The Class of 2010 has been elected to the Meat Industry Hall Of Fame, according to Hall officials. The 12 new members were chosen from a list of over 50 nominees by the Hall’s Board of Trustees and inductees from last year’s inaugural class. The nominees included an all star list of executives, academicians, innovators and association leaders from all sectors of the industry.

“We are delighted to include twelve of the legendary names in our industry this year,” said Dan Murphy, executive director and co-founder of the Hall of Fame. “These are people who are rightfully credited with fostering much of the profound change, remarkable progress and success of our North American meat industry. We’re proud to celebrate their legacies.”

The Induction Ceremony for the new Meat Industry Hall Of Fame Members will be on Oct. 30, 2010 at the Fairmont Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz. The gala event will begin with a Reception at 5:00 PM and the evening’s festivities will conclude with the North American Meat Processors Association President’s Reception, Dinner & Ball which closes their Annual Outlook Conference. For more information about the event and tickets, log onto www.meatindustryhalloffame.org or www.namp.com.

“It will be a special evening to formally honor a ‘who’s who’ of the industry,” said Chuck Jolley, Meat Industry Hall Of Fame president and co-founder. “Our thanks to our Board of Trustees and our Members, who elected an elite group from an impressive list of nominees. We are thrilled to be able to induct people who truly represent the best of the best.”

Here are the members of the Meat Industry Hall Of Fame Class of 2010:
• Richard Bond, CEO, President and Director, Tyson Foods Inc.
• Ralph Cator, Founder, Cardinal Meat Specialists Limited
• William D. Farr, Farr Feeders (deceased)
• Joel Johnson, Chairman, President & CEO, Hormel Foods Corporation
• H. Kenneth Johnson, Vice President - Meat Science, National Live Stock & Meat Board; Executive Director, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
• Ray Kroc, Founder & Chairman, McDonald’s Corporation (deceased)
• Dr. Roger Mandigo, Professor, Animal Science Department, University of Nebraska
• Robert E. Rust, Professor Emeritus, Animal Science, Iowa State University
• Col. Harland Sanders, Founder, Kentucky Fried Chicken (deceased)
• Dr. Jeff W. Savell, Regents Professor and E.M. "Manny" Rosenthal Chairholder in Animal Science, Texas A&M University
• Deven Scott, Vice President - Member Services, American Meat Institute; Executive Vice President, North American Meat Processors Association
• Dave Thomas, Founder, CEO, Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers (deceased)

Source: Meat Industry Hall of Fame

66,000 pounds of bison meat recalled

Rocky Mountain Natural Meats, a Henderson, Colo. establishment, is recalling approximately 66,000 pounds of ground and tenderized steak bison products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.

FSIS became aware of the problem during the course of an on-going investigation into a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses in Colorado with illness onset dates between June 4, 2010 and June 9, 2010. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the New York Department of Health, 5 case-patients have been identified in Colorado as well as 1 case-patient in New York with an indistinguishable PFGE pattern. FSIS determined that there is an association between the ground bison products and the cluster of illnesses in the state of Colorado. FSIS is continuing to work with the CDC, affected state public health partners, and the company on the investigation.

The products subject to recall include ground meat, sirloin steaks and steak medallions under the Great Range, Nature’s Rancher, The Buffalo Guys and Rocky Mountain Natural Meats brands. The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 20247” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products were produced between the dates of May 21, 2010 through May 27, 2010, and were distributed to retail establishments nationwide and food service distributors in Utah and Arizona. While the sell-by dates for these products have passed, FSIS and the establishment are aware that consumers may also freeze the product before use and there is concern that some product may still be frozen and in consumers’ freezers.

Source: FSIS

Want product recall information? There's an app for that

Popular technology will now help Americans verify what they eat is safe. The U.S. Government's Products Recall app for the Android smartphone is now available at the revamped USA.gov website, and the apps for Blackberry and iPhone are soon to follow.

"Alerting consumers quickly to food and product recall information through this technology can prevent untold illness and save lives," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Instead of trying to find recalls on many different websites at home, consumers who download this tool can use technology to make informed decisions even before they put a product in their grocery cart or open the package to prepare a meal for their family."

The app was unveiled by the General Services Administration as part of the new mobile app store on the updated USA.gov website. The new Mobile Apps store at USA.gov will collect all in one place the mobile applications developed throughout the federal government.

Using information from several agencies across the government, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Products Recall app for smartphones is a powerful tool that will help reduce foodborne illness and enhance the lives of Americans. It puts information about any recalled products – including foods – at consumers' fingertips.

The app allows consumers to view the most recent recall press releases and any pictures associated with those products. Consumers can get information of specific interest to them using a feature on the app that searches recalled products by product name or category.
The app's "report incident" feature allows consumers to connect directly with their government to report concerns of unsafe products. A "tips" option will feature rotating educational messages for consumers about a variety of products, such as highlighting safe food handling tips as popular cooking holidays approach.

"Our goal is to quickly inform the public and media when food products are recalled," said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Jerold Mande. "This app puts the information directly in the hands of consumers, giving them the power to take action."

In addition to foods regulated by FSIS and FDA, the Products Recall app also includes recall information for drugs, cribs, strollers, child safety seats, tires, and other consumer products.

Source: USDA

Humanewatch analysis: Ohio-HSUS agreement favors HSUS

David Martosko, blogger on the Humanewatch.org website that monitors the activities of the Humane Society of the United States, contends that last week’s compromise between the Ohio Farm Bureau and the HSUS over a controversial animal rights issue favors the Humane Society. This contradicts his initial stance, and he says that he made the change after reviewing more details of the deal.

The most contentious point in the agreement, Martosko writes, is the language that states that the Humane Society will not submit an amendment on animal welfare in 2010 to the Ohio Secretary of State. However, the organization has the right to void the agreement whenever is chooses and pursue the amendment again.

“In reality, HSUS is going to have the Ohio Farm Bureau on a leash, tugging it along every three years until right about the time Wayne Pacelle is ready to start cashing in his loaded pension. And if Wayne Pacelle [HSUS executive director] doesn’t feel an appropriate amount of love (or groveling) by December 31, 2010, HSUS will be right back next year to start the political process all over again,” he writes.

The compromise, brokered by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, includes an executive order that bans possession of “wild and dangerous animals” and includes the governor’s support on legislation on “puppy mills” and cockfighting. The Ohio Farm Bureau agrees to keep downer cattle out of the food supply, require humane methods for euthanizing animals for slaughter, and gradually phases out battery cages for poultry farms and gestation stalls for pig farms while phasing in group housing for veal farms.

Other analysis of the compromise could result in dog breeders being held to an almost impossible standard that allows no room for error. If the legislation that the governor now passes, animal rights activists could become the only available source of puppies to the public, reports the American Canine Association. The legislation against wild and dangerous animals could also be used to potentially bar circuses that keep lions or elephants from performing in the state.

“I think HSUS came better prepared to wring every last drop of blood it could out of the process. And so while Ohio’s farmers got some much-needed breathing room, it’s all temporary,” Martosko writes.

Sources: Humanewatch.org, American Canine Association, The Columbus Dispatch

Chicago Meat Authority hires Florida broker

Chicago Meat Authority has announced the hiring of HOPCO Foodservice Marketing as a new broker. HOPCO was founded in 1982 as a central Florida broker and has expanded over the years to cover the Southeast with nine offices. It will represent CMA in the state of Florida.

“Chicago Meat Authority is thrilled to be partnering with the premier food service broker in the state of Florida,” states Luke Gorski, Account Manager at CMA.

Source: Chicago Meat Authority