Only federally inspected and passed products can enter interstate commerce or be exported to foreign countries. Which option completes this statement?

• A. Federally (FSIS)
• B. State-inspected
• C. Self-inspected
• D. Uninspected

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that products moving between states or being exported must come from facilities under federal oversight to ensure uniform safety standards. The agency responsible for this oversight is the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). When a plant is federally inspected and the products pass inspection, they meet federal safety, labeling, and quality requirements, which allows them to enter interstate commerce and be exported to foreign markets.

State-inspected plants can operate within a state, and some may ship across state lines if their program is recognized as equivalent, but the standard expectation in this context is federal inspection. Self-inspected or uninspected products do not meet federal requirements and therefore cannot reliably enter interstate commerce or be exported.