SEMA_________________________________

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

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Releases Four Data Sets as Part of Open Government Initiative

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture released four data sets to meet the first milestone of the Obama Administration's Open.gov initiative. "President Obama's Open Government Initiative serves as a new government-wide charge that will transform how the government engages the American people in a more open and transparent manner," said Vilsack.
Those data sets include:

1. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22 (SR22) is the major authoritative source of information about food composition in the United States. The database features more than 7,500 food items with an information profile that provides data for up to 140 food components, such as vitamins, minerals and fatty acids.
2. Economic Research Service (ERS) feed grains dataset contains over 300,000 data points on four feed grains (corn, grain sorghum, barley, and oats), foreign coarse grains (feed grains plus rye, millet, and mixed grains), hay, and related items.
3. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Meat, Poultry and Egg Product Inspection Directory provides a listing of federally inspected establishments that produce meat, poultry, and/or egg products. The dataset will be updated monthly and provide the official establishment number, company, location, establishment telephone number and date their grant of inspection was awarded.
4. National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 2007 Census of Agriculture dataset provides summary data file provides county-level demographic profiles of U.S. farm and ranch operators from the 2007 Census of Agriculture.

These datasets are the first of many that will be published on the USDA's Web site and on Data.gov. The USDA Open Web page will launch by February 5 and will serve as the gateway to activities related to the Open Government Directive.

Restaurant Sales to Stabilize in 2010

The National Restaurant Association reports the restaurant industry should see a gradual recovery in 2010, as consumers ease recession-era spending cuts a bit.

Back to Basics

The Restaurant News Magazine reported the response to a National Restaurant Association survey saying in 2010 many chefs will be looking for locally grown produce and locally sourced meats. Menu trends will include nutrition and simplicity/back to basics as culinary themes, regional ethnic cuisine along with newly fabricated cuts of meat (including Denver steak and pork flat iron). The following are the 12 Hottest Trends from the nation’s top chefs: as a culinary theme,

1. Locally grown produce
2. Locally sourced meats and seafood
3. Sustainability (conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources.)
4. Bite-size/mini desserts
5. Locally-produced wine and beer
6. Nutritionally balanced children’s dishes
7. Half-portions/smaller portion for a smaller price
8. Farm/estate-branded ingredients
9. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
10. Sustainable seafood
11. Super fruits (e.g. acai, goji berry, mangosteen, purslane)
12. Organic produce

Rocke Family Reacquires RMH Foods

The Rocke family has reacquired RMH Foods, LLC from Smithfield Foods, Inc. RMH Foods, a leading manufacturer of fully cooked refrigerated entrees including Milano’s Italian Grille entrees, was founded in 1937 by the Jesse Rocke family. Smithfield acquired it in 2001.

IRS 2010 Mileage Rates

The Internal Revenue Service has issued the 2010 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.
Beginning January 1, 2010, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (including vans, pickups or panel
trucks) will be:

• 50.0 cents per mile for business miles driven;
• 16.5 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and
• 14 cents per mile driven in service to a charitable organization.

The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile.

Beef Board’s new Campaign

Watch for the “I Love Beef” campaign coming out February to encourage consumers to choose beef for their Valentine’s Day meal. It will also point out the heart health benefits of lean, middle cuts of beef. The Beef Board hopes these efforts in February will carry over to more holiday-beef associations like St. Patrick's Day sales of corned beef.

Meat Buyers Guide

NAMP announced the launch of a new, completely revised NAMP Meat Buyer’s Guide™ – the most comprehensive meat and poultry identification manual available – which may be preordered now for delivery in March. Meat Buyer’s Guide notebook charts and posters have been completely updated.
Orders may be placed through the NAMP Web site: www.namp.com.

FSIS-ASK

Question: FSIS Directive 5000.5, Section VI, (B)(3), states that a less than daily sanitation program may include, but is not limited to, "increased operational sanitation procedures to remove gross contamination from equipment and production areas throughout the processing day either by hand or with water of a suitable temperature". Does FSIS expect the establishment to take a corrective action and address "gross contamination from equipment and production areas throughout the processing day" on the official Sanitation SOP record per 9 CFR 416.15 (a)?

Answer: Not necessarily. For the purposes of FSIS Directive 5000.5, Section VI, (B) (3), "gross contamination" is the accumulation of product residue on direct food contact surfaces during operations. With the implementation of LTD procedures, the presence of product residues does not automatically represent noncompliance. FSIS expects establishments to implement their Sanitation SOP and any sanitation procedures as written, and to address the creation of insanitary conditions or the contamination or adulteration of product in accordance with the regulations. Noncompliance can only be determined based on the information gathered related to the LTD procedures and the food safety system as a whole. Implementation of corrective actions in accordance with 9 CFR Part 416 by the establishment, and the documentation of those actions, will be dependent upon whether the implementation of the Sanitation SOP has failed to prevent direct contamination or adulteration of product.

FSIS Notices Issued in January

FSIS Notice 03-10 How to Proceed in Establishments that have Multiple FSIS Laboratory Confirmed Residue Violations from the Same Source Supplier

FSIS Notice 04-10 Reiteration of Policy Regarding the Removal of Lingual and Palatine Tonsils From Beef Tongues and Beef Market Heads

FSIS Notice 05-10 Sample Collection From Cattle Under the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Ongoing Surveillance Program

FSIS Directive 5620.1 Using askFSIS

FSIS Notice 07-10 Instructions for Sampling Ammoniated Beef Products

FSIS Notice 06-10 Humane Handling at All Entrances and the Twenty-Eight Hour Law

Regulatory Web Seminars

In continuing the efforts for outreach to small and very small plants, FSIS is sponsoring a series of monthly web seminars. The seminars cover a variety of technical topics concerning FSIS policies and new technologies of interest to industry.

During the sessions, participants will gain insight on how FSIS will verify that Sanitary Dressing Procedures are being followed, how Sanitary Dressing Procedures are critical to reducing E. coli O157:H7 to undetectable levels, and how to verify that plant interventions are validated and used as intended. Participants will also become aware of the triggers that indicate that Sanitary Dressing Procedures may be out of control and have a greater understanding of validated HACCP plans and interventions.

To attend the webinars please follow the links below to join the event directly:
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET
Direct Link: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW2873189&p=SANITARY%20DRE&t=c
Audio Call-In: 1-877-917-2517
Passcode: Sanitary Dressing

Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET
Direct Link: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW2873196&p=SANITARY%20DRE&t=c
Audio Call-In: 1-877-917-2517
Passcode: Sanitary Dressing

Tax Season – Tax Scams

By January 31st you should have had your W-2’s and 1099 forms for the 2009 tax year. Be aware of fake IRS Scams. Identity thieves will take advantage of the tax-filing season to prey on the unwary. They may e-mail asking you to open an attachment, when the attachment is actually a virus. The IRS does not contact taxpayers over the Internet for any reason; they still use the U.S. Postal Service.

SEMA Condolences

Ms. Eula Savoie, 83, founder and owner of Savoie’s Sausage and Food Products in Opelousas, LA. passed away. Miss Eula, as she was affectionately known, died Tuesday, January 6, 2010 after a long battle with cancer. In 1955, she began making smoked sausage and boudin using her mother’s recipes, and selling the products in her country store along the Little Teche Bayou. Today, Savoie’s food products can be found in retail food stores in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida, and some are sold nationwide.

SEMA Member News

Kusel Equipment Co., as of December 31, 2009 sold select assets of Vortron Smokehouses Business to Vortron Smokehouses, LLC. Kusel Equipment Co, will continue to manufacture and service their other product lines (cheese and dairy manufacturing equipment and stainless floor drainage systems). Vortron Smokehouses LLC is owned and operated by Dan Mertes. Dan has been Kusel’s Product Manager for the Vortron Smokehouse. He has great experience and expertise with the product line. Vortron Smokehouse LLC can be contacted at 800.874.1949 or 608.362.0862.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS