Food Safety
SALMONELLA
Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) is a common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract. Salmonella bacteria typically live in animal and human intestines and are shed through feces. Humans become infected most frequently through contaminated water or food.
ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI)
E. coli O157:H7 is one of hundreds of strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Although most strains are harmless and live in the intestines of healthy humans and animals, this strain produces a powerful toxin and can cause severe illness. Thanks to many food safety technologies used by the meat industry, E. coli O157:H7 is removed during processing and is found in ground beef less than one percent of the time.
LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES
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Listeria monocytogenes – General and technical information from the Center for Disease and Prevention – Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases.
FSIS Policy Information
Supporting Documentation
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Controlling Listeria monocytogenes In Small and Very Small Meat and Poultry Plants – Produced by Dr. William Henning and Dr. Catherine Cutter from Penn State University. This document was designed to provide guidelines to the small and very small processors on practices and methods to assess, prevent and control the opportunities for contamination of RTE products by L. monocytogenes.
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FSIS Compliance Guideline: Controlling Listeria monocytogenes in Post-lethality Exposed Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products – January 2014 – The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service developed compliance guidelines to help the establishments producing ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products, especially small and very small establishments, in their use of control methods for Listeria monocytogenes to comply with the regulations.
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of deer and elk. First recognized as a clinical “wasting” syndrome in 1967 in mule deer in a wildlife research facility in northern Colorado, it was identified as a TSE in 1978. CWD is typified by chronic weight loss leading to death. There is no known relationship between CWD and any other TSE of animals or people.
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Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Information from APHIS – General and technical information from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
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Deer Processing Brochure – An easy-to-read brochure for you and your deer hunting customers. This brochure was developed by the Indiana State Board of Animal Health.
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Questions and Answers About Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) – Questions and answers document from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
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Rendering Alternatives for Deer Processors – AAMP special bulletin produced by Steve Krut to address rendering alternatives for deer processors.
BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY (BSE)
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as “mad cow disease,” is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder affecting the central nervous system of cattle. BSE belongs to a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). The disease was first diagnosed in 1986 in Great Britain. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is enforcing import restrictions and is conducting surveillance for BSE to ensure that this serious disease does not become established in the United States.
General Information
Specified Risk Materials (SRMs)
Non-Ambulatory Cattle
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Information from FSIS for Small and Very Small Establishments on Non-Ambulatory Cattle Rule
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Custom Slaughter and Processing of Livestock – Questions and answers concerning custom slaughter/processing of livestock and the USDA restrictions of harvesting non-ambulatory disabled cattle.
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The Ban on Harvesting and/or Processing of Non-ambulatory Cattle
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Sample Letter From Cattle Producer to Slaughter/Processor Concerning Non-ambulatory Cattle – Sample letter that can be utilized to ensure that meat processors are not receiving non-ambulatory disabled cattle.
AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI)
Avian Influenza (AI) is an infection caused by bird flu viruses, which naturally occur among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, AI is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them. The strain that is currently being reported in Asia and Europe is AI H5N1.
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Questions and Answers: Avian Influenza – The USDA’s question and answer document on AI.
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USDA’s Avian Influenza Website Resource – Bird flu information from the USDA containing fact sheets and disease alerts.
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U.S. Government’s Pandemic Flu Site – The government launched this resource to equip Americans with accurate information on how to protect themselves and their families from a pandemic, and inform them about the government’s preparations for AI.
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Avian Influenza Fact Sheet – The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) fact sheet provides general information about bird flu and information about avian influenza A (H5N1) that is infecting birds in Asia and has infected some humans.
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Avian Influenza Information from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations – A website resource from the FAO containing everything from general information on AI to the Epidemiology of the disease.
HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT (HACCP)
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system is a management system focused on the prevention of problems in order to assure the production of food products that are safe to consume. It is based on a common-sense application of technical and scientific principles to the food production process from field to table. The principles are applicable to all phases of food preparation, including basic agriculture, food preparation and handling, food processing, food service, distribution systems, and consumer handling and use.
Training
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Visit the International HACCP Alliance’s website here for training locations/information. AAMP will also list in-person training through its event calendar
Documentation (Information provided by Dr. Michele Pfannenstiel, Dirigo Food Safety)
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Farm Biosecurity Audit (Word document)
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Food Defense Audit - Template (Word document)
RECALL INFORMATION
A food recall is a voluntary action by a manufacturer or distributor to protect the public from products that may cause health problems or possible death. The purpose of a recall is to remove meat or poultry from commerce when there is reason to believe it may be adulterated (injurious to health or unfit for human consumption) or misbranded (false or misleading labeling and/or packaging).
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Recall SOP (USDA Complaint) – Information provided by Dr. Michele Pfannenstiel, Dirigo Food Safety.
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Responding to a Food Recall – This manual is designed for food service directors and managers to reference when a food recall notice for a USDA commodity food is issued through USDA/FNS, or a food recall notice is issued for a purchased food by the manufacturer or responsible government entity.
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Implementing a Recall Program For Small Meat Processors – Pork Fact Sheet produced by Dr. Benjy Mikel (University of Kentucky).
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Regulatory Issues: Handling a Recall – FDA’s updated industry guidance document devotes several pages to the submission of recall-related information to the agency.
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The Food Recall Manual – The Association of Food & Drug Officials (AFDO) recall manual used to identify and recover potentially adulterated, misbranded, and/or hazardous foods in order to prevent potential food safety problems or economic fraud.
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FSIS Directive 8080.1 – Revision 7: Recall of Meat and Poultry Products – This directive provides the terminology, responsibilities, and public notification procedures regarding the voluntary recall of FSIS-inspected meat and poultry products.
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FSIS Recall Process – A presentation-style overview of the recall process.
