SEMA_________________________________

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

SEMA June Convention June 5th - 8th

Convention program:
Amazing Face Reading: “You will never look at a person the same way” says Mac Fulfer.  Mac takes scientific basis for face reading and gives participants interactive information about what is being said but not spoken.  Face reading is a means to a deeper communication with every person you meet.

EXHIBITORS

The President’s banquet will wrap up the convention Saturday evening.  Awards for the Saturday’s golf tournament will be presented followed by dinner and entertainment.

This year SEMA is offering meat processing companies that have never been a SEMA member, one free convention registration ($275 value) and membership for 2014.

NAMA Scholarship Recipient

One of SEMA’s scholarship recipient’s, Brittany McDaniels from the University of Florida received a scholarship from The North American Meat Association (NAMA) Scholarship Foundation.  The award was presented during the NAMA Meat Industry Management Conference on March 21.

The $2,250 to $2,500 merit-based awards are presented annually to undergraduate students studying animal/meat/food science and considering a career in the meat industry.

Historic Vote to Merge with AMI

The North American Meat Association (NAMA) voted to merge with the American Meat Institute (AMI). The Board approved an Agreement and Plan of Merger that, assuming AMI members also vote to merge, will become effective January 1, 2015.

"We're excited to have this opportunity to form a new industry organization," said NAMA Co-President Tony Gahn, Jr., third-generation owner at Gahn Meat Co., Inc. He and Co-President Mike Hesse, Director of Sales at Beef Products, Inc., serve on the joint merger committee. They and all NAMA's executive leadership are committed to being responsive to member comments and inquiries going forward, and look forward to hearing from any and all members about this historic step. "The time has come for the industry to speak with one voice," said Hesse.

AMI Chairman Greg Benedict, chief operating officer and president of American Foods Group, called the vote "welcome news." AMI's members will hold their vote on the merger in April.

The Aging Workforce and Its Impact on the Worker’ Compensation System

As “baby boomers” (those born between 1946 and 1964) approach retirement, employers in the United States will face a number of issues related to this aging workforce.  In 2004, 15.6% of the workforce was over age 55.  In 2014, that figure has grown to 21.2%.  Due to extended life expectancy, uncertainty surrounding Social Security, and the recent economic downturn, many older workers will have no choice but to remain part of the labor force.  Not surprisingly, as people age, they become more susceptible to injury and disease due to years of stress placed upon their bodies.  Those employers with a large percentage of their workforce performing manual labor are particularly susceptible to the related risks.

Employers need to be prepared to address issues unique to an aging labor force.  They should understand how older employees differ from younger employees concerning the overall likelihood of on-the-job injuries and the increased costs associated with treatment and disability.  As people age, they are more likely to have age-related medical problems due the stresses and strains of everyday life; degenerative changes or personal conditions.  These preexisting degenerative conditions render older workers vulnerable to aggravation-type injuries, could increase the relative severity of their new injuries, and may lengthen the timeline of their recovery.  This is particularly problematic in jurisdictions where an aggravation of a pre-existing condition is compensable for workers’ compensation purposes.  Therefore, given a worker's personal factors, a seemingly inconsequential work accident or routine injury has a greater likelihood of becoming far more significant.

Additional concerns relate to heart attack and stroke claims in older workers.  Many jurisdictions provide some presumption of compensability if a stroke or heart attack occurs in the workplace, and even cardiac events occurring several hours after an employee’s shift has ended could be deemed compensable.  Each state’s burden differs, but continued physical labor later in life greatly increases the risk of this type of injury, and is particularly complicated in those cases where the heart attack or stroke leads to an employee’s death.

