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Aug 21, 2015 Meat Institute Staff Visits Member Plants Meat Institute staff as well as President and CEO Barry Carpenter last Tuesday visited two member plants in Pennsylvania . Staff received an inside look at a cattle slaughter operation at a JBS plant in Souderton, Pennsylvania, prior to proceeding to a hog slaughter facility at Clemens Foods... more...
Aug 20, 2015 U.S.-China Agriculture and Food Partnership to Host Technical Seminars at Chinese International Meat Exhibition The U.S.-China Agriculture and Food Partnership (AFP), of which NAMI is a member, will partner with the China Meat Association to hold a series of technical seminars on September 19, 2015, in Qingdao, China. more...
Aug 20, 2015 Registration Open for NAMI Annual Meeting and Outlook Conference Registration is now open for the Meat Institute's Annual Meeting and Outlook Conference , scheduled to take place November 2-5, 2015, at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, DC. more...
Aug 20, 2015 Speakers Announced for Animal Care and Handling Conference NAMI announced speakers for its Animal Care and Handling Conference for the Food Industry, which will take place October 15-16, 2015, in Kansas City, Missouri. Carlos Saviani, vice president of sustainable food at the World Wildlife Fund, will speak at the conference's opening session. more...
Aug 19, 2015 NACMCF Meeting Announced The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold meetings of the full Committee and subcommittees September 9-11, 2015, in Washington, DC. more...
Aug 19, 2015 Meat Institute Developing New Video on Stuffed Chicken Breast Safety The Meat Institute has begun work on a video that will show how to properly prepare frozen stuffed products like stuffed, raw, frozen chicken breasts. more...
Aug 18, 2015 NARMS Report Reveals Improvements in Antibiotic Resistance Trends The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its 2012-2013 National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Integrated Report , which presents a collection of data on antimicrobial resistance patterns in foodborne Salmonella, Camplyobacter, Enterococcus and E. coli bacteria isolated... more...
Aug 18, 2015 Trans Fat, Not Saturated Fats, Linked to Health Risks A recent McMaster's University study concluded that consumption of trans fats is associated with greater risk of death and coronary heart disease, while saturated fats are not associated with an increased risk of death, heart disease, stroke or Type 2... more...
Aug 18, 2015 Hotel Block Closes Today for Beef Safety Conference The deadline to receive a discounted hotel rate for the North American Meat Institute Foundation's Pathogen Control and Regulatory Compliance in Beef Processing Conference is today, August 18. more...
Aug 13, 2015 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Details Success Record of CAFTA-DR Agreement The U.S. Chamber of Commerce published a blog post highlighting the economic benefits of the Dominican Republic-Central America-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) in the 10 years since implementation. more...
Aug 13, 2015 Updated Member Handbook Now Available on MeatInstitute.org An updated membership handbook is now available on the homepage of MeatInstitute.org. more...
Aug 12, 2015 Trade Data Through June Now Available The latest Trade and Market Statistics Report with data through June 2015 is now available. Total beef export volume is down 10 percent compared to the same period in 2014, while total beef export value remains unchanged for the same period in 2014. Pork export values and volumes are both below... more...
Aug 12, 2015 Save the Date for NAMI Annual Meeting and Outlook Conference The Meat Institute is in the process of finalizing detailed plans for its Annual Meeting and Outlook Conference , scheduled to take place November 2-5, 2015, in Washington, DC. more...
Aug 11, 2015 WTO Sets COOL Arbitration Hearing The Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO) will hold arbitration meetings September 15-16, 2015, in Geneva, Switzerland, to consider Canada and Mexico's proposed retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. in the country-of-origin labeling (COOL) dispute. more...
Aug 11, 2015 FDA Issues Guidance on Use of Nanomaterials in Animal Food The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued final guidance regarding the use of nanomaterials in food for animals, which is intended to assist industry and other stakeholders in identifying potential issues related to the safety or regulatory status of food for animals containing nanomaterials... more...
Aug 11, 2015 FSIS Identifies Additional Food Safety Research Priorities The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) updated its list of research priorities, which includes suggested studies to assess each priority. more...
Aug 6, 2015 CAMP Online Registration Form Now Available A new online registration form is now available for the Meat Institute's Communicators Advocating Meat and Poultry (CAMP) program , a grassroots effort aimed at increasing the meat and poultry industry's communications with its customers and communities. more...
Aug 6, 2015 Register for the Meat Institute's Listeria Workshop Registration is now open for the NAMI Foundation's Advanced Listeria monocytogenes Intervention and Control Workshop , which will take place October 20-21, 2015, at the Hilton Kansas City Airport in Kansas City, Missouri. more...
Aug 5, 2015 Senate-Passed Highway Transportation Bill Includes Ports Language The Senate last Thursday voted 65-34 to approve a six-year highway bill (HR 22), which would fund federal highway and infrastructure projects for three years. The bill included language requiring port operators to publish metrics and data related to efficiency, primarily in container loading and... more...
Aug 5, 2015 USDA Extends Deadline to Submit Nominations to National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board USDA extended the deadline to submit nominations to fill nine vacancies on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board (NAREEEAB) to August 14, 2015. more...
Aug 5, 2015 NAMI Staff Attend 2015 IAFP Conference Meat Institute Vice President of Scientific Affairs Betsy Booren, Ph.D., and Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Scott Goltry attended the 2015 International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Conference held July 25-28 in Portland, Oregon. more...
Aug 4, 2015 NAMI Responds to NFU's COOL Commentary; Urges Senate Action NAMI President and CEO Barry Carpenter wrote an op-ed in Agri-Pulse last week responding to an earlier column by Roger Johnson , president of the National Farmers Union, in which Johnson touted the Voluntary Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) and Trade Enhancement Act of 2015 as "the only path... more...
Aug 4, 2015 Registration and Housing Now Open for 2016 IPPE Registration and housing are now open for the 2016 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), the world's largest annual meat, poultry and feed industry trade show, which will be held January 26-28, 2016, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. more...
Aug 4, 2015 FSIS Extends Nationwide Beef and Veal Carcass Baseline Data Collection Program The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) extended by six months the Nationwide Beef and Veal Carcass Microbiological Baseline Data Collection Program. Data collection will continue through January 31, 2016, to ensure FSIS obtains the appropriate number of samples for the study. more...
Jul 31, 2015 Hot Dog Month Bumper Sticker Contest Winners Announced National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) Facebook fans chose their favorite hot dog bumper sticker. more...
Jul 31, 2015 Save the Date for NAMI Annual Meeting and Outlook Conference The Meat Institute is in the process of finalizing detailed plans for its Annual Meeting and Outlook Conference , scheduled to take place November 2-5, 2015, in Washington, DC. more...
Jul 31, 2015 Beef Industry Develops Long Range Plan NAMI President and CEO Barry Carpenter worked with Cattlemen's Beef Board Chair Jimmy Maxey and other industry leaders to develop a five-year plan aimed at increasing beef demand. more...
Jul 30, 2015 FDA Announces Proposed Rule and Draft Guidance on Safety of Imported Foods The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a proposed rule and draft guidance document to support a new third-party accreditation program under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that aims to help eligible foreign entities demonstrate that imported food meets U.S. food safety... more...
Jul 30, 2015 AMSA Webinar to Focus on Meat in the Diet The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) is hosting a webinar August 10, 2015, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT, to examine the current science on meat's role in health. more...
Jul 30, 2015 National Hot Dog and Sausage Council Honors Cleveland Indians With Best Hot Dog in Baseball Award At a special ceremony during Friday night's Cleveland Indians game, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) awarded the "best hot dog in baseball" award to the team and its Sugardale hot dog. more...
Jul 29, 2015 FDA Announces Additional Revisions to Nutrition Facts Label The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed additional revisions to the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods. more...
Jul 29, 2015 House Passes GMO Labeling Bill; Debate Shifts to Senate The U.S. House of Representatives last week voted 275-150 to pass the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015 (H.R. 1599), which would prohibit state-level laws regulating the labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food. more...
Jul 29, 2015 Foundation Seeks Research Proposals on Microbial Pathogens in Meat and Poultry The Foundation distributed its annual request for proposals requesting proposals on applied and fundamental research that will improve the control of microbial pathogens in meat and poultry. Detailed priorities are organized under the following topics:... more...
Jul 28, 2015 Senate Offers Competing Solutions for COOL; Meat Institute Responds Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Hoeven (R-ND) last week introduced the Voluntary Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) and Trade Enhancement Act of 2015 , which would establish a voluntary "Product of the U.S." label for beef, pork, chicken and ground meats that are from animals born, raised... more...
Jul 28, 2015 AMS Bison Purchase Program Announced The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced its intent to purchase commercially available ground bison for distribution to recipients participating in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reserves. more...
Jul 28, 2015 Globe and Mail Article Stresses Importance of Canada in TPP A recent Globe and Mail article by Barrie McKenna highlighted the economic importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to Canadian businesses and exports, and emphasized the particular benefits that would result from a trade deal with Japan, the world's third largest market. more...
Jul 23, 2015 Get the News You Want When You Want it by Subscribing on MeatInstitute.org In addition to the weekly Lean Trimmings newsletter, Meat Institute news updates are regularly posted to the 'News' section of MeatInstitute.org. more...
Jul 23, 2015 Registration Now Open for Beef Safety Conference Registration is now open for the North American Meat Institute Foundation's Pathogen Control and Regulatory Compliance in Beef Processing Conference , which will take place September 9-10, 2015, in Rosemont, Illinois. more...
Jul 23, 2015 Meat Institute Crisis Center Available to Members The Meat Institute offers numerous resources to help member companies navigate through a crisis. more...
Jul 22, 2015 Senate Agriculture Appropriations Bill Advances The Senate Committee on Appropriations last Thursday advanced a $20.5 billion agricultural spending bill for fiscal year 2016, representing a $65 million decline from current funding levels. more...
Jul 22, 2015 Workshops Covering Antimicrobial Stewardship in Livestock Announced The Farm Foundation announced a series of 12 regional workshops hosted throughout the United States that will address the stewardship of medically-important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals. more...
Jul 22, 2015 Meat Institute Annual Hot Dog Lunch Returns to Capitol Hill NAMI's Annual Hot Dog Lunch will be held today, Wednesday, July 22, at the Rayburn House Office Building Courtyard from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. more...
Jul 22, 2015 Save the Date for NAMI Outlook Conference The Meat Institute is in the process of finalizing detailed plans for the Outlook Conference, scheduled to take place November 2-5, 2015, in Washington, DC. more...
Jul 21, 2015 USDA Releases Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook; Projects Pork Will Outstrip Beef Production USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) released estimates of second-quarter total red meat and poultry production. more...
Jul 21, 2015 FSIS Issues Notice on Use of Barcodes to Verify Eligibility of Certain Imported Products USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice regarding the use of barcodes to verify the eligibility of imported products with missing or completely illegible shipping marks. more...
Jul 17, 2015 Meat Institute Insurance Program Offers Significant Discounts to Members The Meat Institute's Affinity Programs provide members valuable services at significantly discounted rates. The Meat Institute Insurance Program allows member companies to access a broad range of Property and Casualty, Workers' Compensation and group Voluntary Benefit programs underwritten by... more...
Jul 16, 2015 Trade Data Through May Now Available The latest Trade and Market Statistics Report with data through May 2015 is now available. more...
Jul 16, 2015 National Hot Dog and Sausage Council Continues Extensive Hot Dog Month Promotion Efforts Following a busy first week of promotion for National Hot Dog Month, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) continued promotional efforts with several major market radio interviews including a lengthy spot on WGN in Chicago as well as stations in San Francisco, Portland and Orlando. more...
Jul 16, 2015 Register for the Meat Institute's Listeria Workshop Registration is now open for the NAMI Foundation's Advanced Listeria monocytogenes Intervention and Control Workshop , which will take place October 20-21, 2015, at the Hilton Kansas City Airport in Kansas City, Missouri. more...
Jul 15, 2015 Agriculture Appropriations Bill Clears Important Vote The House Committee on Appropriations last week approved the fiscal year (FY) 2016 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, which provides $143.9 billion in funding for agriculture and nutrition programs. more...
Jul 15, 2015 TPP Talks Set for End of July The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced that the U.S. will host a meeting of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Ministers in Maui, Hawaii, July 28-31, preceded by a meeting of TPP Chief Negotiators scheduled to take place July 24-27. more...
Jul 15, 2015 Article Examines Importance of Animals in Agricultural Sustainability and Food Security A recent article published in the Journal of Nutrition highlighted the importance of animals to achieving food security, citing their contributions to agricultural sustainability and their high nutritional value in the diet. more...
Jul 15, 2015 Anne Halal Promoted to Senior Vice President of Exposition, Education and Member Services Anne Halal has been promoted from vice president to senior vice president of exposition, education and member services at NAMI. more...
Jul 14, 2015 FDA Extends Menu Labeling Compliance Date The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended the compliance date by one year for the final rule requiring the disclosure of nutrition information for standard menu items in certain restaurants and retail food establishments. more...
Jul 14, 2015 FSIS Announces Public Meeting for Strategic Plan USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will hold a public meeting July 16, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. ET, to gain stakeholder perspectives as it develops its 2017-2021 Strategic Plan. more...
Jul 14, 2015 Members Encouraged to Provide Feedback to NAMI All members should have received a survey requesting feedback on Meat Institute services, products, resources and events. more...
Jul 9, 2015 NHDSC Launches Hot Dog Month Celebration Promotion Efforts The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) kicked off July's National Hot Dog Month highlighting July 4th as biggest hot dog weekend of the year and generated extensive media coverage over weekend. more...
Jul 9, 2015 Registration Now Open for Animal Care and Handling Conference Registration is now open for the Meat Institute's Animal Care and Handling Conference for the Food Industry , which will take place October 15-16, 2015, in Kansas City, Missouri. more...
Jul 8, 2015 Preliminary Data on Beef and Veal Carcass Baseline Survey Released USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) released preliminary data for the first six months of the Beef and Veal Carcass Baseline Survey (B-VCBS). The results reveal that the percent of all pathogens decreased from post hide removal to pre-chill, which suggests that the interventions in... more...
Jul 8, 2015 Animal Handing and Welfare Review Panel Meeting Announced USDA will hold a public teleconference meeting of the Agricultural Research Service-Animal Handling and Welfare Review Panel (ARS-AHWR) on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET. more...
Jul 8, 2015 FSIS Announces Public Meeting for Strategic Plan USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will hold a public meeting July 16, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. ET, to gain input as it develops its 2017-2021 Strategic Plan. more...
Jul 7, 2015 White House Proposes Modernizing Regulatory System for Biotech Products The White House last week issued a memorandum directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and USDA to update the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology, develop a long-term strategy to ensure that the system is prepared for the future... more...
Jul 7, 2015 FSIS Revises Directive on Substances Used in Meat, Poultry and Egg Production USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a revised directive updating the list of safe and suitable ingredients used in the production of meat, poultry and egg products. more...
Jul 7, 2015 FDA Releases Supplement to the 2013 Food Code FDA issued the Supplement to the 2013 Food Code, which provides government and industry with science-based controls for reducing the risk of foodborne illness in retail and foodservice establishments. more...
Jul 7, 2015 TPA Signed Into Law President Obama last week signed Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) legislation into law. more...
Jul 3, 2015 Vilsack Appoints New Members to National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the appointment of new members to serve on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) for the 2015-2017 term. more...
