CHICAGO – The “Control of Shiga-Toxin Producing E. coli (STEC) and Salmonella in Beef Processing Conference” is scheduled to be held Sept. 18 and 19 at the Four Points By Sheraton near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport in Chicago, Ill. This conference was created for meat processors that produce ground beef, mechanically tenderized steaks and other non-intact beef products.

This industry event also includes a networking reception with table-top exhibits manned by leading food-safety companies showcasing their technologies and services.


This year’s conference features top industry experts, including Dr. Dayna Harhay, US Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC), on Salmonella research; Dr. Brad Morgan, Zoetis; Dr. Angie Siemens, Cargill, and Dr. Jim Marsden, Kansas State Univ. on the challenge of Salmonella; Dr. Hannah Gould, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on the epidemiology of Salmonella; Rachel Edelstein, USDA/FSIS, on policy updates and the 2014 agenda; Dr. Keith Belk, Colorado State Univ., on choosing effective beef-pathogen interventions; Dr. Kendra Nightingale, Food Safety Net Services and Texas Tech Univ., on test methods and testing programs; Dr. Emilio Esteban, USDA/FSIS, on FSIS testing programs; Dr. Mohammad Koohmaraie, IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group, and Dr. John Ruby, JBS USA, on event days and disposition; Kristina Butts, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, on Capitol Hill news; Dr. Kerri Harris, International HACCP Alliance and Texas A&M Univ., on regulating STECs and improving food-safety systems; and Dr. Barb Masters, OFW Law, on addressing STECs and Salmonella in HACCP plans.

The North American Meat Association (NAMA) is partnering with 12 other meat industry organizations and six trade media companies, including Meat&Poultry magazine, to host the conference. This event has the support of the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo) membership.

Interested persons are being urged to register now to take advantage of the early registration discount. The registration fee for the two-day conference is $449 for members of NAMA and its partner organizations, and $549 for non-members until Aug. 28th.

Partner organizations include NAMA, American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP), American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF), American Meat Science Association (AMSA), Chicago Mid-West Meat Association (CMMA), Canadian Meat Council (CMC), Eastern Meat Packers Association (EMPA), International HACCP Alliance (IHA), Meat Importers Council of America (MICA), Southeastern Meat Association (SEMA), Southwest Meat Association (SMA) and US Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Sponsorship opportunities are still available from NAMA for companies providing testing or intervention services. For more information, visit http://meatassociation.com/events/e-coli-conference or call NAMA toll-free at +1 (800) 368-3043 ext. 101.