SEMA_________________________________

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

Mark Your Calendar – Get the Word Out

The Hilton is located in the heart of the Ocean Walk Village on the ‘World’s Most Famous Beach' 

To E-Verify or Not to E-Verify?

E-Verify is an internet-based employment authorization verification system administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA).  After completing the Form I-9 process, E-Verify employers create an E-Verify case and submit it to E-Verify which electronically verifies work authorization by checking the information entered against DHS, SSA and Department of State (DOS) records.  Although many companies have no choice regarding E-Verify participation (i.e., certain federal contractors and employers hiring in certain states), those with the luxury of choice should seriously consider the consequences.  Rather than asking “how” to register, companies need to ask, “should we register?”

As of January 2014, over 500,000 employers have enrolled in E-Verify.  While that number may seem large, it is only roughly 8% of our nation’s employers.  Although the trend is leaning towards E-Verify participation, and comprehensive immigration reform (if passed) will likely require all employers to participate in E-Verify, employers should seriously consider the ramifications of participation before jumping on board.

• All E-Verify participants must enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the government.  The government regularly “updates” the MOU (as it did in January 2014) and imposes the new requirements on employers without notice or signing a new MOU. 
• E-Verify cannot detect identity fraud.
• E-Verify has some accuracy challenges (i.e., a number of false positives).
• Employers increase their exposure to litigation for false negatives.
• Employers expose themselves to increased government scrutiny.

• Employers expressly allow SSA and DHS to perform periodic audits, including employee interviews
• The E-Verify Monitoring and Compliance Branch (M&C) regularly monitors employer’ use and exposes employers to additional liability
• E-Verify refers cases of suspected misuse, abuse and/or fraud to other enforcement agencies (i.e., ICE, DOJ, etc.).  DOJ OSC is acting on referrals from E-Verify M&C (see recent DOJ OSC Letters of Resolution).
• E-Verify provides ICE and DOJ with information regarding ongoing administrative and criminal investigations as requested by those agencies.

• Additional expense and resources for:
  • training
  • entering cases
  • monitoring cases
  • additional Form I-9 process requirements (E-Verify participants have separate rules regarding acceptable documents and document copies)
  • poster requirements
  • auditing and compliance
• Uncertainty in the hiring process while E-Verify confirmation is pending
• Discrimination concerns that E-Verify disproportionately affects legal immigrants and foreign-born citizens

While in some cases the pros will outweigh the cons, it is important not to dive in without understanding the additional obligations and exposure that come along with E-Verify.
                                                              Article provided by Christine D. Mehfoud, Spotts Fain PC

Posted June 2, 2014 to lawfulthoughts.com   http://www.lawfulthoughts.com/to-e-verify-or-not-to-e-verify/   Ms. Mehfoud is an attorney with Spotts Fain PC focusing primarily on representing businesses responding to administrative, civil and criminal investigations. She has substantial experience advising employers regarding immigration compliance and defending enforcement actions, including conducting Form I-9 training and auditing, drafting immigration compliance policies and procedures, analyzing E-Verify participation, conducting E-Verify training and auditing, and defending employers facing Form I-9 Notices of Inspection and DOJ OSC discrimination investigations.

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Something to Ponder . . . . . .Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.
                                                                                                                                     - Helen Keller
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Associate Member Elected to the SEMA Board of Directors

Appointed to the Board of Directors

Joe Villari, The Pork Company and Steve Harris, Travis Meats have been appointed to the SEMA Board of Directors

With youngest brother Rocco joining the team in 1995, the brothers went on to grow the business by opening The Pork Company, Warsaw NC, in 2001.  Joe has led the family business to be expanded to five different divisions at present.  The brothers own and operate The Pork Company (Pork Harvesting), Villari Food Group (Food Distribution), Villari Brothers Foods (Food Processing ), S & J Villari Livestock Company (Livestock Dealers) and Villari Bros. Trucking (owned by Rocco Villari).  Joe looks forward to bringing his children into the family business.   

“Quality drives success and our team members drive quality”

USDA Proposes Rule to Enhance Consumer Protection; Ensure Retailers Can Track Sources of Ground Meats

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to require that all makers of raw ground beef products keep records in order to further protect consumers by ensuring retailers can trace sources of ground meats.

“The improved traceback capabilities that would result from this proposal will prevent foodborne illness by allowing FSIS to conduct recalls of potentially contaminated raw ground products in a timelier manner,” said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Brian Ronholm. “By requiring retail outlets to maintain improved records on sources for ground products, the proposal will enable FSIS to quickly identify likely sources of contaminated product linked to an outbreak.”

Retail outlets regularly make ground beef by mixing cuts of beef from various sources. This proposal, if finalized, will require them to keep clear records identifying the source, supplier, and names of all materials used in the preparation of raw ground beef products.  FSIS has concluded that recordkeeping by retail facilities that grind raw beef to date, has not been sufficiently effective.

The proposal was posted on the FSIS website at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulations/federal-register/proposed-rules and will be publish in the Federal Register.  FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this proposed rule electronically by going through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, or by mail to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), FSIS, Patriots Plaza 3, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3782, 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-3700.  The comment period will end 60 days after the proposal publishes in the Federal Register.
                                                                                                     From the USDA-FSIS web site

Join USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) for a live and interactive webinar, “Country of Origin Labeling—The Basics.”  Thursday, September 25th, 2-3 p.m. Eastern Time.

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) is a labeling law that requires retailers to provide their customers with information about the origin of various food products.  This includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, shellfish, beef, veal, pork, lamb, goat, and chicken.  Mandatory COOL requirements help consumers make informed decisions about the food they buy.

AMS implements, administers, and enforces the COOL regulations.  Since the regulations were finalized in 2009, AMS and our state partners have closely monitored industry compliance with COOL through reviews of more than 25,000 retail stores and audits of nearly 2,000 suppliers.          
During the webinar, Julie Henderson, Director of AMS’ COOL Division, will introduce COOL and discuss what we’ve found through our monitoring activities.  Her formal presentation will be followed by interactive question and answer session.

This webinar is free and available to anyone with Internet access.  However, space is limited and you must register to participate.  Visit today (https://amsfv.webex.com/amsfv/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=664126653) to register for our webinar! 

If you have any questions about our webinar series or USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, please contact Christopher Purdy at (202) 720-3209 or christopher.purdy@ams.usda.gov.

SEMA and NAMA Announce 2014 Beef Safety Conference
“Pathogen Control and Regulatory Compliance in Beef Processing”

The Southeastern Meat Association is partnering with the North American Meat Association (NAMA) to host the annual Beef Safety Conference, which will cover “Pathogen Control and Regulatory Compliance in Beef Processing.” It will be held October 15-16, 2014, at the Four Points by Sheraton near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois.

The two-day conference is designed for processors of ground beef, mechanically tenderized steaks, and other non-intact beef products. Attendees will learn the latest information on E. coli O157:H7 and other STECS, Salmonella, and ways to improve their food safety systems both from a scientific and regulatory standpoint. There will be a networking reception with table-top exhibits by leading food safety companies.

This year’s conference features top industry experts, including:

• Dr. Dayna Harhay, US Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC)
• Dr. Wendy Warren, AEGIS Food Testing Laboratories
• Dr. Chris Braden (invited), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Rachel Edelstein, USDA Food Safety Inspection Service
• Dr.Dan Engeljohn (invited), USDA Food Safety Inspection Service
• Dr. Kerri Gehring, International HACCP Alliance and Texas A&M University
• Dr. Barb Masters, OFW Law
• Dr. Mohammad Koohmaraie, IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group
• Norm Robertson, North American Meat Association
• Robert Hibbert, Morgan, Lewis, and Bockius LLP

The conference is supported by the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo) membership, and the co-sponsoring organizations include the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP), American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF), American Meat Science Association (AMSA), Chicago Mid-West Meat Association (CMMA), Canadian Meat Council (CMC), Eastern Meat Packers Association (EMPA), International HACCP Alliance (IHA), Meat Importers Council of America (MICA), Southeastern Meat Association (SEMA), Southwest Meat Association (SMA), and U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Media sponsors include Canadian Meat Business, MEAT&POULTRY, Meatingplace, National Provisioner, Food Safety News, and Urner Barry’s Reporter. Other sponsorship opportunities are still available!

