Universities To Help Meat Plants Implement HACCP

July 23,1999

USDA is giving grants to five universities that will be used to help small meat and poultry plants meet standards of the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) systems. Technical training and information will be offered to plants with fewer than 10 employees and less than $2.5 million in annual sales.

Five land-grant universities will receive the grants: Ohio State gets $30,000, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture gets $19,500, Pennsylvania State gets $18,193, Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA, gets $16,986 and Iowa State gets $15,000.

Large plants with 500 or more employees implemented HACCP systems in January 1998. Plants with 10-499 employees implemented their plans by January 1999. The very small plants have until January 2000 to implement the systems. HACCP programs are designed to reduce dangerous pathogens such as salmonella in meat and poultry.