North American Meat Association (NAMA) announced that its annual Beef Safety Conference will cover “Pathogen Control and Regulatory Compliance in Beef Processing.” It will be held October 15-16, 2014, at the Four Points By Sheraton near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois.

The two-day conference is designed for processors of ground beef, mechanically tenderized steaks, and other non-intact beef products. Attendees will learn the latest information on E. coli O157:H7 and other STECS, Salmonella, and ways to improve their food safety systems both from a scientific and regulatory standpoint. There will be a networking reception with table-top exhibits by leading food safety companies.

This year’s conference features top industry experts, including:

  • Dr. Dayna Harhay, US Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC)
  • Dr. Wendy Warren, AEGIS Food Testing Laboratories
  • Dr. Chris Braden (invited), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Rachel Edelstein, USDA Food Safety Inspection Service
  • Dr.Dan Engeljohn (invited), USDA Food Safety Inspection Service
  • Dr. Kerri Gehring, International HACCP Alliance and Texas A&M University
  • Dr. Barb Masters, OFW Law
  • Dr. Mohammad Koohmaraie, IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group
  • Norm Robertson, North American Meat Association
  • Robert Hibbert, Morgan, Lewis, and Bockius LLP

The conference is supported by the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo) membership, and co-sponsored by the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP), American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF), American Meat Science Association (AMSA), Chicago Mid-West Meat Association (CMMA), Canadian Meat Council (CMC), Eastern Meat Packers Association (EMPA), International HACCP Alliance (IHA), Meat Importers Council of America (MICA), Southeastern Meat Association (SEMA), Southwest Meat Association (SMA), and U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Media sponsors include Canadian Meat Business, MEAT&POULTRY, Meatingplace, National Provisioner, Food Safety News, and Urner Barry’s Reporter. Other sponsorship opportunities are still available!

Register before September 24, 2014, for an early-bird discount that puts the registration fee at $449 for members of NAMA and its co-sponsor organizations, and $549 for non-members. (After Sept. 24, the registration fee goes up to $549 for members and $649 for non-members.)

For more information, complete program details, and to register go to http://meatassociation.com/events/e-coli-conference, or call NAMA toll-free at +1 800.368.3043 ext. 101.

Source: NAMA