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Before the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, consumers were buying a wide variety of meat cuts, from pre-portioned to bulk. The next few months may either see skewed consumer purchasing decisions or reinforce tried-and-true options.

There are several factors that can make controlling Salmonella in poultry difficult. Chief among them is the long-standing perception held by some operations that processing-plant interventions can eliminate most of the risk associated with any potential threat.

Investments in food-safety apparel and training workers to properly wear and handle garments seems a natural course for meat and poultry processors.

Various reports and data show that the cold supply chain continues to experience strong growth and expansion. Drivers include higher demand for fresh, better-tasting and healthier products and consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for products they feel meet their individual needs.

Bacterial pathogens, such as Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter, continue to be the leading suspected causes of foodborne illnesses from poultry products today.

Food-processing equipment poses unique challenges for maintenance personnel. Wet operating conditions and wash-down requirements can require specially designed equipment to help ensure mandated sanitation compliance. 

Controlling pathogens in meat and poultry processing is particularly challenging given the multiple points of contact. 

Another weekly excursion to the grocery store, and I am approaching this trip as an adventure. The duration of my trips is increasing as I explore the origins of my food purchases. 

Another recall just came across the news feed. A few minutes before that, there was a news flash about a foodborne outbreak. It got me to thinking: What is the correlation, if any, between the foodborne outbreaks and recalls?

The future is an unpredictable place. As such, we generally prefer to leave predictions to others. We would be reluctant to break our no-prediction rule even in the most stable times, when little in the way of change is expected.