June 1, 1999 Volume 8, Issue 9
E Mail: sma@tca.net Home Page Address:http://ifse.tamu.edu/sma.html
Edited by Barbara Bates
Industry Gives Congress Price Reporting Proposal
The meat industry delivered proposed legislation to mandate reporting of price, volume and terms of trade for live cattle, boxed beef and beef exports to congressional leaders last week. The proposal came after a challenge issued earlier this year by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-Texas) and ranking Minority Leader Charles Stenholm (D-Texas) for the cattle industry to work out an agreeable compromise on the issue. The final proposal includes agreement on live cattle reporting in the noncash market, such as formula, packer-owned and contract cattle. The proposal would mandate that beef packers report to the Agriculture Department each Friday morning the week’s volume of all noncash shipments, with separate reports for contract, formula and packer-owned cattle. USDA would collect the information, create a national aggregate, and publish the aggregate report on the same Friday. “Much of this data has never before been readily available to cattle producers,” said George Swan, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “Increased information will improve market transparency and aid cattlemen as they negotiate cattle prices.” The live cattle information would be gathered on both domestic and imported cattle. Packers also would report price and volume information on boxed beef sales to USDA. The reporting will cover USDA Choice or better, USDA Select and no-roll product for all trim specifications, and USDA will issue reports twice weekly. USDA would be directed to utilize retail scanner data collected by national retail scanner databases to develop retail price reports based on sales volume and prices. USDA also would be directed to immediately publish the pending regulations to add meat to the list of commodities subject to export sales reporting requirements.
FSIS Listeria Policy
SMA sent out “fax alerts” to members on May 25 and May 28 to help define FSIS plans for addressing contamination of RTE products with Listeria monocytogenes (LM). The following is a brief overall review of the “fax alerts”. Dr. Joe Harris , SMA Executive Director spoke with the agency May 28 about their definition of RTE. In practical application, they will consider anything that is cooked to around 145 degrees or higher to be fully cooked. They emphasized that specific labeling instructions or statements will not be considered. They will look at the manufacturing process to determine whether a product is amenable to this new requirement, not label statements. Some considerations are sliced bologna that is considered to be RTE, but not intact bologna in casings (no opportunity for re-contamination since the product is cooked in the casing). SMA is in the process of obtaining the specific directive (10,210.1) that deals with what the agency considers RTE. Several documents are available on the FSIS website:www.fsis.usda.gov, under “What’s New?” The details of the agency’s four term initiatives on Listeria monocytogenes are provided in these documents on the website. The SMA office will keep you informed on additional information as it becomes available.
Convention Registration Packets In The Mail
The 1999 43rd Annual Southwest Meat Association Convention and Supplier’s Showcase registration packets went out in the mail last week. Please review all the wonderful activities available and send your registration form back quickly, as some of the activities are available for a limited number of people. If you have not received your packet, please call Barbara Bates at the SMA office.
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Pork Producers Reporting Legislation
Legislation proposed by pork producers that will require daily price reporting by packers will create the first transparent, accurate and timely livestock market reporting system in America, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President John McNutt told the Senate Agriculture Committee May 26. “Our primary goal in launching this effort was to provide pork producers with the daily price information they need to make knowledge based business decision for the future,” McNutt said in explaining the principals contained in the “Pork Industry Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999.” “This bill is workable, fair, and will produce better information for producers than they have access to today.” The legislation was presented to the Senate and House Agriculture Committees on May 24. Under the provisions of the bill, USDA will publish by 8 a.m. each day: all prices, volume and terms of sale for domestic swine from the previous business day, grouped by purchase type, and all hogs slaughtered the previous day, by purchase type, from all federally inspected packing plants that slaughter more than 250 hogs per day. Price data will reflect all premiums, discounts and carcass merit adjustments. Data will be published in aggregate form based on geographical regions established by the Secretary of Agriculture. USDA will also publish a mid-morning report at 11 a.m. (CST) and a midafternoon report at 3 p.m. (CST) reflecting packer estimates for swine purchases and slaughter for that day. These reports will include information on volume, base market pricing, cash and spot market purchases as will as contract sales and packer owned hogs.
Battle Over Meat Labels
Hundreds of consumers have deluged regulators with letters, email and faxes demanding that ground beef irradiated to kill illness causing bacteria be clearly labeled so shoppers know what they are buying. The process, developed to safeguard food carried into space by U.S. astronauts, would expose uncooked meat to tiny amounts of electron beams that penetrate and kill deadly bugs such as E. coli O157:H7. Meat companies, public health officials and many consumer groups agree irradiation rules should be adopted as quickly as possible to protect the public, but they are at odds over how, or even whether, to inform grocery shoppers about irradiated packages of meat. If packages of ground beef are required to carry a label with the universal radura symbol for irradiation, some shoppers may interpret it as a warning label. The meat industry is concerned enough about the word “irradiation”, it has lobbied the USDA for permission to instead use the phrase ‘cold pasteurized” because shoppers are used to seeing that on milk cartons. More than 700 consumers, including retired school teachers and parents, have sent letters to the USDA insisting that shoppers have the right to know food is irradiated before buying it. The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the American Association of Retired persons said an April survey showed “overwhelming support” for labeling. Irradiated ground beef, when it becomes available in stores, is expected to command a premium price. Likely customers are nursing homes, hospitals, families with small children and consumers with weak immune systems.
FSIS and NJC Sign Memorandum
On May 19, 1999, FSIS and the National Joint Council (NJC) reached an agreement involving the HACCP Based Inspection Models project. In accordance with the 1984 National Basic Agreement between FSIS and NJC, the Agency consults with the union on matters that affect the working conditions of food inspectors. Under the new models for slaughter inspections being developed by FSIS for certain market classes of livestock and poultry, industry would take greater responsibility for removing from the food supply those carcasses and parts that are unacceptable because of disease or unwholesome conditions. FSIS would conduct oversight inspection and verification inspection to ensure that current food safety and other consumer protection achievements are met. The most recent public meeting on the Models was held December 2, 1998. The memorandum of understanding allows the Agency to proceed with implementation of the model testing phase of the HACCP slaughter models project. The next step for the Agency will be the development of an implementation action plan for the project.
Russia Shipments To Begin
USDA announced that it is tendering for 18,000 metric tons of U.S. pork that will be shipped to Russia as part of a donation package. The tender is less than half of the 50,000 metric tons that USDA pledged to Russia and deliveries to U.S. ports must occur before June 28. In addition, USDA officials met with Russian representative to hammer out final details on 120,000 metric tons of beef shipments.
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Welcome................
SMA is proud to announce its newest member........... Associate Member: Contract Cleaning Services, Inc. Irving, Texas Shawn Demoss 972-580-7599 *********************************************
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EU Scientists Back Phasing Out Animal Antibiotics
EU scientists have recommended phasing out antibiotic use in animal feed, believing it may make life saving drugs less effective on humans, the European Farm Commissioner said. “The scientists believed the best action would be to gradually phase out the remaining antibiotics,” Franz Fischler told reports ahead of a two day meeting of EU farm ministers. The Commission will examine the scientists’ report and consider how best to withdraw the products from use. Fischler said it was too early to say when any ban would take effect. The EU approved a ban on four antibiotics used in animal feed last December, hitting multinational drug companies, potentially causing them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost sales. That ban comes into effect in July, and followed mounting fears that humans were building up a resistance to antibiotics through eating meat from animals reared with similar compounds added to their feed.
