Food Safety Magazine, February/March 2012

SPOTLIGHT: MEAT AND POULTRYUnlike ready-to-eat (RTE) food products,which are safe to consume regardlessof the form when purchased bycustomers, not-ready-to-eat (NRTE)products require cooking by consumersfor safety. While most RTE meat andpoultry products are covered by specificlethality performance standards in FSISregulations, NRTE products are not,since they contain at least one ingredientfor which the elimination of vegetativepathogens such as Listeria monocytogenesand Salmonella cannot be assured. 6 It iscritically important that products are labeledcorrectly to prevent foodborne illnessoutbreaks.Labels must be checked to ensure accuracyof the following:• Calculation of all marination and ingredients(must add up to 100%)• Ingredient declaration includingallergens• Nutrition labels• Cooking and handling instructions• All product claims, that is, glutenfree, antibiotic free, all vegetarian diet,etc. (process controls are required toverify accuracy of claims).Shelf Life StudiesConducting shelf life studies helpsvalidate the length of time that a productwill remain safe and wholesome for consumption.It must have “acceptable quality”level or have no change in desiredsensory characteristics over the entire lifeof a product. Storage of products atproper temperatures at all times is a keyin extending product shelf life. Using athird-party laboratory to perform shelflife studies helps determine the properstorage temperature and shelf life ofpoultry products. Customers expect suppliersto provide accurate informationwhen it comes to shelf life.Education and TrainingQuality and food safety, productionand maintenance personnel are encouragedto attend training sessions, workshopsand conferences on food safety,that is, HACCP, SQF, Labeling, etc. Keypersonnel of the quality and food safetyteam must attend organizations’ tradeconferences and workshops, participatein committees and network with otherfood safety colleagues and leaders in the field to deepen their knowledge of new technologies,emerging trends, issues, solutions and evolving public concerns. This helpsimprove corporate knowledge and decision-making effectiveness. 1Visiting Customer EstablishmentsQuality and food safety personnel must regularly visit their customers’ establishmentsas patrons to better understand the experience of consumers. Key quality assuranceteam members and the sales team must regularly visit their customer facilities toassist with efforts to identify opportunities for improvement. Teamwork and strongpartnerships with customers are essential to business success. (continued on page 65)F E B R U A R Y n M A R C H 2 0 1 2 49