IEH Academy Webinar

Changes in USDA Meat Temperature Regulations

Dr. Gene Bartholomew hosted a live webinar to interpret lengthy USDA guidelines and better understand how to ensure the safety and quality of meat and poultry products.

Webinar Recording

Webinar Description

Meat and poultry producers must ensure that fully cooked, ready-to-eat (RTE) products are free of pathogens, as these products may be consumed right out of the package without further heat treatment. One of the biggest challenges many producers face is the inclusion of humidity during cooking as Salmonella can survive heat treatment under dry conditions. Food producers need to adhere to additional USDA guidelines for cook schedules based on fat levels and chilling practices following cooking. This webinar will help you interpret USDA guidelines and better understand how to ensure the safety and quality of your RTE meat and poultry products.

Who Should Attend

HACCP or food safety plan coordinators, cooking supervisors, product R&D teams, production supervisors, heating equipment manufacturers.

Topics Covered

A brief history of cooking and chilling determinations within USDA and establishment of Appendix A and B guidelines
The focus on Salmonella lethality
Original and revised time/temperature tables for lethality and why we worry about humidity
Other cooking control options
A brief discussion of revisions to Appendix B – product stabilization or chilling

Webinar Length

45 minutes

Meet the Instructor

Dr. Gene Bartholomew

Dr. Gene Bartholomew joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2019. He earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in microbiology from Cornell University and a B.S. in biology from Bucknell University. Dr. Bartholomew began his professional career at International Paper in 1983 as a research scientist. During his 15 years there, he commercialized and validated an aseptic packaging system, managed a beverage pilot plant and its laboratory, started taste panel testing for the company, and advanced to manage several products, and development groups. Dr. Bartholomew then joined Smithfield Foods Packaged Meats. He started in the John Morrell Group as the corporate director of food safety for 7 meat processing and slaughter facilities and 1 spice plant. He later took on the role of Senior Director of Corporate Food Safety, during which he was responsible for 14 meat processing plants and several FDA-regulated plants. Throughout his 20-year career at Smithfield, he led HACCP plan design and validation, thermal processing, regulatory compliance, sanitation, allergen control, and environmental pathogen monitoring. He also managed a corporate microbiology laboratory and its accreditation, has certifications in HACCP training, BRC, and SQF schemes, and is a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual. Dr. Bartholomew was a founding member of the North American Meat Institute Listeria Control Workshop and has taught numerous courses to members of the food industry.

Let's get in touch

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