TUCKER, Ga. – The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) recently published its fiscal 2019 annual report. The report summarizes the programs USPOULTRY supported during the past year with its resources of efforts from its staff as well as with money to fund various projects.

Accomplishments categorized in the 2019 report summary included: Research programs; human resources, safety and health; environmental management; food safety and production education; information technology; communications; USPOULTRY Foundation; and the International Poultry Expo. Some of the key developments included the investment of about $1 million to focus on industry issues such as woody breast syndrome, avian influenza, vaccine development, shelf life of products and employee exposure to peracetic acid in poultry processing environments. USPOULTRY also launched an online Learning Management System and a management development program as part of that system.

Recognition for exemplary worker safety practices were made by USPOULTRY to 191 poultry production and processing operations in 2019. Addressing legislation to protect the waterways in the US, USPOULTRY was part of an agricultural coalition that repealed the Environmental Protection Agency’s waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule in fiscal 2019. In its summary, the association recognized Tyson Foods Inc., for its implementation of USPOULTRY’s Poultry Handling and Transportation (PHT) certification in March, making it the first large-scale producer to do so. Also, a technical reference guide for carcass sorting was launched as part of the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS).

During the year, USPOULTRY held 11 industry seminars focused on various aspects of poultry processing and production management, which engaged more than 1,500 attendees representing the poultry industry. The association also highlighted the education programming offered for five days during the 2019 International Poultry Expo portion of the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) while issuing 161 press releases, growing social media presence and promoting IPPE with targeted campaigns to 60 industry trade publications.

The USPOULTRY Foundation awarded more than $328,000 in recruiting grants across 34 colleges and universities and sponsored 90 students and advisors who attended IPPE in 2019. The foundation also funded about $1 million in industry research along with USPOULTRY. The International Poultry Expo part of IPPE was record breaking in terms of exhibit space, exhibitors and attendance. The event also drew more than 700 students to its College Student Career Program.  

The 2020 IPPE will be held Jan. 28-30 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center. More information on this year’s event, including a list of exhibitors and education sessions, is available in MEAT+POULTRY’s pre-show guide, the Processor’s Handbook.