SEMA_________________________________

SOUTHEASTERN MEAT ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 620777; Oviedo, FL 32762 Phone: 407-365-5661

USDA AGRICULTURE JOBS FILLED

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the appointment of Dr. Barbara Masters as Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), overseeing the regulation of meat, poultry and processed egg products, which constitute 40% of the American food dollar. Dr. Masters has served as the acting administrator of FSIS since March 1, 2004.

The US Senate confirmed acting commissioner Dr. Lester Crawford as permanent head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Dean Kastner has been selected as the new Assistant Branch Chief of the Grading Branch. Dean began his career with the Grading Branch in 1983 and has held various field positions including grader.

Lloyd Day has been named as Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Lloyd had served as Special Assistant to the Administrator, FAS for the past 3 years focusing on U.S. trade issues.

INCREASING INSPECTION FEES

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) proposed a rule creating four annual fee increases to charge meat and poultry establishments, egg processing establishments, importers and exporters for providing voluntary inspection services, overtime and holiday inspection services, identification services, certification services and laboratory services for 2005 through 2008. FSIS pays for inspection during regular working hours but establishments incur the costs of inspection services performed on holidays or on an overtime basis.

For example, the fee for providing meat and poultry voluntary inspection, identification and certification services will increase each year, from $43.64 per hour per program employee in 2005 to $49.93 in 2008.

CAFTA

President Bush has signed the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). CAFTA is a comprehensive trade agreement between Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the United States. The agreement will end the unfair tariffs against American products and will improve the competitiveness in these markets.

OPENED BORDERS

The Philippines and Chile have lifted their ban on U.S. beef and beef products.

MANDATORY FOOD SECURITY PLAN?

Michelle Catlin from the office of Food Defense and Emergency Response, FSIS was a speaker at the AAMP convention in Buffalo. Michelle told the audience they need to be ready with a food defense plan, for their inspector will soon be in to ask; do you have a food defense plan, is it in place, and is it working. She also stated that when asked, you are to only tell the inspector if you have a plan or not and if it is working, but do not show or divulge what is in the plan.

When working on your defense plan, remember that food defense is not food safety. Food defense is the protection of food products from intentional adulteration by biological chemicals, physical of radiological agents, where food safety is unintentional contamination by agents. It is very important that employees know you have a plan and know who is responsible for what.

You can obtain a copy of the model food security plan for meat and poultry processing facilities and the industry self-assessment checklist for food security from the SEMA office or by going on line www.fsis.usda.gov/food_security_and_emergenecy_preparedness/security_guidelines/index.asp.

The USDA and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will have a food security awareness training program in Miami, FL – September 13th.

This security plan may be voluntary now but you can count on it becoming mandatory in the future.

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You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across,
your ideas won’t get you anywhere.
Lee Iacocca, former chairman, Chrysler Corp.
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SEMA INDUSTRY NEWS

August marks 34 years that Joe Clark of Joe Clark & Associates has worked with and represented Jamison Doors. Congratulations Joe!

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THINGS TO PONDER………………
Did you ever notice that when you put
“ THE” and “IRS” together,
it spells “THEIRS”?

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WELCOME
NEW PROCESSING MEMBER

DEL PUEBLO MEAT MARKET
1709 W. Thonotosassa Rd.
Plant City, FL 33563
Rene Valenzuela, President
813.757.0201

WELCOME NEW PROCESSING MEMBER

Circle A Inc.
A Florida based meat manufacturer and food distributor is pleased to announce its membership with SEMA. Circle A has been a family business for over 75 years, specializing in the production of ground beef in Retail, Foodservice and niche markets throughout the United States. With weekly production of over 200,000 pounds of ground beef products, Circle A Brands produces its own private label ground beef products, as well as co-packs for some of the nations largest retail chains.

CIRCLE A's sales offices are located in Savannah, Georgia, as well as Brooksville, Florida. Meat Sales Division Manager Jay Javetz leads the sales team and the company has a staff of 70 in the actual production of ground beef and other meat items. The company’s beef product line is extensive. With over 100 different ground beef products for the foodservice and retail markets, Circle A can fulfill all of your ground beef needs. The company prides itself on being able to provide high quality, cost effective products and with its extensive product line, allows efficient logistical flow of products catered to your specific inventory needs.

“We look forward to becoming part of the SEMA family and we look forward to working with other members of the association to expand upon their current operations. With having been in this industry for over 75 years, Circle A feels like it knows what the industry wants and needs. This industry is one where there are many players, but experienced and credible companies have become fewer and far between. The Southeastern Meat Association is an organization that provides a great service to those of us in their industry by creating opportunities for credible companies to work together and collaborate for future success.” Jay Javetz

CIRCLE A BRANDS
9 Ashton Road
Savannah, GA 31419
Jay Javetz, CEO
912.920.2770

SEMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2005-07

President, Adam Chernin, Central Beef LLC
Vice-President, Scott Downing, Lowell Packing Company
Treasurer, Wayne Paulk, Robbins Packing Company

KNOW YOUR NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

J.E. Grote Company
In the late 1960s, Columbus, Ohio pizza maker Jim Grote longed to find a “better way” to slice and apply pepperoni onto pizza. At that time, pizza shops were slicing and applying pepperoni by hand, making preparation very time consuming. As a solution, Jim invented the “Peppamatic” machine to automatically and consistently slice and apply pepperoni onto pizza.

