SEMA_________________________________

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

Meet SEMA Director

Chris Hudson

Chris Hudson of Morty Pride was elected to the SEMA Board of Directors.  Chris is Treasurer and Secretary of Morty Pride Meats; a family owned and operated meat processing company in Fayetteville, North Carolina.   Morty Pride has been in business over 30 years, producing barbeque, sausage, salted and smoked products as well as other pork items and private labels products for the southeastern U.S. Chris has served on the board and is a Past President of the North Carolina Meat Processors Association.  We welcome Chris as a Director and look forward to his participation on the board.

Donning & Doffing

This past August 28th, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) fully implemented donning and doffing requirements for the lunch period.  Senior Public Health Veterinarians, Senior Consumer Safety Inspectors, or Frontline Supervisors were expected to contact establishment management before August 28, to remind them that the lunch period, as defined in 9 CFR 307.4(b) and 381.37(b), is an authorized duty-free interruption in inspectors’ tour of duty once it begins.  Consequently, doffing of required gear needs to occur before the lunch period begins and donning of required gear needs to occur once the lunch period is over.  FSIS compensated employees through August 27.

FSIS Announces Final Compliance Guide for In-Plant Video Monitoring            

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have issued final guidelines to assist meat and poultry establishments that want to improve operations by using in-plant video monitoring. 

The compliance guide, Compliance Guidelines for Use of Video or Other Electronic Monitoring or Recording Equipment in Federally Inspected Establishments, will make firms aware that video or other electronic monitoring or recording equipment may be used in federally inspected establishments where meat and poultry are processed. The guidelines highlight the Agency's expectations, should an establishment use video monitoring or recording equipment.

"The recommendations included in this compliance guide may further ensure the humane handling of livestock, as well as maintain the safety of our food supply and the integrity of federally inspected plants," said FSIS Administrator Al Almanza. "I encourage meat and poultry establishments nationwide to utilize the technology."

Video or other electronic recording equipment can help meat and poultry establishments ensure that livestock are handled humanely, good commercial practices are being followed, product inventory is properly monitored, and their facility is adequately secure. Records from video or other electronic monitoring or recording equipment may also be used to meet FSIS' record-keeping requirements.

The guidelines are recommendations and not a regulatory requirement. The guide is available online at: www.fsis.usda.gov/Significant_Guidance/index.asp.

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Trivia
Q: Why are people in the public eye said to be 'in the limelight'?

A: Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and theatres by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light.   In the theatre, a performer 'in the limelight' was the center of attention.
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FPL Food to Expand Beef Plant in Georgia

FPL Food which produces value-added product for retail and foodservice customersis spending an estimated $3 million to expand its Augusta, Georgia beef processing plant.  When done 100 new jobs will be created.

County and state agencies helped FPL manage the expansion opportunity at the company’s third production facility.  FPL is the largest privately held beef processor in the Southeast, which operates its corporate headquarters from the former Shapiro Packing facility in Augusta and operates a value-added plant in West Columbia, S.C.

FSIS-ASK

Q: Am I required to document SSOP and HACCP corrective actions on the NR, or do I have to write them on my company record?
A: The requirement in 9 CFR 416.16 and 417.3(c) is that you document Sanitation SOP and HACCP corrective actions. The establishment can document these corrective actions on its records or on the NR. If the documentation is on the NR, the NR becomes part of the HACCP or Sanitation SOP records and is required to meet the recordkeeping requirements of those regulations.

Smithfield Foods - Best Safety Records in Company's History

Smithfield Foods handed out Health and Safety Excellence Awards to a number of subsidiaries for excellence in managing occupational safety and health at its annual safety conference.  Four years after implementing the Employee Injury Prevention Management System (EIPMS), Smithfield completed a record year, with its occupational injury and illness rates representing an average 25% reduction over the previous year's rates.  Smithfield's current injury and illness rates are at their lowest in the company's history.  This year's President's Award was presented to John Morrell Food Group's Armour-Eckrich facility in St. Charles, Illinois.

