SEMA_________________________________
SOUTHEASTERN MEAT ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 620777; Oviedo, FL 32762 Phone: 407-365-5661
SEPTEMBER 2003 VOLUME
18, No. 9
FSIS NEW SECURITY GUIDELINES FOR TRANSPORTATION AND
DISTRIBUTION OF MEAT
FSIS Food Safety and Security Guidelines for the Transportation and
Distribution of Meat Poultry, and Egg Products are designed to assist
small facilities and shippers handling these products. The voluntary guidelines
provide a list of safety and security measures that may be taken to prevent
contamination of meat, poultry, and egg products during loading and unloading,
transportation, and in-transit storage.
There are 2 sections to these guidelines, the first being to provide
food safety measures to help prevent the physical, chemical, radiological,
or microbiological contamination during transportation and storage. The
second deals with security measures intended to prevent the same forms
of contamination due to criminal or terrorist acts.
The agency is to analyze data on the impact of these guidelines before
deciding on making this mandatory. The full set of guidelines is available
at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/topics/transportguide.htm
Comments can be sent to FSIS via mail before October 3, by sending an
original and two copies to: FSIS Docket Room; U.S. Department of Agriculture;
Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102; Cotton Annex; Washington,
DC 20250-3700.
FSIS WORKSHOPS TO DISCUSS IMPLEMENTATION OF LISTERIA
RULE
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced it is holding five
workshops from September through October 2003 to discuss the upcoming
implementation of the interim final rule, "Control of Listeria monocytogenes
in Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products." The rule is scheduled
for implementation on October 6, 2003. The rule requires official establishments
that produce certain ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products to take
additional steps to control product adulteration by the pathogenic environmental
contaminant Listeria monocytogenes.
Workshop Schedule: September 13 Raleigh, NC
September 20 Kansas City, KS
To register, please contact Sheila Johnson at 202.690.6498 or sheila.johnson@fsis.usda.gov
OFFICE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY AT FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY
U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Elsa
Murano announced the establishment of the New Technology Office to be
based within the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The office will review new technologies that companies employ to ensure
that their use is consistent with Agency regulations and that they will
not adversely affect product safety, inspection procedures, or the safety
of FSIS inspectors. Although it is not required to submit new technologies,
Murano said that companies would benefit from doing so because they can
avoid delays to their operations.
The New Technology Office will soon launch a website that will provide
summaries of the new technologies under review along with their approval
status and allow interested groups to learn more about how to have their
products or ideas considered.
In the interim, FSIS has established an e-mail address, FSISTechnology@fsis.usda.gov
to encourage the expanded use of new technologies by allowing interested
parties to submit their information on-line.
USDA CREATES REGIONAL TRAINING CENTERS
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced new regional training centers
designed to bring comprehensive workforce training programs to the Food
Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS) field employees throughout the
country.
FSIS is establishing regional training centers in five field locations:
Atlanta, Dallas, Philadelphia, Des Moines and Boulder, Colorado. In addition,
FSIS will be conducting interactive and on-site training sessions that
will be easily accessible to its field employees.
"This Administration remains committed to improving our meat inspection
systems," said Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman. "Training
for inspectors is an important part of our efforts to ensure that all
our systems effectively protect the public health."
Beginning October 1, FSIS will train all new entry-level slaughter establishment
inspectors and veterinary medical officers in technical, regulatory and
public health methods. The types of training offered will be expanded
in the future.
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DID YOU KNOW?????????????????????
A typical American eats 28 pigs in their lifetime……………
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USDA CHANGES FROZEN PIZZA MEAT REQUIREMENTS
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a rule that modernizes
current regulatory standards of identity for "pizza with meat"
and "pizza with sausage." Food standards are established to
ensure that consumers get what they expect when purchasing food products.
Food standards set minimum meat or poultry contents, maximum fat and water
contents and methods of processing, cooking and preparation.
Starting in October, frozen pizza makers can put just 2 percent cooked
meat or 3 percent raw meat on top, instead of the 12 percent cooked or
15 percent raw that are currently required. The American Frozen Food Institute
sought the change, arguing that less restrictive standard means they could
produce more healthful pizza with less fat and cholesterol.
Supermarkets sold more than $2.5 billion in frozen pizzas in 2000, the
institute says.
NATIONAL FOOD SAFETY PROMOTION
FSIS is working to put the word out of food safety. September 18 is
National Food Safety Education Month. The theme this year is "Store
It. Don't Ignore It." The goals of the Month are:
· to reinforce food safety education and training among restaurant
and foodservice workers.
