Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 4/30/10

Walmart's announcement Thursday that it will require its suppliers to validate 2 log to 5 log reductions in pathogens from their food safety protocols for many suppliers may be more about proving than changing what they are already doing, according to industry experts.

"My suspicions are, after that first great gasp that some Walmart suppliers probably took, as they work through it, several are probably already in that range as far as interventions," Iowa State University Animal Science Professor Jim Dickson told Meatingplace. "I think the challenge that some of them are going to have is proving that what they are doing works."

Major Walmart meat supplier Tyson Foods, however, appeared unruffled by the new rules. "We applaud Walmart's beef safety initiative, which appears to be in line with measures we already have in place," Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said in a statement emailed to Meatingplace.

Dickson suggested even validation might not be the chore it appeared to some at first blush. "Some may have the (validation) data, but may just need to review it and look at it a little closer," he said.

On this score as well, Mickelson indicated Tyson is already there. "Tyson Fresh Meats also utilizes microbiological testing extensively to validate the effectiveness of our beef safety system…supported by our own fully accredited laboratories."

Others in the industry, however, worried publicly on the Meatingplace.com reader forum about costs involved in all this validation, particularly in light of Walmart's pledge to "work closely with beef suppliers to ensure that the new requirement is implemented without additional cost to customers."

"Where are processors to find the money for these new costs?" asked one reader, noting processor margins when selling to Walmart are already much slimmer than those with other supermarket retailers.

But it's Walmart

Even if major processors don't have to make major changes to comply with Walmart's latest edicts, there will likely be a knock on effect on the rest of the industry.

"I think a lot of people are interested in how this turns out," said Dickson, predicting Walmart's attention to food safety process validation will boost awareness by other retailers, foodservice providers, processors and consumers and will ultimately result in more consistency in how food safety protocols are applied, monitored and validated.

In that way, the Walmart mandate aligns in principle with recent proposals floated by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service that processors do more to validate their food safety interventions.

Walmart Vice President for Food Safety Frank Yiannas indicated such alignment in an interview with Meatingplace yesterday when he said that just as USDA's views of what constitutes appropriate validation evolve, so might Walmart's.

As the biggest retailer and an ever-growing food retailer, what Walmart wants, Walmart usually gets and more often than not, others will follow.

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