[September News]

Eight Companies Announced as 2007 Gold Medal IPM Partner Award Winners

ATLANTA — Eight companies showing extraordinary commitment to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) partnerships were named 2007 Gold Medal IPM Partner Award winners by Orkin, the IPM Institute of North America and NSF Cook & Thurber.

As QA professionals know, IPM emphasizes minimizing pesticide use. The Gold Medal IPM Partner Awards specifically honor companies that have shown the greatest dedication to making IPM work at their sites through vigilant sanitation, prompt adherence to structural pest management recommendations, diligent record-keeping and staff participation in IPM training sessions.

“Forming a partnership is the first step to implementing an IPM program,” said Orkin Director of Quality Systems Zia Siddiqi. “This year’s award winners are proof that the results of partnership — more effective IPM programs and better audit scores — are well worth it.”

The 2007 Gold Medal IPM Partner Award winners in the United States are:

• Barry Callebaut (Saint Albans, Vt.) — A leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa, chocolate and confectionery products.
• Case Farms, Inc. (Winesburg, Ohio) — A leading poultry processing plant.
• Farbest Brands (Plain City, Ohio) — Custom manufacturer of liquid and dry products and distributor of specialty food ingredients.
• Morton Salt Company (South Hutchinson, Kan.) — A leading producer of salt for grocery, water softening, ice control, agricultural and industrial uses. 

Winners in Canada are:

• Jones Packaging Inc. (London, Ontario) — A world-class provider of premier packaging solutions and innovations for more than 115 years.
• Maidstone Bakeries (Brantford, Ontario) — A world-class, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for bakery goods.
• Neilson Dairy (Ottawa, Ontario) — A world-class manufacturer of fresh milk and aseptic beverages.
• Parmalat Dairy & Bakery Inc. (Laverlochere, Quebec) — A producer of butter and milk powders.

Now in its fourth year in the United States and third year in Canada, the Gold Medal IPM Partner Awards began as an effort by Orkin and the IPM Institute of North America to encourage the use of IPM and other environmentally friendly practices.

“By considering non-chemical methods of control first, IPM helps promote healthy environments,” said Dr. Thomas Green, president of the IPM Institute of North America. “We’re excited to see so many facilities using IPM to such great success.”

This year, NSF Cook & Thurber joined the awards as a co-presenter, bringing to the program its food-safety auditing expertise.

“Protection of the food supply is critical,” said Jim Bail, assistant director of food processor programs, NSF Cook & Thurber. “These facilities have gone a step above to create IPM partnerships that help ensure their products are produced in a safe, quality manner.”

Sara Goetz Appointed Chemistry Group Leader at Q Laboratories, Inc.

CINICINNATI — Sara Goetz has been promoted to the position of group leader of the Analytical Chemistry Department at Q Laboratories, Cincinnati. Goetz has worked as an analyst at Q Laboratories since 2001, and holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Northern Kentucky University.

As group leader, Goetz is responsible for optimizing sample turn-around time, responding to client requests and maintaining the overall excellence of the chemistry laboratory and laboratory staff.

DuPont BAX System Chosen for Use at 2008 Olympic Games in China

BEIJING — The food safety monitoring authority in Beijing — Beijing Municipal Center for Food Safety Monitoring (BFSM) — will use the BAX detection system from DuPont to conduct its food safety supervision tasks during the Olympic Games in 2008.

BFSM was set up by the Beijing Food Safety Administration in 2004 to provide technical support for food safety management of the Beijing municipal government and the 2008 sports competition. In addition to selecting and organizing food safety testing institutes for the athletic events, the center also gathers food safety information, deals with emerging incidences and conducts risk evaluations.

“We are pleased to be working with BFSM to help ensure orderly food safety inspections in Beijing,” said Kevin Huttman, president, DuPont Qualicon. “As a leader in food diagnostics, we welcome this opportunity to share our expertise and provide technical support to help build a food safety supervision system for Beijing that will better serve the public with safer and healthier food.”

“Cooperating with DuPont on the analytic technique of microbe inspection is very exciting,” said Lu Yong, director of BFSM. “I am looking forward to a huge step forward in our testing ability as well as further cooperation in food safety through bilateral communication.

“The DNA-based BAX system can deliver highly accurate testing results, which will significantly help us to conduct accurate analysis and evaluation on food.”

The BAX system was the first commercial product to apply PCR technology to food testing in 1995.

U.S. Food Safety Agencies, Industry Seek More Import Regulation

WASHINGTON — U.S. food import safety officials and the food industry are proposing to ramp up federal regulation of imported food and ingredients to address the risk that unsafe products could enter the United States.

U.S. agencies charged with overseeing food import safety are expected to forward to President George W. Bush in November recommended actions that food producers, distributors, importers and regulators should take to strengthen food safety.

The recommendations will focus on developing more scientific and analytic tools to allow better identification of potential risks, to monitor the effectiveness of prevention measures and to increase use of information technology for inspection and surveillance.

The recommendations also aim to reduce the time between detecting and containing a food-borne illness, David Acheson, assistant commissioner for food protection at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), told a House Appropriations subcommittee in September.

The food industry’s largest trade group, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), has unveiled its own proposal for more regulation. It reflects awareness among industry leaders that U.S. companies, as imports rise, face increasing challenges to ensure the quality and safety of food sold to U.S. consumers.