· to educate the public to handle and prepare food properly at
home, where food safety is equally important-whether cooking from scratch
or serving take-out meals and restaurant leftovers.
For more information and to help promote food safety with your customers
long on to:
http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/september.html
CHECKOFF UPDATES VALUE CUT RESOURCES
To expand the sales of new beef value cuts, the Beef Checkoff Program
has released an updated value cuts guide and other educational materials.
This material is offered free to beef industry professionals. Other newly
released materials include a laminated cutting guide and a Spanish language
instruction video.
To order the value cut guidebook, laminated value cut guide and Spanish-language
video call 800.368.3138.
FCC FAX BAN
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a ban on sending
unsolicited commercial faxes. The proposed legislation will make it illegal
for businesses and organizations to send a fax to any person or business
without prior written approval.
The FCC will require a consent form to be completed by your customers
or other before you may legally send them faxes. The regulation will take
effect January 1, 2004.
The SEMA office will be mailing out consent forms for you to sign and
a generic from you can use for your business.
RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY
The Department of Food Science and Technology of the University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Science are holding an Open
House and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in recognition of the new Food Science
Addition on September 5 at 10:30 a.m.
NAMP GETS NEW EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT
Joe Miller has succeeded Marty Holmes as the Executive Vice-President
of NAMP. Joe was the Senior Director of Regulatory Relations at the American
Farm Bureau.
H E L P !!!!!!
SEMA member Tyrone Beatty with Alkar-Rapid Pak-Sanimatic is looking
for someone to co-pack jerky for a small local guy who is presently not
inspected. This individual has the opportunity to put his product into
some other applications if he can find a co-packer who is interested in
working with him. If anyone can help Tyrone in his search, he can be reached
at Tyrone.Beatty@alkar.com or by phone at 770.335.4534
NAME CHANGE
Please make a note that the name of Associate member Vector, Inc. has
been changed to INOVAPK VECTOR, INC.
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DID YOU KNOW?
The Average Job Tenure for Must U.S. Employees is 3.6 Years.
39% of the Work Force Has Worked for Six or More Employers
THINGS TO PONDER…………..
After all is said and done, more is said than done……
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KNOW YOUR ASSOCIATES
DeWied International, Inc.
Jan Danielski, Sales Representative
5010 East 1H 10
San Antonio, TX 78219
Phone: 800.992.5600
Fax: 941.795.5326
email: JanD@dewiedint.com
DeWied International, Inc. is the leading innovator and manufacturer
in the sausage casing industry. Founded in 1932, by Dutch immigrant Andre
de Wied, the A. DeWied Casing Company has grown to become a third generation
family business success story with facilities in Texas, Wisconsin, Canada,
Finland, Mexico and Argentina. By incorporating the traditional values
of the original company, with the demand of today's marketplace, DeWied
International, Inc. has become one of the most innovative providers of
sausage casings, importing and exporting around the world.
DeWied supplies natural and synthetic sausage casings, specializing
in hog, sheep and beef casings. DeWied is currently one of the largest
suppliers of natural casings as well as the leading producer of pre-cooked
natural casings. DeWied's natural casing production begins at the packinghouse
and continues to the end user. This ensures the quality and consistency
of the natural casings that bear the DeWied name.
DeWied Account Executives ensure customer satisfaction through a sophisticated
computer based telecommunication system--a system designed to generate
and track orders to their final destination and providing prompt, superior
service to DeWied customers.
DeWied's global service to sausage makers now includes a wide product
inventory of natural, collagen, fibrous, plastic and cellulose casings,
along with other specialty products for making sausage. DeWied's worldwide
mission is to create products and programs that promote the growth and
prosperity of the sausage making industry and the enjoyment of the great
taste of sausage.
The tradition of the A DeWied Company then and the innovation of DeWied
International, Inc now have set the standard for the casing industry for
over 50 years, demonstrating that "Sausage is more profitable in
DeWied casings".
WELCOME TO OUR NEW PROCESSING MEMBER
COUNTRY RANCH FOODS
Ed Vanderslice, President
1460 Fieldpark Circle
Marietta, GA 30066
Phone: 770.792.9000
E-Mail: evanders@bellsouth.net
WELCOME TO OUR NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
ECON-O-MAKER, INC.
Mark Wiltshire, Owner
7814 East 49th
Tulsa, OK 74145
Phone: 800.488.9640
Fax: 918.664.2126
E-Mail: economarker@sbcglobal.net
ZEP MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Steven Hynds, Sales/Service Representative
2272 Malachite Drive
Lakeland, FL 33810
Phone: 863.859.2869
Fax: 863.815.0599
E-Mail: shynds@tampabay.rr.com |