Jul 3, 2015 Meat and Poultry Editorial Highlights Value of CAMP Program An editorial by Kimberlie Clyma published last week in Meat and Poultry underscored the importance of the North American Meat Institute's Communicators Advocating Meat and Poultry (CAMP) program , a grassroots effort aimed at increasing the meat and poultry industry's communications with its... more...
Jul 2, 2015 USDA Calls for Nominations to National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board USDA is soliciting nominations to fill nine vacancies on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board (NAREEEAB). more...
Jul 2, 2015 Meat Institute Troubled by Extension of Russia's Ban on U.S. Meat Products NAMI President and CEO Barry Carpenter expressed concern with Russia's decision to extend its ban on U.S. meat and other agricultural products, calling the move 'unjustified' in a statement. more...
Jul 2, 2015 NAMI, Meat and Poultry Announce Return of Industry Salary Survey NAMI has partnered with Meat and Poultry to revive the Annual Salary Survey, which is the only research project designed to provide a position-by-position snapshot of compensation and benefit plans offered in the meat and poultry processing industry. more...
Jul 1, 2015 FSIS Extends Comment Period for Changes to Requirements for the Disposition of Non-ambulatory Disabled Veal Calves USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has extended the comment period by 30 days for a proposed rule that would require veal calves that are brought to slaughter, but cannot rise and walk, to be promptly and humanely euthanized and prohibited from entering the food supply. more...
Jul 1, 2015 USDA Issues Lamb Products Solicitation USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is inviting bids to purchase frozen lamb products for surplus removal. more...
Jul 1, 2015 House Appropriations Committee Advances Bill Including Provision to Address Dietary Guidelines The House Committee on Appropriations last week approved a $153 billion bill funding the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Education and Labor, by a vote of 30 to 21. more...
Jun 30, 2015 Senate Passes TPA; Bill Heads to President for Signature The Senate last Wednesday voted 60-38 to approve Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), sending the bill to President Obama for his expected signature. more...
Jun 30, 2015 APHIS to Allow the Importation of Fresh Beef from Northern Argentina and 14 States in Brazil The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) amended its regulations to allow the importation of fresh (chilled or frozen) beef from the Patagonia region in Argentina and 14 states in Brazil under specific conditions that mitigate the risk of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). more...
Jun 30, 2015 Article Recommends Lifting Limits on Total Fat Intake in DGA In a Viewpoint published in the Journal of the American Medical Association , researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and Boston Children's Hospital call on the federal government to drop restrictions on total fat consumption in the 2015 Dietary... more...
Jun 29, 2015 Meat Institute President and CEO Testifies at COOL Hearing Meat Institute President and CEO Barry Carpenter last week testified before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry in a hearing to address the implications of country-of-origin labeling (COOL) and trade retaliation for America's farmers, ranchers, businesses and consumers. more...
Jun 26, 2015 Beef Checkoff and Mushroom Council Partner for Veal Summer Grilling Promotion The Beef Checkoff and the Mushroom Council launched a new summer grilling retail partnership, unveiling the Muenster Stuffed Veal Mushroom Burger. more...
Jun 26, 2015 2016 NGA Show Exhibit Opportunities Now Available to Members Exhibit sales are now open for the 2016 National Grocers Association (NGA) Show, which will take place February 28-March 2, 2016, at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. more...
Jun 26, 2015 Registration Now Open for Beef Safety Conference Registration is now open for the Meat Institute’s Beef Safety Conference, which will take place September 9-10, 2015, in Rosemont, Illinois. more...
Jun 25, 2015 Commerce Report Touts Economic Benefits of Free Trade Agreements The U.S. Department of Commerce released a report highlighting American jobs supported by exports to Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners in 2014. more...
Jun 25, 2015 Upcoming Webinar Examines Cholesterol, Saturated Fat and Heart Disease Risk ConAgra Foods Science Institute is hosting a webinar on July 8, 2015, at 2 p.m. ET, to discuss cholesterol, saturated fat and heat disease risk. more...
Jun 25, 2015 New Meat MythCrushers and Antibiotics Videos Forthcoming The Meat Institute public affairs team spent last week in Nebraska shooting several new videos. more...
Jun 24, 2015 FSIS Updates Interim Final Rule Regarding Listeria in RTE Meat and Poultry Products USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is affirming, with minor changes, the interim final rule , "Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Meat and Poultry Products." more...
Jun 24, 2015 North American Meat Institute President and CEO Barry Carpenter to Testify in Senate Ag Committee Hearing June 25 North American Meat Institute President and CEO Barry Carpenter will testify in a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on country-of-origin labeling Thursday, June 25, at 10 a.m. Eastern. more...
Jun 23, 2015 FDA Issues Guidance on Food Allergen Labeling Exemptions FDA issued final guidance outlining the process that food manufacturers should follow when seeking exemptions from labeling requirements for ingredients derived from major food allergens. more...
Jun 23, 2015 FSIS Issues Notice on Salmonella and Campylobacter Analysis for Imported Raw Poultry Products USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice instructing import inspection personnel regarding the appropriate methods to collect imported raw chicken and turkey carcasses, not-ready-to-eat comminuted chicken and turkey products and raw chicken parts for Salmonella and... more...
Jun 23, 2015 Senate Agriculture Committee to Hold Hearing on COOL; U.S. Seeks Arbitration Against Canadian Tariffs The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry will hold a hearing this Thursday, June 25, 2015, to discuss country-of-origin labeling (COOL) and trade retaliation. more...
Jun 23, 2015 Canada Proposes New Nutrition Labels Health Canada has proposed changes to nutrition labels on food. The changes include updates to the Nutrition Facts table (NFT), which would display serving sizes in common household measurements followed by a metric equivalent; indicate the amount of potassium, while removing totals for vitamins... more...
Jun 22, 2015 House Passes TPA Legislation The U.S. House of Representatives last week voted 218-208 to grant President Obama trade promotion authority (TPA), after removing a measure known as Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), which would provide training and other assistance to American workers whose jobs are displaced by international... more...
Jun 22, 2015 FDA Issues Notice to Remove Artificial Trans Fats in Processed Foods The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week issued a declaratory order in which it announced its final determination that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat in processed foods, are not generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in human... more...
Jun 19, 2015 Save the Date for Meat Institute Beef Safety and Animal Care and Handling Conferences The Institute's Beef Safety Conference will take place September 9-10, 2015, in Rosemont, Illinois. This conference provides valuable insights for beef processors, numerous networking opportunities and access to the latest information to assist companies in improving food safety programs. more...
Jun 18, 2015 Online Registration Now Open for Listeria Workshop Registration is now open for the NAMI Foundation's Advanced Listeria monocytogenes Intervention and Control Workshop, which will take place October 20-21, 2015, at the Hilton Kansas City Airport in Kansas City, Missouri. more...
Jun 18, 2015 Meat Institute Launches New Member Referral Program The Meat Institute launched a new Member Referral program, in which NAMI members can participate by sending any prospective member leads to Jim Goldberg, director of member recruitment and outreach. more...
Jun 17, 2015 DOT Extends Waiver on Hours-of-Service Rule The Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has granted a two-year waiver to hog, cattle and poultry farmers from the hours-of-service rule for certain truck drivers. more...
Jun 17, 2015 Study Questions Flawed Evidence Underlying Dietary Guidelines In an article published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings , the authors are critical of the data used to inform the Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, claiming that the studies are flawed because the underlying evidence is primarily centered on memory-based dietary... more...
Jun 16, 2015 Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria in Retail Delicatessens Now Available USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the availability of its "Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in Retail Delicatessens," which outlines specific actions retailers can take in the delicatessen area to decrease the potential for Lm growth or... more...
Jun 16, 2015 TPA Faces Uncertain Future After House Vote The U.S. House of Representatives last Friday voted 219-211 to narrowly approve Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), but rejected a measure on Trade Assessment Assistance (TAA), which had been linked to the TPA legislation. more...
Jun 16, 2015 Secretaries Kerry and Carter Urge TPA Passage Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter penned an op-ed featured in USA Today calling on Congress to pass trade promotion authority (TPA) and underscoring the geostrategic and economic imperatives of passing President Obama's trade agenda. more...
Jun 16, 2015 NAMI and USHSLA Urge FMC to Reevaluate the Assessment of Demurrage and Detention Charges NAMI and the U.S. Hide, Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA) signed a multi-association coalition letter to once again urge the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to take action to prohibit the assessment of demurrage, detention and per diem charges when beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) and their... more...
Jun 15, 2015 House Votes to Repeal COOL on Meat The House of Representatives last week voted to repeal the country-of-origin labeling (COOL) requirements for beef, pork and poultry products sold in the U.S., in an effort to stave off approximately $3.6 billion in economic retaliation from Canada and Mexico. more...
Jun 11, 2015 IPPE Recognized Among Top 50 US Tradeshows Trade Show News Network (TSNN) has named the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) among the top 25 fastest-growing tradeshows in terms of net square footage. more...
Jun 11, 2015 UPS Discounts Available to Meat Institute Members NAMI members are eligible to receive discounts on a variety of UPS shipments and services. more...
Jun 11, 2015 FDA Issues Final Veterinary Feed Directive FDA issued its Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) final rule, which brings the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals under veterinary supervision to ensure that these drugs are administered only when necessary to protect animal health. more...
Jun 10, 2015 Meat Institute Calls for Restoring Market Access for U.S. Pork in China NAMI and the National Pork Producers Council sent a letter to Alfred Almanza, USDA's deputy under secretary for food safety, urging the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to swiftly restore market access for U.S. pork in China and to expedite the process of informing China's General... more...
Jun 10, 2015 Meat Institute Participates in White House Antibiotics Event; Responds to Inaccurate Claims About Meat and Poultry NAMI and its Foundation last week joined more than 150 major food companies, retailers and human and animal health stakeholders at the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship, which discussed efforts to implement changes over the next five years to slow the emergence of antibiotic-resistant... more...
Jun 10, 2015 Daily Meal Highlights Meat Institute Bacon Video The popular food website "The Daily Meal" is featuring the Meat Institute's video on how bacon is made as one of the top stories on its homepage. more...
Jun 9, 2015 House Subcommittee Debates Menu Labeling Requirements The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health last week held a hearing to discuss the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act, which would curb specific requirements and clarify aspects of FDA's final menu-labeling rule. more...
Jun 9, 2015 Legislation Introduced to Discourage Port Labor Disruptions Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) last week introduced the Protecting Orderly and Responsible Transit of Shipments (PORTS) Act, which is aimed at strengthening the Taft-Hartley Act in response to the recent slowdowns and prolonged contract negotiations that produced gridlock at... more...
Jun 9, 2015 House Working to Get Votes on TPA Support for the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (TPA) remains short of the necessary 218 votes required to secure passage in the U.S. House of Representatives. more...
Jun 8, 2015 Canada, Mexico Seek Retaliatory Measures Against U.S. in COOL Dispute Canada and Mexico last week announced that they will seek World Trade Organization (WTO) authorization to impose more than $3 billion in retaliatory measures against U.S. exports in the ongoing dispute over country-of-origin labeling (COOL). more...
Jun 5, 2015 NAMI Highlights Benefits of Academic Membership The Meat Institute offers academic level membership to individuals who teach, conduct research or are involved in meat and poultry industry outreach. more...
Jun 4, 2015 Progress Made on U.S.-Canada Regulatory Partnerships The U.S. and Canada have announced a series of new Regulatory Partnerships that will serve as frameworks for bilateral cooperation and engagement to address specific regulatory activities. more...
Jun 4, 2015 OIE Adopts New Standards on Animal Health and Welfare The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) last week revised and adopted new intergovernmental standards and guidelines on animal health and welfare at the 83rd General Session of the Annual World Assembly of Delegates. more...
Jun 4, 2015 Exclusive Energy Savings Available to Meat Institute Members NAMI members can receive exclusive energy cost savings through the Institute's partnership with APPI Energy . As part of APPI's Powerful Solutions Program , members can more effectively manage and reduce their company's energy... more...
Jun 3, 2015 EPA Releases RFS Volumes The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week released a new proposed rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard's (RFS) Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) numbers for 2014 through 2016. more...
Jun 3, 2015 Draft National Nutrition Research Roadmap Now Available for Comment The Interagency Committee on Human Nutrition Research (ICHNR) is inviting public comments on its Draft National Nutrition Research Roadmap (NNRR), which identifies research priorities for human nutrition and describes the role of ICHNR departments and agencies in addressing those priorities over... more...
Jun 2, 2015 Final WOTUS Rule Released The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) last week issued the final version of the Clean Water Rule, also known as the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, which redefines the bodies of water that will be regulated under the Clean Water Act (CWA). more...
Jun 2, 2015 FSIS Issues Directive Revising Food Safety Assessment Methodology USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a directive providing instructions to Enforcement, Investigations and Analysis Officers (EIAO) regarding ways to conduct Food Safety Assessments (FSA) using a new work methodology. more...
Jun 2, 2015 TPA Debate Heads to House The TPA bill also would establish concrete rules for U.S. trade negotiators to help the United States deliver strong, high-standard trade agreements that will boost American exports and create new economic opportunities and better jobs for American workers, manufacturers, farmers, ranchers and... more...
Jun 1, 2015 FSIS Issues Directive Outlining New Public Health Risk Evaluation Methodology USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a directive introducing its new Public Health Risk Evaluation (PHRE) methodology, a decision-making process used by an Enforcement, Investigations and Analysis Officer (EIAO) to determine whether a District Office (DO) needs to conduct a... more...
Jun 1, 2015 NAMI to Attend White House Antibiotic Stewardship Event The Meat Institute will join more than 150 major food companies, retailers and human and animal health stakeholders at the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship to announce commitments to implement changes over the next five years to slow the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria,... more...
Jun 1, 2015 Center of the Plate Training Convenes This Week The North American Meat Institute Foundation's "Center of the Plate" (COP) Training will take place this week, June 2-4, 2015, at the Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center on the campus of Texas A&M; University in College Station, Texas. more...
May 29, 2015 Meat Institute President and CEO Featured in Meatingplace Meat Institute President and CEO Barry Carpenter was featured on the cover of the May issue of Meatingplace magazine. more...
May 29, 2015 Meat Maintains Popularity as Grilling Season Heats up In a national release, the Meat Institute highlighted the popularity of classic hot dogs and hamburgers this grilling season. Americans are projected to eat seven billion hot dogs, or 818 per second, between Memorial Day and Labor Day. more...
May 28, 2015 NACMCF Audio Conference Call Announced The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold a public meeting of the full committee via audio conference call on June 10, 2015, from 1-4 p.m. ET. more...
May 28, 2015 Meat Institute Previews Fall and Winter Events The Meat Institute is reminding members to mark their calendars for events scheduled to take place in fall 2015 and winter 2016. more...
May 27, 2015 House Agriculture Committee Votes to Repeal COOL The House Committee on Agriculture last Wednesday voted to repeal the mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) requirements for beef, pork and chicken, while leaving intact the requirements for all other covered commodities. more...
May 27, 2015 USITC Rules Against Imposing Duties on Domestic Dry Containers from China The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) last week ruled that 53-foot domestic dry containers imported from China do not materially retard U.S. industry. more...
May 27, 2015 Meat Institute Crisis Center Available to Members The Meat Institute offers numerous resources to help member companies navigate through a crisis. more...