How then, as an employer, do you combat these claims?  For starters, take action prior to any potential accident.  Be diligent in the hiring process.  We recommend that employers, regardless of the age of their workforce, require all employees to complete post-offer/hire medical questionnaires.  This is for their protection, as well as yours.  If an employee knowingly misleads their employer regarding a pre-existing or unrelated physical condition, there may be a defense to any later workers’ compensation claim.  Hold employees accountable, and in turn expect them to hold each other accountable when it comes to creating/sustaining a safe work environment.  Ensure that employees are aware of safety procedures and protocols, remind them of those procedures during frequent safety meetings, and discipline those who fail to follow them.  Safety procedures are there to protect all employees, and in turn sustain a productive work environment.

Also, after an older employee sustains an on-the-job injury, there are options to minimize exposure.  If possible, utilize a light duty return to work program.  Statistics show the quicker an injured worker returns to some form of viable light duty work, the greater the chance of a successful outcome post-accident.  Do not ignore the human element, or the psyche of an injured worker.  Call them after an accident to see how they are recovering, and reinforce with the injured worker they are a valued part of the company, particularly if they are a long-term employee.  We as attorneys hear all too often from injured workers how upset they were that their long-term employer seemingly forgot about them after the accident.  It creates an adversarial situation and can create emotional roadblocks for long-term resolution of a claim.  Something as simple as a card, flowers, or a phone call after an accident can go a long ways in reducing your claim exposure, and may dissuade them from retaining counsel or initiating litigation. 

SEMA Membership

The food industry has many opportunities and challenges ahead and your support and participation in the association is very important.  If you have not already renewed your 2014 membership do it now. 

SEMA has worked on the following issues:
The ethanol issue; Mandatory wholesale pork report; User fees for FSIS inspection; and assisted the Department of Homeland Security-Georgia Emergency Management Agency.

SEMA sponsored webinars:
Meat Tenderness; Coaching the Positive Way to Improve Sales; Navigating the FSIS Public Health Information System (PHIS), Regulatory Noncompliance and Public Health Regulations.

SEMA sponsored workshops:
Beef Safety; STEC and Salmonella Conference; Control of Shiga-toxin Producing E. coli and Salmonella in Beef Processing; Meat Processing and Safety.

SEMA sends a monthly newsletter to keep you up to date with the latest technology and industry regulations.  The SEMA website has been a good tool for our members and helps to bring in new members.  With your support and participation we can continue to work on these and other issues, while bringing you valuable educational workshops and webinars.  The Board of Directors and SEMA staff look forward to working for and with you in the coming year. 

For membership and scholarship information, go to the SEMA web site www.southeasternmeat.com or call the office 407.365.5661.

Something to Ponder . . . . .
A man only learns in two ways, one by reading,
and the other by association with smarter people.
Will Rogers

FSIS Notices:

FSIS Directive 10,800.1  March 3   Residue Sampling, Testing and Other Verification Procedures under the National Residue Program for Meat and Poultry Products 

FSIS Notice 12-14  March 6   Export of Product with a Country Label Designation Different from the Export Certificate Designation

FSIS Notice 14-14  March 19  Instructions for Conducting Verification Tasks on Missed Inspection Visits of Meat or Poultry Processing Establishments

FSIS Notice 13-14  March 19   Collecting Supplier Information at the Time of Sample Collection for Escherichia Coli (E. coli) O157:H7 in Raw Ground Beef Products and Bench Trim

FSIS Notice 16-14  March 27
Actions to Facilitate Industry Access to the Public Health Information System (PHIS)

FSIS Directives:
FSIS Directive 5500.2 Revision 6  March 19   Significant Incident Response

FSIS Directive 10,800.1 Revision 1  Mar 3   Residue Sampling, Testing and Other Verification Procedures under the National Residue Program for Meat and Poultry Products

9 CFR 417.5(a)(3)- HACCP Recordkeeping requirements

Q.  What are inspection program personnel (IPP) to look for when verifying the regulatory requirements in 9 CFR 417.5(a)(3)?