Register before September 24, 2014, for an early-bird discount that puts the registration fee at $449 for members of SEMA and its partner organizations, and $549 for non-members. (After Sept. 24, the registration fee goes up to $549 for members and $649 for non-members.)

For more information, complete program details, and to register go to http://meatassociation.com/events/e-coli-conference, or call NAMA toll-free at +1 800.368.3043 ext. 101.

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Livestock, Poultry, and Seed Program (LPS), Quality Assessment Division (QAD) is pleased to announce an informational webinar about the USDA Grass Fed Program for Small and Very Small Producers that was announced in May 2014 for cattle. AMS plans to also add sheep to this program this summer.

During the webinar, we will provide an overview of the USDA Grass Fed program, website, and detailed information about the application (including how to apply), and evaluation process for gaining approval for the livestock to the Grass Fed Standard.  The presentation will be followed by a Question and Answer period. 

WEBINAR DETAILS 
This is a one-hour, listen-only webinar that you attend using both a phone and a computer. You will be able to send an instant message/chat to the presenter using your computer.
Date/Time:  
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
11:00 AM-12:00 PM Eastern Time
Dial In by Phone:
Toll-Free (U.S. & Canada): 866.740.1260
Access Code: 7202000
AND, Also Access the Web: 
Meeting URL: http://www.readytalk.com  
On the left side of the screen, enter Participant Access Code: 7202000

Implementing SQF v.7.2 Systems Training

This two day course will promote an understanding of the new 7.2 Edition SQF Code through a combination of lectures, class assignments, case studies, and in-depth discussions.  The course will provide participants with a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the SQF program and will prepare an individual to meet the SQF Practitioner requirements and successfully implement and maintain an SQF System.  Knowledge of Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is required prior to taking this course. 
October 16 - 17, 2014 | Georgia
NWFPA Member Price: $500 per person
Non-member Price: $725 per person
Noor Al-Muhaifeed, Training Coordinator 503.327.2200

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Lives Wisdom . . . . . . . . . .A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.
                                                                                                        - Francis Bacon
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FSIS Notice 35-14 7/25/14
On-Going Foreign Equivalence Verification Audits

FSIS Notice 36-14    7/25/14
Nationwide Beef and Veal Carcass Microbiological Baseline Data Collection Program - Actual Study

FSIS Notice 34-14  7/24/14
Resumption of Normal Sampling and Testing for Species in Imported Products

FSIS Notice 33-14   7/16/14
Annual Notice of Right to Request Union Representation

FSIS Directive 13000.2 - Revision 1   7/25/14
Performing Sampling Tasks in Official Establishments Using the Public Health Information System

FSIS Directive 6100.1 Revision 2  7/24/14
Ante-Mortem Livestock Inspection

Slaughter or Processing of Multiple Species in the Same Production Day

Q.  What are the requirements when an establishment that slaughters or processes more than one species switches from one to the other and for which the labeling is intended to address only one of the species?

A.  While the regulations do not explicitly require complete clean-up before the switch, failure to conduct a clean-up sufficient to remove all visible debris would likely result in regulatory concerns for the Agency. Three primary concerns include:

• finished product could be considered adulterated because of the creation of an insanitary condition during processing due to the presence of visible debris from another species
• finished product could be considered adulterated because of the incorporation of a food safety hazard present in one species might not be adequately addressed in the hazard analysis; and
• finished product could be considered both adulterated and misbranded because of species substitution.

Depending on the extent of species cross contamination, there are several regulations that could be impacted, including labeling (9 CFR 317.8 for meat and 9 CFR 381.129 for poultry), HACCP (9 CFR Part 417), and SSOP (9 CFR Part 416).
Updated 06/13/2014

August, this year, will have 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays.
Calendar August 2014.

Welcome New SEMA Member

Uncle Charley’s Meats

Founded in 1988, Uncle Charley’s has concentrated product quality efforts on custom blended recipes for outstanding taste as well as extraordinary service and speedy delivery to ensure the ultimate in freshness.  Now with the company’s online market, people from around the country can enjoy Uncle Charley’s delicious, fresh sausage.

Uncle Charlie’s Meats
406 N Estill Dr. 
Richmond, KY 40475
Ray Parsons, 859.623.1967

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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