May 26, 2015 USDA Lamb Products Purchase Program Announced USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) last week announced plans to purchase $10 million worth of lamb products for surplus removal. An Invitation for Bid (solicitation) will be issued in the near future. All offers must be submitted electronically through the Web-Based Supply Chain... more...
May 26, 2015 Senate Passes Trade Promotion Authority The U.S. Senate last week voted 62-37 to give President Obama fast-track negotiating authority to conclude the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) negotiations. Fourteen Democrats joined 48 Republicans in voting in favor of the bill,... more...
May 21, 2015 2016 Annual Meat Conference Dates Announced The 2016 Annual Meat Conference, co-hosted by the Meat Institute Foundation and the Food Marketing Institute, will take place February 21-23, 2016, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. more...
May 21, 2015 Meat Institute Insurance Program Offers Significant Discounts to Members The Meat Institute's Affinity Programs provide members valuable services at significantly discounted rates. more...
May 20, 2015 NAMI to Co-sponsor Workshop Addressing Beef Safety Challenges The Meat Institute will co-sponsor a one-day workshop, entitled "Addressing Beef Safety Challenges," on May 21, 2015, at the Hampton Inn Denver West Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado. more...
May 20, 2015 Amazing Meat Video Surpasses 10,000 Views The Amazing Meat video featuring more than 30 meat industry executives delivering positive information about the industry and its products surpassed 10,000 views this week. Institute Members are encouraged to watch and share the video as part of a larger effort to education consumers and improve... more...
May 20, 2015 CDC Releases Annual FoodNet Data on Foodborne Illness Rates The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) annual FoodNet report showed significant improvements in some of the major pathogens of concern. Infection from E. coli O157 decreased 32 percent when compared with 2006-2008 and 19 percent when compared with the most recent three years.... more...
May 19, 2015 Institute Staff Meet with Vilsack, Froman About TPA NAMI Senior Vice President of International Trade Bill Westman and U.S. Hide, Skin and Leather Association President Stephen Sothmann joined other agricultural and trade groups in a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, USTR Chief Ag... more...
May 19, 2015 FSIS Issues Notice on Availability of Final HACCP Systems Validation Guideline USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice informing FSIS field personnel that the final version of the FSIS Compliance Guideline: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Systems Validation published in the Federal Register. more...
May 19, 2015 House Agriculture Leadership Presses USDA to Outline DGAC Review Process House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway (R-TX) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) last Thursday sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell requesting information from their departments regarding the processes of... more...
May 18, 2015 USDA Announced Mechanically Tenderized Beef Labeling Final Rule USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published a final rule, Descriptive Designation for Needle or Blade Tenderized (Mechanically Tenderized) Beef Products, which requires including the descriptive term "Mechanically Tenderized," "Blade Tenderized" or "Needle Tenderized" as a... more...
May 18, 2015 House Passes Bill to Withdraw EPA's WOTUS Rule The House of Representatives last week passed a bill requiring the EPA to withdraw its proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule in a vote of 261-155. more...
May 18, 2015 WTO Rules Against U.S. in COOL Dispute A World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body panel today rejected a United States appeal and upheld an earlier ruling that mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rules discriminate against imported livestock. more...
May 15, 2015 Survey Shows Consumer Use of Country-of-Origin Labels Declining Sharply. A new survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation found that country-of-origin information maintained its ninth place spot on the list of 11 pieces of labeling information... more...
May 8, 2015 Meat Institute Launches New Member Referral Program The Meat Institute today launched a new Member Referral program, in which NAMI members can participate by sending any prospective member leads to Jim Goldberg, director of member recruitment and outreach. more...
May 8, 2015 NAMI to Co-sponsor Workshop Addressing Beef Safety Challenges The Meat Institute will co-sponsor a one-day workshop, entitled "Addressing Beef Safety Challenges," on May 21, 2015, at the Hampton Inn Denver West Federal Center hotel in Lakewood, Colorado. more...
May 7, 2015 U.S.-China Agriculture and Food Partnership to Host Technical Seminars at Chinese International Meat Exhibition The U.S.-China Agriculture and Food Partnership (AFP), of which NAMI is a member, will partner with the China Meat Association to hold a series of technical seminars on September 19, 2015, in Qingdao, China. more...
May 7, 2015 NAMI Shares Social Media Strategies with Animal Scientists In conjunction with its Communicators Advocating Meat and Poultry (CAMP) grass roots program, NAMI Vice President of Public Affairs Eric Mittenthal discussed social media strategy tips at the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists meeting in Beltsville, Maryland. more...
May 7, 2015 NACMCF Audio Conference Call Announced The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold a public meeting of the full committee via an audio conference call on May 19, 2015, from 1-4 p.m. ET. more...
May 6, 2015 Resources Available to Combat Antibiotics Misinformation The Meat Institute has several resources available to address common myths and misconceptions about antibiotic use in livestock and poultry, and the impact of this usage on meat and poultry products. more...
May 6, 2015 Council of Economic Advisers Report Highlights Economic Benefits of Trade The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) released a report touting the economic benefits of enhanced U.S. trade and free trade agreements. more...
May 5, 2015 U.S. Ambassadors Urge Congress to Pass Promotion Authority and Trade Agreement Eleven U.S. ambassadors to the participating nations of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) wrote a letter urging Congress to pass the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (TPA). more...
May 5, 2015 USDA Report Shows Little Economic Benefit to COOL A new USDA report finds some evidence of consumer interest, but negligible economic benefit, to mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL). more...
May 5, 2015 Canada Revises E. coli Policy The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) revised its policy to control E. coli in raw beef products in an effort to provide clear guidance to industry and inspection staff regarding required control measures to address the risk posed by this pathogen. more...
May 4, 2015 Center of the Plate Early Registration Deadline Ends Today The deadline to receive the discounted early bird rate for the North American Meat Institute Foundation's (NAMIF) "Center of the Plate" (COP) Training is today, May 4, 2015. more...
May 1, 2015 New Member Handbook Now Available for Download An updated membership Handbook is now available for download . more...
Apr 30, 2015 Management Conference Photos Available Photos from the 2015 Meat Industry Management Conference are now available on the North American Meat Institute Facebook page. more...
Apr 30, 2015 IPPE Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available Opportunities to sponsor the 2016 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) are now available. more...
Apr 30, 2015 CAMP Surpasses 60 Registrants; New Webinar Dates Announced Opportunities to sponsor the 2016 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) are now available. more...
Apr 29, 2015 Salmonella Research Update Webinar Announced The Meat Institute will host a webinar April 30, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET to provide an overview of results from recently completed research addressing Salmonella in beef products. more...
Apr 29, 2015 Peru Joins PQA Plus Pork EV Program USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service announced that Peru has joined the Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus Export Verification (EV) Program. more...
Apr 29, 2015 Canadian Federal Budget Supports Meat Industry The Government of Canada last week introduced its budget for the next fiscal year, which included several items to support the country’s meat industry. more...
Apr 28, 2015 TPA Bill Passes Senate Finance Committee Markup The Senate Finance Committee last Wednesday approved the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 by a margin of 20-6 vote. more...
Apr 28, 2015 FSIS Posts Third Quarter Salmonella, Campylobacter Report USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) posted the third quarterly progress report of calendar year 2014 on Salmonella and Campylobacter testing of selected raw meat and poultry products. more...
Apr 28, 2015 Meat Institute and USHSLA Commend FMC Report NAMI and the U.S. Hide, Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA) joined 67 other organizations in signing a multi-association coalition letter to commend the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on the release of its recent report examining the impact of port congestion on demurrage, detention and per... more...
Apr 27, 2015 135 Meat and Poultry Plants Recognized for Worker Safety Performance The Meat Institute recognized 135 meat and poultry plants for achieving high levels of workplace safety performance as part of the industry's continuing effort to reduce occupational injury and illness rates. more...
Apr 23, 2015 Webinar to Address Microbiological Monitoring in Food Plants The Food Research Institute will host "The Wild, Wild World of Microbiological Monitoring in Food Plants" webinar June 10 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET. more...
Apr 23, 2015 FDA Releases 2012 NARMS Retail Meat Annual Report, 2013 Preliminary Data FDA released the 2012 Retail Meat Report, which summarizes key findings in antimicrobial resistance related to raw chicken, ground turkey, ground beef and pork chops collected at retail stores, and the 2013 Retail Meat Interim Report, which contains data from January to December 2013 and focuses... more...
Apr 23, 2015 IPPE Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available Opportunities to sponsor the 2016 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) are now available. All sponsors must be contracted IPPE exhibitors. Companies may choose one or a combination of sponsorship levels to showcase their products and drive... more...
Apr 22, 2015 FDA Requests Comments to Update Food Ingredient Safety Assessment FDA is requesting input from the public to update its current guidance on food ingredient safety assessment, commonly referred to as the Redbook . FDA is interested in developing a framework that incorporates the assessment of ingredients present in various products regulated by the... more...
Apr 22, 2015 IPPE Named Top 50 U.S. Trade Show Trade Show News Network (TSNN) has named the 2014 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) as the 48th largest tradeshow on its Top 250 Trade Shows list based on net square footage. TSNN also recognized IPPE as a top 50 fastest growing tradeshow.... more...
Apr 22, 2015 North American Meat Institute Celebrates 25 Years of Support for 'Meating the Need' Partnership With Feeding America As part of the Meat Industry Management Conference, the Meat Institute celebrated its 25-year partnership with Feeding America with a "backpack stuffing" event to provide food to hungry school-age children in the San Diego area. Conference attendees and... more...
Apr 21, 2015 Meat Industry Submits Comments on Child and Adult Care Food Program The Meat Institute submitted comments in response to proposed meal pattern revisions related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. more...
Apr 21, 2015 Congress Introduces Bill to Renew Trade Promotion Authority Leaders in both the House and Senate joined together to introduce the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (S.995/ HB.1890). The bill would renew Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which establishes concrete rules for international trade negotiations... more...
Apr 21, 2015 Meat Institute Hosts Media Training for Industry Professionals More than 20 meat and poultry industry leaders joined the NAMI Public Affairs team for a media training session at the Meat Industry Management Conference in Carlsbad, California. Attendees learned about the current media environment and how to work best with journalists, as well as... more...
Apr 20, 2015 Meat Institute Submits Comments on Establishment-Specific Data Release Plan The Meat Institute submitted comments on the proposed Establishment-Specific Data Release Plan , urging USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to abandon, or at a minimum reconsider, the plan. The comments note that the... more...
Apr 20, 2015 NAMIF Worker Safety, Labor and Employment Conference to Convene This Week Registration remains open for the North American Meat Institute Foundation (NAMIF) Worker Safety, Labor and Employment Conference, scheduled from April 21-23, 2015, at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The conference, which features education sessions that address... more...
Apr 20, 2015 Meat Institute Members Convene in Carlsbad for Management Conference Meat Institute members last week gathered at the Meat Industry Management Conference at the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, California for a host of education programs and committee meetings, as well as for a chance to connect with industry colleagues old... more...
Apr 16, 2015 Salmonella Research Update Webinar Announced The Meat Institute will host a webinar April 30, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET to provide an overview of results from recently completed research addressing Salmonella in beef products. The webinar will cover results from research that evaluated whole genome... more...
Apr 16, 2015 FSIS Releases Brochure Stressing Importance of Food Defense Plans USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) released a brochure offering guidance on food defense plans in FSIS-regulated establishments. The brochure provides an overview of food defense, which FSIS defines as the protection of food products from... more...
Apr 16, 2015 New Video Addresses Myth About Foodborne Illness Risks NAMI and the American Meat Science Association released a new video in the Meat Mythcrushers series addressing common misconceptions about the prevalence of foodborne illness from different sources and explains that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that produce, not meat and... more...
Apr 15, 2015 USDA Expands Agriculture Trade With Mexico and Peru Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced two trade agreements that will allow U.S. beef and pork producers greater access to consumers in Mexico and Puerto Rico. The agreements are part of USDA's continued push to eliminate all remaining trade barriers to U.S. cattle and cattle... more...
Apr 15, 2015 FSIS Revises Directive on Substances Used in Meat, Poultry and Egg Production USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a revised directive updating the list of safe and suitable ingredients used in the production of meat, poultry and egg products. Specifically, FSIS revised the entry for a blend of lactic acid, citric... more...
Apr 14, 2015 FDA Issues Proposed Rule for Food Facility Registration FDA issued a proposed rule to amend and update its regulation on the registration of food facilities. more...
Apr 14, 2015 Meat Institute Members Convene in Carlsbad for Management Conference Meat Institute members this week will gather in Carlsbad, California, for the Meat Industry Management Conference , scheduled to take place April 15-18 at the Park Hyatt Aviara. more...
Apr 13, 2015 FSIS Issues Revised Directive Outlining Food Defense Procedures USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a revised directive providing instructions to inspection program personnel regarding procedures for conducting Food Defense Verification (FDV) tasks at meat, poultry and egg product establishments. The... more...
Apr 13, 2015 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Op-ed Urges TPA Passage Myron Brilliant, executive vice president and head of international affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, last week wrote an op-ed that appeared in the McClatchy newspapers urging passage of trade promotion authority (TPA), which he called critical for finalizing trade agreements and ending a... more...
Apr 9, 2015 Meat Industry Management Conference to Feature Popular Sausage Fest Competition The Meat Institute will once again host its popular Sausage Fest during the Meat Industry Management Conference, scheduled to take place April 15-18, 2015, in Carlsbad, California. The Sausage Fest, which will be held from 6-7 p.m. on April 16, will feature sausages and ready-to-eat... more...
Apr 8, 2015 NAMI Oakland Office Staff Receive New Numbers The Meat Institute’s Oakland, California office now has a new phone system, and the staff has been provided with direct lines. Members may continue to contact staff using the Oakland office’s main line, 510/763-1533. Vice President of Regulatory Services Norm Robertson may now be... more...
Apr 8, 2015 NHDSC MLB Bracket Contest Crowns Winner; Baseball Fans Expected to Consume More Than 18.5 Million Hot Dogs in 2015 Following more than two weeks of spirited competition, the Cleveland Indians’ Sugardale Dog has been crowned America’s baseball hot dog champion, according to results from the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council’s (NHDSC) MLB Madness Bracket contest . Classic and unique hot... more...
Apr 8, 2015 Meat Institute Releases Ultimate Guide to Bacon Video and Companion Brochure NAMI released a new Ultimate Guide to Bacon, featuring a video tour of a bacon processing plant and a companion brochure complete with bacon facts and history. The video is the newest installment in NAMI’s Glass Walls series , and provides viewers an inside look at... more...
Apr 7, 2015 FSIS Requests Feedback on Implementation of New PHIS Export Module USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is soliciting comments on issues related to the implementation of the Public Health Information System (PHIS) export module. more...
Apr 7, 2015 New Study Examines Lunch Meat Consumption and Diet Quality A recent abstract published in The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology assesses the effects of lunch meat consumption on nutrient intake and diet quality in children and adults based on data collected from a large, nationally representative... more...
Apr 7, 2015 Congressional Letter Urges USDA and HHS to Use Sound Science for Dietary Guidelines Rep. Vickie Hartzler (R-MO) along with 70 members of Congress, including House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway (R-TX) and House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL), sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and... more...
Apr 6, 2015 Vilsack Urges Agricultural Groups to Lobby for Fast-Track Trade Authority Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has called on farmers, ranchers, agribusiness owners and other industry groups to urge Congress to pass trade promotion authority (TPA) for President Obama and to support the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement. Vilsack noted that TPP,... more...
Apr 6, 2015 NAMIF Worker Safety, Labor and Employment Conference to Convene in Three Weeks Registration remains open for the North American Meat Institute Foundation (NAMIF) Worker Safety, Labor and Employment Conference, scheduled from April 21-23, 2015, at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The conference, which features education sessions that address... more...
Apr 1, 2015 Meat Institute Argues for Scientific Evidence as Foundation of Nutrition Policy In oral comments delivered to USDA and HHS at a public meeting last week, NAMI Vice President of Scientific Affairs Betsy Booren, Ph.D., expressed concern that more than 70 percent of the recommendations made by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) were not based on the... more...
Apr 1, 2015 Meat Institute Committees to Convene in Carlsbad Numerous Meat Institute committees will host meetings during the Meat Industry Management Conference , scheduled from April 15-18, 2015, in Carlsbad, California. The committee meetings enable members to collectively discuss important issues related to their... more...
Mar 31, 2015 FSIS Issues Notice Detailing Adjusted Dollar Limitations for Retail Exemptions USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice outlining updated dollar limitations on the amount of meat and meat food products, poultry and poultry products that retail stores may sell to hotels, restaurants and similar institutions to qualify for exemption from federal... more...
Mar 31, 2015 Mexican Meat Buyer's Guide Released Francisco Gurría Treviño, general coordinator of Mexican livestock, last week presented the third edition of the Mexican Meat Buyer's Guide, which was produced by the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) through consultation with the... more...
Mar 31, 2015 U.S. National Residue Sampling Plans Published USDA released the United States National Residue Program (NRP) for Meat, Poultry and Egg Products: Residue Sampling Plans , commonly referred to as the Blue Book, which summarizes the process used by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to sample... more...
Mar 30, 2015 Meat Institute Joins Panel on Meat at Washington Post Conference NAMI President and CEO Barry Carpenter was featured on a panel called "Meat In the Middle" at the Washington Post Changing the Menu conference , held in Washington, D.C. Carpenter was joined by author Nicolette Hahn Niman and butcher Adam Danforth.... more...
Mar 30, 2015 NAMI Hosts Transatlantic Meat Industry Dialogue on TTIP NAMI hosted the first meeting of the U.S. and European Union (EU) meat industries to establish a dialogue on issues related to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP). EU representatives Knud Buhl, Frans van Dongen and Jos Goebbels joined U.S. participants,... more...
Mar 30, 2015 FDA to Hold Public Meeting on FSMA Implementation Strategy FDA will hold a public meeting April 23-24, 2015, entitled, "FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): Focus on Implementation Strategy for Prevention-Oriented Food Safety Standards." The meeting, which will be held at the Washington Marriott at Metro... more...
Mar 26, 2015 New Video Addresses Myths About Meat Color and Safety NAMI and the American Meat Science Association released a new video in the Meat Mythcrushers series addressing common misconceptions about meat color and safety, rebutting the claim that beef has spoiled... more...
Mar 26, 2015 Foundation to Host Training on Fundamentals of Meat Specifications The North American Meat Institute Foundation (NAMIF) will offer Center of the Plate Training , a three-day course covering the fundamentals of meat specifications, June 2-4, 2015, at the Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center on the campus of Texas... more...
Mar 25, 2015 FSIS Reissues Directive on Manufacture of Animal Food and Uninspected Articles at Official Establishments USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reissued a directive providing instructions to inspection program personnel (IPP) regarding their responsibilities in an official establishment that manufactures animal food or similar uninspected articles not for human consumption in... more...
Mar 25, 2015 Webcast on Improved Method for Attributing Foodborne Illness Now Available The Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) posted a webcast recording and related materials from its public meeting held on Februay 24, 2015, during which it provided an overview of a new method for analyzing outbreak data to determine the... more...
Mar 25, 2015 NHDSC Annual March Madness Bracket Tournament Underway The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) launched a MLB Madness Bracket contest to determine America's favorite Major League Baseball hot dog. The bracket features daily matchups between classic and unique hot dogs on the NHDSC's... more...
Mar 24, 2015 USDA Seeks Comments to Measure Effectiveness of Regulatory Programs USDA is soliciting public comment as part of its ongoing review to maximize the cost effectiveness and minimize the administrative burdens of its regulatory programs to determine whether changes to its existing significant regulations are necessary. The... more...
Mar 24, 2015 FSIS Issues Notice Requiring Special Certification of U.S. Poultry Exports to Canada USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice providing instructions to Public Health Veterinarians (PHVs) for including a special certification statement indicating that raw poultry or raw poultry products exported to Canada are free of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). more...
Mar 24, 2015 U.S. Requests WTO Panel to Examine Indonesia's Import Restrictions U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman has asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) to establish a dispute settlement panel to examine Indonesia's wide-ranging import restrictions on fruits, vegetables, beef, poultry and other agricultural products. The... more...
Mar 23, 2015 FDA, EPA Sign Data-Sharing Agreement FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a process for sharing information to better inform risk assessments and decision making related to food safety, veterinary... more...
Mar 23, 2015 Meat Institute to Provide Testimony During Public Meeting on Dietary Guidelines NAMI Vice President of Scientific Affairs Betsy Booren, Ph.D., will provide oral testimony on behalf of the Meat Institute during a public meeting on the Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC), scheduled for tomorrow, March... more...
Mar 18, 2015 USDA Announces Open Meeting to Discuss Independent Review of Animal Handling at USMARC USDA will host, on March 18, 2015, an open teleconference meeting of the Agricultural Research Service-Animal Handling and Welfare Review Panel (ARS-AHWR) to discuss its report and recommendations on animal handling and welfare policies and procedures at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center... more...
Mar 18, 2015 FSIS Enhances Allergen Label Monitoring USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a directive instructing inspection program personnel to verify that establishments accurately control and label the eight most common ("Big 8") food allergens. These allergens, which incllude wheat, crustacean shellfish, eggs,... more...
Mar 18, 2015 Thirty Senators Express Concern Over Removal of Lean Meat from DGAC Report Thirty Senators, led by Senator John Thune (R-SD), sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell expressing concern over the integrity of the scientific evidence used by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC)... more...
Mar 18, 2015 Research Shows Consumers Seek Nutrition Benefits of Meat and Poultry Products Americans value the nutrition and balance that meat and poultry products deliver in the diet, according to new research recently released in the 10th annual Power of Meat report, produced by NAMI and Food Marketing Institute (FMI). The report, which examines... more...
Mar 18, 2015 Registration Open for Processed Meat Technology School The Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension will host the 2015 Aggie Processed Meat Technology School, April 22-24, on the campus of Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. The school will discuss the steps involved in making... more...
Mar 17, 2015 Almanza to Speak at Meat Industry Management Conference Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Administrator Al Almanza will provide an FSIS regulatory update during NAMI's Meat Industry Management Conference, scheduled from April 15-18, 2015, at the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, California. more...
Mar 17, 2015 FDA Publishes Nutrition Labeling Guidance for Small Entities FDA released guidance explaining the actions small entities must take to comply with a final rule requiring nutrition labeling of standard menu items in restaurants and similar retail food establishments. The guidance outlines the... more...
Mar 17, 2015 Early Registration Deadline Approaching for NAMIF Worker Safety, Labor and Employment Conference The early registration deadline for the North American Meat Institute Foundation (NAMIF) Worker Safety, Labor and Employment Conference ends this Friday, March 20. The conference, which is scheduled from April 21-23, 2015, at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri,... more...
Mar 17, 2015 Dietary Guidelines Call This Wednesday The Meat Institute will host a conference call with several committees this Wednesday, March 18, at 2 p.m. ET to solicit input on the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee scientific report , and to highlight key areas for comment. To receive dial-in information for the call,... more...
Mar 16, 2015 Meat Institute Staff Discuss Port Labor Dispute With Secretary Perez NAMI Senior Vice President of International Affairs Bill Westman and U.S. Hide, Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA) President Stephen Sothmann met with Secretary of Labor Tom Perez to discuss his involvement in assisting to resolve the seven-month labor dispute between the International... more...
Mar 16, 2015 FSIS Reissues Notice on Treatment to Destroy Trichinae in Pork USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) canceled and reissued FSIS Notice 21-14, " Prescribed Treatment to Destroy Trichinae in Pork, and Products Containing Pork ." The notice clarifies labeling requirements and inspection program personnel (IPP) verification... more...
Mar 16, 2015 Foundation Releases Updated Consumer Resource Guide on Meat and Poultry The North American Meat Institute Foundation released an updated version of its popular Yellow Pages , a meat and poultry resource guide that provides important consumer information and answers to commonly asked questions about the meat supply, preparation and cooking and nutrition.... more...
Mar 16, 2015 NAMI Launches Online Petition to Inject Common Sense Into Dietary Guidelines NAMI last week launched a Change.org petition urging USDA and HHS to inject common sense into the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans . Since its launch last Thursday, the petition has garnered more than 580 signatures, and each signature generates a... more...
Mar 12, 2015 New Video Address Common Misconceptions About BSE Risk NAMI and the American Meat Science Association released a new video in the Meat Mythcrushers series rebutting the claim that bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a 'common' threat to human and animal health. The video, which... more...
Mar 12, 2015 FSIS Revises Directive on Substances Used in Meat, Poultry and Egg Production USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a revised directive updating the list of safe and suitable ingredients used in the production of meat, poultry and egg products. This directive provides inspection program personnel (IPP) with an... more...
Mar 12, 2015 Meat Industry Management Conference Registration Open Registration is open for NAMI's Meat Industry Management Conference, scheduled from April 15-18, 2015, at the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, California. This annual conference will feature education sessions covering an array of topics, including food... more...
Mar 11, 2015 House Agriculture Committee Members Urge Extension in Public Comment Period for DGAC Report House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX), Nutrition Subcommittee Chairwoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN) and Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (R-NC) sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS... more...
Mar 11, 2015 Registration Now Open for Dietetics and Nutrition Spring Webinar Series Registration is now open for FDA's spring food and nutrition webinar series , sponsored by the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN). The spring... more...
Mar 11, 2015 Former Chairs of Council of Economic Advisers Send TPA Support Letter to Congress A bipartisan group of former chairs of the President's Council of Economic Advisers sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging Congress to pass Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). The 14 former chairs, representing... more...
Mar 10, 2015 Independent Review of Animal Handling at USMARC Released The independent review panel convened by USDA to report on animal handling and welfare policies and procedures at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska, released a draft report of its findings and recommendations following... more...
Mar 10, 2015 FSIS Announces New Information Collection About Safe Food Handling Instructions USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced its intention to request a new information collection to conduct a survey of consumers regarding safe food handling instructions. The information collection would seek consumer input on the effectiveness of current safe-handling... more...
Mar 10, 2015 DOL Publishes New Regulations That Redefine 'Spouse' The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a final rule amending the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations to define "spouse" to reflect the law in the state where the marriage was performed. Previously, the regulations deferred to the... more...
Mar 10, 2015 Strategic Performance Working Group Releases Findings on Sanitary Dressing Procedures USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS) Strategic Performance Working Group (SPWG) has developed recommendations to reduce the number of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC)cases, following findings that the number of illnesses from E. coli... more...
Mar 9, 2015 White House Releases 2015 Trade Policy Agenda President Obama last week delivered to Congress his administration's 2015 Trade Policy Agenda and 2014 Annual Report . The report notes that 2015 will be a historic year for trade, stating that the U.S. will conclude negotiations with Trans Pacific Partnership... more...
Mar 9, 2015 FSIS Extends Comment Period on Draft Establishment-Specific Data Release Strategic Plan USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has extended by 30 days the public comment period on its draft Establishment-Specific Release Strategic Plan . NAMI joined the National Chicken Council and the National Turkey Federation in requesting a 90-day... more...
Mar 4, 2015 IFSAC Develops New Model for Attributing Foodborne Illness The Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC), a partnership between USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released a report detailing a new method for analyzing outbreak data to determine the most... more...
Mar 4, 2015 Meat and Poultry Remain Strong at Retail, Study Reveals NAMI and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) published the 10th annual Power of Meat study, which reveals that meat and poultry products remain among the top choices for shoppers at retail. more...
Mar 4, 2015 Former Agriculture Secretaries Urge Congress to Pass TPA A bipartisan group of former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture, representing all administrations from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush, issued an open letter urging Congress to pass Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which is necessary to finalize and implement numerous trade... more...
Mar 3, 2015 FSIS Issues Letter to Importers and Customs Brokers Outlining Electronic Import Processes USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a letter to importers and customs brokers clarifying changes outlined in its Electronic Import Inspection Application and Certification of Imported Products and Foreign Establishments final rule. The letter... more...
Mar 3, 2015 AMC Exhibitors Donate More than 5,100 Pounds of Meat and Poultry Products to Nashville Food Project; Conference Sets New Attendance Record Exhibitors at the Annual Meat Conference (AMC), hosted by the North American Meat Institute Foundation (NAMIF) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) last week in Nashville, Tennessee, donated 5,100 pounds of meat and poultry products to The... more...
Mar 3, 2015 Meat Institute Requests Extension to DGAC Scientific Report Comment Period NAMI sent a letter to USDA and HHS requesting an extension to the comment period for the Dietargy Guidelines Advisory Committee's (DGAC) scientific report from 45 to 120 days. In the letter, the Meat Institute notes that 45 days does not allow adequate time to... more...
Mar 3, 2015 USDA Releases Data Highlighting Economic Benefits of TPP USDA released data underscoring the benefits for U.S. agricultural exports resulting from the successful conclusion of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a free trade agreement with 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The data reveal significant growth... more...
Mar 2, 2015 Michelle Fevola Joins Meat Institute as New Manager of Legislative Affairs and Member Services Michelle Fevola is the new manager of legislative affairs and member services at NAMI. In her new role, Michelle coordinates fundraising and record keeping for the NAMI-PAC and files quarterly statements to the Federal Election Commission. In addition, she serves as a customer service... more...
Mar 2, 2015 FDA Launches Web Tool to Support Food Safety FDA released FDA-iRISK 2.0, an enhanced version of the free, web-based tool that helps users conduct their own quantitative risk assessments in support of food safety. more...
Mar 2, 2015 Safety Council Releases New Safety Poster Series and Talks The National Safety Council (NSC), of which NAMI is a member, released five new posters and three new five-minute talks aimed at improving workplace safety and increasing employee awareness of various hazards. The new posters are useful additions to existing workplace safety programs... more...
Feb 26, 2015 Exhibits and Sponsorships Available to Members at Meat Industry Management Conference NAMI supplier members may sponsor the 2015 Meat Industry Management Conference, which will be held April 15-18, in Carlsbad, California. Table-Top Exhibits for the Friday evening Supplier Showcase Reception and Sausage/RTE Fest are also available for purchase. These exhibits enable... more...
Feb 25, 2015 FSIS Announces Availability of New Web-based Self-Reporting Tool for Foreign Food Regulatory Systems USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is making available to the public its new web-based Self-Reporting Tool (SRT) that it will send to foreign countries to report information on their food regulatory systems for the purpose of establishing that... more...
Feb 25, 2015 Draft Industry Guidance Released on Evaluating Effectiveness of New Animal Drugs to Reduce STEC in Cattle FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) released a draft guidance document providing recommendations to industry regarding ways to evaluate the effectiveness of new animal drugs to reduce pathogenic Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in cattle. The draft guidance... more...
Feb 25, 2015 EPA and Army Corps Withdraw Agricultural Conservation Exemptions to WOTUS Rule The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers issued a memorandum of understanding withdrawing the list of agricultural conservation practices that would be exempt under the proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, following significant... more...
Feb 25, 2015 Updated Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade Released USDA's Economic Research Service and Foreign Agricultural Servicehave released updated forecasts for U.S. agricultural trade in Fiscal Year 2015. Agricultural exports are forecast at $141.5 billion, down $2 billion from the November projection and $11... more...
Feb 25, 2015 WTO Hears U.S. Appeal in COOL Dispute The World Trade Organization (WTO) heard arguments in the appeal of its ruling on the U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rule. Last year, the WTO ruled in favor of Canada and Mexico, saying the U.S. COOL rule is out of compliance with its trade obligations. In a statement to... more...
Feb 24, 2015 FSIS Extends Comment Period for Salmonella and Campylobacter Verification Testing USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is extending by 60 days the comment period for the Federal Register notice proposing changes to the Salmonella and Campylobacter verification testing programs and to performance standards... more...
Feb 24, 2015 Meat Industry Management Conference Registration Now Open Registration is now open for NAMI's Meat Industry Management Conference, scheduled from April 15-18, 2015, at the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, California. This annual conference will feature education sessions covering an array of topics, including food... more...
Feb 24, 2015 Article Highlights Challenges of Nutrition Policymaking Joanne Slavin, Ph.D., RD, professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota and 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) member, published an article in Nutrition Journal examining the challenges involved in developing federal food and nutrition... more...
Feb 24, 2015 Meat Institute Submits Comments Addressing Costs and Benefits of STEC Testing NAMI submitted comments to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in response to its analysis of the estimated costs and benefits associated with implementing non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) testing on beef manufacturing... more...
Feb 24, 2015 Meat Institute Issues Strong Response to Final DGAC Report The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) released its scientific report , in which it identified a healthy dietary pattern as one that is higher in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, seafood, legumes and nuts; moderate in... more...
Feb 23, 2015 Harvard to Host Symposium on DGAC Report The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) will host a symposium this Wednesday, February 25, to discuss the evidence basis and key recommendations outlined in the Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC)... more...
Feb 23, 2015 Deal Reached in West Coast Ports Labor Dispute The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) reached a tentative contract last Friday, concluding the nine month labor dispute that has cost the meat, poultry, hide, skin and leather industries an estimated $85 million per week. The... more...
Feb 19, 2015 Initial Results from Nationwide Survey on Beef and Veal Carcass Baseline Released USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) released data from the first four months of its year-long, nationwide Beef and Veal Carcass Baseline Survey (B-VCBS). The survey collects samples from steer, heifer, cow, bull, dairy cow and veal carcasses at two points along the... more...
Feb 19, 2015 Updated USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Released The 2014 update of the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference , Release 27, is now available. The updated database, which is compiled by scientists at USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), contains information on more than 8,600 food items. Each year, new... more...
Feb 19, 2015 New Video Challenges Myth About Water Use in Beef Production NAMI and the American Meat Science Association released the newest video in the Meat Mythcrushers series addressing the common myth about the amount of water required to produce one pound of beef. The video, which marks the 41st in... more...
Feb 18, 2015 FSIS Releases Failure-to-Present, Prior Notification Compliance Guide USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published a compliance guide describing its failure-to-present (FTP) and prior notification requirements in an effort to assist importers and customs brokers. The guide explains FSIS' approach to the implementation of policy changes... more...
Feb 18, 2015 Meat Institute Encourages Passage of Trade Promotion Authority NAMI joined a broad array of agricultural organizations in briefing House and Senate Agriculture Committee and Member staffs on the importance of passing Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which is necessary to finalize and implement numerous trade agreements, including the... more...
Feb 18, 2015 Meat Institute Supports Roll Call Calling for Action at West Coast Ports NAMI joined 18 other agricultural, food, retail and transportation organizations in an advertisement stressing the negative economic impact of continued delays at West Coast ports. The ad, which ran in the February 11 edition of Roll Call , called for an agreement in the ongoing labor... more...
Feb 18, 2015 West Coast Port Situation Escalates Exacerbating Challenges for Meat Industry The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) suspended the unloading of container and other cargo ships last Thursday, this past weekend and on Monday, citing the International Longshore and Warehouse Union's (ILWU) perpetuation of a "strike without pay." The PMA must pay employees time and... more...
Feb 17, 2015 New BSE Case Detected in Alberta Beef Cow The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) last week announced a new case of BSE in an Alberta beef cow. more...
Feb 17, 2015 Vilsack Testifies Before House Agriculture Committee Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack last week testified before the full House Committee on Agriculture during a hearing on the state of the rural economy . The annual briefing is intended to cover a variety of pertinent agricultural topics and provides an opportunity to gain insight on... more...
Feb 17, 2015 FSIS Releases 2014 Year in Review USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) released its 2014 Year in Review report. The report provides an annual overview of goals, objectives and performance measures guiding FSIS' work to reduce the presence of foodborne pathogens and residues, as well as its efforts to... more...
Feb 17, 2015 NAMI Celebrates Valentine's Day with #MyMeatyValentine Twitter Campaign As part of its ongoing positive messaging efforts, NAMI ran a series of tweets highlighting meaty Valentine's Day cards on twitter. The campaign used twitter hashtags #MyMeatyValentine and #IHeartMeat, and generated more than 100 retweets and 20,000 impressions on twitter... more...
Feb 11, 2015 2015 Pork 101 Courses Announced The North American Meat Institute Foundation (NAMIF) will cosponsor the 2015 Pork 101 courses, hosted by the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) in cooperation with the National Pork Board. Attendees will learn about pork carcass selection, evaluation and fabrication, as well as... more...
Feb 11, 2015 New Academic Membership Now Available Meat and poultry academic leaders can now join the Meat Institute for an annual dues rate of $250, which is open to any full-time junior, senior or graduate student majoring in, or faculty member teaching or conducting research in, animal, food, meat or poultry science at a college or... more...
Feb 11, 2015 Meat Institute Discusses Importance of U.S.-China Partnership at Wilson Center Event NAMI Senior Vice President of International Affairs Bill Westman discussed the latest developments in the U.S.-China Agriculture and Food Partnership at an event sponsored by the Wilson Center's China Environment Forum that addressed food safety as it relates to the modernization of... more...
Feb 11, 2015 Betsy Booren, Ph.D., to Lead AMSA Health and Wellness Educational Webinar NAMI's Vice President of Scientific Affairs Betsy Booren, Ph.D., will provide a briefing on current health and wellness issues facing the meat and poultry industry during an educational webinar hosted by the American Meat Science Association (AMSA). Booren will update participants on... more...
Feb 10, 2015 NAMI Requests Dismissal of COOL Lawsuit NAMI officially requested that the lawsuit challenging the May 2013 USDA country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rule be dismissed. NAMI and eight plaintiffs argued the rule violated the First Amendment, but the courts disagreed. In a statement on the dismissal, NAMI President and CEO Barry... more...
Feb 10, 2015 FSIS, FDA Update Joint Agency MOU USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and FDA recently updated a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on collaboration and information sharing. The MOU was updated to include definitions, food safety contact notifications and egg products ingredients.... more...
Feb 10, 2015 FDA Announces Dietetics and Nutrition Webinar Series FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN)are jointly sponsoring a food and nutrition webinar series to communicate information about FDA's food and nutrition regulatory processes. The webinar... more...
Feb 10, 2015 Meat Institute Joins Industry Groups Urging Passage of TPA NAMI joined 70 other food and agricultural organizations in a letter urging Congress to quickly introduce and approve legislation to renew Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which is necessary to finalize and implement numerous trade agreements, including the... more...
Feb 9, 2015 FDA Commissioner to Resign Dr. Margaret Hamburg, who has served as commissioner of the FDA for almost six years, announced that she is stepping down. Dr. Stephen Ostroff, FDA's chief scientist, will fill Hamburg's position until a new commissioner is named. During her tenure, Hamburg has overseen public health... more...
Feb 9, 2015 Registration Now Open for NAMIF Worker Safety, Labor and Employment Conference Registration is now open for the North American Meat Institute Foundation (NAMIF) Worker Safety, Labor and Employment Conference, scheduled from April 21-23, 2015, at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The conference features education sessions that address key topics... more...
Feb 9, 2015 New Infographic Details the Nutrition, Safety and Value of Processed Meats The Meat Institute released a new infographic detailing the nutrition, variety, safety and value of processed meat and poultry products. The infographic also highlights data presented by the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which shows that followers of the Mediterranean... more...
Feb 9, 2015 Port Backlog Impacts Grow as Negotiations Continue in West Coast Port Labor Dispute Meat and poultry products destined for export from West Coast ports continue to pile up in commercial freezers around the country as the west coast port labor dispute drags on. more...
Feb 4, 2015 United States Takes Final Step Toward WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman formally delivered the United States' letter of acceptance of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement to WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo. The delivery of the letter is the final step that the United States must... more...
Feb 4, 2015 FSIS Releases First Year Update on Salmonella Action Plan USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published a report outlining the accomplishments of the Salmonella Action Plan (SAP) during its first year of implementation. The report lists accomplishments in modernizing... more...
Feb 4, 2015 NAMI Hosts Media Training and Press Reception at IPPE NAMI's public affairs staff hosted its third annual media training session for members of the meat and poultry industry. Fifteen participants learned about today's media environment, message development and ways to deal with reporters, and had the opportunity to practice interview... more...
Feb 4, 2015 IFSAC to Hold Public Meeting on Foodborne Illness Attribution Efforts The Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) will host a public meeting to update stakeholders on its work to improve foodborne illness source attribution. IFSAC is a joint Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), FDA, and USDA's... more...
Feb 3, 2015 FDA Extends Comment Period on Updates to Redbook FDA is extending the deadline to receive public comments on updates to the Toxicological Principles for the Safety Assessment of Food Ingredients (Redbook) through May 11, 2015. FDA extended the comment period by 180 days in response... more...
Feb 3, 2015 Almanza Speaks at NAMI Board Meeting and IPPE USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Acting Administrator and Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety Al Almanza was the featured speaker at the inaugural NAMI board meeting at the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, Georgia. Almanza updated the... more...
Feb 3, 2015 NAMI Continues to Press for Port Labor Resolution NAMI joined a coalition of 92 food, agricultural and allied groups in a letter to both sides of the west coast port dispute expressing deep disappointment in the failure to resolve the dispute, which has resulted in a severe slowdown of terminal activity at... more...
Feb 2, 2015 NAMI Presents Environmental Recognition and Achievement Awards to 121 Meat and Poultry Plants NAMI presented 109 plants with Environmental Recognition Awards and 12 plants with Environmental Achievement Awards during the 2015 Environmental Conference for the Meat and Poultry Industry held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. NAMI member companies receive... more...
Feb 2, 2015 AMS Requests Nutrition, Allergen and Ingredient Information for USDA Child Nutrition Programs The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS ) is requesting nutrition information, allergen declarations and ingredient statements for all direct-delivered products offered through its Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Lunch Program... more...
Feb 2, 2015 Susan Mayne Takes Over as New CFSAN Director Susan T. Mayne, Ph.D., has officially assumed the role of director for FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), replacing Michael Landa, who retired last year. Prior to joining FDA, Mayne served as the C.-E.A. Winslow Professor of Epidemiology and chair of the... more...
Feb 2, 2015 AMS Revises Staffing Policy for Lamb Processing Facilities USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program's Quality Assessment Division (QAD) issued a Notice to Trade revising its staffing policy for lamb processing facilities in an effort to reduce Cumulative Trauma Disorders... more...
Feb 2, 2015 IPPE Sets Show Record for Attendance The meat and poultry industry gathered in Atlanta, Georgia, for the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), setting a show record with an estimated 30,000 meat, poultry and feed industry leader attendees from around the world. In addition, the show had 1,288 exhibitors with more... more...
Jan 22, 2015 FSIS Announces New 2015 Rates USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice announcing the 2015 rates that it will charge meat and poultry establishments, egg products plants and importers and exporters for providing voluntary, overtime and holiday inspection and identification, certification and laboratory... more...
Jan 21, 2015 Technomic Predicts 2015 Will See The Rise of Fat, Local Technomic foodservice and menu concept expert Darren Tristano released the results of his poll of six leading menu experts who projected what they believe will be the hottest trends of 2015, and fat and local garnered the top two spots. Tristano... more...
Jan 21, 2015 FDA Announces Competitive Grant Program with NIFA FDA has established a collaborative partnership with USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to administer and manage the National Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach and Technical Assistance Program. The partnership will provide grant funding... more...
Jan 21, 2015 NAMI Signs Coalition Letter Urging Action at West Coast Ports NAMI joined more than 175 organizations representing manufacturers, farmers, agribusinesses, wholesalers, retailers, importers, exporters, distributors and transportation providers in signing onto a coalition letter urging the International Longshore and... more...
Jan 21, 2015 NAMI Calls on President to Take Action to Resolve Port Crisis North American Meat Institute (NAMI) President and CEO Barry Carpenter during a January 20 press briefing called on President Obama to take action to resolve the West Coast Ports crisis and encourage a prompt conclusion to the ongoing labor dispute between the International Longshore and... more...
Jan 20, 2015 FSIS Issues Notice on Verification Sampling of Domestic Beef Product USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice replacing expired FSIS Notice 38-13 and outlining the procedures inspection program personnel (IPP) must follow to interpret laboratory results of domestic beef advanced meat recovery (AMR) product tested for the... more...
Jan 20, 2015 Obama Administration Announces Regulatory Amendments to Cuba Sanctions The Obama Administration last week announced numerous regulations aimed at normalizing relations with Cuba, as part of the president's broader effort to restore diplomatic relations with the nation. Under the new regulations, Americans can now travel to Cuba without applying... more...
Jan 20, 2015 Visit the NAMI Staff and Learn About the New Institute at IPPE NAMI members can meet up with industry friends and colleagues at the NAMI membership booth at next week's 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), scheduled from January 27-29, 2015, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. more...
Jan 15, 2015 FSIS Issues Notice on Public Health Regulations for Food Safety Assessments USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice updating instructions for Food Safety Assessment (FSA) entrance meetings and reissuing the instructions in FSIS Notice 63-13, "Public Health Regulations for Use in Scheduling Food Safety Assessments." more...
Jan 15, 2015 PMA and ILWU Agree to Federal Mediation in West Coast Port Labor Negotiations The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) jointly requested federal mediation to assist in resolving an ongoing labor dispute that covers more than 20,000 longshore workers at 29 west coast ports. more...
Jan 15, 2015 Recruitment Events Announced for 2015 IPPE The Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program (LPS), within USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), is hosting a recruitment event at the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), scheduled from January 27-29, 2015, at the Georgia World Congress Center in... more...
Jan 14, 2015 FSIS Solicits Comments on Draft Establishment-Specific Data Release Strategic Plan USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is soliciting public comments on its draft Establishment-Specific Data Release Strategic Plan (the draft plan). The draft plan shares data on federally inspected meat and poultry establishments with the public.... more...
Jan 14, 2015 U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba Officially Launches NAMI joined more than 30 U.S. food and agriculture companies and associations to launch officially the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC), which seeks to end the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba and encourage open trade and investment to re-establish Cuba as a market for U.S. food and... more...
Jan 14, 2015 National Academy of Science Publishes Animal Science Report The National Academy of Science published a report entitled, "Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability." more...
Jan 13, 2015 NAMIF Worker Safety Recognition Awards Now Open Applications are now being accepted through January 23, 2015, for the 2014 North American Meat Institute Foundation (NAMIF) Worker Safety Awards. The awards, which will be presented at NAMIF's Conference on Worker Safety, Health and Human Resources on April 22, 2015, in Kansas City,... more...
Jan 13, 2015 Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook Updated USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has revised the Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook, which contains current protocols for analytical tests required by FSIS regulatory activities on meat, poultry and egg products. The update includes the... more...
Jan 13, 2015 FSIS Extends Comment Period for the Economic Analysis for STEC in Certain Raw Beef Products In response to a request submitted by NAMI, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) extended the deadline to comment on its analysis of the estimated costs and benefits associated with the implementation of its non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli (STEC) testing of beef... more...
Jan 12, 2015 NAMI to Host Meat Pavilion at NGA Show NAMI will host a Meat Pavilion as part of the 2015 National Grocers Association (NGA) Show, which is scheduled for February 8-11, 2015, at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Meat Pavilion will appear on the show floor and will showcase the latest products,... more...
Jan 7, 2015 USDA Proposes Changes to Livestock Marketing Facility Approval Process USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a proposed rule that would amend the regulations governing the approval of facilities that receive livestock in interstate commerce. The proposed rule also includes several clarifications... more...
Jan 6, 2015 ERS Issues Report on Food Safety Performance of Suppliers to the National School Lunch Program USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) issued a report analyzing the effectiveness of the revised National School Lunch Program standards, comparing the food safety performance of establishments that are active and inactive Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) suppliers to the... more...
Jan 6, 2015 IPPE Cooking Demonstrations Announced The 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) will host a variety of cooking demonstrations and culinary activities as part of its 'Meat Me in Atlanta' program. On Tuesday, January 27, and Wednesday, January 28, nationally and locally recognized chefs will host... more...
Jan 6, 2015 FSIS Issues Notice on Import Residue Sampling USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice canceling and replacing FSIS Notice 76-13, "Import Residue Sampling." The notice adds hormones as another type of inspection (TOI) for residue sampling of imported beef, and outlines import residue sampling... more...
Jan 6, 2015 Two Additional Education Sessions Announced for 2015 IPPE The North American Meat Institute will sponsor two additional education sessions at the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), scheduled for January 27-29, 2015, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The " Pre-Harvest... more...
Jan 5, 2015 NAMI Submits Comments to DGAC Objecting the Removal of Lean Meat from Healthy Dietary Pattern In comments submitted to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC or the Committee), NAMI expressed concern regarding the Committee's decision to remove lean meat from a healthy dietary pattern. NAMI's comments called the action "arbitrary and... more...
Jan 5, 2015 U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba to Host Public Launch Event The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC), consisting of more than 25 U.S. food and agriculture companies and associations, will host a public launch event in its effort to advance trade relations between the U.S. and Cuba. The USACC, of which NAMI is a member, seeks to end the... more...
Jan 5, 2015 NAMI Signs Letter Urging Federal Mediation in West Coast Ports Labor Dispute NAMI's predecessor organizations, the American Meat Institute and the North American Meat Association, joined 164 organizations in signing a multi-association letter to President Obama urging him to intervene in the ongoing West Coast port labor negotiations between the... more...
Jan 5, 2015 AMIF Releases Year in Review The American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) released its annual Year in Review report for 2014. Over the past 12 months, the Foundation funded five new research projects, while completing three research studies focused on Salmonella in turkey, multi-drug... more...
Jan 5, 2015 FSIS Issues Final Descriptive Designation Rule for Raw Meat and Poultry Products USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a final rule amending its regulations to require the use of a descriptive designation as part of the product name on the labels of raw meat and poultry products that contain added solutions and that... more...
Dec 23, 2014 FSIS Revises Import Inspection Application USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice informing import inspection personnel of a revision to FSIS form 9540-1, "Import Inspection Application," as part of the final rule entitled, "Electronic Import Inspection Application and... more...
Dec 23, 2014 FSIS Issues Notice on Prior Notification and Failure to Present USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice informing import inspection personnel of their responsibilities when an importer of record (IOR) fails to provide prior notification to FSIS of a shipment for import. Specifically, the notice... more...
Dec 23, 2014 Student Career Program Announced for IPPE The 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) will feature the College Student Career Program, which connects college students seeking professions in the poultry industry with human resource managers and recruiters at industry companies. The three-day program is one of... more...
Dec 23, 2014 DGAC Holds Final Meeting The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) held its seventh and final meeting on December 15 to discuss the Committee's draft report, which is expected to be submitted to the secretaries of agriculture and health and human services in early January 2015. The DGAC has recommended... more...
Dec 23, 2014 Media Training Offered at IPPE AMI will host a media training session at the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) from 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28, 2015. The session, which costs $150, provides comprehensive, hands-on media training to industry professionals. Participants will learn... more...
Dec 23, 2014 BuzzFeed Story Highlights Meat Facts AMI highlighted a variety of facts about the industry in a post on Buzz Feed. 13 Facts That Might Surprise You About Meat In The U.S. includes information on how many Americans eat meat, meat's affordability, variety of choices, safety and more side by side with... more...
Dec 23, 2014 Amazing Meat Video Generates Positive Attention AMI's "Amazing Meat" video , which features 30 different industry executives delivering facts about meat and poultry in the U.S., continues to generate significant viewership and positive feedback. In just one week, the video has received 6200+ views.... more...
Dec 22, 2014 Semiannual Regulatory Agenda Released The Fall 2014 Semiannual Regulatory Agenda has been published in the Federal Register . The agenda provides summary descriptions of all regulations and pending regulatory reviews in USDA agencies, with the exception of routine or repetitive actions. The... more...
Dec 22, 2014 NLRB Issues Decision in Purple Communications Case The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a 3-2 decision in the Purple Communications, Inc. case striking down the ban on employee use of employer email systems for non-work related communications. The NLRB decision overturns the Board's 2007 Register Guard ruling, which... more...
Dec 22, 2014 Trade Data Through October Now Available The latest Trade and Market Statistics Report with data through October is now available. Total beef and pork export volumes and values are both up over the same period in 2013. Beef exports to Mexico and Hong Kong showed the most significant increases.... more...
Dec 22, 2014 U.S. Shifts Policy Toward Cuba President Obama announced a series of executive actions to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba, signaling his support for easing the trade embargo, which requires congressional approval. In 2013, the U.S. exported approximately $350 million of... more...
Dec 22, 2014 PMA Issues Statement on Status of West Coast Port Labor Negotiations The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) issued a statement underscoring the lack of progress made in contract negotiations with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) to resolve an ongoing labor dispute that covers more than 20,000 longshore workers at 29 west coast... more...
Dec 22, 2014 AMI and NAMA Submit Comments on FSMA Animal Food Rule AMI and NAMA filed joint comments on the FDA proposed rule on Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals , which is part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).... more...
Dec 22, 2014 Vilsack Appoints Betsy Booren, Ph.D., to NACMPI Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack appointed NAMI Vice President of Scientific Affairs Betsy Booren, Ph.D., to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) for the 2014-2016 term. NACMPI is a 17-member committee that meets on food safety concerns and... more...
Dec 22, 2014 IPPE Complimentary Registration Deadline Approaching The free registration deadline for the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), the world's largest annual meat, poultry and feed industry trade show, is December 31, 2014. All AMI and North American Meat Association (NAMA) packer and... more...
Dec 17, 2014 Dietary Guidelines Committee Still has Questions Regarding Red and Processed Meats in Final Public Webinar At press time, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's final public webinar was in progress and many questions surround the eating patterns, research and the draft recommendations regarding red and processed meats. Conflicting draft recommendations of lower consumption of red... more...
Dec 17, 2014 USDA Hosts U.S.-Mexico CCA Meeting USDA Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Michael Scuse and Chief Agriculture Negotiator Darci Vetter in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) hosted the U.S.-Mexico Consultative Committee on Agriculture (CCA) meeting . During the meeting,... more...
Dec 17, 2014 NLRB Issues Final Ambush Election Rule The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)has issued its final ambush election rule which updates procedures for resolving collective bargaining disputes. The final rule includes provisions requiring a pre-election hearing within eight days of receipt of the... more...
Dec 17, 2014 U.S.-China to Hold JCCT Meeting This Week U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman will co-chair the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) meeting scheduled from December 16-18 in Chicago, Illinois. U.S. officials will meet with a delegation of high-level... more...
Dec 16, 2014 Five Education Programs Announced for 2015 IPPE AMI will sponsor five additional education programs at the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo, the world's largest annual feed, meat and poultry industry trade show, scheduled for January 27-29, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia. The sessions include the Recalls 101... more...
Dec 16, 2014 AMI and Alliance to Feed the Future Present 2014 Communicator of the Year Award AMI joined the Alliance to Feed the Future to present the Alliance's 2014 Communicator of the Year award to Diana Prichard at the Farm Journal Forum in Washington, D.C. Prichard, a farmer and mom who owns a small farrow-to-finish hog operation in the heart of Michigan's farm country,... more...
Dec 16, 2014 AMI Joins CDC Holiday Food Safety Twitter Chat AMI joined the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others for a holiday food safety twitter chat. The chat addressed common food safety tips and ways to prevent foodborne illness, such as proper thermometer use... more...
Dec 16, 2014 AMI and NAMA Join Group on Mixed Dishes Comments to DGAC AMI, NAMA, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and others submitted comments to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) on the important nutritional value of mixed dishes in the American diet. Mixed dishes include omelets, sandwiches, frozen... more...
Dec 16, 2014 Meat and Poultry Packers and Processors Once Again Reach All-Time Industry Best for Non-Fatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Newly-released Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows that U.S. meat and poultry packers and processors continued to make significant progress in workplace safety, as BLS numbers reveal a new 'low' in non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses in... more...
Dec 16, 2014 AMI and NAMA Join Leading Food Groups to Create 'Back to Balance Coalition' AMI and the North American Meat Association (NAMA) joined 20 food organizations to form Back to Balance Coalition , aimed at promoting balanced, practical and achievable dietary guidance in response to public policy efforts that seek to restrict the consumption... more...
Dec 16, 2014 AMI Releases New Video Featuring Top Industry Executives Telling the Story of the 'Amazing' Meat Supply Thirty C-Suite level executives from meat and poultry companies big and small have added their voices and faces to a new video highlighting facts about today's amazing meat and poultry industry . The video called "Amazing Meat" shares the numerous benefits of... more...
Dec 11, 2014 AMIF Sponsors Food Safety Education Conference The American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) joined industry, corporate and governmental organizations in sponsoring the 2014 Consumer Food Safety Education Conference , entitled “Together: A Food Safe America,” hosted by the non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education. The... more...
Dec 10, 2014 IPPE Free Registration Deadline Nearing All AMI and North American Meat Association packer/processor members can register for the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo for free through December 31. The free registration is part of the Members to Atlanta program. After December 31, registration rates... more...
Dec 10, 2014 AMI Urges No Changes to Beef Grade Standards Without Scientific Review AMI, the North American Meat Association (NAMA) and the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) submitted joint comments to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) against proposed changes to beef grade standards. The comments were in response to a request... more...
Dec 10, 2014 Blog Highlights Dietary Guidelines Mediterranean Diet Conundrum AMI highlighted on its blog a surprising contradiction from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). Throughout their deliberations, the DGAC has cited the Mediterranean diet as a healthful option, while pushing for a recommendation to limit red and processed meat. A... more...
Dec 10, 2014 AMI Welcomes Back Vegetarians in Press Release AMI had two words for vegetarians in the wake of a new study that showed that five out of six Americans who try vegetarian diets return to a balanced, meat-containing diet: "Welcome back." The Harris Interactive survey of more than 11,000 adults found that... more...
Dec 9, 2014 New Meat Buyers Guide® and Beef Book Released The North American Meat Association (NAMA) has released final versions of both The Meat Buyers Guide ® and The Beef Book, Fundamentals of The Beef Trade From Ranch to Table. The newly revised eighth edition of The Meat Buyers Guide ® is the first... more...
Dec 9, 2014 Two Free Education Programs Announced for 2015 IPPE AMI will sponsor two additional free education workshops at the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), the world's largest annual feed, meat and poultry industry trade show, scheduled for January 27-29, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia. The “Best New Products and... more...
Dec 9, 2014 DGAC to Hold Seventh Meeting USDA and HHS jointly issued a notice in the Federal Register announcing the seventh meeting of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). The meeting, scheduled for December 15, 2014, from 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., will be open to the public by Internet... more...
Dec 9, 2014 AMI Details Experience at NY Times Food for Tomorrow Conference In a blog for Meatingplace , AMI Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Member Services Janet Riley shared the concerning contradictions from the recent New York Times Food for Tomorrow Conference. While the conference purported to develop a vision for a better food... more...
Dec 9, 2014 WTO Adopts First Global Free Trade Agreement. The World Trade Organization (WTO) adopted its first global trade agreement in a deal that introduces new standards for customs checks and border procedures. Supporters of the deal say it will streamline trade flow, adding up to $1 trillion and 21 million jobs to the world economy.... more...
Dec 9, 2014 Final Menu Labeling and Vending Machine Labeling Rules Published FDA issued a final rule requiring the disclosure of certain nutrition information for standard menu items in restaurants and retail food establishments that are part of a chain with 20 or more locations, doing business under the same name and offering for... more...
Dec 9, 2014 FSIS Updates Safe and Suitable Ingredients List The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) updated its Directive on Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of Meat, Poultry and Egg Products . The update includes the addition of "an aqueous mixture of peroxyacetic acid, hydrogen peroxide,... more...
Dec 9, 2014 U.S. Appeals WTO COOL Ruling The U.S. filed its appeal of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) ruling in favor of Canada and Mexico's dispute of the country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rule. Details of the appeal have not been made available at this point. In a statement,... more...
Nov 26, 2014 FSIS Releases Costs and Benefits of STEC Testing USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published in the Federal Register its analysis of the estimated costs and benefits associated with implementing non-O157 STEC testing on beef manufacturing trimmings, and the costs and benefits associated... more...
Nov 26, 2014 'Real Clear' Examines Politics of Dietary Guidelines RealClearPolitics last week convened a panel of experts for Politics of the Plate: The Evolution of American Food Policy , an event where experts discussed the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans development process and argued that they are being developed based upon faulty... more...
Nov 25, 2014 AMIF Environmental Conference Scheduled for IPPE The AMI Foundation (AMIF) Environmental Conference for the Meat and Poultry Industry will take place on January 26, 2015, at the Georgia World Congress Center, in Atlanta, Georgia, collocated with the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE). The conference, formerly... more...
Nov 25, 2014 USDA Opens VIVO Research Networking Tool to Public VIVO , a web application used internally by USDA scientists since 2012 to allow better national networking across disciplines and locations, is now available to the public. USDA VIVO aims to link interdisciplinary researchers with peers and potential collaborators to solve food... more...
Nov 25, 2014 FSIS Publishes Directive on Determining the Initial Equivalence of Foreign Food Safety Systems USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published a directive providing instructions to FSIS personnel for making initial determinations of equivalence regarding foreign food safety systems. The directive outlines the roles and responsibilities of FSIS personnel... more...
Nov 25, 2014 USDA, FDA to Hold Public Meeting to Discuss Codex Committee Meeting on Fats and Oils USDA and FDA will hold a public meeting January 13, 2015, to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 24th session of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission... more...
Nov 24, 2014 Vilsack Says No Regulatory Fix for COOL In comments at the National Association of Farm Broadcasters meeting, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said, after analyzing the recent World Trade Organization (WTO) decision on country-of-origin labeling (COOL), there is no regulatory fix that would... more...
Nov 24, 2014 FSIS Says Mechanically Tenderized Meat Labeling Rule Will be Published by End of Year USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) insisted to Politico that a rule requiring labeling for mechanically tenderized beef will be final by the end of the year. The comment followed letters from Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and consumer groups urging FSIS to finalize the rule.... more...
Nov 24, 2014 AMI Joins Group Reiterating Need for Presidential Action to Remedy West Coast Port Dispute AMI joined the Agriculture Transportation Coalition in a letter to President Obama urging action to resolve the west coast port crisis. The letter outlines several direct impacts of the port labor dispute across agriculture including "long-term negative consequences for... more...
Nov 24, 2014 IPPE Now Accepting Exhibitor Press Releases The International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) is now accepting press releases from 2015 exhibitors announcing their participation in the upcoming trade show, scheduled for January 27-29, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia. The releases will be posted on the 'Exhibitor Press... more...
Nov 24, 2014 National Geographic Airs Food Series National Geographic aired a six part series on food called " Eat: The Story of Food ." The series featured a segment dedicated to carnivores including the evolution of meat eating, popularity of BBQ, hamburgers and hot dogs, production efficiencies as well as future opportunities. The... more...
Nov 24, 2014 AMI Joins Livestock Sector Statement of Support to ICN2 As part of the International Meat Secretariat, AMI joined leading organizations from around the world in a statement of support to the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2). "Food and nutrition security are... more...
Nov 24, 2014 EPA Announces Delay in Issuing 2014 Standards for Renewable Fuel Standard The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it will not release the 2014 applicable percentage standards under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program before the end of 2014. EPA attributes the delay to the extensive comments and controversy... more...
Nov 18, 2014 Beef Plant Tour Announced for 2015 IPPE AMI will sponsor a beef plant tour at the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), the world's largest annual feed, meat and poultry industry trade show, scheduled for January 27-29, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia. During this five-hour tour, participants will view food... more...
Nov 18, 2014 Congestion Surcharges Announced at West Coast Ports Several transportation carriers announced Port Congestion Surcharges ranging from $800 to $1600 per container for all cargo arriving at U.S. west coast ports effective today, November 17. The carriers cited financial challenges posed by the ongoing west coast port labor dispute as the... more...
Nov 18, 2014 FSIS to Announce Costs and Benefits of STEC Testing USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will announce in this week's Federal Register its analysis of the estimated costs and benefits associated with the implementation of its non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) testing of beef manufacturing... more...
Nov 18, 2014 November Scientific Publication Update Released AMI released its November Scientific Publication Update, which lists articles of interest on topics related to food safety and quality, as well as health and wellness. Of note, research published in the Journal of Food Protection evaluated slow-cooking processes of... more...
Nov 18, 2014 NACMCF Releases Draft Subcommittee Reports USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) released draft subcommittee reports for today's National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) plenary session. The reports respond to questions from federal agencies regarding control strategies for... more...
Nov 17, 2014 IPPE Reaches Square Footage Milestone The 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) now exceeds 480,000 square feet of exhibit space and has secured 1,200 exhibiting companies, surpassing 2014 levels, as well as the 2015 goal of approximately 450,000 net square feet. The Expo will highlight the latest... more...
Nov 17, 2014 U.S. and India Reach Trade Facilitation Agreement The United States and India reached an agreement on a set of measures intended to break the impasse in the work of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to implement the agreements reached last December at the WTO Ministerial in Bali. India and a few other countries had blocked consensus... more...
Nov 17, 2014 AMI and USHSLA Join Continued Push for White House Intervention in West Coast Port Dispute As the labor dispute at west coast ports drags into its fifth month, AMI and the U.S. Hide Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA) joined a coalition of industry groups in a meeting at the White House to communicate their disappointment to the administration regarding the lack of... more...
Nov 17, 2014 Market Hog HIMP Evaluation Posted USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) posted the Market Hog HIMP Evaluation . The report evaluates FSIS inspection findings in market hog slaughter establishments participating in the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Inspection Models Project (HIMP)... more...
Nov 17, 2014 New CFSAN Director Named FDA announced that Dr. Susan Mayne will lead the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) as director, effective January 2015. Dr. Mayne will replace Michael Landa, who has led CFSAN since 2010. Dr. Mayne, an internationally recognized public... more...
Nov 17, 2014 AMI and NAMA Submit Comments in Opposition to EPA Waters of the U.S. Proposed Rule In comments to the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), AMI and the North American Meat Association (NAMA) laid out their opposition to the proposed rule that would broaden the definition of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS). AMI and NAMA urged EPA... more...
Nov 12, 2014 Business Groups Urge White House to Help Resolve West Coast Port Labor Dispute AMI joined more than 100 associations representing U.S. manufacturers, farmers, wholesalers, retailers, importers, exporters, and transportation and logistics providers in sending a letter to President Obama expressing deep concern about ongoing interruptions at... more...
Nov 12, 2014 Pork 101 Education Workshop Offered at 2015 IPPE AMI and the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) will jointly host the Pork 101 education workshop at the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), scheduled for January 27-29, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia. The four-hour, hands-on session offers attendees a brief look... more...
Nov 11, 2014 Trade Data Through September Now Available The latest Trade and Market Statistics Report with data through September is now available. Total beef and pork export volumes and values are both up over the same period in 2013. Beef exports to Mexico and Hong Kong showed the most significant increases. Pork exports... more...
Nov 10, 2014 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Debates Meat Consumption in Sixth Meeting The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) held its sixth meeting as it works on recommendations for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The meeting included a comparison of different dietary patterns such as "healthy US-style," "vegetarian-style" and... more...
Nov 10, 2014 Four Chinese Establishments Eligible to Export Processed Poultry Products to U.S. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) posted the names of four establishments located in China's Shandong province that are eligible to export processed poultry products to the U.S. Foreign establishments can export processed poultry... more...
Nov 10, 2014 AMS Seeks Input on Developing New Beef Checkoff Program USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking public input to guide its development of a new beef checkoff program. The new order would be in addition to the existing beef checkoff program. The new program would increase the $1 per-head-of-cattle... more...
Nov 10, 2014 NACMCF Committee Meeting Scheduled The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold a meeting of the full Committee by an audio conference call that is open to the public on November 17, 2014. The Committee will continue its discussions on microbiological criteria as... more...
Nov 10, 2014 Nina Teicholz Confirmed as AMC General Session Speaker Nina Teicholz, author of the book The Big Fat Surprise will be the General Session speaker at the 2015 Annual Meat Conference (AMC) in Nashville, Tennessee. She will speak about her book, which focuses on how misinformation about saturated fats took hold in the scientific... more...
Nov 4, 2014 FDA to Hold Public Meeting on Updates to Redbook FDA announced that it will hold a public meeting on December 9, 2014, to solicit comments regarding updates to the Guidance for Industry "Toxicological Principles for the Safety of Food Ingredients," also known as the "Redbook." The meeting seeks public input on expanding the... more...
Nov 4, 2014 Coalition Urges Congress to Take Action on COOL On Thursday, October 30, a coalition of 109 companies and organizations, including AMI and the North American Meat Association, sent a letter to all Members of Congress stating that it is unacceptable for the United States to be out of... more...
Nov 4, 2014 FSIS Reissues Two Notices USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reissued two notices related to testing for adulterants. FSIS Notice 56-14, "Control of Agency Tested Products for Adulterants," informs inspection program personnel (IPP) and Enforcement Investigation and... more...
Nov 4, 2014 October Scientific Publication Update Released AMI released its October Scientific Publication Update, which lists articles of interest on topics related to food safety and quality, as well as health and wellness. Of note, researchers from the University of Wisconsin published a study in the Journal of Food Protection... more...
Nov 4, 2014 NAMA Releases All-New Edition of THE MEAT BUYER’S GUIDE® The North American Meat Association (NAMA) today launched the 8th edition of The Meat Buyer’s Guide , which includes the first complete simultaneous update of the IMPS in 18 years. The book is now available to pre-order, and NAMA members receive a 35 percent discount. In addition, custom... more...
Nov 3, 2014 IPPE Ranks 35 in TSE Gold 100 Shows List The 2013 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) ranked 35 in Trade Show Executive ( TSE ) magazine's Gold 100 Shows list , which honors the largest and most accomplished trade shows of the year. IPPE, the world's largest annual feed, meat and... more...
Nov 3, 2014 U.S. Pig and Sow Skin Market Access Restored to China U.S. pig and sow skin products may once again be exported directly to China effective immediately. These products, along with a number of other U.S. pork products, were restricted from import in China in 2009 due to concerns related to H1-N1 "swine flu" occurrences. H1-N1 is not... more...
Nov 3, 2014 Media Reports Say WTO COOL Appeal to be Delayed Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told DTN/The Progressive Farmer that the Obama administration likely won't appeal the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling against the U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rule until sometime in January. The WTO says the delay is because it... more...
Nov 3, 2014 New Meat Mythcrusher Addresses Sow Housing AMI and the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) released their newest Meat Mythcrusher video addressing sow housing. The video takes viewers on a tour of a sow housing operation to explain the complex humane handling considerations that go into choosing appropriate housing... more...
Nov 3, 2014 Appeals Court Denies Petition for COOL Rehearing The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last week denied the petition for panel rehearing and rehearing en banc and a motion for miscellaneous relief filed by AMI and eight co-plaintiffs as part of its appeal for a preliminary injunction to block... more...
Oct 28, 2014 FDA to Hold Public Meeting on FSMA Supplemental Notices FDA has announced that it will hold a public meeting to discuss changes to four rules originally proposed in 2013 to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)... more...
Oct 28, 2014 New OSHA Injury and Illness Reporting Requirements to Take Effect in January A new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule modifying reporting requirements for severe injuries/illnesses and fatalities will go into effect on January 1, 2015... more...
Oct 28, 2014 Compliance Guide Released for RTC Poultry Chilling Requirements USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) posted a compliance guide outlining measures establishments that produce ready-to-cook (RTC) poultry can implement to meet new chilling requirements that became effective on October 20, 2014, under the final Modernization of Poultry Slaughter... more...
Oct 28, 2014 Senators Call for Withdrawal of Waters of the United States Rule On Thursday, October 23, nine Senators wrote to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, Secretary of the Army John McHugh, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to request the withdrawal of the Waters of the United States Interpretive Rule... more...
Oct 28, 2014 U.S. Pig and Sow Skin Market Access Restored in China The U.S. Hide, Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA) announced that China has agreed to resume imports of U.S. pig and sow skins to the mainland, lifting a 2009 ban on these products related to unsubstantiated allegations of H1-N1 "swine flu" outbreaks... more...
Oct 27, 2014 IPPE Young Leaders Program Application Deadline Approaching The deadline for the International Production and Processing Expo's (IPPE) annual Young Leaders "30 under 30" program is this Saturday, November 1... more...
Oct 27, 2014 New USDA Generic Labeling Regulation Workshop Announced for IPPE The 2014 New USDA Generic Labeling Regulation Workshop will be held at the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE)... more...
Oct 27, 2014 AMI Joins Groups Calling for West Coast Port Labor Agreement AMI joined a group of more than 100 associations calling for an agreement in the ongoing west coast port labor dispute... more...
Oct 27, 2014 AMI Joins Group Urging Japan to Support Investment Protections in TPP AMI joined a dozen other industry and business groups in a letter to Japanese Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae expressing concern about the potential inclusion of a provision denying access to investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) and the investment provisions in a final TPP agreement to... more...
Oct 27, 2014 AMI Foundation Wraps Up Two Weeks of Education Nearly 500 attendees joined the AMI Foundation (AMIF) and North American Meat Association (NAMA) for a variety of education events over the last two weeks covering several key industry topics... more...
Oct 27, 2014 NHDSC Survey Shows Italian Sausage is Most Popular The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) released new survey data showing that Italian sausage is the most popular style of sausage in the U.S... more...
Oct 21, 2014 FSIS Issues Notices on Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued three notices related to poultry slaughter inspection... more...
Oct 21, 2014 APHIS Adjusts BSE Sampling Protocols USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services has stopped collecting samples from calves less than 12 months of age as part of its ongoing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance testing... more...
Oct 21, 2014 FSIS To Conduct New Slaughter Survey The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will conduct a survey of the meat slaughter and processing industry to add to FSIS' understanding of the practices and technologies used to control pathogens and promote food safety... more...
Oct 21, 2014 Sixth DGAC Meeting Announced. HHS and USDA today jointly issued a notice in the Federal Register announcing the sixth meeting of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC)... more...
Oct 21, 2014 FNBA Urges Ambition Over Political Expediency in TPP Negotiations The Five Nations Beef Alliance (FNBA) issued a statement urging Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) leaders and negotiators not to sacrifice their import reform ambition for political expediency... more...
Oct 21, 2014 Trade Data Through August Now Available The latest Trade and Market Statistics Report with data through August is now available. Total beef and pork export volumes and values are both up over the same period in 2013... more...
Oct 20, 2014 AMIF and NAMA Cohosting Webinars on Packers and Stockyards Act The AMI Foundation and North American Meat Association (NAMA) will offer two webinars designed to help packers and swine contractors who are regulated under the Packers & Stockyards Act (P&SA;)... more...
Oct 20, 2014 AMI Joins Groups in Comments on Anti-Terror Standards Related to Ammonia AMI joined six other groups in the industrial refrigeration industry in comments to the Department of Homeland Security on its proposed rule for the Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program and regulation of ammonia... more...
Oct 20, 2014 Gilmore to Fill FSIS Humane Handling Enforcement Coordinator Position on Interim Basis The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Humane Handling Enforcement Coordinator position, vacated this summer by Dr. Lucy Anthenill... more...
Oct 20, 2014 Animal Care and Handling Draws More than 250 Attendees The AMI Foundation Animal Care and Handling Conference drew more than 250 people to Kansas City last week to learn about new developments in animal care and handling... more...
Oct 20, 2014 2015 Annual Meat Conference Exhibit Sales Now Open Meat and poultry industry and retail colleagues will once again gather at the only event dedicated to the retail segment of the meat and poultry industry. .. more...
Oct 20, 2014 AMI and NAMA Submit Comments on Sustainability to DGAC AMI and the North American Meat Association (NAMA) expressed concern about the sustainability focus of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) in comments submitted to the DGAC... more...
Oct 20, 2014 WTO Sides With Canada and Mexico in COOL Dispute The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled in favor of Canada and Mexico in their dispute of the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule... more...
Oct 15, 2014 Update of USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Released The 2014 update of USDA's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference has been released. The database, which contains data for more than 8,600 food items, is compiled by scientists at USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS). New food-nutrient profiles are added... more...
Oct 15, 2014 FSIS Revises Directive on Substances Used in Meat, Poultry and Egg Production USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a revised directive entitled, "Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of Meat, Poultry and Egg Products." This directive provides inspection program personnel (IPP) with an updated list of substances that may be... more...
