
• Symptoms, timing, and severity if illness is involved
• Photos of the product, packaging, label, and any visible defect or contamination
• Doctor's diagnosis or lab results if available

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (recommended for most consumers)

• Call 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) — staffed M-F 10am-6pm ET, English and Spanish
• Email MPHotline@usda.gov — replies within one business day
• Live chat at Ask USDA

Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System (eCCMS)

For formal complaints that require investigation, file through FSIS eCCMS online portal. This routes your complaint to the appropriate FSIS district office and the establishment listed on the inspection mark.

State and local health departments

For confirmed or suspected foodborne illness outbreaks affecting multiple people, also report to your state or local health department. They coordinate with FSIS and the CDC during outbreaks and can collect stool samples or lab cultures for testing.

• FSIS routes the complaint to the district office responsible for the establishment listed on the inspection mark.
• If foodborne illness is involved, FSIS coordinates with state and local public health agencies and the CDC.
• For confirmed contamination or labeling issues, FSIS can issue a Public Health Alert or work with the establishment on a recall.
• FSIS recalls are published at fsis.usda.gov/recalls and indexed in our database.
• You may be contacted for additional information, especially if illness is involved.