[QA News]

Foodborne Illnesses Focus of USDA Public Health Efforts
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recently announced that more than $2.5 million in cooperative agreement projects were awarded to academic institutions, non-profit organizations and federal and state government agencies.
The cooperative agreements will support efforts to continually seek new ideas and strategies to protect public health by reducing the incidence of foodborne illnesses associated with meat, poultry and egg products and by protecting the food supply from intentional acts of contamination. Work projects developed under these cooperative agreements will be available for public use nationwide.
The cooperative agreements will support five areas:

• 18 projects will support integration of data at the federal, state and local level to augment the food defense capability of the Food Emergency Response Network;
• 10 projects will support applications of new technologies that will permit small and very small meat, poultry and egg product establishments to produce safer products;
• Eight projects will support improvements in food animal production, transportation and marketing;
• Eight projects will support retail stores, food-service establishments and other inspection-exempt enterprises subject to state, local or tribal regulations that process or otherwise handle meat, poultry and egg products; and,
• Five projects will support small and very small federally and state-inspected establishments to improve food safety training and education.
 Among the cooperative agreements awarded include projects proposed by: the Hawaii Department of Health; Virginia Division of Consolidated Lab Services; the South Dakota Animal Industry Board; the Winrock International Foundation; the Association of Food and Drug Officials; Langston University; The Ohio State University and Texas Tech University.
For further information on the cooperative agreements and awards, visit the FSIS Web site at www.fsis.usda.gov.

Ecolab Opens New R&D Center

ST. PAUL, MINN. — Ecolab recently celebrated the grand opening of its 200,000-square-fot Global Research and Development Center on the new Ecolab Allan L. Schuman Campus in Egan, Minn. Joining Ecolab at the grand opening event were Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, local executives from prominent Minnesota companies, and community and civic leaders. Ecolab completed the move to the new campus in August 2005 to accommodate its growing research and development operations.
“Ecolab is an important and innovative company,” Governor Pawlenty said. “With this new center dedicated to research and development, Ecolab is making a strong commitment to continued leadership and innovation for the businesses it serves, and continued investment and growth in Minnesota.”
“I am proud to celebrate the new home for our research and development activities,” said Ecolab President and Chief Executive Officer Doug Baker. “Since the founding of our company 82 years ago, Ecolab has led the way in customer-focused solutions that make all of our lives easier, safer and more protected. With this expansion, we are well-positioned to continue our leadership and innovation well into the future.” Ecolab associates had previously been based in Ecolab’s Research and Development location in Mendota Heights, Minn.

J.J. Keller Offers Food Safety Video
NEENAH, WIS.. — A Recipe for Food Safety Success, an educational video from J.J. Keller & Associates, is a convenient, affordable way for QA managers to provide plant workers with a foundation of critical food safety knowledge. Available in both English and Spanish, the comprehensive video reviews the fundamental principles of food safety including:

• The purpose and importance of food safety regulations
• How pathogens are transmitted and their effects
• Biological, chemical and physical hazards
• Time and temperature controls
• Sanitation and pest control
• Personal hygiene
• HACCP
• Personal protective equipment
• The role of FDA and USDA
• Recalls and their impact

 The video can be used as orientation training for new hires or as a refresher course for more experienced employees. With a creative “TV news” format, it grabs viewers’ attention and keeps it, according to James Keller, executive vice president and COO of J.J. Keller & Associates. Cost is $99. To order, call 800/327-6868 or visit www.jjkeller.com/action.

48 States Accept New Label For Profume
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. – Forty-eight states have registered the new food-processing product label for ProFume® gas fumigant; registrations are pending in California and New York. This new label complements the milling label currently accepted for use in most states, including California.
 Developed by Dow AgroSciences LLC in response to industry requests for help in meeting their pest control needs, ProFume can now be used for food-processing facilities, pet food facilities, warehouses, shipping containers and other sites of interest to QA professionals. For a complete listing of sites and commodities, consult the new product label found at www.ProFume.com.
 “The new label has opened doors across the country for more millers and food processors to start using ProFume,” said Drew Ratterman, marketing specialist, Dow AgroSciences LLC. In addition to mills in California and Virginia, the first jobs performed under the new label included a pet food facility, a pasta mill and one of the world’s largest bakeries. These millers and processors used the company’s Precision FumigationTM tools and techniques to control a variety of stored product pests. By creating a unique fumigation blueprint for each job, it is possible to customize the fumigation process to alleviate some of the downtime issues traditionally associated with fumigation, according to Dow AgroSciences.
 The new label – with an expanded list of uses – was accepted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in July. ProFume gas fumigant is recognized as a replacement for methyle bromide, with tolerances for dried fruits, tree nuts, cereals/small grains and small grain processed products.
 ProFume is available from trained, professional fumigators. Outside the United States, ProFume is registered for use in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Belgium.
 For more information about ProFume gas fumigant and Precision Fumigation, or to find a Dow AgroSciences account representative in your market area, visit www.ProFume.com. QA