A.  IPP are to verify that records maintained under the HACCP plan include the following information:
   *The results of monitoring of CCPs and critical limits (i.e., actual times monitoring was conducted, temperatures or other quantifiable values observed, or other values as provided in the establishment's HACCP plan);
   *Information regarding the calibration of process-monitoring instruments;
   *Any corrective actions implemented, including all actions taken in response to a deviation from a critical limit;
   *Indication of which verification procedures were performed and results of those verifications; 
  *Identification of the product (e.g., product code(s), product name, or slaughter production lot); and,       
  *The date the record was created.
For additional information see FSIS Directive 5000.1 Rev. 4

SEMA Industry News

Harpak-ULMA Packaging, LLC announces the addition of Duane Cappo as their Regional Sales Manager - Southeast.  Duane will be based out of North Carolina and will cover Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia including DC and West Virginia.  Duane brings over 20 years of sales experience with capital equipment including experience in the packaging industry.  Most recently, he worked for Loma Systems in Raleigh, NC as a Regional Sales Manager selling a broad range of safety inspection equipment.  Duane has also worked for FleetwoodGoldcoWyard, Multivac, Imaje USA, and Domino Amjet.  His experience includes sales with packaging automation products and horizontal form-fill-seal rollstock equipment. Duane is eager to assist you with your packaging requirements.  He may be reached at 508-386-6561 or duanecappo@harpak-ulma.com.

 Welcome New SEMA Members

 Welcome New SEMA Members

Harrison Poultry is a high quality food processor that exceeds their customer’s expectations.  Harrison Poultry is a fully integrated poultry manufacturer founded in 1959 and employs some 1,100 people.  A state of the art processing facility Harrison Poultry specializes in fresh and frozen boneless meats and finely ground meats.

Peach Orchard Deer Processing was started in 2001 as an idea to make a little extra income. I really didn’t have the money to start a big operation. In fact, I had to scrounge to find material and built a building from scratch. It took a couple of years and it was small at first, but I have added on little by little.

I had no idea business would take off the way it did. My wife and I thought we would work a couple of nights a week but before we knew it, we were working until midnight, every night, just to keep up. After three years, I had to quit my job and hire additional help. We now have 12 employees.
We have been blessed and are very happy with our business. Getting to know our customers has been the best experience ever. I have gotten to know more people than I ever thought I would in a lifetime. We enjoy listening to our customer’s hunting stories and no matter how hectic it gets, we always make time for, and enjoy hearing their stories.

Background and Credentials:
I started my career in the meat business right out of high school. I was working at a local grocery store as a bagger and graduated to the Meat Market. I completed a two-year apprenticeship and became a full-fledge Meat Cutter. I continued my education and was promoted to Meat Manager. I worked as a Meat Manager throughout the state. I enrolled in a Serv Safe certification class and am now Serv Safe certified. I worked as a Meat Supervisor in three states before I became a full-time processor.

After a few years I decided to get my plant certified with the USDA inspection process. We are now fully entitled to process hogs, cows and other animals as well. The USDA inspects my plant on a weekly basis and there has never been an issue. I welcome the USDA, as well as our customers to inspect the conditions of the plant. We take pride in our plant and our work.

We vacuum seal all of our products and we also use a special blend of seasoning in our sausage from mild to hot. We offer a variety of other flavors as well.

I had many customers asking about processing Alligator. Although a great challenge in the beginning, we have now mastered it, and can process your gator to your specifications. We even offer a “gator summer sausage” which is outstanding.

Other processors try to imitate Peach Orchard Deer Processing but do not have the credentials I do to process. Most are backyard processors who don’t have the experience or the knowledge to process meat the correct way. There actually is a “right” process to cutting meat to ensure quality and freshness and customer satisfaction. I stand behind what I do and guarantee 100% satisfaction.
Peach Orchard Deer Processing
Dalzell, SC 29040
Roy Floyd, 803.499.9036

BlendPak/Bloomfield Farms, Blending Food Science and Culinary to Meet Your Needs

Since 1797, six generations of family tradition have gone into the creation of our present day products. Current owner Dan Sutherland is following in the footsteps of his great, great, great grandfather William Sutherland, who operated a flour and corn mill in Central Kentucky.  Each succeeding generation has continued to honor the legacy of the past by focusing on enhancing the future.  Today our modern facilities are located in Bloomfield, Kentucky, and Bardstown, KY not far from William’s first mill. We specialize in supplying our industrial customers who process meat, chicken, and fish products for their customers with a variety of creative coating systems. These blends, whether it's a marinade or rub, seasoned breader, predust or a batter, all help to create a uniform finished food product of optional flavor, texture, and appearance ready for delivery to the customer.

