Noncompliance is defined as what?

• A. an establishment's failure to meet a regulatory requirement
• B. an establishment's failure to comply with instructions in the Acts
• C. an establishment's failure to follow published FSIS Guidelines
• D. an establishment's failure to follow instructions in an FSIS Directive

Answer: (A)

Noncompliance means failing to meet a regulatory requirement. A regulatory requirement is a legally enforceable standard set by statutes and regulations that FSIS enforces. Guidelines published by FSIS are recommendations and do not carry the same legal force, and directives are internal procedures to implement policies. So while ignoring guidelines or internal directives can lead to other findings or corrective actions, noncompliance specifically refers to not meeting the mandatory standards established by law or regulation.