SEMA_________________________________

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

JULY 2003                                   VOLUME 18, No. 7

READY-TO-EAT LISTERIA REGULATIONS ON THE FRONT BURNER

The Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced an interim final rule requiring federal establishments producing certain ready-to-eat meat and poultry products to take steps to further reduce the incidence of listeria.

The rule requires all establishments that produce RTE products that are exposed to the environment after cooking to develop written programs to control listeria and to verify the effectiveness of those programs through testing. Establishments must share testing data and plant generated information relevant to their controls with FSIS.

Under the Federal Meat and Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act, RTE product is adulterated if it contains listeria or if it comes into direct contact with a food contact surface that is contaminated with the pathogen. Listeria can contaminate and grow in RTE products if they are not formulated or produced in a manner to destroy or suppress the growth of the organism.

Under the rule, establishments producing RTE products must address listeria through a written program such as their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point systems, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures or other prerequisite programs.

Establishments must also verify the effectiveness of these actions through testing and share the results with FSIS. To ensure that establishments effectively control this pathogen, FSIS will continue to conduct its own random testing to verify each establishment’s control program.

Establishments must choose one of three alternatives to control for listeria. However, FSIS will conduct the greatest number of verification activities in those establishments that rely solely on sanitation practices.

The alternatives that establishments must choose from are:

• Alternative 1: Employ both a post-lethality treatment and a growth inhibitor for listeria on RTE products. Establishments opting for this alternative will be subject to FSIS verification activity that focuses on the post-lethality treatment’s effectiveness.
• Sanitation is important but is built into the degree of lethality necessary for safety.
• Alternative 2: Employ either a post-lethality treatment or a growth inhibitor for the pathogen on RTE products. Establishments opting for this alternative will be subject to more frequent FSIS verification activity than those will in Alternative 1.
• Alternative 3: Employ sanitation measures only. Establishments opting for this alternative will be targeted with the most frequent level of FSIS verification activity. Within this alternative, FSIS will place increased scrutiny on operations that produce hotdogs and deli meats. In a 2001 risk ranking, FSIS and FDA identified these products as being high-risk products for listeriosis.

In addition, the rule requires establishments to furnish information on the production volume and related information on products affected by the regulations. This information is critical for FSIS to design a more risk-based verification-testing program. In particular, FSIS will increase verification in operations that produce large volumes of product due to the potential impact on public health that the pathogen poses if present.

This rule becomes effective 120 days after publication in the Federal Register on June 6. FSIS will accept comments to the rule for 18 months after publication for the purpose of reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of these approaches.

It is important that all companies producing RTE products be prepared for the additional requirements being imposed. Chilton Consulting Group has scheduled a Listeria Control Workshop at Gainesville, Georgia on July 17. All companies producing RTE products should seriously consider attending this Workshop. Contact Jeff for details.

For further information on the compliance guidelines go to:

www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/97-013F/compguidelines.pdf

MEAT LABELING

To qualify for the label, “Product of the U.S.,” meat must be derived from animals born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S. Otherwise, meat products must indicate where source livestock were 1) born, 2) raised 3) slaughtered. U.S. hog producers commonly import “feeder pigs” from Canada, which were raised and slaughtered in the U.S. Likewise, U.S. cattle producers import a significant number of Mexican feeder cattle that are raised and slaughtered in the U.S.

In the case of ground products, where meat from several countries may be blended together, products must bear labels that indicate the source countries in descending order of predominance by weight. Ground beef, for example, commonly is manufactured by blending together U.S. beef with imported frozen lean trimmings from Australia and New Zealand.

CONSUMER SAFETY OFFICERS ISSUING MORE NOIE’S

Recent visits by Consumer Safety Officers (CSO’S) have offered many meat processors useful agency feedback regarding their food safety systems and the opportunity to strengthen them. Until recently, the most common mechanism used by district offices to deliver the CSO’s findings to plant operators was the “30-day reassessment letter” which gives 30 days for the design issues identified by the reviewing CSO to be addressed by the plant. If a significant food safety concern was raised, then the agency issued a Notice of Intended Enforcement (NOIE). The NOIE gives three days from receipt of the letter for the plant to respond in writing to the district manager demonstrating compliance or providing other documentation as to why the agency should not suspend inspection.

