SEMA_________________________________

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

New Dietary Guidelines

US Department of Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius announced the release of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the federal government's evidence-based nutritional guidance to promote health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity through improved nutrition and physical activity.

The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans focus on balancing calories with physical activity, and encourage Americans to consume more healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and seafood, and to consume less sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and refined grains.

More consumer-friendly advice and tools, including a ‘next generation’ Food Pyramid, will be released by USDA and HHS in the coming months. Below is a preview of some of the tips that will be provided to help consumers translate the Dietary Guidelines into their everyday lives:

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines is available at www.dietaryguidelines.gov.

Wal-Mart Making a Healthy Choice

Wal-Mart plans on giving customers healthier and more affordable food choices by offering packaged foods that are lower in salt, fat and sugar. They have been successful making medications more affordable by offering a prescription plan for generic drugs and plan to do the same in the grocery department.

What are the two top selling spices in the world?
A: Pepper is first and mustard is second.

New Federal Audit Office to Scrutinize I-9 Files

The federal government will establish an Employment Compliance Inspection Center as part of its effort to crack down on employers that hire illegal workers.

SEMA Working for You

SEMA is partnering with the North American Meat Processors (NAMP) and American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) for a seat on the Wholesale Pork Reporting Negotiated Rulemaking Committee. NAMP Chairman, Gary Malenke of Sioux-Preme Pork Products has asked to serve as the representative and will attend the first meeting February 8-10, in St. Louis, MO. The Committee will be charged with developing a proposal to implement mandatory reporting of wholesale pork cuts, as directed by the Mandatory Price Reporting Act of 2010. The work of the Committee is expected to occur over three sessions and hopefully in time to publish a proposed rule this spring or early summer. It is an aggressive schedule, but is necessary in order to meet the Mandatory Price Reporting Act of 2010 requirement of publishing a final rule by March 2012.

Updates will be issued as meetings occur and any member interested in participating or being involved should contact Anna @ the SEMA office. While there is only one representative per group, others can participate as advisors and/or observers.

A Notice announcing this meeting was published in the January 26, 2010 Federal Register and is available through our website at www.ams.usda.gov/negotiatedrulemaking.

OSHA withdraws Proposed Interpretation on Occupational Noise

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that it is withdrawing its proposed interpretation titled "Interpretation of OSHA's Provisions for Feasible Administrative or Engineering Controls of Occupational Noise”. The interpretation would have clarified the term "feasible administrative or engineering controls" as used in OSHA's noise standard.

OSHA 300A Forms Must be Posted

Your company’s OSHA 300A forms must be posted no later than midnight February 1st - thus reflecting the eventful calendar year that was 2010.

Copies of the OSHA 300A forms must remain posted at a conspicuous place or places, up to and including April 30th each calendar year. The OSHA 300A form posting requirements applies even if you were lucky enough to have zero injuries and illnesses at your company during the preceding calendar year.

However, if your company had 10 or fewer employees at all times during the last calendar year, or, if your establishment is classified in a specific low hazard risk industry, you do not need to keep OSHA injury and illness records unless OSHA or the Bureau of Labor Statistics informs you in writing that you must keep records.

New Agriculture Committee Members

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) is the chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition
and Forestry. The committee members, who were appointed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), are: Patrick Leahy (D-VT),
Tom Harkin (D-IA), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Max Baucus (D-MT), Ben Nelson (D-NE),
Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Robert Casey (D-PA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO) Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ranking Member Pat Roberts (R-KS), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA),
Richard Lugar (R-IN), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Mike Johanns (R-NE),
John Boozman (R-AR), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Thune (R-SD), and John Hoeven (R-ND).

$ $ $ $ Food Prices -2011 $ $ $ $

In 2011, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all food is projected to increase 2 to 3 percent. Both food-at-home (grocery store) and food-away-from-home (restaurant) prices are also forecast to increase 2 to 3 percent. Although food price inflation was relatively weak for most of 2009 and 2010, higher food commodity and energy prices have recently exerted pressure on wholesale and retail food prices. Higher prices are projected to push inflation toward the historical average inflation rate of 2 to 3 percent in 2011.

Beef prices decreased 0.6 percent in December but are 6.1 percent above last December, with steak prices up 5.4 percent and ground beef prices up 6.2 percent. Pork prices decreased 2.1 percent in December but are 11.2 percent above last December’s level. Poultry prices decreased 0.6 percent in December but are 1.3 percent above prices last year at this time, with chicken prices up 1.4 percent and other poultry prices (including turkey) up 0.9 percent. As commodity prices and input costs have risen over the past 6 months, beef and pork prices are now significantly higher than in 2010. Increased inflation for beef and pork products is expected in the first half of 2011, as reflected in ERS's forecasts—beef prices are now projected to increase 2.5 to 3.5 percent and pork prices 3.5 to 4.5 percent in 2011.

USDA’s analysis can be viewed at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/CPIFoodAndExpenditures/Data/cpiforecasts.htm.

Did you know?
That "eat" is the only word that, if you take the 1st letter and move it to the last,
spells its past tense, "ate".

SEMA News

A spen Systems is pleased to announce that they will be occupying new premises. The new and larger office space has been custom designed to provide excellent accommodations for Aspen's staff and for the many visitors we host from across the U.S. & Canada. The new building is conveniently located just south of the Freeway Loop 101 and west of Scottsdale Road. This location boasts some of the finest restaurants, shopping, golf courses, and entertainment available in the Phoenix area. Make plans to come to Phoenix and let us proudly show you our new facility.