(Reuters - May 31, 1999)
Sun May Add To Y2K Problem
Computer data confusion about the Year 2000 is not the only problem Earth’s technology is going to face when the new year rolls in. Astronomers say they’re also worried about an angry sun. In January, just as computers around the world are coping with the Y2K bug, the sun will enter the most violent and disruptive phase of its 11 year cycle. Massive bursts of energy from the sun could mean celebrating the new millennium in the dark, with dead cellular phones. Waves of solar energy can trigger power blackouts, block some radio communications and create problems with satellites spinning out of their orbits. The good news is: The solar cycle is not expected to be as severe as some in the past and, for the first time, there may be some warning, thanks to a government satellite that will detect burst of solar energy and send about an hour’s notice. That warning will give power companies time to align circuits to minimize or avoid damage from electrical surges.
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Briefly...................
Red Meat Importance: Dietitian Hope Warshaw advised Parade magazine readers that they shouldn’t “fear” foods. Red meat, for example, should be part of balanced diets that include proper amounts of the various food groups. Warshaw said, “Beef is a good source of protein, iron, zinc, magnesium and vitamin B-12.” She suggested choosing lean cuts of beef (loin and round cuts) and trimming outside fat. Highest Beef Consumption Day: Americans were expected to consume 55.8 millions pounds of beef on Memorial Day, making this holiday the largest beef consumption day of the year. Grilling season unofficially starts on Memorial Day and consumers will be paying less for their favorite beef cuts than a year ago. Other high beef consumption days are July 4 and Labor Day. Meat For Pregnant Women: In a trend that can only bring positive impact on the industry, dietitians are reporting that women who have given up eating meat may now have reason to reassess that decision, at least during their pregnancies. With strict vegetarians, where you eliminate all animal products, there is a tendency over time to develope vitamin B-12 deficiencies. That is a big problem for a woman who is pregnant. There is no better source of iron than red meat, and that’s a critical nutrient for women, especially during pregnancy. Pennsylvania Meat Company Recalls Sausage: Alpine Wurst & Meat House, a Honesdale, PA, meat company has voluntarily recalled about 60 pounds of weisswurst sausage that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The product was distributed only at the meat company’s retail counter. FSIS discovered the problem through its routine monitoring program for Listeria monocytogenes.
Russia Suspends Chicken Imports
Russia has set a temporary ban on imports of poultry meat from Belgium after chicken and egg stocks from some farms were found to contain the cancer causing chemical, dioxin, Russia’s chief veterinarian said May 31. “I have signed an order to stop all Belgian poultry meat imports, which have been sent to customs points,” Vyatcheslav Avilov, head of the veterinary department at the food agriculture ministry said. The ministry is also trying to find stocks of Belgian poultry meat which had already cleared customs. “This meat will not be allowed to be used before it passes the necessary tests,” he said.
Mark Your Calendar
Developing and Implementing HACCP Plans for the Meat Industry, SMA will be conducting at least one more HACCP seminar later this year. Please keep a lookout in the InfoMeat for upcoming dates and places.
FSIS HACCP Workshop
FSIS will be conducting a workshop for very small plants to provide technical guidance on HACCP. The workshop is free, but participants should pre-register. Albuquerque, NM July 11-12, 1999 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dr. Armia Tawadrous
A European Union official in Brussels said the EU was considering a ban on sales of chicken and eggs produced in Belgium after the government ordered the withdrawal of all domestically produced All SMA board members will be selling stock from shops to prevent dioxin raffle tickets for the 4th Annual Cash Raffle. The drawing will be held July 24 poisoning. at the President’s Dinner at the Hilton Palacio del Rio in San Antonio. If interested in buying a raffle ticket, contact HACCP Information an SMA board member or call the SMA office (409) 846-9011. Online:
Cash Raffle
International HACCP Alliance: http://ifse.tamu.edu/ haccpall.html FSIS HACCP Implementation Page: http://www.usda.gov/ fsis/imphacccp.htm
Make Plans to Attend the 1999 SMA Annual Convention & Suppliers Showcase in San Antonio, Tx July 21-25!!!! (Registration materials will be sent out in May)
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