Supermarket Perimeter - January 2022 - 63

Eskin, who is leading the initiative. " Time has shown that our current
policies are not moving us closer to our public health goal. It's time to
rethink our approach. "
The USDA intends to seek stakeholder feedback on specific
Salmonella control and measurement strategies, including pilot
projects, in poultry slaughter and processing establishments. A key
component of this approach is encouraging preharvest controls to
reduce Salmonella contamination coming into the slaughterhouse. The
data generated from these pilots will be used to determine if a different
approach could result in a reduction of Salmonella illness in consumers.
The effort will leverage USDA's strong research capabilities and
strengthen FSIS' partnership with the Research, Education and
Economics (REE) mission area to address data gaps and develop new
laboratory methods to guide future Salmonella policy.
Meanwhile, the National Advisory Committee for Microbiological
Criteria in Foods, an independent federal advisory committee, will be
asked to advise on how FSIS can build on the latest science to improve
its approach to Salmonella control. Since it's not just the presence or
absence of Salmonella, but the quantity of bacteria that can impact
the likelihood of illness, FSIS will examine how quantification can be
incorporated into this approach.
Moreover, with emerging science suggesting that not all Salmonella
are equally likely to cause human illness, FSIS will focus on the
Salmonella serotypes and the virulence factors that pose the greatest
public health risk, according to the agency.
" Moving forward, this initiative will require collaboration and
ongoing dialogue with stakeholders - industry, consumer groups,
and researchers alike. USDA looks forward to working closely with
stakeholders on informing and implementing key activities of this
framework in the very near future. "
Hy-Vee partners with software specialist
ComplianceMate on food safety
West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee has partnered with CM Systems
LLC to deploy the ComplianceMate food safety system in all of its meat
departments and other instore departments.
" Through our partnership with ComplianceMate, we are ensuring our
customers the best experience, the highest quality food, and the safest
food prep, " said Chuck Seaman, vice president of food protection and
compliance at Hy-Vee. " We are proud to partner with a company that
shares our dedication to innovation and superior customer service. "
The ComplianceMate system uses customizable food safety
management software to automatically track key indicators of food
safety risk. As the system generates data, it can alert any level of
management - from store level to corporate offices - of potentially
unsafe food before the food is served to the public.
The system also facilitates above-unit auditing for Hy-Vee and its
third-party auditing group. Auditors can utilize the ComplianceMate
system to gather and preview food safety data prior to entering stores.
" ComplianceMate protects brands and their customers, but in the
process, it also delivers enhanced operational effectiveness through
analytics, dashboards, etc., " said Steve Getraer, president of CM Systems.
" We empower teams to achieve elite food safety performance with even
less labor, ultimately improving service to Hy-Vee's own customers. "
supermarketperimeter.com
JANUARY 2022 - 63
US beef industry calls out Brazil on food safety
The Denver-based National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA)
has asked US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to
immediately suspend all imports of fresh beef from Brazil to the
United States.
In a letter to USDA, NCBA asked for a suspension until the agency
conducts a thorough risk assessment and review of the processes that
Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply (MAPA) uses
to detect disease and other threats to consumers. NCBA also urged
USDA to review Brazil's veterinary diagnostic laboratory system.
" It's time to keep Brazilian fresh beef out of this country until USDA
can confirm that Brazil meets the same consumer and food safety
standards that we apply to all our trade partners, " said NCBA Vice
President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. " NCBA has long expressed
concerns about Brazil's history of failing to report atypical BSE cases
in a timely manner, a pattern that stretches back as far as 2012. Their
poor track record and lack of transparency raises serious doubts about
Brazil's ability to produce cattle and beef at an equivalent level of safety
as American producers. "
According to reports published by the World Organization for
Animal Health (OIE), Brazil took more than eight weeks to report two
confirmed cases of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
The OIE requires countries to report within 24 hours for any animal
disease event that could be of international concern for public health
emergencies.
After the market devastation of 2003, American cattle producers have
worked diligently to protect consumers and restore confidence both at
home and abroad, according to NCBA.
" Farmers and ranchers benefit greatly from the demand for beef that
is built upon a commitment to integrity, transparency, and the highest
scientific standards, " according to the organization. " The consumer
trust that our producers have worked so hard to build must not be
jeopardized by any country that seeks to cut corners or conceal the
truth about food safety concerns. "
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