Food Protection Trends - December 2008 - (Page 920)

TABLE 1. Plant characteristics of meat and poultry processors Plant Characteristics Number of processing shifts operated daily One Two or three No response Number of clean-up shifts operated daily None Clean-up shift is not operated daily One Two or three No response Number of USDA- or state-inspected plants owned by the company that owns this plant 1 2 to 5 6 to 20 21 or more No response Total plant sales revenue Under $2.5 million $2.5 million to $49.9 million $50.0 million to $249.9 million $250.0 million or more No response 53.4 31.6 7.5 1.6 5.9 account for the largest share of total industry revenue (63%). Large plants comprise only 2% of the industry but account for 22% of revenue. More than half of the plants were built or renovated after 1990. The mean plant size is 36,704 square feet (with a range of 64 to 4 million square feet), and the mean number of employees is 71 (with a range of 1 to 13,000 employees). Additional information on plant characteristics, such as number of shifts operated and number of plants owned by the company, is displayed in Table 1. The majority of plants use pork (82%), beef (79%), and chicken (59%) as inputs to production. Figure 1 shows the percentage of plants producing RTE, NRTE, or both RTE and NRTE products. Most meat and poultry product volume is raw product and fully cooked, not-shelf-stable product (e.g., fully cooked hams, corned beef, and meat and poultry salads). More than one-third of plants import raw meat or poultry from other countries for further processing. Percentage of Plants 81.7 17.4 0.9 3.6 3.1 75.5 16.8 1.0 79.6 12.2 3.1 2.9 1.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Survey results are presented for plant characteristics, food safety technologies and practices, microbiological testing practices, and employee food safety training. Although meat and poultry processing plants are regulated by FSIS, they are allowed to use a variety of technologies and practices to achieve food safety. Many plants use voluntary microbiological testing to confirm that their processes are working. Food safety technologies and practices The interim final rule on the control of L. monocytogenes in RTE meat and poultry products encourages producers of RTE products to use antimicrobial ingredients such as sodium acetate or sodium diacetate in formulation, postlethality treatments, and other intervention technologies, to reduce the presence or growth of Listeria (2). Additionally, plants producing RTE and NRTE products may implement technologies and practices to control Salmonella, E. coli, C. perfringens, Plant characteristics The majority of meat and poultry processing plants are very small (62%), although very small plants account for only 14% of total industry revenue. Thirtysix percent of plants are small; these 920 FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | DECEMBER 2008

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Food Protection Trends - December 2008 Contents Sustaining Members Perspectives from Your President Commentary from the Executive Director Observed Hand Washing Behaviors of Young Adults during Food Preparation Adoption of Interventions to Improve Food Safety at Meat and Poultry Processing Plants in the United States Call for Awards – IAFP 2009 Affiliate Officers IAFP Committee, PDG, Task Force and Affiliate Council Mission Statements New Members What’s Happening in Food Safety Industry Products Coming Events Index to Volume 28 Advertising Index IAFP Financial Report Journal of Food Protection Table of Contents Audiovisual Library Order Form Booklet Order Form Membership Application

Food Protection Trends - December 2008

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