American Association of Meat Processors

10/30/2026

Via FSIS:
FSIS is implementing several measures, including food safety assessments focused on ready-to-eat (RTE) establishments, weekly data collection on Listeria risk factors, and expanded Listeria species testing.

Based on analysis, FSIS trained inspection personnel, piloted expanded sampling for food contact and non-food contact surfaces in RTE establishments, updated inspection tasks to target Listeria risk factors, and developed new data visualization tools to support earlier risk identification.

As a result, FSIS is building on the fiscal year (FY) 2026 pilot program conducted in the Alameda, Chicago, and Raleigh districts and will begin a phased implementation of the sampling across all nine districts in the coming months.

The national implementation uses the same swabbing procedures, lab methods, reporting, and follow-up actions already in place under the RLm and IVT programs.

What is changing? Like the pilot, the national implementation will add two food contact surface and two non-food contact surface sampling tasks to all existing RTE post-lethality exposed product samples (‘RTEPROD” in PHIS). These four swabs will help better understand the environmental conditions that lead to Lm contamination.

The swabs will be analyzed for Lm and non-Lm Listeria species, giving inspection teams more frequent, science-based checks of sanitation effectiveness and potential Listeria harborage sites.

Integrating swabs into the existing sampling tasks provides an expanded view into conditions on and around the processing line without creating duplicative steps or requiring additional product holds.

Our goal is prevention. Swabbing both food contact and non-food contact surfaces will strengthen FSIS’ ability to detect risks early and ensures decisions are based on complete, accurate data.

National implementation will begin rolling out in phases starting January 2027.

(Photo By CDC/Dr. Balasubr Swaminathan; Peggy Hayes (PHIL #2286) - Obtained from the CDC Public Health Image Library. This image was copied from wikipedia:en)

10/29/2026

Via Meat+Poultry: Meat judging's 100-year legacy continues to shape industry leaders

The Legacy Meat Judging Contest brought generations together to commemorate 100 years of meat judging.

10/28/2026

A growing number of shoppers are actively seeking meat and poultry products produced and processed in a manner that aligns with their values, including animal husbandry, regenerative practices, grass-fed, and more. Increasingly, they rely on a series of verified claims to purchase products that meet their expectations.

For smaller processors, developing the audit-based systems required to utilize those claims on product packaging can seem complex, difficult and expensive.

Flower Hill Institute Regional Directors Chris Roper and Dave Carter will be joined by claims certification experts at 1 p.m. MT on November 4th for a one-hour online roundtable designed to help processors add value to their product offerings through claims-based marketing.

Jim Riva, Leann Saunders and Lora Wright are all part of Where Food Comes From, one of the leading certification agencies in the United States. They bring to the roundtable nearly 100 years of combined experience in developing verifiable traceability systems for producing and marketing differentiated food products.

Click here to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Vk7ejRn2TEqddo9ZwJfr0g? #/registration

Or, visit the AAMP Calendar of Events at https://aamp.com/events/event_list.asp

10/28/2026

Rutgers University is hosting a HACCP Training Program for Food Processors on February 23-25, 2027. This two and a half day online workshop will take you through the steps for writing and implementing an intelligent and effective HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) plan. Because you learn HACCP planning best by doing it, you will actually write a sample plan in class!

Working in small groups, you’ll complete hands-on exercises covering how to:
* Conduct a hazard analysis of your food process, including proper flow charting.
* Determine the critical control points (CCPs) and understand the difference between a control point and a critical control point.
* Establish critical limits for each control point.
* Establish monitoring procedures and corrective actions.
* Establish verification procedures to ensure your HACCP system is working and validation procedures to ensure your food products are safe.
* Establish recordkeeping and documentation procedures.

For more details: https://cpe.rutgers.edu/food-science-safety/haccp-plan-development

10/28/2026

Arkansas State University will hold a dedication ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 28, for its newly upgraded meat lab. A $750,000 grant from the Arkansas Office of Skills Development paid for the facility’s new processing equipment, refrigeration upgrades and a new roof, Tuesday’s news release said.

“These upgrades were to implement a high-speed snack stick line and train students on updated, state-of-the-art equipment that you would find in a commercial operation,” said Corey Readnour, meat lab director.

Read/Watch more via K8 News: https://www.kait8.com/2026/10/27/a-state-meat-lab-upgrades-support-snack-sticks-70-schools/

Arkansas State University will hold a dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Judd Hill Farmers' Market for its newly upgraded meat lab.

10/27/2026

With hunting season underway across much of the country, AAMP Supplier Member PS Seasoning launched two new seasonings built specifically for wild game: Tagged Out Backstrap Blend, a venison and wild game seasoning, and Flocked and Loaded Wild Fowl Rub, made for waterfowl and upland birds. Both are formulated for the lean, rich and distinctly flavored meat hunters bring home, rather than adapted from blends designed for farm-raised beef and chicken.

For more details visit the AAMP News Blog: https://aamp.com/news/737683/

10/27/2026

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that ranchers in 40 states are expected to receive $57 million to expand their capacity and create new and better markets through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). MPPEP is managed by USDA Rural Development’s Rural Business-Cooperative Services and pending Congressional allotment, will be investing a total of $57,424,130 in 147 tentative awards across 40 states.

AAMP will share further updates as they become available. For more information: https://aamp.com/news/737652/

10/27/2026

So, depending on how Game Four goes tonight, Wisconsin businesses may be opening a little late on Wednesday morning. The AAMP staff's teams were all eliminated in the opening rounds, so we don't necessarily have a dog in this race. But it's hard to root against a team that has racing sausages!

10/26/2026

Howard Olson, former owner of Falls Meat Service (Pigeon Falls, WI), died on October 18 at the age of 90. Throughout the years, he worked as a butter maker, hauled feeder pigs and owned several businesses, including Falls Meat Service, Olson Septic, Olson Trailer Sales and Pigeon Falls Mini Storage. Howard took pride in his work and in the businesses he built.

AAMP offers prayers and condolences to Howard's family and friends.

For more information: https://www.jackfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/howard-olson

10/26/2026

The USDA has expanded its SPUR program to incorporate measures to help the U.S. seafood industry, along with the beef industry. The agency is making at least $5 billion available in loans through the Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers (SPUR) Guaranteed Loan Program to expand, improve, and diversify the processing capacity of American meat, poultry, and seafood. The SPUR Guaranteed Loan Program will provide a 90 percent loan guarantee to commercial lenders, enabling them to offer financing to eligible borrowers to expand, improve, and diversify their processing capacity for American meat, poultry, and seafood. The maximum amount that a borrower may receive is $175 million, and loans under this program may allow for a two-year deferral of principal and interest payments.

For more information, visit the AAMP website at https://aamp.com/news/737569/USDA-Announces-Expansion-of-SPUR-Guaranteed-Loan-Program-Additional-Support-to-U.S.-Fishermen.htm