Aspens new address as of February 7th will be 6930 E. Chauncey Lane Ste. 100 Phoenix, AZ 85054
Phone # 800.767.1970 or 480.538.1970.

Hector Chichoni, a

speaker at last year’s SEMA convention has become a partner and chair of Duane Morris’s Florida immigration practice in Miami, Florida. You can reach Hector at 305.960.2277.

Accidents Can Be Fatal - - Be Prepared

Lockout / Tagout (LOTO) is Critical, any energy source—electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, or gas—can be deadly if not controlled.

Several common mistakes include:

1. "This job will only take a few minutes. I don't need to use a lock—I'll just shut down the equipment controls." No! Never under any circumstance is this permissible!
2. A worker pulls the switch and correctly locks it out. Then another worker places his lock through the first worker's lock. The first guy finishes first and removes his lock, leaving the other guy's lock lying on the ground near the switch. Wrong! Now the second worker has no protection. Make sure that multiple lockout procedures are always followed when more than one person is servicing the equipment.
3. A worker performing a lockout is afraid she's going to lose the key, so she leaves it in the lock. Big mistake! Now anyone could come along and remove the lock not realizing its protecting someone's life.
4. "Joe, could you take my lock, shut off the machinery, and lock it out while I get my tools together?" Stop! Don't let employees depend on the other guy! Each worker must perform the shutoff and lockout him or herself. (5) An employee locked out the control circuit and thought that was good enough. Wrong! The main disconnect or switch must be locked out too. Even one drop of water or a few particles of dust can cause a machine to operate without anyone pressing any start buttons.
   

Ensure that your training schedule includes LOTO for all new employees as well as a refresher for existing employees. Also, your system must be audited annually to ensure that it is being followed.

Provided by the Chilton Consulting Group

FSIS Directives & Notices

FSIS NOTICE 01-11 01/5/2011
INSTRUCTIONS FOR VERIFYING ALL STEPS IN THE PROCESSING OF READY¬TO-EAT MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS
This FSIS notice provides IPP with instructions for verifying that establishments that are producing ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products have considered all hazards and have included all steps in their hazard analysis.

FSIS NOTICE 02-11 01/06/2011
CHANGES IN FEDEX SERVICE FOR THE DELIVERY OF SAMPLE SUPPLIES
Effective February 1, 2011, FSIS laboratories will ship sample supplies for the majority of sampling programs to inspection program personnel (IPP) and Import Inspection Personnel using FedEx Ground service instead of FedEx Priority Overnight service.

FSIS DIRECTIVE 7120.1 Revision 5 1/4/2011
SAFE AND SUITABLE INGREDIENTS USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF MEAT, POULTRY, AND EGG PRODUCTS
This directive provides inspection program personnel (IPP) with an up-to-date list of substances that may be used in the production of meat, poultry, and egg products. FSIS will continue to update this directive quarterly by issuing revisions to this directive as opposed to issuing amendments to the directive.

More at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/index.asp

SEMA to Co-Host Mini-Con on E. coli, Validation

The Southeastern Meat Association (SEMA) is partnering with the North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) and six other meat industry associations to host a mini-conference on E. coli, validation and emerging issues for beef processors on Thursday, March 17, at The Drake Hotel in Chicago, IL.

The mini-conference will help beef processors prepare for the critical challenges they face now and in the future. The program is from 12 noon to 6 pm CST.

Featured speakers include:
• Kerri Harris, Ph.D., President and CEO, International HACCP Alliance;
• Dan Engeljohn Ph.D., Assistant Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development, FSIS;
• Justin R. Ransom, Ph.D., AVP, Food Protection and Government Affairs, OSI Group, LLC; and
• Mohammad Koohmaraie, Ph.D., CEO, Meat Division, IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group.

The program features:
Validating Controls in Beef Safety Systems. Validation continues to be a hot topic for FSIS and the industry alike. This session will include the latest information on what further processors are expected to do to show they have a validated system. (Harris)

FSIS Perspective on Pathogens of Concern in Beef. This session provides the important perspective of the regulators. It promises to be informative and insightful as to what processors can expect from FSIS. (Engeljohn)

Understanding and Addressing Non-O157 STECs. Includes information on the implication non-O157 STECs can have for the beef industry. FSIS has indicated its intention to consider expanding the adulterant policy to include this group of pathogens. The first recall from a non-O157 STEC occurred in 2010. (Ransom)

The Significance of Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) Salmonella. Focuses on the impact these pathogens have on human health and the beef industry, and what further processors need to know to ensure the safety of their products. (Koohmaraie)

Attend the mini-conference and stay for the two-day Meat Industry Management Conference to hear USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety, Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, on Day One. Day Two focuses on foodservice trends, marketing, and red meat market outlook issues. SEMA members qualify for lower registration fees and register before March 1 to get the early registration discount. For more information and to register, go to www.namp.com.

FSIS-ASK

Q: If an official establishment purchases meat and poultry products from another federally-inspected establishment, and then repackages such products (e.g., product that is received in bulk and repackaged into consumer size packages), can the labels applied to the re-packaged product be generically approved from the purchased product label?

A: No. The fact that the product is purchased from another establishment has no bearing on whether the label applied by the second establishment can be generically approved. However, if the product is single ingredient and bears no special claims, guarantees or foreign language, it is a generically approved label under 9 CFR 317.5(b)(2) or 381.133(b)(2). Additionally, if the product is a multi-ingredient standardized product, that is, it has a standard of identity or composition in 9 CFR 319 or 381 Subpart P or the Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book, and the labeling bears no special claims, guarantees, or foreign language, it qualifies as a generically approved label under the regulation citation provided above.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS