The programmes will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center from Monday 27 January to Thursday 30 January.

These programmes offer a wide array of educational sessions covering pressing meat and poultry issues, including food safety developments, customer and media communication in the meat industry, health and wellness trends, new products of 2014 and export and international issues.

The 'Changing Food Landscape' sessions will offer an overview of Salmonella and non-0157 E. coli. The Salmonella programme will include a session on interventions for turkey processing, while the non-0157 E. coli programme will focus on STEC interventions for beef and pork and the unique challenges of STECs and veal. A 'Traceability' workshop session will also be available for visitors.

The 'Customer and Media Communication in the Meat Industry' programme will provide attendees sessions on social media, including the impact of Twitter on risk perception, while product development and new products of 2014 will be highlighted in the Best New Products sessions.

The 'Health & Wellness Trends' forum will offer sessions on sodium reduction in meat and poultry products and sodium reduction technologies, while the 'Export & International Issues' sessions will focus on the Food Safety Modernisation Act and financing the construction of meat processing plants in developing countries.

The 'Market Intelligence Forum' will identify key issues facing the poultry industry and provide understanding into how domestic and international poultry industries are positioned to move forward in 2014.

Market Intelligence Forum to Preview 2014 Industry Economic Conditions

Feed costs, global competition and consumer demands present ever changing challenges for the poultry and egg industry.

Seeking to address these challenges, the 'Market Intelligence Forum' is returning to the 2014 International Production & Processing Expo on the morning of 29 January.

Sponsored by US Poultry & Egg Association (USPoultry) and the National Poultry & Food Distributors Association (NFPDA), the programme will identify the key issues facing the industry and provide understanding into how domestic and international poultry industries are positioned to move forward in 2014.

The Market Intelligence Forum is free to all IPPE attendees and NPFDA meeting attendees.

“The Market Intelligence Forum continues to be one of the most popular programmes on the Expo schedule, and we are pleased to include it again in the 2014 education line-up. It is essential to stay abreast of current conditions and projections for the future.

“This programme helps keep industry leaders up-to-date on the many factors that influence financial performance,” said USPoultry president, John Starkey.

The programme will feature a food and agribusiness specialist, a leading economist and an industry performance analyst. Deborah Perkins, Rabobank International, will review 'Global Consumer Eating Trends'. Dr Paul Aho of Poultry Perspectives, will discuss 'Domestic and Global Drivers for 2014' and Mike Donohue of Agri Stats will provide insight into 'Performance Trends for the Poultry & Egg Industry'.

VIV International Pork Production Summit

The VIV International Pork Production Summit will also be held in the afternoon of 29 January, with a programme bringing together industry and academic representatives to review technical best practices related to pig health, farm management and feed and nutrition.

From the pig health perspective, the programme will feature a roundtable discussion on Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea Virus by Watt Global Media. Rafael Cabrera, director of technical services for Huvepharma, will present on 'The Impact of Supplementing Xylanase in Swine Diets on Apparent Total Tract Digestibility and Growth Performance of Pigs' and Douglas Newcome, vice president of global technical services for the National Swine Registry, will present on the 'Use of Technology in Genetic Improvement Programmes'.

From the farm management perspective, Sean Francy, product manager for Val-Co, will present on 'Swine Ventilation Management'.

Dr Guido Klement, area sales manager for Pigtek, will present on 'Smart Technology on the Pig Farm', Simon Lague, business development manager for Fancom, will discuss 'Quantifying Sustainability in Pork Production'.

From the feed and nutrition point of view, Ester Vinyeta, animal nutrition manager for Buhler, will present on 'High Feedstuff Costs: Improving Nutritional Value of Swine Diets by Processing Conditions' and Dr Carrie Walk, research manager for AB Vista, will cover 'Superdosing – Phytase Beyond Phosphorus Provision'.

A plenary closing session on the 'Challenges in the US Pork Sector' is also planned. James Kenwood, managing director and coverage banker for Rabobank International, will present on 'The Future Position of the US Pork Sector in a Global Perspective', and Ma Chuang, vice-secretary general for the Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine and partner at Boyar Communication, will provide information on 'The Chinese Perspective'.

Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit

The sixth annual Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit, which will be held on 27 and 28 January during the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), will provide viewpoints from top industry experts on sustainability and on sharing the poultry sector’s sustainable story, as well as how to engage consumers and the public.

“The Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit continues to be a popular programme on the Expo schedule. This year’s programme is designed to keep industry leaders up-to-date on industry sustainability initiatives by providing a variety of information from a diverse panel of speakers,” said Joe Miller, General Counsel for Rose Acre Farms and Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit planning committee member.

This year's Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit will include a presentation by Paul Helgeson, GNP Company, on 'Feed Ingredient Sourcing: A Hot Spot of a Life Cycle Analysis'. Jeff Potent from George Washington University and Environmental Protection Agency, will discuss 'Corporate Responsibility', and Jim Fallon of the Center for Food Integrity, will present 'What Have We Learned in the Last 12 Months?'.

There will also be a session discussing 'Consumer/Public Engagement: What Drives Your Message with a PR Firm’s Perspective, an Industry Customer Perspective and a Blogger’s Perspective.

The Summit will conclude with a ceremony to recognise and present honours to winners of USPoultry’s 2014 Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award.

The two-day programme is $150 for all registered Expo attendees.

Biosecurity Education Programme

Outbreaks of the H7N9 influenza virus in China and the H7N3 virus in Mexico have heightened the awareness and need for effective biosecurity programmes.

The 'Biosecurity – Revisiting the Basics and Implementing New Strategies' half-day programme on Thursday 30 January, which is Sponsored by USPoultry, will revisit the well-established basics of successful biosecurity plans and explore new strategies for today’s global challenges.

The programme will feature industry specialists, a panel discussion and a workshop on 'Practical Biosecurity'.

Dr David Shapiro of Perdue will discuss 'Real-World Biosecurity Strategies to Minimise or Eliminate Animal Health and Food Safety Risks', and Carl Heeder from Zoetis will present on 'Biosecurity Implementation Management: a Real Life Perspective of the Challenges Even the Most Well Written, Comprehensive Programmes Face'.

The panel discussion will address biosecurity perspectives from different regions of the world, and the workshop will look at various scenarios from different countries and develop a model taking into consideration different regions, cultures, etc.

The half-day programme registration fee is $100 for all IPPE attendees.

New Approaches to Ground Pathogen Reduction

The 'New Approaches to Ground Pathogen Reduction' programme on 28 to 29 January will bring together industry, academic, government and consumer representatives to discuss current interventions and explore new approaches to pathogen reduction.

The programme will feature an 'Overview of the State of Poultry Inspection Today and Changes Needed to Impact Public Health' presentation by Dr Richard Raymond, former US Department of Agriculture undersecretary for food safety. Christine Summers, Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance for Costco, will also present on 'Poultry Food Safety Management in Retail'. Other topics include 'Current On-Farm / In-Plant Interventions that Have Caused a Positive Impact in Salmonella Reduction'; 'Ground Poultry Food Safety across the Supply Chain'; 'Developing Research and Interventions for Salmonella Control'; and 'Alternative Measurements to Consider'.

A panel discussion on 'Alternatives to Make a Positive Impact on Public Health' will be held on Tuesday 28 January. The following panelists are scheduled for the event: Mike Robach (VP corporate food safety and regulatory affairs, Cargill), Dr Barbara Kowalcyk (CEO and director of research, The Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention), Dr David Goldman (Chief Medical Officer, USDA FSIS) and Dr Robert Tauxe (Deputy Director, CDC Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases).

The two-day programme costs $150 for registered IPPE attendees.

Outlook for Doubling Global Egg Production by 2050

'Meeting the World Challenge: Outlook for Doubling Global Egg Production' will be the theme of a seminar programme in the afternoon of 29 January.

Eggs are nearly universally consumed as a food of choice to support dietary needs and tastes, and the egg industry has already seen shifts in the world’s egg production systems in response to the major global population and income changes taking place today.

But a critical question for the US and world egg industry is what should the sector be doing to help ensure that world egg production is able to grow to meet what may be a doubling or more in the demand for eggs?

This question brings up the issue of how to address the need for more grain and oilseeds.

In addition, questions also arise as how to build on the US and world egg-producing experience and track-record of success in increasing the output of eggs per laying hen and increase layers’ feed use efficiency in the three decades to come?

The questions are the central focus of this symposium, and presentations addressing this issue will be provided by a variety speakers, including Dr Margaret Zeigler (Executive Director of Global Harvest Initiative), Dr Hongwei Xin (Egg Industry Center), Dr Joseph Glauber (USDA Chief Economist) and Dr Daniel McChesney (Director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance, Center for Veterinary Medicine at the Food and Drug Administration).

The programme is $100 for registered IPPE attendees.

International Rendering Symposium Returns to 2014 IPPE

The International Rendering Symposium is returning to the 2014 IPPE on 30 and 31 January.

Sponsored by the National Renderers Association, 'The Rendering Industry: Using Rendered Products for Safe, High Quality Feed' two-day symposium will include a presentation by Dr Annel Greene of Clemson University on 'Controlling Salmonella in Feed'. Dr Charles Starkey from American Proteins will discuss 'The Nuts and Bolts of the Rendering Industry'.