In recent weeks, the agency has concluded that since the 30-day letter is not a true “enforcement action,” it cannot be used to document any regulatory non-compliance identified by inspection personnel. Rather, it is to be used as a tool when the establishments are not able to provide adequate supporting information to agency personnel for them to make a regulatory compliance determination. An example of this would be when the establishment lacks adequate documentation to support monitoring and verification frequencies in its HACCP plan.

When regulatory non-compliance(s) are identified, there are essentially two options for agency documentation: 1) The plant may be issued a Non-compliance record (NR); or 2) an NOIE. Since the CSOs are not authorized to issue NRs, their options are to get the plant’s Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) to issue one (this is very sensitive since CSOs cannot provide guidance to CSIs) or to recommend an NOIE to the district office. In practical application, it has now become much more common for plants to receive NOIEs for all regulatory non-compliances, regardless of whether the in-plant CSI had ever found or documented this non-compliance.

Previously, the receipt of an NOIE by a plant indicated significant (and usually multiple) concerns about the safety of the product based on a plant’s SSOP or HACCP plan and was an indication that major changes were needed to avoid a suspension. Now, it would appear, plants should anticipate they are much more likely to receive an NOIE as a result of a SCO visit—even if product safety is not an issue.

Most NOIEs require significant time, energy and other resources to prepare and submit a thorough response with all necessary supporting documentation, and they may make it more difficult for establishments to separate food safety issues from non-food safety regulatory non-compliances. (Thanks to Dr. Joe Harris, InfoMeat, 6/23/03)

McDONALD’S CURBS USE OF ANTIBIOTICS

McDonald’s is directing its meat suppliers worldwide to phase out the use of antibiotics to promote growth in cattle, chickens and pigs. Many consumers and medical experts are concerned that antibiotics in meat can reduce the effectiveness of the drugs in people. The world’s largest fast-food chain uses more than 2.5 billion pounds of chicken, beef and pork annually.

The McDonald’s policy allows the use of antibiotics to treat sick animals and to prevent and control disease outbreaks on farms.

WHERE’S THE BEEF????

Even though Wendy’s and McDonalds have been known for their fast-food hamburgers, they are now promoting salads. Both are introducing new salads with chicken. Olive Garden has joined the bandwagon by introducing two new chicken dishes.

NEW MEXICO CATTLE TEST POSITIVE FOR TUBERCULOSIS

New Mexico producers are facing the prospect of having to test their cattle for bovine tuberculosis, the result of several dairy cattle in Roosevelt County testing positive for bovine tuberculosis.

This will require beef and dairy cattle owners transporting cattle out of New Mexico to test for tuberculosis. Under the USDA tuberculosis rule, the state must now develop a plan on how it will regain its tuberculosis-free status. Tuberculosis causes abscesses and leading to death, but it cannot be spread to humans. All infected animals in a herd must be destroyed.

PILGRIM’S PRIDE TO ACQUIRE CONAGRA’S CHICKEN DIVISION

Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim’s Pride’s board of directors has unanimously approved a definitive share purchase agreement with ConAgra Foods to acquire ConAgra’s chicken division for a combination of cash, stock and debt valued at about $590 million.

EATING AROUND

Americans stuff back about 7 billion hot dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day and this season upscale chefs want a piece of the action. Fancy restaurants are serving up luxe wieners made with pricey Kobe beef and garnished with precious ingredients like microgreens and foie gras.

The Old Homestead; New York City $19.00
The Belvedere, Peninsula Hotel; Beverly Hills, California $16.00
Johnny’s Half Shell; Washington, DC $ 7.50

OVERTIME PAY

To put things in perspective, overtime-pay requirements apply to about 60 percent of the U.S. work force. In general, hourly workers and salaried workers with no management responsibilities qualify for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

As for exempted workers, those who are salaried receive no extra pay for working more than 40 hours. Exempted hourly workers who work more than 40 hours must be paid for every hour they work, but their overtime hours are paid at the same rate as their regular hours, not at the time-and-a-half rate.

Examples of exempted job titles are: commercial fishermen, outside sales reps, outside buyers of poultry, eggs, cream or milk. For a complete listing of exempt job title, contact your local labor board.

ECONOMY BUILT ON SUCCESS OF SMALL FIRMS

According to SBA’s The Small Business Advocate there were just under 23 million small businesses in the United States in 2002. A small business is an independent business with fewer than 500 employees. These businesses:

• Represent more than 99.7 percent of all employers
• Employ more than half of all private sector employees
• Pay 44.5 percent of total U.S. private payroll
• Generate 60 percent to 80 percent of net new jobs annually
• Create more than 50 percent of non-farm private gross domestic product (GDP)
• Supplies 22.8 percent of the total value of federal prime contracts (about $50 billion in 2001)
• Produce 13 to 14 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms
• Are 53 percent home-based and 3 percent franchises
• Made up of 97 percent of all identified exporters and produced 29 percent of the know export value in 2001

Major factors that contribute to the success of these businesses include:

• Ample supply of capital
• Size (the fact that the firm is large enough to have employees
• Owner’s education
• Reason for starting the firm
• Type of industry and demographics

2003 SEMA CONVENTION
“DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR”

If you were listening this year, you heard to be pro-active in food safety. The presentation this year included some of the SEMA Associate members.

Mark Redmond of Hendon and Redmond reminded us of the importance of maintaining walls, floors, doors, etc. and what to look for when making new purchases. Seth Pulfsus of Alkar-Rapid Pak-Sanimatic had slides showing foolproof cooking techniques. All of this was wrapped up by an update on the HACCP regulations given by Jeff Chilton of the Chilton Consulting Group.

In order to have a good food safety program you need good people to make it work. Ryans Steakhouse’s, Al Squire, gave us 12 questions to measure the strength of our workplace. Then he put the leader’s strengths into colors for us to see. A copy of his presentation will be mailed out at a later date. Succession planning in a company is an ever-building project. It is not something that is done overnight or within a year. Dr. Joesph Astrachan of Kennesaw State University got the wheels of thought turning for many of our members. It is not just a business issue but a family issue as well. Mike Dawson from Tampa Bay Fisheries, and previously Albertsons, gave us the scoop on retail sales. It is a tough market unless you know how to get the door open to the buyer.

Over half of the SEMA Associates had exhibits at this year’s convention and with more than half of the Processing membership attending, it made a great time for networking and learning. The exhibitors contributed door prizes that were given throughout the convention with a TV grand prize won by Al Kaempfer of Register Meat Company in Florida. A lunch and golf tournament was well attended and hosted by the Croyvac-Sealed Air Corporation. Ron Brown, Regional Salesman and Steve Graves, Regional Sales Manager, were there to be sure everyone had a great time. To round out a great Savannah convention, what could have been better than a dinner/riverboat cruise?

Savannah was a great place for a convention, but it was the interaction of the SEMA processors and suppliers that made it a success.

“START YOUR ENGINES”
AND PREPARE TO JOIN US AT:
THE ADAM’S MARK HOTEL
DAYTONA BEACH, FL
June 10-13, 2004

A SPECIAL CONVENTION NEWLETTER
WILL BE COMING OUT SOON
WATCH YOUR MAIL!!!!!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Better Process Control School
Sponsored By The University of Tennessee
Agricultural Extension Service and
Department of Food Science & Technology
C/O Dr. William C. Morris
2509 River Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996-4539
September 30-October 3, 2003
Holiday Inn Select
Cedar Bluff
Knoxville, Tenessee

BUSINESS FOR IMMEDIATE SALE

KAYE BROS., INC.
Operating Wholesale Meat & Provision Distributor
Serving Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe & Martin Counties.
USDA Inspected, Fully Equipped 10,000 Square Foot Refrigerated Facility.
Long-term lease with option to buy.
For additional information, please call Don Kaplan, Assignee
Michael Moecker & Associates
1-800-840-2437

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS

THINGS TO PONDER……........Don’t think less of yourself----Think of yourself less