Increasing and Improving the Meats and Poultry Pathogen Reduction and HACCP Training Options for Plants in the Northeast

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: While foodborne illness outbreaks attributed to meat and poultry have declined since Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) was implemented, the industry must continue to make improvements. There were still at least 1,229 reported outbreaks affecting 38,577 people from 1990-2003. This may be particularly important in small and very small plants. While FSIS sets appropriate food safety standards and conducts inspections and verification to make sure the standards are met, industry must design establishments, purchase the right equipment, and develop, implement and monitor sanitation plans that are effective. In addition, small and very small establishments must develop and implement HACCP plans; monitor, verify and validate these plans; and make changes as warranted by new equipment, new processes, or new directives and regulations. This higher level of responsibility requires not only the initial HACCP training required by the regulation, but also and ongoing commitment to training and updating knowledge in highly sophisticated and science based food safety subject matter. However, there are limited training resources for the meat and poultry industry in the Northeast. This project will develop a mechanism for providing more up-to-date, effective, training opportunities to meat and poultry processors, targeted to meet their needs. The project will produce a more knowledgeable work force in the meat and poultry industry and will result in fewer regulatory actions carried out in regional plants.

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APPROACH: This project will include research and extension components. The extension education component will reflect the results of the survey research component. In addition, the education program will be evaluated for effectiveness and whether it meets the needs identified by industry in the survey. This evaluation component is included as the second research objective. Because this project will be implemented in nine states, it is imperative that representatives from each state support the project with a cooperation agreement. These partnerships will be with the USDA-identified small plant coordinators from each state. Where states have their own inspection programs, state regulators are included. One of the first activities of the project will be to identify a representative group whose role is to coordinate efforts to provide l training to the processors in this region. The survey of Northeast Meat and Poultry industry will assess knowledge of HACCP principles including hazard analysis, verification and validation procedures, and pathogen testing programs; sources of educational information; training programs available and used by the industry; and if there is a need for more training programs and greater access to training opportunities. A contracted survey/evaluation specialist will be responsible for the survey design, development and statistical analysis. After the survey is completed, we will develop and pilot test a set of training materials meeting needs identified by survey results. These materials will be organized so that they can be updated regularly as new directives, regulations or policies are developed. Materials will be pilot tested. The materials will be revised as needed and printed. In addition, materials will be made available by CD rom and on the project web site. Once training materials are developed, project staff will offer a train-the-trainer course to encourage expansion of course options for the region. A web developer will design the project web site where industry personnel can go for "one-stop-shopping" for information about training opportunities, information, resources, and on-line training opportunities that might be available on other sites. Up-to-date and valid links will be included whenever possible. Once developed, the site will include training materials and resources that will be available to trainers via a pass-protected system. In addition, materials that are presented at training programs will be made available to the industry if appropriate. An evaluation will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of training and written materials; how the training plan meets the needs of industry; how training resources meet the needs of trainers; and the effectiveness of web site. This evaluation will be conducted both at the completion of training (what are intended behavior changes), and four months after the deliverables (training programs, web site) are conducted or in place.
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PROGRESS: 2007/09 TO 2008/09 <BR>
OUTPUTS: Two research objectives were accomplished during this reporting period. In mid-November, we mailed the knowledge and needs assessment survey (objective 1) of northeast small and very small poultry plants: 1163 surveys were mailed. After a second mailing in early January, a total of 301 surveys were returned, a 26% return. Survey analysis was completed. A subset of the project group as well as additional representation from industry was identified to develop a plan for the national workshop, addressing research objective 3 (organize and conduct a workshop to review, assess and make recommendations for development of a training and information system for small and very small meat and poultry operations). Monthly conference calls were held for the purpose of organizing the national meeting. Invitations were mailed to FSIS personnel, FSIS list of small and very small plant HACCP coordinators and contacts for each state, HACCP training consultants, the International HACCP Alliance and industry personnel identified by the planning committee and the American Association of Meat Processors. A web site was established by Penn State conference planning staff and was used for registration and communication with workshop registrants. Fifty two persons attended the program: 14 representing academia, 23 representing industry, 11 representing regulatory agencies or government, and three consultants. The planning group determined the agenda for the national workshop. The workshop was organized to allow for both information dissemination and group work to gather input from participants. The morning sessions included welcome and introductory remarks, followed by a review of results from the two surveys that assessed the information and training needs of personnel in small and very small plants. FSIS gave a review of current activities of the Office of Outreach, Employee Education and Training. Participants were assigned to one of three working groups: HACCP plan training and implementation; new regulations/guidance/policy; and scientific/technical assistance. Participants were assigned to working groups so that the make-up of each was a representative distribution