SEMA_________________________________

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

Business; “A-Maze or A-Maze-ing”
Come and Join Us!
The SEMA Convention
Brasstown Valley Resort
Young Harris, GA.
June 11th & 12th

Our industry is facing many obstacles and the SEMA convention program is designed to make these obstacles easier to overcome. The SEMA Board of Directors are inviting all processors from the southeast to attend the SEMA convention at the SEMA member rate.

Bring the family; there is much to do on the 503 acre resort including golf, tennis, horseback riding, stream or pond fishing, outdoor and indoor swimming pool, a state-of-the-art fitness center and over 9 miles of hiking trails or enjoy a luxurious spa experience at the Equani Spa, a full-service spa. In the surrounding area, nature lovers will enjoy rock climbing, white water and tube rafting, canoeing, kayaking, and guided lake tours.

There is no substitute for face-to-face interaction when it comes to solving complex problems and building relationships.

SEMA convention information & registration on CONVENTION PAGE or call the SEMA office 407.365.5661.

SEMA Convention Topics and Presenters

Washington is passing new bills and David Long-Daniels from Greenberg Traurig LLP will give us a Legislative Update of Hot Issues and Trends in Labor & Employment Law. In 2010 we will likely continue to see significant changes to state and federal employment laws and enforcement initiatives. This session will cover the top legislative issues and trends in 2010 as well as strategies employers can take to reduce their legal liability.

Topics will include:
• Recent EEOC initiatives, practices, and guidance
• Recent amendments to the Americans With Disabilities Act
• Trends and potential amendments to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
• Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Terry Vargo, senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer of Citizens Bank of Florida, will update us on the banking industry. Terry’s bank experience includes time with the FDIC assisting in the closing of failed banks.

Immigration is in the news and you need to be ready if the ICE knocks on your door. Hector A. Chichoni of Epstein Becker & Green, practices in the area of US and global immigration law. Hector’s presentation will give you the information you need to keep your I’s dotted and your T’s crossed.

If you sell to the retail grocery industry, you’ve probably heard of Global Food Safety (GFSI) and Safe Quality Food (SQF). The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is a non-profit making foundation, created under Belgian law in May 2000. Under the umbrella of GFSI, 8 major retailers came to accept the GFSI benchmarked food safety schemes in June 2007. The SQF (Safe Quality Food) Program is a global food safety and quality certification program and management system. It provides independent certification that a supplier's food safety and quality management system complies with international and domestic food safety regulations. The GFSI schemes are aligned with common criteria defined by food safety experts from the food business and the GFSI vision of ‘once certified, accepted everywhere’ has became a reality. Wal-Mart and other retail grocers are beginning to require their vendors have this 3rd party audit. SEMA member Jeff Chilton of the Chilton Consulting Group will tell you how to prepare for this certification.

SEMA member Howard Eubanks, regional sales manager of FOSS has over 20 years experience selling analytical instrumentation, process controls and related data management systems. He will give you ways to maximize yields, ensure fair value of purchased ingredients and streamline audits.

Internet marketing gets bigger every year and this year Jimmy Puckett and Cliff Hammock from Spinen will address how you can leverage the latest Internet technologies to boost your business. Topics to be discussed include improving your Web site as a sales tool, analyzing your Web site's performance, leveraging co-marketing funds to realize mutual benefits with your retail clients, and direct advertising tools such as Jigsaw. Come learn how you can target and communicate your business' message more effectively.

SEMA member Sealed Air/Cryovac’s Susan Edwards explains “Food Packaging that Enables”. Packaging has become an enabler throughout the life cycle of the packaged product. From the processor's production floor to the consumer's table, effective packaging delivers on food safety; extended shelf life; differentiation on the shelf, easier cooking in the home; and sustainability. In this session we explore how innovative packaging meets today's challenges.

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

$250.00 per person includes:
Thursday Welcome Reception
Friday Networking Lunch / Presentations on Industry Topics / Roundtables
Discussion
Dinner – Country Hoedown
Saturday Continental Breakfast / Presentations on Industry Topics
President’s Reception & Dinner

Exhibitors
The following companies will be on hand to share the latest in trends and technology.
A.C. Legg Co. / Advanced Surfaces / Astro Products / CDC Software /
Chilton Consulting Group / Cryovac Sealed Air / Excalibur Seasoning / Express Label Co. /
FOSS North America / Frank Door Co. / Globe Packaging / Golden Eagle Extrusions / Handtmann / Hovus / International Casings Group / Marel Food Systems / MaxPak / Mound Tool Company / Oversea Casing Co. / PermTherm Inc. / Pro Smoker n Roaster / Quality Casing Co. / Robert Reiser & Co. / Spraying Systems / Standard Casing / Stellar Group / Tipper Tie / Ulma Packaging Systems / WinPak / Wolfson Casing / VC999 Packaging Systems / University of Florida / University of Georgia

Golf (includes cart)
Thursday afternoon $69.00
Saturday afternoon tournament $75.00

Things to ponder. . . . . . . . . . Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked,
while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind."
Bruce Lee, martial artist and actor

New Products on the Market

Pretzelmaker/Pretzel Time is launching Mini Pretzel Dogs -- all-beef hot dogs wrapped in Pretzelmaker's original pretzel dough. Atlanta-based Pretzelmaker/Pretzel Time, owned by NexCen Brands Inc., have approximately 360 stores worldwide.

Panorama Meats Inc. and Wellshire Farms have a new line of organic hot dogs made with grass-fed beef, available exclusively at Whole Foods Markets in Northern California with nationwide distribution to follow. The franks are expected to sell for $7.49 a pound package.