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Trivia
Q: Why are many coin banks shaped like pigs?

A: Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a dense orange clay called 'pygg'.       When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as 'pygg banks.'      When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a container that resembled a pig.   - And it caught on.
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Market research shows the new Pork® Be inspired sm campaign is having a positive impact on consumer attitudes.  Some 50-plus pork producers (the Plan of Work Task Force) are working on the 2012 budget for the National Pork Board, which will continue to focus on getting consumers to eat more pork.

The task force goals include:

• Refresh and reposition pork’s image to increase domestic and international consumer demand.
• Protect the rights and ability of U.S. farmers to produce pork in a socially-responsible and cost-competitive manner.
• Pursue strategies to enable U.S. pork producers to remain highly competitive, long term, on a global basis.

Based on revenue projections from the Pork Checkoff in 2012, the board has established a budget target of $69.3 million. The board anticipates spending $69.9 million in 2011.

FSIS-ASK

Q: Can official establishments donate misbranded product?

A: Yes, provided the official establishment submit a label for the misbranded product to the Labeling and Program Development Division for temporary approval as required by 9 CFR 317.4(a) or 9 CFR 381.132. If it FSIS policy that a similar requirement applies to donated egg products as well.

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Things to Ponder . . . . . . It is far more impressive when others discover
                                                   your good qualities without your help.
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FSIS Directives & Notices

FSIS Directive 6900.2    Aug 15, 2011
Humane Handling and Slaughter of Livestock - Revision 2
FSIS Directive 5100.1, Rev. 3    Aug 23
Enforcement, Investigations and Analysis Officer (EIAO) Food Safety Assessment Methodology
FSIS Notice 43-11    Aug 11
Announcing the Final Rule Requiring Nutrition Labeling of the Major Cuts of Single-Ingredient, Raw Meat and Poultry Products and Ground or Chopped Meat and Poultry Products
FSIS Notice 42-11    Aug 10
Requesting the Scheduling of a Salmonella Verification Set when an Establishment’s Process Changes
FSIS Notice 41-11    Aug  10
Discontinuation of FSIS Form 10,240-1, Production Information on Post- Lethality Exposed Ready-To- Eat (RTE) Products

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

Public Food Safety Training Courses

SGS is offering the following publicly available Food Safety Training courses for the months of September and October 2011.  Contact John Miller at 931-652-8888 or Gary Ostrow at 561-613-1950 for registration and cost information.  Listed are courses in the southeast, for a full listing of locations and a brochure contact John, Gary or Anna Ondick @ the SEMA office 407.365.5661.

September
Internal Auditing to Major GFSI Recognized Schemes  9/26-27/11  New Orleans, LA

October
GMP/HACCP Implementation  10/3-4/11  Orlando, FL
GMP/HACCP Internal Auditor  10/5-6/11  Orlando, FL
Commonalities and Differences between Major GFSI Schemes  10/7/11   Orlando, FL
Implementation of the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety  10/6-7/11   Memphis, TN
SQF 2000 Implementation   10/17-18/11   Orlando, FL
Steps to implement FSSC 22000 or ISO22000 Food Safety Management Systems 10/17-19/11  New Orleans, LA

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

National Deli, LLC
7250 NW 75th Terrace   Miami, FL 33122
Rick Bruskin
305.592.0300
Referred by Adam Chernin, Central Beef LLC

Witt Gas Controls LP
380 Winkler Drive  Ste #200    Alpharetta, GA 30004
Joe Creamer
770.664.4447

SEMA INDUSTRY NEWS

Handtmann, has relocated to a new facility.  The facility includes a state of the art classroom training facility and a new Customer Innovation Center, where tests can be performed with customers and provide hands on training and demonstrate our equipment in a “production-like” environment.  Please note the new address:
28690 N. Ballard Drive
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone 847.808.1100

CALENDAR OF EVENTS