Camacho's Food Processing, a Salinas, Calif.-based processor that recalled 1,450 pounds of fried pork skins, known as chicharrones, last week is stating that the recall was unfair. The recall was initiated after it was discovered that product that had been uninspected was sold to area retail establishments.

Plant Manager Oscar Camacho said that the problem arose when the FSIS required changes to the company's HACCP, which he is still trying to implement. He states that 20 other companies in California operate with the same HACCP plan that his company did, according to The Californian.

"Those plants don't have problems with the inspectors," Camacho said. "We didn't have problems, either. But now two years later we do." Meanwhile, production is halted while the changes are being made.

The two-year-old company employs five people. Camacho admits that the bads of fried pork skins were sold after inspections lapsed in order to meet financial obligations. "I did get rid of some because I do have to pay bills," he said. "My landlord isn't going to wait for me." There have been no illnesses associated with the recall.

Source: The Californian

NAMP announces new speakers to discuss bench trim testing at conference

The new bench trim testing program, the FSIS directive encompassing E. coli control policies that FSIS released Friday, and the further explanations it released today, will be discussed by FSIS speakers and industry experts at the conference on Prevention of E. coli O157:H7 for Beef Further Processors, Aug. 18 – 19, at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.

The conference speakers also will address the implications of this summer’s subprimal recalls on industry practices. This conference, just two weeks from now, will deliver the latest information about how these actions will impact the industry.

Additional panelists were announced Friday:
* Chris O’Neil, quality assurance manager at the J&B Group; Rob Lacey, quality assurance manager, Byron Center Meats; and John Vatri, director of logistics and QA, Cardinal Meat Specialists; on real world use of interventions and testing.
* Scott Goltry, vice president of food safety and inspection services, American Meat Institute (AMI); Shane Kolle, director of food safety & quality assurance, Tyson Foods, on communicating with suppliers: tools and strategies.
* Blaise Ouattara, technical director, Canadian Meat Council, in a special breakout session on complying with CFIA regulations, who joins previously confirmed speaker John Vatri.

Full program information and online registration is available at www.NAMP.com.

Source: North American Meat Processors Association

Pizza Hut iPhone App passes 100,000 download mark

Just two weeks after becoming the first national pizza chain to introduce an ordering App for the iPhone and iPod touch, Pizza Hut has surpassed 100,000 downloads in the App Store. The new App allows customers to order Pizza Hut menu items directly from their mobile devices, bringing convenience and fun to the ordering process.

"We're delighted with the early success of our Pizza Hut App," said Brian Niccol, Pizza Hut CMO. "To reach 100,000 downloads so quickly shows that we have a unique App that gives our customers something valuable. Digital innovations have been an important part of our company's history, and the popularity of the Pizza Hut App adds to that legacy."

When ordering pizzas, users virtually build their own pizza by choosing a type of crust in the scroll wheel, "pinching" to select size, and dragging-and-dropping toppings onto the pizza, all with visual confirmation. If a customer adds too many toppings, the pizza explodes and toppings go flying across the screen with an alert to make their pizza happier with fewer toppings.

The section used to order WingStreet  wings starts with a bowl of wings that changes as users choose the type of wings they want. Next they select a sauce and are prompted to "sauce their wings" by shaking their iPhone or iPod touch until the wings are covered. Shake too long and the sauce flies across the screen. As with the pizza ordering, customers finish with a representation of the wings order.

Source: Pizza Hut