The GMA proposal would require all U.S. food importers to adopt a foreign supplier quality assurance program and verify that imported products meet FDA food safety requirements.

GMA President Cal Dooley said industry wants to work with government to strengthen and modernize the U.S. system of regulating the safety of food imports.

The Hörmann Group Purchases Flexon

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Hörmann Group has acquired the business operations of Flexon, Leetsdale, Pa.

“This new partnership means that Flexon customers will have access to the best technology available in the world,” said Christoph Hörmann, president and owner of the Hörmann group of companies.

Hörmann manufactures residential and commercial doors and openers as well as loading dock equipment outside the United States, and is a leader in door safety and technology. With more than 5,500 employees worldwide, Hörmann has operations in more than 40 countries and achieves sales of more than $1.4 billion.

Flexon, is a worldwide manufacturer of industrial doors and loading dock equipment including impact traffic doors, high-performance, high-speed roll-up doors, as well as loading dock seals, shelters, screens and levelers. The company has been making impact doors since 1979 and high-speed roll-up doors since 1987. Manufacturing will continue in Leetsdale, Pa., with the ability to provide Flexon customers with a broader range of products. The company has now been renamed to Hörmann Flexon LLC.

Mark Permigiani will continue to serve as vice president of manufacturing, and Patrick Boyle will continue serving as the vice president of operations. Permigiani has been with Flexon since 1980, with expertise in management, engineering and manufacturing. Boyle has expertise in purchasing and operations, and has been with Flexon since 1985. Both will play important roles in the continued growth of Hörmann Flexon LLC.

California Accepts Registration of Expanded Profume Gas Fumigant Label

INDIANAPOLIS — The State of California Department of Pesticide Regulations has accepted registration for a new food-processing label for ProFume gas fumigant, developed by Dow AgroSciences for post-harvest control of insect and rodent pests. This label is now accepted for use in all 50 states.

The new label — with an expanded list of uses — was accepted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on July 15, 2005.

Previously registered for use on cereal grains and dried fruit and tree nuts, ProFume can now be used in California for pest control in food-handling establishments such as pet food facilities, bakeries, food production facilities, mills and warehouses, according to Dow AgroSciences. In addition, the list of commodities that can be fumigated with ProFume has been greatly expanded to include cocoa beans, coffee, herbs, spices and more. “The new label has opened doors across the country for more millers and food processors to use ProFume,” says Jason Nelson, marketing specialist for ProFume gas fumigant.

“California’s state registration comes just in time for millers and processors to incorporate ProFume into their existing fumigation schedules for 2007.”

BioControl Acquires Raisio Diagnostics

BELLEVUE, Wash. — BioControl Systems has completed the acquisition of Raisio Diagnostics, a Finland-based manufacturer and supplier of industrial diagnostic tests used in food and beverage processing, commercial testing laboratories and government applications.

“Raisio Diagnostics has established a portfolio of highly regarded rapid methods which complement BioControl’s existing line of detection systems,” said Phil Feldsine, CEO of BioControl Systems. “Raisio’s line of rapid methods will allow us to enhance our product offerings.”

New USDA Web Portal Puts a Big Focus on Small Food Processors

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has unveiled a new Internet resource to help smaller companies answer food safety questions and help food processors make science-based food production decisions. The Internet portal, available at http://www.ars.usda.gov/naa/errc/mfsru/portal, is one of the most comprehensive decision support tools available, according to USDA.

“Scientists, food safety risk managers, researchers and government decision-makers can use this to access predictive modeling tools and food microbiology information,” said Edward B. Knipling, administrator of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS). “The portal is geared towards small and very small processors, but the information it contains will benefit companies of all sizes.”

“This partnership builds on our extensive efforts to provide more resources and better tools to the small and very small plants so they can enhance the safety of their products,” said Al Almanza, administrator of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The Predictive Microbiology Information Portal (PMIP) was developed by ARS scientists at Wyndmoor, Pa., working with colleagues at FSIS, Rutgers University, and Decisionalysis Risk Consultants, in Canada. FSIS will also provide a link to the portal to facilitate access by the meat and poultry industry, especially small and very small plants.

PMIP focuses on processors with 500 or fewer employees. ARS microbiologist Vijay K. Juneja and his ARS and FSIS colleagues met with many industry members to tailor the Web portal to their diverse needs in providing safe and wholesome products to consumers.

Currently, PMIP offers information on research, regulations and resources related to Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods, the prototype identified for the project by FSIS.

In the coming months, it will be expanded to include other pathogen and food combinations. A searchable database allows users to find information that also can be used by food processors to develop plans for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, to ensure the safety of food processes.

The Web portal also includes a tutorial section with instructions on using and interpreting predictive models and links users directly to the ARS Pathogen Modeling Program and ComBase. The Pathogen Modeling Program is a multi-lingual modeling tool that is used by food processing companies around the world. ComBase is an international relational database of predictive microbiology information that contains more than 30,000 datasets describing the growth, survival and inactivation of bacteria under diverse environments relevant to food processing operations.

ARS is USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency. FSIS is USDA’s public health agency responsible for ensuring that meat, poultry and egg products are safe, wholesome and correctly labeled. FSIS provided funding for the collaborative project.