Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 1/28/14

Turkey processing giant Butterball has seen significant reductions in its products testing positive for salmonella since it started participating in USDA’s Salmonella Initiative Program (SIP), which began in 2007.

Presenting results at the International Production and Processing Expo here, Butterball Quality Assurance Laboratory Manager Caleb Lilley said the program has changed the way company managers approach pathogen interventions and resulted in retraining line workers.

Butterball has a salmonella action team comprised of management from all departments that meets weekly to review results and discuss future strategies.

He outlined Butterball’s process in implementing SIP as follows:
•      Commitment from management began the process
•      SIP teams were set up in each plant and best practices shared across facilities
•      Baseline studies were done to develop a history
•      Historical interventions were evaluated
•      The interventions to use going forward were determined
•      Corrective action protocols were developed.

Lilley explained about a dozen food safety interventions now in place from evisceration and chilling to post chill processes including grinding and blending.

He noted the company was particularly proud of its reduced salmonella positives at its three plants that produce mechanically separated turkey.

“We don’t have positives very often at all,” he said. “We don’t go in thinking yields, yields, yields; we think interventions, interventions first.” He also noted the improved salmonella interventions had also reduced the company’s campylobacter positives.

Lilley said the company now takes a more science-based approach to manage its processes. In some cases, that has meant retraining workers as if they were starting a new job.

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