Every year thousands of people in the USA get sick or die from food borne illnesses. Because outdoor meals are consumed far from civilization, ensuring your food is safe is especially important. With the emergence of so many new, boutique brands of camping/outdoor meals it is important to know the associated risks with meals purchased online from these companies and things to look for to ensure they are safe.
When it comes to food safety in the United States, the USDA mark of inspection carries serious weight. But what does it really mean when food is labeled with a USDA mark of inspection? How is that different from food made “with” USDA ingredients?
Most outdoor meals sold by companies who only sell online (not in stores) are typically made “with” USDA inspected ingredients. Meals sold “with” USDA ingredients is very different than meals prepared in a USDA facility. While meals sold “with” USDA ingredients may be food safe and even certified organic, the facility and the conditions the meals are produced in are potentially unsanitary. This is because foods sold only online fall under limited or no government oversight. This is so scary. Meals can be prepared in a home kitchen or even a garage and this would be perfectly legal.
By contrast, meals sold in brick and mortar stores are required by the federal government to be produced in a USDA facility. You will know that your meal not only contains products made with USDA ingredients, but is also produced in a USDA facility, by the USDA mark of inspection. To ensure meals containing beef, chicken, pork or egg are safe to consume, you should only purchase meals from brands like FOUNDATION Outdoors that bear the USDA mark of inspection. Note: typically, brands that sell in brick and mortar retailers also sell online.
FOUNDATION Outdoors operates a USDA inspected facility and has implemented added layers of food safety including: a facility SQF food safety certification, robust HACCP and food safety plans with traceability, California proposition 65 compliance, and an adherence to strict food safety standards within our supply chain. We will cover these topics in future articles.
🔍 The Details – What is USDA-Inspected Food?
USDA-inspected food has been examined and approved by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). These products are deemed:
- Safe for human consumption
- Wholesome
- Properly labeled and packaged
- Will have a USDA mark of inspection on the front
USDA-inspected food means it passed safety checks by a government inspector.
🏭 What is a USDA Facility?
A USDA facility is a physical location (like a meat processing plant or co-packer) that meets USDA requirements and operates under regular, often daily, USDA inspection.
- Strict sanitation and facility design standards
- On-site USDA inspectors
- Required HACCP Protocols
- Robust microbe and bacteria testing
- Comprehensive record-keeping and labeling compliance
A USDA facility is a licensed, inspected location producing food under USDA oversight.
Key Features of Operating a USDA Facility
| What it means | The facility is USDA-approved and regularly inspected |
| Who handles it | Federal USDA inspectors stationed at the facility |
| Frequency of inspection | Continuous or daily |
| Can sell across states? | Yes |
| Who qualifies? | Facilities meeting strict USDA food safety standards |
Why Aren’t all Outdoor Meals Produced in a USDA Facility?
Federal law has a concerning food safety loophole: If a company is only selling meals online then they are exempt from having to bear a USDA mark of inspection. It is typically only when meals are sold in large brick and mortar stores, that a USDA mark of inspection is required.
Operating a USDA facility is a significant investment. Most small or boutique brands lack the enormous amount of financial resources needed to make a plant USDA compliant. We at FOUNDATION Outdoors put your safety over profits and have from day one produced our meals in our USDA facility.
Final Thoughts
There has been a significant increase in the number of new outdoor meal brands. Unfortunately, most of these meals are not produced in a USDA facility. Meaning meals may be produced in a facility or home that does not meet federal food safety guidelines potentially leading to food contamination and bacteria introduction. For maximum peace of mind that food is safe, always look for the USDA mark of inspection on any meal that contains beef, pork, chicken, or egg. A USDA mark of inspection is a starting point for a strong overall food safety strategy; an absence of the USDA mark and buyer beware.
