WASHINGTON – The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) has announced the publication of “The Meat and Poultry Industry Foreign Material Manual: Considerations for Designing a Foreign Material Control & Prevention Program.” NAMI, the National Turkey Federation, the National Chicken Council, the American Association of Meat Processors and the Southwest Meat Association all contributed to publishing the manual which aims to help establishments reduce the occurrence of foreign material in meat and poultry products.

“Food safety is the top priority of the US meat and poultry industry,” said Mark Dopp, chief operating officer for NAMI. “This new Foreign Material Manual is another step the industry is taking to ensure establishments are prepared to significantly reduce the chance of foreign materials contaminating meat and poultry products.”

The manual provides meat and poultry processors all the necessary information to design and implement a comprehensive Foreign Material Control & Prevention Program (FMCPP). The Manual covers the entire process in three main sections: prevention, detection and response, and is intended to help companies develop establishment-specific FMCPPs.

“In recent years, foreign material contamination has led to numerous recalls in the meat and poultry industry. The new Foreign Material Manual is a result of a collaborative effort of industry stakeholders working together to keep food safety a top priority for the industry,” said Chris Young, executive director of the American Association of Meat Processors. “The new manual will provide establishments with a tool that will guide them in greatly reducing the chance of foreign material contamination in meat and poultry products.”

All of the associations involved agree the new manual will act as an indispensable tool for the industry to produce safe food for consumers by reducing the chance of foreign material contamination. To view and download the manual click here.