A presentation on 'Rendered Products for Feeding Swine' will be presented by Dr Hans Stein of the University of Illinois, and Mark Brinkman from Diamond Pet Food Company will focus on 'Rendered Products and the Pet Food Industry'.

Other programme topics will include an 'Overview of the North American Rendering Industry, NRA and WRO', 'Quality Assurance in Manufacturing Rendered Products: Supplier Perspective', 'Sustainability, Perception and the Real World: The Raw Material Conundrum', 'Rendered Products for Feeding Poultry', 'The Role of Rendered Products in Aquaculture Feeds' and 'Innovations in the Rendering Industry'.

The International Rendering Symposium is $150 for registered Expo attendees.

International Feed Education Forum

On Wednesday 29 January, the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) will offer the International Feed Education Forum.

The forum will address issues unique to feed manufacturers. The half-day event will feature three sessions discussing topics impacting today’s feed manufacturers.

Keith Epperson, AFIA’s vice president of manufacturing and training, will open the forum, presenting on the latest regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Richard Sellers, AFIA’s senior vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs, will discuss the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and other government compliance rules such as the Veterinary Feed Directive.

The final speaker, Dr Henry Turlington, AFIA’s director of quality and manufacturing regulatory affairs, will cover 'FSMA Hazard Identification Requirements'.

These three speakers will focus their talks on areas that directly impact today’s feed manufacturers and what managers need to know on how to abide by the regulations.

AFIA to Host First-Ever Export Seminar at IPPE

On Wednesday 29 January 2014, the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) will host a seminar to provide insight to the complex process of exporting feed and feed ingredients into the United States.

The 'How to Export Feed and Feed Ingredients to the US' seminar is the first of its kind sponsored by the association and will include presentations from both the Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Topics include 'US Feed/Feed Ingredient Import Trends', 'APHIS: Exporting Animal and Plant Products to the US and Customs Brokers: Representing Companies not Located in the US'. Dr Daniel McChesney from FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine will also present at the event, addressing the timely topic of the 'Food Safety Modernization Act: What Exporters to the US Need to Know'.

“Over the years, AFIA has seen an increased interest and curiosity by IPPE participants in exporting feed and feed ingredients to the US,” commented Gina Tumbarello, AFIA manager of international trade.

“The seminar is designed to address this growing demand by providing a variety of information from a diverse panel of speakers. If you are currently exporting to the US - or thinking about it - this seminar will serve as an excellent resource.”

Meat and Poultry Research Showcase

The Meat and Poultry Research Showcase will provide cutting-edge scientific presentations in practical applied ways, exploring the latest research in the meat and poultry industry.

The Showcase on Thursday 30 January, co-sponsored by the American Meat Institute, USPoultry, National Pork Board and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, serves as the leading forum for presenting the most current meat and poultry production research and its direct application to the industry. The research presented will cover consumer and market research, as well as research on vaccination, production, processing and food safety.

The programme agenda consists of the following topics:

• NCBA/NPB Market Research Update
• Attribution Research, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus (PEDv) and Biosecurity
• Advances in Understanding Vaccination to Control Infectious Bronchitis Virus
• Advances in the Development of a Safe and Efficacious Vaccine to Control Infectious Laryngotracheitis
• Effect of Increasing the Protein Content of Breakfast on Satiety and Cognitive Function in Undergraduate Students
• Influences of Commercial Deep Chilling Processes on Early Postmortem Events in Muscle that Affect Ultimate Fresh Pork Tenderness and Processing Quality
• Salmonella Beef Research
• Salmonella Turkey Research
• Reducing or Preventing Recovery of Injured Listeria monocytogenes on Ready-to-Eat Natural and Organic 'Uncured' Processed Meats; and
• Investigating the Development of Thermal Processing Tools to Improve the Safety of Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products.

The registration fee for the programme is $150 for all Expo attendees.

Seventh Annual Pet Food Conference

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) in partnership with the Poultry Protein and Fat Council will sponsor the seventh annual Pet Food Conference on Tuesday 28 January.

“We are excited to kick off IPPE with AFIA’s annual Pet Food Conference, which attracts more than 200 participants each year.” said Leah Wilkinson, AFIA director of ingredients, pet food and state affairs.

“The seminar covers everything from product claims, marketing and nutrition to regulatory and technical aspects of production and is a great networking opportunity.”

The meeting’s topics will range from updates on the Food Safety Modernisation Act, third-party certification programmes including AFIA’s Pet Food Manufacturing Facility Certification Programme, the US Food and Drug Administration and the Association of American Feed Control Officials as well as a panel discussion on communication and industry best practices.

The conference will feature several industry experts discussing topics impacting today’s pet food and pet food ingredient manufacturers including Svetlana Uduslivaia of Euromonitor International, speaking about domestic and global industry trends.

For further information on all these events, visit www.ippexpo.org.

January 2014