The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) announced it will sponsor five additional education programs at the 2016 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), scheduled to take place January 26-28, 2016, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

The “Ingredient Specification and Allergen Control Workshop”, scheduled from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on January 25, will look in-depth at best practices for raw material and ingredient control and will review in-plant practices that can protect employees and businesses from unwanted allergen issues. Session speakers include Joe Baumert, assistant professor and co-director, Food Allergy Research and Resource Program, University of Nebraska; Jean Theiss, senior director, global regulatory and government affairs, Newly Weds Foods, Inc.; Laura Fenton, president, Fenton Food Safety and Management Consulting; and Brent Brehmer, corporate manager of regulatory compliance and HACCP, Hormel Foods Corporation. The workshop costs $150 for registered IPPE attendees.

The “Product Improvement Workshop: Meat Color, Packaging and Shelf Life” will highlight some of the most critical factors affecting meat quality and customer satisfaction, and will provide attendees with an understanding of the relationship between meat color, packaging and shelf life. The program also will cover the latest packaging technologies and discuss effective ways to determine and extend product shelf life. Speakers include Dale R. Woerner, Ph.D., associate professor in the Center for Meat Safety and Quality at Colorado State University; Chance Brooks, Ph.D., professor and associate chair of the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University; and Henry Ruiz, strategic account project specialist for Sealed Air Corporation. The session, which costs $150 for all registered IPPE attendees, is scheduled to take place from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on January 26.

The Meat Institute also will sponsor three additional free education workshops.

The “Challenges and Opportunities in Meat Product Traceability” session, scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on January 26, will address global meat traceability and the unique challenges faced by U.S. producers. The workshop also will focus on in-plant traceability and the technologies available to help processors track products and improve efficiencies. Tim Davis, vice president for Midwest MicroSystems, LLC, and Brenden McCullough, of National Beef, will speak at the session.

Meanwhile, the “Global Food Safety Initiative: Planning for Success” session will detail the top mistakes—and how to avoid them—in achieving or continuing certification from Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized certification schemes. The workshop will also review the latest changes in two of the most popular GFSI schemes: the British Retail Consortium and the Safe Quality Foods Program. Lori Ernst, vice president of audit services for Food Safety Net Services, and Jeff Chilton, vice president of professional services for Alchemy Systems, will lead the session, which will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on January 28.

The “Process Technology Workshop: Brines, Marinades and Cook Technologies,” scheduled from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on January 28, will cover the latest techniques and ingredients for improving the use of brines and marinade in plants and will discuss sanitation best practices. The second part of the workshop will highlight innovative cook technologies, and current practices to improve those technologies. The session will feature Jeff Sindelar, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Wisconsin, and Catie Beauchamp, vice president of technical services at Colorado Premium.

For more information on any of the above sessions and to register to attend IPPE, visit www.ippexpo.org.

Source: IPPE