SEMA_________________________________

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

SEMA Convention “Plan – Protect - Prevail”

There is always room for one more; send in your convention registration now.  The Hammock Beach Resort is full but there are rooms available at the local Hampton Inn & Suites.  Check the SEMA website www.southeasternmeats.com for hotel and convention information, along with registration form.

The convention will kick off with a welcome reception Thursday evening.  Friday and Saturday’s educational sessions will address succession and estate planning, business challenges, including worker’s compensation, healthcare, and food safety.  Associate members will exhibit the latest in trends, technology and supplies.  There will be time for networking with your peers.  Friday evening will be fun for all as we raise money for scholarships while having fun at the SEMA horse track.  The convention will wrap up with dinner and entertainment Saturday evening.         

Exhibitors 

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Things to Ponder . . . . . . If it is important to you, you will find a way.
                                             If not, you will find an excuse.
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SEMA Scholarships

The SEMA scholarship committee has picked two students from the University of Florida to receive $2,000.00 scholarships.  The winning students will be attending the SEMA convention and receiving their certificates of scholarship Saturday morning. 

During the awards ceremony, learn how you can help these and other students by giving them Internships at your company.

SEMA Members Invited to Attend FSIS Government Relations Session

SEMA is partnering with the North American Meat Association (NAMA) to host a FSIS Government Relations Session with the Atlanta District FSIS office.  This session will be held on Thursday, June 20th from 8:00am-9:30am (prior to the beef safety workshop, see next article) at the Cryovac Packforum in College Park, Georgia.  This will be a “town hall” type meeting that will include an update from FSIS on district news and initiatives, as well as plenty of time for discussion.  Attendees will be able to interact directly to the FSIS District Manager and Deputy District Managers in a relaxed atmosphere set up specifically for the purpose of information exchange between the Agency and the plants they regulate.  There is no fee, but please e-mail Ann Wells at ann@meatassociation.com if you plan on attending.

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Things to Ponder . . . . . . "Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality."
                                                                                                                                     Dali Lama
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Beef Safety Workshop

The Beef Checkoff is hosting a Beef Safety Workshop in conjunction with the North American Meat Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, and the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo), and co-sponsored by the Southeastern Meat Association.  The workshop will be held on Thursday, June 20th, at the Cryovac Packforum in College Park, GA from 10 am to 4 pm.  The workshop will cover a range of topics including testing technologies and strategies, HACCP plan updates for non-intact beef, Salmonella and STECs, a regulatory update and information about Food Safety Assessments.

Speakers are Dr. Kerri Harris, International HACCP Alliance and Texas A&M University; Dr. Kendra Nightingale, Texas Tech University and Food Safety Net Services; and Dr. John Ruby, JBS USA.

Space is limited and preregistration required.  Registration is $99 per attendee, which includes lunch.  More information and registration is available at www.southeasternmeat.com and www.meatassociation.com.

New Mobile APP Version - Meat, Poultry & Egg Inspection Directory

As part of USDA’s 12-month Digital Government Strategy, they are sharing several new mobile and open data projects that will help deliver 21st century service. These new tools and open data efforts will enable USDA customers, to more easily access critical programs and services anywhere, any time and on any device, in addition to stimulating further innovations.  One mobile optimized service is the: Meat and Poultry Inspection Directory Android App – Customers can easily look up establishments that produce meat, poultry, and/or egg products as regulated by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The MPI app provides enhanced functionality, allowing users to ‘look up’ or search establishments by location or zip code, type of inspection, establishment name or number and type of establishment. The app is currently available for Android devices, and we plan to release an iOS version later this year.

SEMA and NAMA Announces Meat Labeling Webinar Series

Meat labeling can be a daunting task!  To help you, the Southeastern Meat Association (SEMA) is teaming up with the North American Meat Association (NAMA) to offer a series of webinars on labeling compliance. Three 90-minute webinars will be held on consecutive Wednesdays, starting June 5, at 1:00pm Eastern / 10:00am Pacific.

• June 5 – Session 1: Basic Labeling Requirements will include label submission and review, generic label approval, extraordinary requests, transfer of labels, and temporary approvals.

• June 12 – Session 2: Claims, Statements and Ingredients will include information on claims (production practices, breed, grade labeling, negative claims, natural, and claims on testing), instructional statements, processing aids, and allergens.

• June 19 – Session 3: More Claims, COOL, and Nutrition will address country of origin labeling, organic, nutritional labeling (required and claims), and child nutritional (CN) labeling.

Speakers for the sessions include Kim Karweik, Sara Lee; Jeff Canavan, FSIS/USDA; Brett Schwemer, OFW Law; Jolyda Swaim, OFW Law; Julie Henderson, USDA/AMS; and more. 

