Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 6/14/11

The North American Meat Processors Association announced the E. coli Conference for Beef Further Processors will take place Aug. 17–18 near O’Hare Airport in Chicago.

The conference will include three special summit meetings.

A non-O157 STEC Summit will feature new information on the importance of STECs, laboratory methods, effectiveness of interventions, as well as the latest about FSIS policy on non-O157 STECs, and the future of sampling and testing.

A Regulatory Summit will discuss FSIS initiatives on E. coli O157:H7, traceability, non-intact steaks, and an update from Capitol Hill.

An Interventions Summit will include information on research and applications in further processing, real-world information from the field, FSIS expectations for validating interventions, and how to incorporate interventions into written food safety plans.

Early confirmed speakers include:
• Dan Engeljohn, assistant administrator for the office of policy and program development at USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service
• Kerri Harris, president and CEO of the International HACCP Alliance and associate professor of animal science at Texas A&M University and
• Jim Marsden, regent’s distinguished professor at Kansas State University, and NAMP senior science advisor.

There will be a special session on developments in Canada.

A complete schedule and registration materials will be posted soon on NAMP’s Web site.  

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