USCIS Issues Revised Employment Authorization Document

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has revised the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or Form I-766 to incorporate the addition of a machine-readable zone on the back of the card. This update to the EAD is part of USCIS's ongoing efforts to deter immigration fraud. The machine-readable zone is compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization standards. USCIS also removed the two-dimensional bar code on the backside of the card and moved the informational box of text to just beneath the magnetic stripe on the card. The revised card retains all of its existing security features. USCIS began issuing the revised EAD cards May 11th.

Mobile Slaughter Units

As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the availability of the compliance guide for mobile slaughter units. A mobile slaughter unit (MSU) is a self-contained slaughter facility that can travel from site to site. The MSU compliance guide is intended for owners and managers of a new or existing red meat or poultry mobile slaughter unit who want their business to come under Federal inspection and to operate in accordance with FSIS regulations. The document includes the procedures necessary to receive a Federal grant of inspection, unique concerns that may arise with mobile slaughter units, and links to regulatory requirements and resources.

The meat and poultry industries have become increasingly consolidated, while consumer interest in locally grown and specialty products has continued to expand. MSUs can help producers meet consumer demand for locally grown and specialty products and can serve multiple small producers in areas where slaughter services might be unaffordable or otherwise unavailable. Therefore MSUs can help small producers expand their businesses and create wealth in rural communities.

Pre-Harvest Cattle Management Controls

Despite the industries interventions to address E. coli O157:H7 in raw beef products it remains a food safety hazard in our food supply. Pre-harvest cattle management controls and interventions are emerging as an option to improve food safety. Consensus within the beef industry is that beef producers should follow basic recommended principles of cattle management. The following are the basic recommended principles of cattle management.

1. Clean water
2. Clean feed
3. Clean environment that is appropriately drained
4. Separate housing of calves and heifer or reduced animal density
5. Biosecurity—wildlife exclusion to the extent possible.

The preharvest management practices and interventions are divided into the following general areas: (1) cattle water and feed (2) live animal treatments, and (3) management practices and transportation.

USDA / New Performance Standards for Salmonella and Campylobacter

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new performance standards to reduce Salmonella and Campylobacter in young chickens (broilers) and turkeys, fulfilling another key recommendation of the President's Food Safety Working Group. The compliance guide includes additional pre-harvest recommendations for controlling Salmonella and Campylo¬bacter in poultry.
The President's Food Safety Working Group has set a goal of having 90 percent of all poultry establishments meeting the revised Salmonella standard by the end of 2010.
The documents are posted on FSIS web site, www.usda.fsis.gov

FSIS-ASK

"Cook-in-Bag" products and products labeled "For Further Processing"

Question: According to FSIS Notice 21-10, inspection program personnel (IPP) are to verify that Ready-To-Eat (RTE) establishments producing post-lethality exposed products have submitted FSIS Form 10,240-1, "Production Information on Post-Lethality Exposed Ready-to-Eat Products," within the past year, as required in 9 CFR 430.4(d). Should establishments include production information for cook-in bag products or products labeled "for further processing" on the form?

Answer: No. The purpose of FSIS Form 10240-1 is to collect information from establishments producing post-lethality exposed RTE products for use in FSIS sampling programs. Because cook-in bag products are not considered to be post lethality exposed, information from these products should not be included on the form. Also, according to FSIS Directive 10240.4, Rev.2, "Verification Procedures for Consumer Safety Inspectors for the Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) Regulation and Lm Sampling Programs," products labeled "for further processing" are excepted from FSIS sampling programs. Therefore, information from products labeled "for further processing" also should not be included on the form.

Know Your New SEMA Member

Plex Systems
Jon Cowan (Sr. Sales Executive)
1731 Harmon Rd. Auburn Hills, MI 48326
404.687.0047

Since 1995, Plex Systems, Inc. (www.plex.com) of Auburn Hills, Mich., has maintained a singular vision -- to drive significant cost, quality and productivity improvements for the enterprise. Plex Online is its Software as a Service (SaaS) ERP solution. Plex Online is a comprehensive software solution that manages operations from the plant floor to the top floor, including manufacturing execution system (MES) which supports quality management and machine integration, enterprise resource planning (ERP) for accounting and finance, customer relationship management (CRM) features for order entry and tracking, and supply chain management (SCM) which support supplier quality and traceability. Plex Online's SaaS (subscription) model delivers reduced cost of operations, faster implementations and a continuously improving feature set. Plex Systems serves a global cross-section of manufacturing industries (OEM and Suppliers), including a major focus on Food and Beverage processing, where manufacturers need to meet stringent customer and regulatory requirements for quality and traceability.

WELCOME NEW SEMA MEMBERS

MaxPak convention exhibitor
Kevin Bailey
2808 New Tampa Hwy Lakeland, FL 33815
863.284.2301

PermaTherm Inc. convention exhibitor
Keith DeVore
269 Industrial Park Rd. Monticello, GA 31064
770.361.7703

Pro Smoker N Roaster convention exhibitor
Fred Dixon
120 S. Main St. Iron Ridge, WI 53035
800.328.8313

Spraying Systems Co convention exhibitor
Rick Grat
6248 Park South Dr. Bessemer, AL 35022
205.425.5190

Teresa E. Frey & Associates
Teresa Frey
110 Hodges Cir. Milledgeville, GA 31061
404.433.2130

WTI, Inc.
Kevon Ledgerwood
281 MLK Ave. Jefferson, GA 30549
706.387.5150

CALENDAR OF EVENTS