Multivac, Inc. is the exclusive sponsor of the webinar series.
The webinars are being co-sponsored by the North American Meat Association, American Association of Meat Processors, American Meat Institute Foundation, Chicago Midwest Meat Association, Eastern Meat Packers Association, Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network, Southeastern Meat Association, and Southwest Meat Association.

FSIS Directives & Notices

FSIS Notice 32-13 May 6  Verifying Nutrition Labeling for the Major Cuts of Single-Ingredient, Raw Meat and Poultry Products and Ground or Chopped Meat and Poultry Products

FSIS Notice 33-13 May 8  Verification of Reassessment in Establishments Producing Not Ready-To-Eat Comminuted Chicken and Turkey Products

FSIS Notice 36-13 May 23  Responsibilities Related to Receiving Notification of Adulterated or Misbranded Product and Verifying Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Reassessment Documentation

FSIS-ASK

If a company uses several species of natural casings, can one label be used to cover all possible casing sources?

Q.  If a company uses several species of natural casings, can one label be used to cover all possible
       casing sources?

A.  Yes, the label could state, for example, "packed in sheep or hog casing."
Updated 05/20/13

Industry News

Most recently, Mr. Kuhlmann served as President of Multivac USA for seven years.  Jan has spent the last 20 plus years in the packaging industry leading several major equipment suppliers during that time.  "Jan's business philosophy, leadership and market knowledge makes him a good fit for our team", states Harpak-ULMA CEO Charles Harlfinger.  "Jan has a proven track record of driving growth with a focus on team building and customer service which will assist our company in meeting our goals."
Harpak-ULMA Packaging, LLC Taunton, MA 02780

Chilton Consulting Group has a new addition to the team.  Andy Chilton will be serving as the new Director of Client Services, taking over for Teresa Frey.  Andy graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. After college, he served as a Craft and Import Beer Specialist for United Distributors, Inc. in Atlanta, GA. He possesses strong skills in customer service, sales and marketing.  Andy previously worked with CCG assisting with marketing and management projects, but he is excited to be on board full time. He will be contacting existing clients about routine services, upcoming workshops and other events.
Andy’s contact information is: achilton@chiltonconsulting.com (706) 693-8325

Aspen Systems was founded by President George Puype and his daughter Vice President/CFO Lisa Lawrence in May 1988.  Two-and-a-half decades later, Aspen Systems is a third-generation, privately-held company firmly focused on the core values of service, integrity and honesty upon which it was established.

Aspen Systems celebrated its first quarter century in business by hosting its first ever Executive Conference for its customer base.  Owners and representatives from companies across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico convened at the Desert Ridge Marriott Resort in Phoenix, Arizona for an information-packed one day conference covering topics such as Canopy’s all-inclusive reporting tools, enhanced modules Pulse, Event Watch, Element and Document Imaging, in addition to the latest technology solutions.   Customers were recognized for their longstanding partnership with Aspen Systems, some of whom have been users since Aspen’s inception in 1988.  Attendees were treated to a cocktail mixer for refreshments and networking under the stars.  The celebration weekend concluded with a lavish anniversary and awards dinner.  Employees were recognized for length of service, with over 40% of Aspen’s employees serving more than 10 years, a remarkable achievement for a technology company.

About Aspen Systems, Inc.
Aspen Systems, Inc., now celebrating its 25th anniversary, is a leading provider of total solutions for the food industry.  Founded in 1988, Aspen Systems has maintained a steadfast focus on serving the specialized needs of food manufacturers and distributors through development of fully integrated software solutions.  Aspen Systems’ customer base is a Who’s Who of leading food companies who are dedicated to mutual success and prosperity within a unique vendor-partner relationship.  Aspen Systems serves over 225 food companies across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.  Headquarters are in Phoenix, Arizona.

Aspen Systems, Inc. remains a pioneer in the development of solutions for the food industry.  To learn more, visit www.aspen-systems.com.

Welcome New SEMA Member

All of the following companies will be attending the SEMA Convention

Everson Spice
Robert Henson 
2667 Gundry Ave.  Signal Hill, CA 90806
562.988.1223

Jarvis Products Corp
Vincent Volpe 
33 Anderson Rd.  Middletown, CT 06457
860.347.7271

Label Logic Inc
Kelly Elliott
4520 Pine Creek Rd.   Elkhart, IN 46516
800.656.6476

Materials Transportation Co
Gregory Lange
1408 S. Commerce Temple, TX 76503
770.596.7362

R.A. Jones
Peter Perkins
807 W. Kimberly Rd Davenport, IA 52806
813.749.7300

CALENDAR OF EVENTS