Learning that frozen pizza manufacturers were still slicing and applying pepperoni to pizzas by hand, Jim recognized the potential of the Peppamatic for industrial use and began marketing it to frozen pizza processors in 1972. This marked the beginning of the Grote Company. The Peppamatic, with its innovative slicing and applying technology, dramatically cut labor costs while increasing productivity and efficiency.

Today, the Grote Company is the world's leading manufacturer of precision slicing and application equipment for the food processing industry. Grote's extensive line includes equipment that handles simple applications, such as bulk slicing and portion control (stacking and/or shingling). Grote's more complex systems provide solutions for automating food manufacturing processes. In these applications, Grote equipment is ideal for slicing and applying products to moving production line targets, such as sandwich buns, frozen entrees, case ready trays and pizza crusts. Grote's patented Accuband band blade technology also makes its equipment uniquely versatile to slice most any non-frozen and boneless product, from delicate tomatoes to whole muscle meats. From small, multipurpose slicers to high-speed production line equipment, Grote has a slicing solution.
For more information, please contact:

J.E. Grote Company
1160 Gahanna Parkway
Columbus, Ohio 43230
Ray Anklam, Territory Manager
(888)534-7683
www.grotecompany.com

OSS Services, LLC
Perhaps no task is as difficult or complex as the planning, organizing and managing of facility sanitation services. OSS Services, LLC can help.

For more than 30 years, OSS Food Plant Sanitation Services has been providing sanitation and environmental cleaning services, which enable clients to avoid costly shutdowns and maximize productivity. OSS has been designing and implementing innovative, cost-effective facility sanitation service programs to many food plant facilities in the Midwest and are currently expanding operations to southern geographical areas.

At OSS Services, LLC, we assist facility owners and managers in producing optimal results from their facility sanitation programs. OSS has developed processes whereby we develop comprehensive service plans to meet the unique needs of each facility, whether they be corporate headquarters, research and development centers, process laboratories, food production facilities, or distribution complexes. Our customized programs ensure consistent cost-effective quality service.

In addition to providing “Five Star Class Services”, we eliminate the problems and costs associated with:

• Administrative Overhead
• Interviewing, Training and Monitoring Staff
• Fringe Benefits
• Disciplining and Terminating Employees
• Purchasing and Maintaining Equipment and Supplies
• Employee Scheduling – Vacations, Sick Leave, etc.
• Risk Management and Compliance with Environmental Laws, Regulations and Standards
• Insurance – General Liability, Product Liability, Workers Compensation, etc
• + providing qualified on site management and experienced field supervision

Our customized sanitation programs and comprehensive quality control programs ensure the highest standards of performance and a safe, healthy environment for building inhabitants and visitors. Our experienced professionals ensure that the clients are in compliance with the USDA’s latest HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) requirements, as well as OSHA, AIB, FDA and ASI standards and regulations.

OSS Food Plant Sanitation Services has earned a reputation for quality and integrity. We offer unmatched expertise in servicing leading organizations in the food processing industry. We welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how our vast experience and expertise in sanitation processes can benefit your organization.
You may e-mail us at: jgrimes@ossfoodplantsanitation.com or
jlyman@ossfoodplantsanitation.com.

OSS SERVICES, LLC
1050 Tower Lane
Bensenville, IL 60106
Jim Grimes, Sales Rep.
800.905.5061 / 630.521.0084

Please take a minute to call and welcome our new members

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

Proprietary Foods, Inc. in Texas is looking for a processor to fully cook bulk chicken products and smoke chicken parts. Approx. starting volume of 200,000# per month. Contact Tom McWilliams at 770.993.2590 or e-mail profoods120@yahoo.com.

South Alabama Food Co-op, in Mobile, AL is looking for a processor to make private label products, supplies 1,500 families. Contact Linda Roland at 251.476.7808

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

The SEMA office has a resume: Person looking for a middle management position with a major processing company. Besides 30 years in the food processing industry, his experiences include training in OSHA regulations, supervisor and plant manager in smoked meat and hams plants for 25 years. For a copy of the resume please contact the SEMA office at 407.365.5661 or e-mail anna_ondick@earthlink.net.

EQUIPMENT WANTED/FOR SALE

Ricky Hardin of Stripling’s General Store is looking for a new or used gas kettle to fry pork skins and cracklins. Ricky can be reached at 229.535.6561.