Poultry industry professionals from across the nation recently convened in Nashville, Tenn., for the 2024 USPOULTRY Poultry Processor Workshop. The workshop provided a comprehensive overview of plant operations, including leadership, regulatory compliance, technological advancements and inter-departmental collaboration to optimize results.
Clint Rivers, president, CEO, and chairman of the board of Wayne-Sanderson Farms, kicked off the event with an insightful discussion on leadership. Rivers, a proponent of Dr. W. Edwards Deming's principles, emphasized empowering people through leadership and focusing on processes rather than just outcomes. He introduced the "Three Cs" of leadership--credibility, competency, and caring--and highlighted the importance of coaching for the growth and development of team members. Rivers also shared the success of Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ Process Focus initiative, which centers on continuous improvement.
Dr. Emilio Esteban, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service under secretary, provided a regulatory update, detailing various agency initiatives and priorities. Key topics included the reduction of poultry-related salmonella illnesses and the implications of the recent Not-Ready-To-Eat (NRTE) Breaded Stuffed Chicken Final Rule. Esteban also discussed emerging techniques such as genomics, vaccination and enumeration for reducing salmonella illnesses.
Kevin Atkins, vice president of Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs at Perdue Farms, addressed salmonella process control throughout the bird's lifecycle and the processing plant. He presented a proposed sampling program, detailing the location and frequency needed to assess salmonella reduction effectiveness throughout the plant. Atkins demonstrated how different intervention stages contribute to reducing microbial loads.
Lynda Loudermilk, senior scientist at KFC/Yum! Brands, provided insights into animal welfare from a customer’s perspective. She introduced attendees to KFC and Yum! Brands' supplier expectations, starting with the five freedoms of animal welfare and extending to the Yum! Sustainable Animal Protein Principles and sustainability metrics. Loudermilk emphasized the importance of transparency, consistency across brands, improved data collection and clear communication of progress and challenges to stakeholders.
Eddie Fortner, Area Operations manager for Wayne-Sanderson Farms, shared his experiences with plant automation. He discussed the various motivations for automation, including volume, quality, safety, profit margins, labor challenges and customer needs. Fortner provided real-life examples of related equipment, along with their advantages and disadvantages.
Dr. Brandon Armwood, director of Veterinary Services for Pilgrim’s, concluded the workshop with a session on how live production can support plant operation challenges. He explored six areas where plant operations and live production can collaborate, such as feed withdrawal, salmonella monitoring and control, paw quality, uniformity, DOAs and condemnations. Dr. Armwood offered practical suggestions for improving bird welfare and food safety while maximizing yield.
For more information about the workshop and upcoming USPOULTRY events, visit USPOULTRY.
