Which of the following is NOT a type of regulatory control action?

• A. Disallowing the use of an insanitary table using a U.S. Rejected tag
• B. Observing establishment employees holding product for testing
• C. Slowing the line speed due to higher levels of carcass contamination
• D. Disallowing shipment of a pallet of contaminated product using a U.S. Retained tag

Answer: (B)

Regulatory control actions are formal measures that directly affect the disposition or movement of product when safety or compliance issues are found. They are moves that restrict, hold, or deny use or shipment to prevent unsafe product from reaching consumers. Tagging a table as rejected, slowing line speed to control contamination, and disallowing shipment of contaminated product with a retained tag are all examples of those direct regulatory actions that change how the product is handled.

Observing establishment employees holding product for testing is a verification activity. It’s a routine step used to gather information and verify safety, not a direct action that changes the product’s status or blocks its movement. While testing may lead to future regulatory actions if results are problematic, the act of simply observing the hold itself does not constitute a regulatory control action.