Oct 15, 2014 EPA Extends Comment Period on WOTUS Rule The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is extending, for a second time, the comment period on the proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, which would expand the agency's jurisdiction over specific waterways under the Clean Water Act (CWA)... more...
Oct 15, 2014 AMI Joins Group Supporting RCC Joint Forward Plan, Urging More Detail AMI joined other business groups in a letter to U.S. and Canadian representatives on the U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) supporting the recent release of the Joint Forward Plan... more...
Oct 15, 2014 Facebook Sites Reach Milestones Two of AMI's biggest Facebook sites reached major milestones over the last week... more...
Oct 15, 2014 U.S. Consumers Prefer Animal Protein Sources According to a recent report released by NPD Group, a global information company, half of U.S. consumers consider animal protein to be the best source of dietary protein. Beef and chicken topped the list of consumer protein preferences, followed by fish, pork, ham, shellfish, lamb and... more...
Oct 14, 2014 PHIS Reports Enhanced USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that the agency's Public Health Information System (PHIS) Reports have been updated to allow industry users to filter their reports using a date range... more...
Oct 14, 2014 ERS Releases Foodborne Illness Cost Estimates USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) released 2013 cost estimates of U.S. foodborne illnesses. The data builds upon previous ERS research and provides a detailed overview of the costs of 15 major pathogens that account for more than 95 percent of foodborne-related illnesses and deaths in the... more...
Oct 14, 2014 Mexico Signs Agreement to Export Beef to China The Mexican Ministry of Agriculture announced that Mexico and China have signed an agreement permitting the export of Mexican beef to China... more...
Oct 14, 2014 Senators Push to Maintain COOL Funding A bipartisan group of 32 Senators sent a letter this week to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-AL), requesting that the fiscal year 2015 appropriations bill not include any provisions "aimed at weakening or suspending COOL...." more...
Oct 14, 2014 AMI and NAMA Submit Comments on Proposed OSHA Injury Reporting Rule AMI and the North American Meat Association (NAMA) submitted comments opposing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) proposed rule requiring employers to electronically submit injury and illness information currently entered in the 300A, 300, and 301... more...
Oct 14, 2014 PBS Frontline to Air Episode on Antibiotic Use in Animals Tonight, PBS Frontline will air an episode focused on antibiotic use in animals and its potential contributions to antibiotic resistance. The segment will feature interviews with members of the industry as well as activists arguing more needs to be done to limit antibiotic... more...
Oct 14, 2014 Dietary Guidelines Industry Coalition Requests More Transparency and Consistency from DGAC AMI joined several food industry groups as part of the Dietary Guidelines Industry Coalition that filed comments requesting more transparency and consistency from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) as it deliberates recommendations for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans... more...
Oct 6, 2014 APHIS Releases Notice on BSE Risk USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing its decision to concur with the World Organization for Animal Health's (OIE) bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk designations for 15 regions. more...
Oct 6, 2014 New FSIS Test Method Published for Sodium and Calcium in Meat Products USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) added a new test method to its Chemistry Laboratory Guidebook, which contains methods for the analysis of food composition, food additives, nutrients, veterinary drug and pesticide residues used by FSIS laboratories to ensure meat, poultry and egg... more...
Oct 6, 2014 FSIS Launches Nationwide Study on Beef and Veal Carcass Baseline USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has launched the Nationwide Beef and Veal Carcass Baseline Survey (B-VCBS) to collect data for future risk assessments and to develop regulatory policy options... more...
Oct 6, 2014 CSPI Refiles Petition to Make Certain Salmonella Strains Adulterants The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has refiled a petition asking the USDA to declare four antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella to be adulterants in meat and poultry products... more...
Oct 6, 2014 AMI’s Bill Westman Speaks at T-TIP Stakeholder Forum AMI Vice President of International Trade Bill Westman joined stakeholders at a special forum which coincided with the seventh round of U.S. - EU negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) agreement... more...
Oct 6, 2014 Vilsack Responds to July Letter From House Lawmakers About WTO and Mandatory COOL Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week responded to a July 30 letter from 114 House Members, who urged him to withdraw the May 2013 mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) rule if the World Trade Organization (WTO) determines that the U.S. is not compliant with its WTO obligations... more...
Oct 6, 2014 AMIF and NAMA Cohosting Webinars on Packers and Stockyards Act The AMI Foundation and North American Meat Association (NAMA) will offer two webinars designed to help packers and swine contractors who are regulated under the Packers & Stockyards Act (P&SA;)... more...
Oct 6, 2014 FDA Releases Latest Report on Antibiotics Sold for Use in Animals Sales of antibiotics sold or distributed for use in food-producing animals increased by 16 percent from 2009-2012 according to new data from the FDA... more...
Oct 6, 2014 International Production & Processing Expo Launches Young Leaders “30 under 30” Program Tucker, G.A.- The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is launching the third annual Young Leaders “30 under 30” program, which targets young professionals who normally would not have the financial resources or opportunity to attend IPPE. more...
Oct 1, 2014 CAMP Webinar Dates Added AMI announced that it will offer six additional training sessions in 2014 for members of its Communicators Advocating Meat and Poultry (CAMP) program, a grassroots effort aimed at increasing the meat and poultry industry’s communications with its customers and communities. more...
Jul 23, 2014 NBC Today Show Kicks Off National Hot Dog Day Today With Segment Featuring Council Information NBC’s Today Show kicked off today as National Hot Dog with a two minute segment featuring National Hot Dog Sausage Council facts and figures. The segment posed trivia question to viewers, detailed the top hot dog-eating cities and asked viewers to Tweet their preferences for #mustard or #ketchup. more...
Jul 16, 2014 IPPE Selected for 2015 Dept. of Commerce International Buyer Program The 2015 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) has been named one of 24 companies nationwide to participate in the Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program. more...
Jun 26, 2014 Stephen Sothmann Appointed to USDA Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade (ATAC) in Animals and Animal Products Stephen Sothmann, president of the U.S. Hide, Skin and Leather Association, has been appointed to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade (ATAC) in Animals and Animal Products... more...
Jun 11, 2014 FSIS Announces New Ractopamine Control Requirements for Pork Exported to China The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has updated its export library for China with new requirements for U.S. pork and pork products. more...
Jun 11, 2014 USDA Announces Funding and Federal Order to Combat PEDv In response to the significant impact porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) and porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) are having on U.S. pork producers, USDA announced $26.2 million in funding to combat the diseases. more...
Jun 11, 2014 FMCSA to Provide Exemption to Break Requirements for Drivers Hauling Livestock The Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that drivers of vehicles hauling livestock will be granted a one-year exemption from the 30-minute break requirement during the first eight hours of a shift. more...
Jun 11, 2014 New AMI Buzz Feed Article Highlights Top Grilling Season Mistakes AMI posted a new article to Buzz Feed's community section featuring the "Ten Mistakes You Don't Want to Make During Grilling Season." more...
Jun 11, 2014 NLRB Finds Portland Port Workers Guilty of Intentional Slowdown The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found that the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) was guilty of orchestrating intentional slowdowns at Port of Portland's container Terminal 6. more...
Jun 11, 2014 AMIF Funded Study Examines Natural Antimicrobials' Effectiveness on Listeria A new study published in the journal Foodborne Pathogens and Diseaselooks at how well commercially available natural antimicrobials and postl ethality interventions control Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) growth and recovery on a Ready-to-Eat (RTE) natural and organic meat products. more...
Jun 11, 2014 CDC Report Highlights Norovirus as Leading Cause of Foodborne Illness in U.S. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calls norovirus the leading cause of disease outbreaks from contaminated food in the U.S. more...
Jun 11, 2014 FDA, FSIS, CDC Create IFSAC Web Resource The FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have developed an online resource about the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) that highlights their work and creates an ongoing resource to share information with... more...
May 22, 2014 AMI Highlights Key Industry Issues at T-TIP Stakeholder Forum AMI Interim President and CEO Jim Hodges discussed opportunities and challenges related to meat and poultry trade issues at a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) forum in Fairfax, VA... more...
May 20, 2014 International Production & Processing Expo Among Fastest Growing Trade Shows Trade Show News Network (TSNN) announced that International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is among the top 25 fastest-growing trade shows in terms of net square footage. more...
May 15, 2014 AMI Adds Major Meat Myth Feature to Buzz Feed AMI today posted a major feature, “15 Common Meat Myths that Need to be Crushed for Good” on Buzz Feed, a social news and entertainment site specializing in shareable news and video... more...
May 7, 2014 WHO Releases Report on Antibiotic Resistance. The World Health Organization (WHO) released a new report on worldwide antibiotic resistance (AMR), calling it a major worldwide threat to public health. more...
May 7, 2014 AMI Invites Members to Submit Topics for IPPE Education Sessions. AMI invites members to submit topics for possible sessions at the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), January 27-29, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia. more...
May 7, 2014 Mexico Lifts Beef Age Restriction. Mexico is making regulatory changes which will allow for the import of U.S. beef and beef products derived from cattle of any age. more...
May 7, 2014 China Lifts Ban on Poultry From Virginia. China announced it is lifting its ban on poultry from Virginia. more...
May 6, 2014 FDA Publishes Strategy for Implementing FSMA Rules. The FDA is sharing its strategy for implementing several new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules in a new online document. more...
May 6, 2014 Federal Agencies Sign MOU to Leverage Expertise During Foodborne Outbreak Investigations. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide a more comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to address foodborne health hazards potentially associated with meat and... more...
May 6, 2014 231 House Members Urge EPA to Stop Clean Water Expansion. Last Thursday, 231 members of the House of Representatives wrote the administration with a request to drop its plans to expand the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) jurisdiction over smaller bodies of water around the country. more...
May 6, 2014 House Examines the State of the Livestock Industry. On Wednesday April 30, the House Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development and Credit held a hearing to review the state of the livestock industry. more...
May 6, 2014 U.S. Trade Representative to Testify on Trade Policy Agenda. The Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), held a hearing on President Obama's trade policy agenda last Thursday. more...
May 6, 2014 New Book Making Case for Meat In Diet Expected Soon. A new book that makes the case for meat in the diet received a front page spread over the weekend in the Marketplace section of the Wall Street Journal. more...
Apr 21, 2014 AMI, Co-Plaintiffs File Supplemental Brief In COOL Case Today. he American Meat Institute (AMI) and its co-plaintiffs filed a supplemental brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit... more...
Apr 21, 2014 FSIS Updates Notice on HACCP Plan Reassessment for NRTE Comminuted Poultry Products to Incorporate Comment Responses. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published its responses to comments on its HACCP Plan Reassessment for Not-Ready-to-Eat (NRTE) Comminuted Poultry Products and Related Agency Verification Procedures Notice... more...
Apr 21, 2014 FSIS Requests Input on Meat Slaughter Industry Survey. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is planning a new survey of the meat slaughter industry to collect information on food safety practices and technologies... more...
Apr 21, 2014 New Guidance Available on Best Practices for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes in Retail Delicatessens. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) released "FSIS Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in Retail Delicatessens" which discusses steps that retailers can take to prevent listeriosis... more...
Apr 21, 2014 FSIS Updates Approved Foodborne Pathogen Test Kit List. he USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) released an updated list of test kits that have been validated for detection... more...
Apr 21, 2014 2015 IPPE Exhibit Sales Underway. Sales for the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) have begun and are so strong initially that exhibits will be expanded into Hall C.... more...
Apr 2, 2014 Major New Study Calls Into Question CDC Sodium Recommendations Just as Americans have been urged to reduce sodium intake and food makers have reformulated products in response to federal sodium reduction recommendations, a major new study says the low level of sodium intake recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could actually be... more...
Mar 11, 2014 FSIS Posts New White Paper About Use of Molecular Subtyping. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) posted a new resource that explains how it uses molecular subtyping technologies to improve outbreak response and identification of the source of foodborne infections... more...
Mar 11, 2014 U.S. China Agriculture Food Partnership Welcomes Baucus to Ambassadorial Role. In a letter to newly installed U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus, the U.S. China Agriculture Food Partnership, of which AMI is a member, welcomed him... more...
Mar 10, 2014 AMI Opposes New OSHA Proposal to Require Electronic Submission and Tracking of Injury, Illness Data. In comments filed last week, AMI strongly opposed a new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposal that would require employers to electronically submit injury and illness information currently in the 300A, 300, 301 Forms to OSHA..., more...
Mar 10, 2014 AMI Suggests Improvements to FSIS Compliance Guide for Controlling Salmonella in Market Hogs. Federal Register Notice, FSIS-2012-0026, Compliance Guideline for Controlling Salmonella in Market Hogs has significant flaws and incorrectly suggests that current processes are not effective in controlling Salmonella, according to comments AMI submitted March 7 to the Food Safety and Inspection... more...
Mar 10, 2014 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee to Convene This Week. The third meeting of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) will be held Friday, March 14, 2014... more...
Mar 10, 2014 Final BSE Rule Implemented Last Week. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) implemented the final comprehensive BSE rule last week and now all beef and beef products imported into the U.S. will need to have certification... more...
Mar 4, 2014 FDA Proposes Revisions to Nutrition Facts Panel, Serving Sizes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week announced two proposed food labeling rules that will add new information to nutrition facts panels and adjust serving sizes to reflect what is reasonably consumed at a sitting..... more...
Mar 4, 2014 USDA Announces Meat and Poultry Inspection Directory App for IPHONEs, Androids The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) last week announced the availability of a new Meat, Poultry and Egg Product Inspection Directory App for IPHONEs and Androids. more...
Mar 4, 2014 Senate Committee Move Forward on Nominees The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved, in an en bloc voice vote, approved nominees for administration posts at the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission... more...
Mar 4, 2014 AMI Urges Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee to Consider Important Meat, Poultry Nutrition Benefits; Says Sustainability is Outside Scope of Charge. Meat and poultry products are important and rich sources of highly bioavailable micronutrients and inclusion of meat and poultry products in the diet can prevent well-documented vitamin deficiencies... more...
Nov 7, 2013 APHIS Finalizes Bovine Import Regulations Consistent with International Animal Health Standards The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS or the agency) finalized a rule to modernize the agency's import regulations regarding bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). more...
Nov 7, 2013 FSIS Expands Approval of Generic Meat and Poultry Labels USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) made public a final rule amending its label approval regulations to expand the circumstances in which the labels of meat and poultry products be generically approved. The rule provides that establishments are required to submit certain types of... more...
Nov 7, 2013 FSIS Issues Notice on New Humane Handling Compliance Guidelines The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued Notice 72-13, informing inspectors in charge at establishments about the new Humane Handling Guidelines released recently. more...
Nov 7, 2013 AMI, Other Groups Submit Reply Brief in COOL Appeal AMI and eight other meat and livestock industry groups submitted a reply to the government's arguments in the country-of -origin labeling (COOL) rule preliminary injunction appeal. The brief argues that in its response, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) does not address the points... more...
Nov 7, 2013 FDA Releases Draft Risk Profile on Pathogens and Filth in Spices, Takes Steps to Strengthen Spice Safety The FDA has completed a draft risk profile on spices, done in response to recent outbreaks caused by the consumption of Salmonella-contaminated spices in the U.S. The study's findings suggest that the presence of pathogens, such as Salmonella, and filth in spices is a systemic challenge more...
Oct 29, 2013 FSIS Issues Guidance for Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) last week issued a new compliance guide for developing a systematic approach to humane animal handling of livestock. more...
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