Blend Pak, Inc. is located in Bloomfield, Kentucky near the site of its forerunner, Sutherland Mill which sold a popular seasoned flour for frying meats and vegetables that was developed for sale in the 1960's. This product's success helped foster a dream for a new facility to create and blend ingredients for use in the modern food industry. Today, Blend Pak, Inc. operates with modern equipment and technology manufacturing batters, breaders, marinades, seasoning blends and specialty mixes as well as custom blended dry formulas. Blend Pak's Research and Development team will match your signature formula, or assist you in developing a new formula that achieves your desired flavor, color and texture.  Our research expertise includes wheat flour and corn flour based products, pre-dusts, batters, breaders, special spice blends, dry marinations, gravy mixes, bakery and donut mixes, as well as dry cream blends. Blend Pak can also troubleshoot the process at your facility to ensure the quality and consistency of your final products.  Our technical services and R&D group pride themselves on addressing customer needs in a variety of areas in a timely fashion.

Bloomfield Farms® is our dedicated gluten-free, peanut free, kosher facility located in Bardstown, KY which optimizes distribution throughout the United States. Bloomfield Farms® has been blending and packaging many retail and further processed gluten free products for more than six years. In early 2010 a new state of the art manufacturing plant was dedicated and our facility and products are certified by the Celiac Sprue Association. Products bearing the CSA Recognition Seal meet the strictest criteria for absence of gluten in product ingredients, processing and packaging. The CSA Recognition Seal Program is reserved for the “Best of the Best” in risk-free choices and requirements exceed the “gluten-free” definitions proposed by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and adopted by the international Codex Alimentarius Commission.

Blend Pak, Inc and Bloomfield Farms stand ready to serve your dry ingredient and technical needs.  Don’t hesitate to contact our Director of Technical Services/ Sales, Dr. Benjy Mikel, at 662-617-3897 or by email at bmikel@blendpak.com.  We look forward to serving you!

Mepaco Announces New Sales and Account Managers, Mepaco, a manufacturer of commercial food processing equipment, adds new sales and account managers to grow national coverage and customer support. Mepaco is part of the Apache Stainless Equipment Corporation family.

Joe Abitz (left,) Roy Howe (right)

Mepaco, part of the Apache Stainless Equipment Corpation family, announces two new managers to the national sales team – Roy Howe and Joe Abitz. Mepaco provides food processing equipment including thermal processing solutions, mixers, blenders, cookers, augers, dumpers, sanitary conveyors and material handling systems to food manufacturers.

Roy Howe joins the Mepaco group with an extensive technical background in food processing and food packaging sales and service. Roy is responsible for new and existing customers in the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Joe Abitz has over ten years of experience in the engineering, sales and project management of sanitary food processing equipment. He is responsible for the Northeastern states, including: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

Regarding the additions to the sales team, Dennis Buehring, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, stated, “We are very excited about the addition of Joe Abitz and Roy Howe, we are building an excellent team with industry expertise to serve customers at the highest level. Rounding out the team is Tom Hoffmann, Director of International Sales and Greg Gruber, Regional Sales Manager for the Midwest – both with over 15 years in this business.”

Mepaco provides sanitary design equipment to demanding regulatory compliance industries. Food processing equipment products are cleanable to a microbiological level, accessible for inspection and maintenance and validated for industry cleaning and sanitizing protocols. For more information about Mepaco, visit http://www.mepaco.net.
Mepaco – Apache Stainless Equipment
Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Roy Howe, 920.344.6606

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