Representatives of Wal-Mart,
McDonald’s and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation Counterterrorism Division will
headline the AMI Foundation Animal Care and
Handling Conference for the Food Industry,
February 23-24, 2006, at the Sheraton Overland
Park in Overland Park, KS, just outside Kansas
City.
The conference will again offer an
opening general session followed by three
tracks: Management and Policy, Applied Pig
Handling and Applied Cattle Handling.
This year’s conference boasts 11
cosponsoring organizations: The American
Association of Bovine Practitioners; American
Association of Swine Veterinarians; Animal
Agriculture Alliance; Food Marketing
Institute; National Cattlemen’s Beef
Association; National Grocers Association;
National Milk Producers Federation; National
Pork Board; National Pork Producers Council;
National Council of Chain Restaurants; and the
National Restaurant Association.
Joan
Menke-Schaenzer, vice president of food safety
and security at Wal-Mart, and Bob Langert,
director of social responsibility at
McDonald’s, will deliver a “keynote panel
discussion” of consumer expectations for
animal welfare. The discussion will be
moderated by Charlie Arnot, president of CMA
Consulting.
Also during the
conference’s opening general session, John
Lewis, director of the FBI’s counterterrorism
division, will deliver a provocative talk on
animal extremism and the challenges faced in
the United States.
Many of the
conference’s highly rated faculty will return
again to instruct in the various tracks. They
include Temple Grandin, Ph.D. of Colorado State
University; Joe Regenstein, Ph.D., of Cornell
University; Gerald Kinard of LEARN, Inc.;
John McGlone, Ph.D., of Texas Tech University
(invited); Robert “Bo” Manly, president
and COO, Premium Standard Farms, Inc.; and
Mike Siemens, Ph.D. of Smithfield Foods.
Attendees in the Management and Policy
Track will benefit from sessions on auditing,
leading culture change, security, managing
controversy and USDA humane slaughter
initiatives.
Attendees in the Applied
Pig Handling Track will enjoy a special,
in-depth session on C02 stunning, a look at
practical ways to improve handling, a
discussion of pig transport issues and a look
at AMIF’s Animal Handling Guidelines and
Audit Guide.
The Applied Cattle
Handling Track features a look at religious
slaughter and how to troubleshoot problems in
Kosher and Halal operations; cattle transport,
handling and stunning and the relationship
between cattle handling and beef
quality.
New this year are special
“Welfare Tech” sessions, where equipment
suppliers can present data and information
about their products and how they have been
documented to enhance animal handling stunning.
To request a Welfare Tech application, contact
AMIF’s Ginger Bray at gbray@meatinstitute.org
or 202/587-4200.
In addition, exhibitors
may showcase their products and services during
a special Welcome Reception on February 23. To
reserve an exhibit space, contact Katie Brannan
at kbrannan@meatinstitute.org or
202/587-4200.
The conference will be
immediately preceded by the International Meat
Animal Welfare Research Conference (IMAWRC), a
research-focused conference that looks at
emerging research and issues in the field of
animal welfare.
Registration fees for
those registering before December 31, 2005, are
$325 for AMI members, $450 for non-members and
$295 when three or more members register
together. After December 31, registrations
rates increase to $425 for members and $395 for
when three or more members register together.
For a complete agenda or to register,
go to www.animalhandling.org.
2006 AMIF Animal Care and Handling Conference Slated for Feb. 23-24, 2006 In Kansas City
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
For more information contact:
David Ray Vice President, Public Affairs 202-587-4243 dray@meatinstitute.org |
Janet Riley Sr. Vice President, Public Affairs 202-587-4245 jriley@meatinstitute.org |

