The American Meat Institute
Foundation (AMIF) will host its first
stand-alone Animal Handling and Stunning
Conference February 4-5, 1999, at the Westin
Crown Center in Kansas City, MO.
The conference is a train-the-trainer session,
designed to educate plant managers and others
with supervisory responsibility for livestock
handling and stunning about ways to improve
plant practices in animal handling and
stunning. These improvements can enhance
welfare and improve efficiency, productivity
and product quality. The course aims to equip
attendees with the knowledge and expertise to
in turn train line workers in these important
principles.
Instructors for the
course include three members of the Colorado
State University Animal Sciences Department:
Temple Grandin, Ph.D., a world-renowned expert
on animal welfare; Gary Smith, Ph.D., a
leading expert on the impact of animal handling
and stunning on meat quality; and Glenn
Schmidt, Ph.D., who has done extensive research
on stunning.
The course will
include an overview of good handling practices,
practical, low-cost tips for eliminating
problems in plants, a discussion of the
cost-effectiveness of good handling, an update
on stunning methods and instruction in how to
perform self-audits in plants to ensure that
animal handling and stunning objectives are
met.
Isabel Arrington, DVM,
slaughter staff officer at the Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS)Technical Center in
Omaha, NE, will offer an overview of regulatory
requirements for handling and stunning and new
FSIS training initiatives related to animal
welfare. A panel of industry representatives
also will discuss their own experience in
implementing animal handling and stunning
initiatives and maintaining a trained
workforce.
Table-top exhibits
will also be featured, including stunning
equipment, non-slip flooring and other
equipment and services related to handling and
stunning.
In addition, every
participant will receive a copy of two new,
20-minute AMI Foundation videos (one for cattle
and one for hogs) that can be used in training
line workers at plants who cannot attend the
conference.
Registration for
the course is $345 for AMI members, $295 when
three or more members register together, and
$445 for non-members. Hotel rooms are $115 per
night and reservations can be made by calling
816/474-4400.
The AMI
Foundation is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to research, education and
information that benefit the meat and poultry
industry. Originally created in 1944, the AMI
Foundation today solicits grants from
government, industry and other organizations to
fund a broad range of food safety, worker
safety, nutrition and consumer information
projects.
AMI represents the
interests of packers and processors of beef,
pork, lamb, veal and turkey products and their
suppliers throughout North America.
Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute
provides legislative, regulatory and public
relations services, conducts scientific and
economic research, offers marketing and
technical assistance and sponsors education
programs.
AMI Foundation To Host First Animal Handling And Stunning Conference
Tuesday, January 5, 1999
For more information contact:
Janet Riley Vice President, Public Affairs 703-841-2400 jriley@meatinstitute.org |
James Ratchford Manager, Public Affairs 703-841-2400 jratchford@meatinstitute.org |

