Safe ground beef production will be the focus of a new American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) Ground Beef Production for Safety Workshop, February 2-3, 2011, at the Marriott Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri.
A recent report by the National Academy of Sciences, comprised of the Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, concluded that preventing future foodborne illness outbreaks depends upon two key factors: eliminating contamination during beef production and ensuring that meat is properly handled, stored and cooked before it is served.
In addition, the report stated that some of the current requirements were founded on expert opinion and industry practices where the scientific basis was unclear. The committee recommended that requirements be based on standards supported by the International Commission on Microbiological Safety of Foods, the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the Research Council report An Evaluation of the Role of Microbiological Criteria for Foods and Food Ingredients. It also suggested that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) analyze data from the suppliers’ bacterial testing to evaluate the safety requirements over time and use statistical methods to set testing sample and lot sizes.
This workshop will address the report’s concerns, and will be led by industry experts who will share their experiences and knowledge on the production of ground beef products within a preventative food safety system. During this workshop, participants will hear detailed case studies about ground beef production and food safety challenges and how companies have tackled them.
The workshop agenda is structured to permit extensive discussion with fellow attendees in an effort that participants return to their companies armed not just with theory, but with practical, new ideas and information that can be implemented.
Topics include: achieving regulatory compliance, design of ground beef patties, understanding risk developing a supplier specification, verification and testing and lot and traceability.
Speakers scheduled to lead discussions during the workshop include:
•Tim Biela, executive vice president of food safety and quality, AFA Foods
•Brian Covington, director of global regulatory affairs, Keystone Foods, LLC
•Dean Danilson, Ph.D., vice president, fresh meats quality assurance, Tyson Foods, Inc.
•Scott Goltry, vice president of food safety and inspection services, American Meat Institute
•Brenden McCullough, vice president of technical services, National Beef Packing Co., LLC
•Angie Siemens, Ph.D., vice president, technical services, Cargill Meat Solutions
To register, go to http://www.meatami.com/ht/d/MeetingDetailsMO/mid/00000073.
Source: American Meat Institute
