The most important thing small meat plant owners and managers need to be concerned with in meat processing is SAFETY. That includes food safety, employee safety and customer safety.

In this episode, Francisco Najar-Villirreal speaks with Dr. Sara Gragg of Kansas State University. Dr. Gragg received her Ph.D. in Animal Science from Texas Tech University in 2012.

When it comes to reducing Salmonella prevalence at processing, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data show the industry is making progress.

Salmonella Reading is not usually a pathogen of concern, however when an outbreak does occur it garners plenty of public attention. There have been two recent S. Reading outbreaks in North America. The most recent outbreak occurred in 2019 and was linked to contaminated ground turkey products.¹

A recent survey conducted by Accenture found that 83 percent of respondents believe it’s important or extremely important for companies to design products that are meant to be reused or recycled.

Rapid testing for pathogens in meat and poultry plants is crucial for minimizing the risk of foodborne illness, protein contamination and spoilage. Yet, getting accurate readings can be difficult.

Managing conveyors and belting in meat and poultry plants can be a complicated business. 

No, the title of this column does not contain a typo. Under the right circumstances, most of which are unpredictable, Salmonella can give you a real body slam.