A Look at the Food Safety
Program at Butterball, LLC
Butterball, LLC is one of the largest turkey companies in the United States, celebrating American holidays since 1954. The company is also a major producer of ready-to- eat (RTE) turkey and chicken products that help to make
everyday meals
something to cele-
brate. Providing
our customers
with the safest
possible products
is paramount. RTE
products, regard-
less of species,
pose a much
greater food safety
risk because of the potential for unintentional product
tems incorporate the latest technologies for pathogen control through inhibitors or lethality, and the industry
has made great food safety advancements. However, it is my belief that
while utilizing current technologies,
the meat and poultry industry will
continue to explore new developments that could present even
greater control.
The production of safe RTE products is not just about technologies or
antimicrobials. These are valuable
tools, to be sure, but it is important
to remain focused on the basics
when looking at product safety in
the RTE environment. Reinforcing
and enhancing common practices
goes a long way in the battle against
all hazards, be they biological, chemical or physical.
The importance of prerequisite
programs and Good Manufacturing
Practices (GMPs) cannot be overstated in RTE production. GMPs include the key components of
product handling and environmental
cleanliness that impact hazards identified in our food safety systems.
contamination during processing. Customers and consumers should know that the development and implementation of extensive food safety systems is ongoing to
identify and prevent product contamination. These sys-
Food Safety Starts with
Employee Training
In considering post-lethality exposed product, associates can either
be the best defense against or the
greatest cause of cross-contamina-
