SEMA_________________________________

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

SEMA CONVENTION

Mark your calendars for you won’t want to miss the SEMA Convention,
Trends --> Changes --> Opportunity
The Club @ Hammock Beach
Palm Coast, FL
June 6th & 7th
Visit the resort at www.hammockbeach.com
Convention information will be out Mid-March

SEMA OPPOSES USER FEES

SEMA is working with the AMI and other industry associations, to oppose “user fees” proposed by the Administration’s 2009 Federal budget for the meat and poultry inspection. USDA has requested user fees as part of its budget, for government mandated food safety inspection programs.

SEMA has signed on the following letter that is going to all members of the House and Senate;

"We urge you to reject the administration’s request for new user fees for meat, poultry and egg products inspection programs in the administration’s FY 2009 budget submission to Congress. These “user fees” for government-mandated food safety inspection programs represent an additional $96 million tax on consumers, livestock and poultry producers and the meat, poultry and egg processing industries.

Meat, poultry and egg products inspection is a public health and safety program required by federal law and has been funded through tax dollars for over a century. These new food safety taxes will be charged directly to the meat, poultry and egg products sector, which will be forced to pass this additional cost on to tax-paying consumers. Furthermore, this proposal to transform government-funded food safety inspection into an additional fee system provides less accountability for the government
to manage program costs, results or efficiencies.

The food safety tax proposal would also put meat, poultry and egg products at a competitive disadvantage in the domestic and international marketplace, compared with other food and imported products not subject to such a tax. Farmers, producers and processors in the meat, poultry and egg sector continuously face rising production costs and unpredictable export markets. These production costs have risen and continue to rise at a rate higher than inflation leading to increases in food costs to consumers which are already several times the current rate of inflation.

We know of no farm or industry organization that supports imposing a tax to pay for meat, poultry and egg products inspection. We urge Congress to continue to oppose proposals to assess new user fees, either in whole or in part, to fund federally mandated meat, poultry or egg products inspection. If you have questions, please contact any of the signatory organizations."

NAMP & SEMA LEADERSHIP MEET WITH FSIS

Southeastern Meat Association (SEMA) member Adam Chernin Of Central Beef LLC, accompanied the officers and invited members of the North American Meat Processors (NAMP) on a trip to Washington D.C. for a series of meetings with the Consumer Federation of America, selected staff members of our Congressmen and women and with the top members of the USDA-FSIS, to discuss policies and issues on E coli O157:H7.

The following is a review of the meeting:
The Consumer Federation of America is a relatively new organization, educating the consumer on what is happening to insure the consumer’s safety. The meeting was for them to gather information about the steps that the meat industry is taking to insure the consumer is getting a safe product.

Dr. Richard Raymond, Undersecretary for Food Safety, gave an overview of current FSIS policies and future initiatives:

• FSIS completed the beef checklist survey last fall in approximately 2500 establishments; 97% had reassessed their HACCP plans.
• FSIS is analyzing the survey results. It does not yet know what actions it may take based on these results (i.e. whether new rules of policies will be enacted).
• FSIS will host a public meeting this spring to discuss the survey results. Date not yet set.
• In January, FSIS began targeted testing and sampling all ground beef components (not just trim). It will test larger volume establishments more than smaller volume establishments under the new program.
• FSIS continues to operate its STEPS program, to help identify upstream suppliers of contaminated meat.
• FSIS will issue new compliance guidelines for beef processors, which will incorporate identified best practices.
• Food Safety Assessments (FSAs) will be prioritized for beef processing establishments this spring, and will begin with establishments that did not reassess their HACCP plans.
• Undersecretary Raymond said it is very important to start looking at ways to decrease the load of
  E. coli O157:H7 entering slaughter establishments. USDA will focus on farm practices and technologies next.

NAMP also shared its thoughts and concerns with FSIS. Main points included:

• FSIS should focus its limited resources on prevention of E. coli O157:H7, rather than detection.
• Since the majority of carcass contamination occurs at hide removal, FSIS should concentrate on ensuring that all establishments implement the most effective hide removal processes available.
• FSIS should recognize that the “not ground, non-intact” beef category is very broad and not all products in the category pose an equal risk. There is not a “one size fits all” best practice for this category.
• Members agreed with FSIS that supplier names for ground beef samples should be gathered at the same time samples are taken.
• NAMP members take their responsibility in the food safety continuum very seriously and are committed to producing the safest products possible.

We appreciated NAMP giving SEMA the opportunity to work with them and to have our voice heard in Washington.

