So, you work in the food industry? But, how much do you really know about food? Take a look at some fascinating facts we found about food!

• The most expensive coffee in the world comes from civet (a cat sized mammal) poo – Selling mainly in the United States and Japan for $120-$600 USD per pound.
• The first soup was made of hippopotamus.
•   Refried beans are only fried once – frijoles refritos actually means “well friend beans,” not re-fried.
• The FDA allow you to sell bugs and rodent hairs for consumption.
• Dynamite is commonly made with peanuts.
• The popsicle was accidentally invented by an 11 year old in 1905. However, 18 years later he patented it as the “popsicle.”
• The banana plant can grow as high as 20 feet tall – That’s as high as a two-story house.
• Each man, woman, and child in America eats an average of 46 slices (23 pounds) of pizza a year
• There are 7,000 varieties of apples grown in the world.
• The potato was the first vegetable to be successfully grown in space.
• An apple, when fresh, is made up of about 25% air.
• Maine represents almost 90% of the nation’s lobster supply (40 million pounds annually), as well as producing almost all of the nation’s wild blueberries.
• The amount of fields devoted to growing beans in MN would fill 110,000 football fields.
• The largest squash to record grown weighed 962 pounds, which is the size of a baby elephant.

Resources:

http://listverse.com/2007/12/17/top-10-incredible-food-facts/ 

http://www.agday.org/education/fun_facts.php

http://www.cookwithjohn.com/FUN_FOOD_FACTS.html 

http://www.health.state.mn.us/schools/greattrays/pdfs/FunFoodFacts.pdf

Russell Associate‘s President and CEO, Jerry Van Oort, will be on this years panel for the Food Safety Audit panel discussion as part of the 2012 Food Safety Exchange, in Chicago, Ill.

This is a great opportunity to get tips and advice through an educational session led by experts in the food industry! The conference is scheduled for June 26-27 at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare. At this FREE two-day educational event, food processors, retailers, auditors, standards owner, trade organizations and other food safety experts from the midwest and beyond are welcomed to learn and network within the new food safety regulatory enviroment.

Click Here for your FREE registration for this event. We hope to see you there.

Are you in the food industry? How did you get here and why? Have you ever thought about the depth and knowledge of food safety others have when entering this industry?

In this article, director of food safety solutions at DNV Business Assurance, Kathleen Wybourn, states a valid point about the lack of education offered to a generation where food safety is a major concern.

http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/On-your-radar/HACCP/Back-to-basics-to-tackle-coming-shortage-of-food-safety-auditors

While gaining the young and inspired may be a challenge, continue to be aware of the content you are delivering your employees and safe behaviors are being conducted. When it comes to training, SafeTrain™ food safety courses may be just what your company needs. Don’t forget to check out our newest automated inspection system – inspectiTRAC™! Think safety, think training, think job skills.

Lean finely textured beef, also claiming the infamous name of “Pink Slime,” has http://www.cprw.com/wp-content/themes/gazette/cheap-essay-writing-service-uk.html surely claimed its fame in the food industry.

The dispute whether this beef is nutritious, has apparent advantages, or if it is just downright “gross” is your own decision.

What I found different about this particular article is that it goes beyond the media hype by pointing out the fact that there clearly is a lesson to be learned from “Pink Slime.” Follow the link to read more.

http://www.foodqualitynews.com/Public-Concerns/Pink-slime-Safe-nutritious-and-icky

Russell Associates President and CEO, Jerry Van Oort will be on the Food Safety Audit panel next week at the Mettler Toledo 2012 Food Safety Exchange. This will take place at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare, in Chicago, Ill and is a FREE two-day event (June 26-27) you won’t want to miss. Experience educational discussion sessions and panels on multiple topics involving safety in the food environment.

Who Should Attend:
•  Food Processors, Manufacturers & Packagers
•  Food Retailers
•  Food Service Companies
•  Food Importers & Exporters

Job Functions:
•  Quality Assurance & Quality Control, Food Safety
•  Operations, Production & Manufacturing
•  Engineering
•  Plant Management
•  Corporate Management

Click Here for your FREE registration form for this event. We hope to see you there!

While 50 million pounds of mechanically tenderized beef is sold in the United States each month, I found this article intriguing as we’ve entered yet another grilling season.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/04/delauro-urges-usda-to-label-mechanically-tenderized-beef/

Engage in safe practice and behaviors, no matter the season. Learn more about SafeTrain™, our online, blended learning, or classroom food safety training program.

Restaurants await the Conference for Food Protection to set a new edition of 2013 FDA guidelines, but that is not the only topic that will be on the table.  If you’d like to learn more about what The National Restaurant Association will be debating at the upcoming Conference for Food Protection, follow the link below:

http://www.restaurant.org/nra_news_blog/2012/01/nra-gets-ready-for-food-safety-code-update.cfm

Every industry has guidelines and standards. Russell Associates recently introduced software that makes those guidelines and standards easier to handle. inspectiTRAC™ can automate all types of food processor observations, inspections, and audits. Visit www.inspectitrac.com to learn more!

Russell Associates displayed at the Wisconsin Safety and Health Conference & Expo recently! We maintained a focus on bringing technology into the training and inspections process. There was overwhelming interest in Russell Associates newest product: inspectiTRAC!

As we all know, accidents happen and are costly.  In 2003, the Bureau of Labor (BLS) reported a whopping 4.4 million in nonfatal injuries. The company you work for has a moral obligation to employee safety. 

http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Pr-Sa/Safety-in-the-Workplace.html

Companies have a responsibility to their employees to promote a safe environment. That begins with inspections and audits in every operation and in all industries.  Russell Associates has developed inspectiTRAC, state-of-the-art software that expedites corrective actions, eliminates errors and saves time and money.  And, it’s customizable to meet the specific needs of a wide range of businesses and industries.