Food Safety

U.S. Food Supply  Successes are numerous  Most abundant and varied food supply ever known  Reductions in many categories of food-borne illnesses  Address challenges  Continually implementing best practices  Research to understand current and emerging food safety threats  Industry collaboration to identify and implement interventions

Food Safety Challenges  Commitment to prevent  Bacterial contamination  E. coli O157:H7, non-O157 E. coli, Salmonella  Physical hazards  Jewelry, hair, metal chards from can lids  Chemical hazards  Cleaning solutions or sanitizer residues on equipment, pest control products

Food Safety Responsibility  It is everyone’s responsibility  Responsibility shared across the chain  Safety is a top priority for America’s beef farmers and ranchers  Starts in the pasture and continues throughout the life cycle  Process controls, interventions and inspections during processing  Ends on the dinner plate with the consumer

What Can You Do?  Proper hand washing  Prevent cross contamination  Purchase from reputable suppliers  Do not temperature abuse  Temperature Danger Zone is 41° – 135°F  Keep hot foods hot (above 135°)  Keep cold foods cold (below 41°)

Proper Cooking is Essential  Safe Food Handling Label  Seen on raw and partially pre-cooked (not-ready-to-eat) packages of meat and poultry  Consumer reminder of important practices

Proper Cooking is Essential  Use a thermometer in the thickest portion  Know the required end point temperatures  Refer to the Food Code for more details Minimum Internal TemperatureType of Food 165 F (74 C) for 15 seconds Poultry Stuffed meats, seafood, poultry or pasta Leftovers 160 FGround beef (USDA recommendation) 155 F (68 C) for 15 seconds Other ground meats Injected meats (brined ham or enhanced whole muscle cuts) Ground, chopped or minced seafood Eggs that will not be hot held for service 145 F (63C) for 15 seconds Seafood Steaks/chops of pork, beef, veal, and lamb Eggs that will be served immediately 145 F (63C) for 4 minutesRoasts for beef, pork, veal and lamb 135 F (57C)Commercially processed, ready-to-eat-food that will be hot-held for service) Fruit, vegetables, grains (rice, pasta), and legumes (beans, refried beans) that will be hot- held for service

Proper Cooling to Prevent Food-borne Illness  Cool from 135°F or higher to 70°F within two hours  Cool to 41°F or lower in next four hours  Utilize an approved method  Reduce the container size  Ice-water bath  Ice paddle  Blast chiller or tumble chiller

Beef Industry Safety Commitment  Industry’s dedication of time and resources to beef safety research  Beef farmers and ranchers: over $29 million spent in safety research since 1993  Beef industry: over $550 million spent annually to implement and maintain interventions equipment and verifying they are working properly  Outreach and education programs  Print and online resources  Annual safety-focused workshops to transfer valuable knowledge

Reduction in Human Illness from E. coli O157 in All Foods Healthy People 2010 Goal

Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo)  Formed in 1997 with representation across all industry sectors  Mission  Developing industry-wide, science-based strategies to solve food safety problems  Address by identifying & prioritizing research from farm to table  Develop programs to help industry segments operate in today's business environment  Speak with one voice in seeking solutions  Develop & implement industry information programs to assist in the transfer of technology into the market place  Visit for more informationwww.bifsco.org

Beef Industry Safety Summit  Annual event focused on improving beef safety  Research focused on industry implementation  Sessions designed for interaction within and across sectors  For information on the next Summit, visit: COLLABORATE COMMUNICATE CATALYZE

Regulation of Safety  USDA – Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) oversees beef safety  Inspection personnel in processing plants  FSIS product sampling for microbial contamination  Additional sampling conducted by plants to go above and beyond requirements to ensure safety of the products they produce and provide for consumers  All processing facilities utilize Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point plans to implement procedures to reduce the likelihood of contamination before it even occurs

Resources  For more information on the beef safety, please visit:  Beef Industry Food Safety Council  Beef Safety Research  Beef Food Safety resources