<<-->><<-->><<-->><<-->><<-->><<-->><<-->><<-->>

Things to Ponder . . . . . . . . .
People may fail many times,
but they become failures only when
they begin to blame someone else.

<<-->><<-->><<-->><<-->><<-->><<-->><<-->><<-->>

HALLMARK/WESTLAND MEAT PACKING COMPANY

Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co., a Chino, Calif., establishment, has voluntarily recalled approximately 143,383,823 pounds of raw and frozen beef products that FSIS has determined to be unfit for human food because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection. Through evidence obtained by FSIS, the establishment did not consistently contact the FSIS public health veterinarian in situations in which cattle became non-ambulatory after passing ante-mortem inspection, which is not compliant with FSIS regulations.

Such circumstances require that an FSIS public health veterinarian reassess the non-ambulatory cattle which are either condemned and prohibited from the food supply, or tagged as suspect. Suspect cattle receive a more thorough inspection after slaughter than is customary.

This noncompliant activity occurred occasionally over the past two years and therefore all beef product produced during the period of time for which evidence indicates such activity occurred has been determined by FSIS to be unfit for human consumption, and is, therefore, adulterated. BSE because of the multiple safeguards; however, this action is necessary because plant procedures violated USDA regulations.

Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company remains suspended by the Food Safety and Inspection Service. The products destined for the Federal food assistance programs, including the National School Lunch Program, will now be removed from schools and other holding facilities and destroyed. At this print it looks like Hallmark /Westland Meat Packing Company will not reopen.

RECALL

Q: When there is a recall of 143 million pounds, which has been used as ingredients in other products
at other companies, will there be more recalls and increased poundage announced?

A: No, the way FSIS recalls work is that subsequent customers and products are considered part
of the original recall. So, if you received recalled meat that you made into other products and sold, there would not be another recall announced from your company or an increase in poundage of the
original recall.

Your responsibility is to notify your customers that they received product that was part of the original recall. Provided by NAMP

SALMONELLA AND E. COLI O157:H7 SAMPLING

FSIS Notice 12-08: Sampling of Low Production Volume Raw Ground Beef Establishments for Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7.

The purpose of this notice is to provide direction to inspection program personnel on how to submit samples for Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 testing for establishments producing low volumes of raw ground beef.

Currently, the Agency does not collect Salmonella sets in establishments producing less than 1000 pounds of raw ground beef per day but beginning March 28th the Agency will implement random sampling and testing for Salmonella at each establishment that produces less than 1000 pounds of raw ground beef products in a typical day’s production. FSIS will test the ground beef samples collected for both Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. The Agency will not schedule the establishments sampled under this program in the regular Salmonella verification testing program (9 CFR 310.25(b)).

SMITHFIELD to REDUCE U.S. SOW HERD

Smithfield Foods, Inc. announced plans to reduce its U.S. sow herd by four to five percent, or 40,000 to 50,000 sows. This ultimately will result in production of 800,000 to one million fewer market hogs annually. The company will begin phasing in these reductions immediately. Smithfield currently raises 18 million market hogs annually.

“ Given the economics for raising hogs today, we cannot continue on the current path; something has to change,” said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer. “Grain costs continue at record levels, with the potential of escalating, given the current U.S. government policy favoring corn for ethanol. Today the economics are very challenging and we believe that these increased costs will translate eventually into still higher food costs for the American consumer. In the meantime, Smithfield is taking immediate action to improve the efficiencies of our live production operations.”

With sales of $12 billion, Smithfield is the leading processor and marketer of fresh pork and packaged meats in the United States, as well as the largest producer of hogs.

REGULATORY EDUCATION SESSION

Small and very small plant owners and operators are invited to join FSIS inspection personnel at regulatory education sessions to bring industry and inspection personnel together to promote a uniform understanding of the regulations.

To register call 800.336.3747 or for online registration forms and information about upcoming sessions go to: www.usda.fsis.gov/News_&_Events.com.

E.coli O157:H7 Outreach Workshop
These sessions will cover Prerequisite Programs and FSIS Notices 65-07, 66-07 and 68-07 (PDF Only Links).

February 27th, Birmingham, Al, Hyatt Place Inverness, 205.995.9242
February 27th, Durham, NC, Wyndham Raleigh-Durham Hotel 919.941.6066

SEMA INDUSTRY NEWS

SEMA members, if you have a press release, something to share or information to up-date, please send it to the SEMA office and it will be posted at no charge. Example, new salesperson, personnel promotions, expanding your company, etc.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Companies that invest in employee learning have higher productivity, revenue growth,
and profit growth than companies that do not.