of industry, academia and government/regulatory. The working sessions were designed to record participants' thoughts, perceptions, and experiences related to a series of specific questions. Each session represented a forum for exchanging perspectives among people with a broad range of roles and experiences. The discussions in these sessions were not intended to achieve consensus. Groups were facilitated by trained personnel from Pennsylvania State Human Resource Development Center. After a dinner break, groups reconvened to give reports, have discussion and begin to identify next step to meet the training and information needs of small and very small meat and poultry processors. A final debriefing was held by program planners the following day. It was determined that the outcome of this program be a white paper that includes survey results and analysis, workshop reports and suggestions for follow-up by USDA and appropriate industry and academic personnel. <BR> PARTICIPANTS: Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, RD, Project Director coordinated survey content development for the mail (processors) survey. She has managed the project budget, sub-contractual arrangements, and reporting. She coordinated the organization of the national working meeting. Richard Mancini, Ph.D., Co-Project Director helped develop the meat science content area of survey and has participated on conference calls and helped develop the invitation list for the national meeting. Robert Gable, Ed.D., helped review and develop the format for the industry operators survey; he conducted all survey analysis; he participated in the information portion of the national workshop, reporting on survey results. Wanda Hamilton, program assistant, has been responsible for administrative assistance and assisting with conference call arrangements, input of all data into the SPSS program, participated in data analysis discussions, and helped with national meeting organization and working group facilitation as a recorder. Catherine N. Cutter, Ph.D., is the Project Director of the subcontract with the Pennsylvania State University. She is responsible for helping to organize the national meeting, including working with conference planners at Penn State. All of the state cooperators, who represent Cooperative Extension or state regulatory agencies in New England, New York, and New Jersey have participated in conference calls, and helped with planning the national working meeting. Lori Pivarnik, URI and Donald Schaffner, Rutgers served as group recorders at the national meeting and summarized group work reports. FSIS has helped with providing labels for the mail survey, reviewing the survey for content, and planning the national working meeting. Karlease Kelly provided a talk at the national meeting. Representatives from the International HACCP Alliance and the American Association of Meat Processors were instrumental in planning the national meeting, helping with the invitation list, and participating in the national meeting.<BR> TARGET AUDIENCES: The mail survey was targeted to small and very small meat and poultry plant operators in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. This group is the main focus of this project as this region of the country has a large proportion of meat and poultry plants characterized as small and very small. In addition, resources (university, extension, consultants) for training and education are limited in this region. The national workshop targeted industry, regulatory (state and federal) and academic personnel involved in training and providing information to the small and very small plants. This meeting was national in scope at the request of FSIS who saw this project as having implications for small and very small plants across the country.<BR> <BR>
IMPACT: 2007/09 TO 2008/09<BR>
Outcomes from the email survey to targeted education program providers were reported in the last reporting period. Analysis of each section of the mail survey was accomplished. Key summary statements from collected demographic data include: 1) most plants produce meat and poultry from the following categories: raw ground, raw, not ground, fully cooked, not shelf stable and ready to eat product; 2) 74% have been in business more than 20 years, 48% have 15 or fewer employees, while 10% have 150 or more; 3) 44% have employees who do not speak English; 65% believe that non-English speaking employees would benefit from training materials in their own language; 81% have Spanish speaking employees and 4) 83% of survey responders get their information from FSIS mailings, 52% from FSIS personnel, 41% from FSIS website, 31% from industry/trade organizations and 10% from university/extension programs. The training needs assessment section of the survey resulted in these key summary statements: 1) 65% of responders characterize training as very important, 52% have an established training program; those who do not have training programs reported having no time, funds or resources for training; 2) 77% have a computer available for training and education purposes; 3) there is most interest for training and information on: HACCP regulations and updates, cleaning and sanitation, detection and control of pathogens, E. coli regulations and GMPs; 4) the fewest responders identified irradiation, mad cow disease, water safety, pest control, security and defense and allergen control as areas of interest for training; 5) Plants would like to get their training and information from printed fact sheets/brochures (51%), CD-rom or DVD (45%), web/internet based (43%) or training provided off-site, but in their state. The knowledge section of the survey indicated that there is a need for training. The planning team agreed that if the responder identified the right answer 75% of the time, then they would have "passed" the test. Section scores for all responders were: Pathogen Reduction/Testing, 56% correct; Validation, Verification & Reassessment, 65% correct; Pathogen Reduction/HACCP Regulation, 65% correct; HACCP Plan, 67% correct; Prerequisite Programs & Preliminary Steps, 67% correct; and Total Knowledge, 63% correct. Results from group work at the national workshop were compiled. Key responses from working groups included: 1) the basic HACCP course does not prepare operators to write a plan; basic HACCP courses are not always available to plant operators; training needs to be more product/process specific; 2) training opportunities are not equal across the states; small plant operators may not have the resources to comply with new guidance and regs; adoption of new technologies may be more difficult for smaller plants, there is little uniformity of information dissemination and regulation; 3) universities need to be included in the education/communication/information loop; inspectors are a good conduit for information, but they, too, need training; there is a clear need for more help with validation and verification and testing.