Beef Safety at the Fore

The North American Meat Association (NAMA) brought two research proposals before the Beef Promotion Operating Committee this afternoon, seeking $390,000 of beef checkoff funding for beef-safety post-harvest research and another $25,000 for a Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo) project that would communicate the council’s food-safety messages on a regional basis.

NAMA was formed earlier this year through a merger of the National Meat Association and the North American Meat Processors Association — two organizations established in the 1940s — making it one of the largest players in international meat trade. NAMA CEO Barry Carpenter (pictured) presented the group’s research proposals to the members of the Operating Committee. The goal of the post-harvest research, he said, is to get ahead of the issue of salmonella in beef by focusing on innovative ideas to reduce it in the post-harvest sector of the industry.

Significant progress has been made in addressing the E . coli 0157 threats to beef safety, Carpenter said, but the industry’s progress in addressing salmonella in beef has been minimal. Stepping up the research about ways to minimize its presence in beef and beef products will help keep it from becoming a fiery issue in the minds of consumers. The project calls for hosting an industry think-tank meeting, comprising salmonella authorities from industry and academia and focused on identification of strategies to address the post-harvest side of the issue. To read the details of the proposal, visit post-harvest research.

The second proposal from NAMA aims to protect beef demand by maintaining, enhancing and communicating the safety of beef to help ensure the future of the beef industry. It calls for developing regional outreach and collaboration about the messages from BIFSCo, funded in part by the beef checkoff and an organization that the predecessors of NAMA have been involved with since its beginnings.

On the ground, the proposal calls for the checkoff to host at least three meetings across the country to reach industry representatives who do not attend the annual BIFSCo Safety Summit, toward providing a more intimate training opportunity. In addition, it calls for development of at least one associated educational tool for print and/or online distribution through www.BIFSCo.com. Access a copy of this second NAMA proposal at regional safety efforts.