Improving HACCP Systems for Small Meat and Food Processors in Four Midwest States

Specific objectives are: Objective 1: To deliver a series of three day International HACCP Alliance accredited workshops on implementation of HACCP and to deliver a series of one day workshops on advanced HACCP topics to be presented in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and South Dakota. Objective 2: To assist small business meat and food processors with HACCP plan development and implementation by group or one-on-one assistance. Objective 3: To adapt workshop curriculums to self taught lessons and pilot test lessons on advanced HACCP topics for small and very small meat and food processing businesses. Objective 4: To develop and validate science-based in plant time/temperature models for heating and cooling rates of meat products in relation to environmental temperatures.
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Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)is a preventative, systematic approach to food safety assurance that can be applied to all segments of the food industry. However, many small and very small meat and food processors have a need for science based information and education to properly implement and manage HACCP programs. The goal of this project is to increase the knowledge and skills of small business meat and food processors to implement and manage HACCP systems their production facilities and to increase the available scientific information for HACCP systems for the reduction of food-borne hazards.
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The project will involve teaching of HACCP concepts, HACCP plan development and implementation, providing one-on-one technical assistance to plant operators with newly developed HACCP plans, curriculum development of advanced HACCP modules and discovery of technical information supporting HACCP. The specific actions for each objectives are as follows: Objective 1: 1. Deliver up to twelve three day workshops accredited by the International HACCP Alliance for implementing HACCP in meat and food processing facilities. Four workshops per year, one workshop in each state. 2. Deliver up to four advanced HACCP workshops on HACCP plan verification, validation, auditing and product recalls. 3. Develop and deliver two workshops on plant monitoring and control programs for Listeria monocytogenes.
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Objective 2: 1. Support two Extension Associates that have the technical expertise to work with HACCP plans. 2. Organize and conduct small group meetings for processors on a local level. 3. Provide individual assistance on HACCP plan development to small meat and food processors. 4. Collect field data to support monitoring and critical limit decisions.
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Objective 3. 1. Adapt current curriculums for advanced HACCP curriculums topics of verification, validation, auditing and recalls of meat and poultry workshops for small and very small business meat and food processors to a self learning base with deliver through text and video. 2. Adapt the Listeria monocytogenes monitoring and control workshop curriculum developed in this request to a self learning lesson with a delivery through text and video and a target audience of small and very small meat and poultry processors. 3. Pilot test developed materials in the four states using the HACCP Extension Associate to coordinate and interface with the small business meat and food processors.
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Objective 4. 1. Identify currently published relationships between time and substrate temperature and between substrate temperature and time and room temperature and apply them to the known thermal properties of meat as a substrate. The result will be time/temperature formulas based on currently published literature. 2. Validate the formulas by collecting temperature data in laboratory and processing plant environments. 3. Adjust the formulas as needed to correlate with the validation studies and deliver time and temperature charts for use by small meat and food processing companies. This data can also be used by Extension associates as scientific evidence to support critical limits, monitoring methods, and corrective actions in HACCP plans.