Following the past year's success, 'The Future of the US Egg Industry Conference' is returning to the education schedule at the 2013 IPPE.

The programme is co-sponsored by US Poultry & Egg Association (USPoultry) and the United Egg Producers and will analyse the economic, environmental, and global impact and challenges of the US egg industry as presented by experts in the field.

Professor Hans-Wilheim Windhorst, economist at International Egg Commission, will discuss 'The Global Impact of Animal Health Welfare Legislation'. Chad Gregory, senior vice-president of United Egg Producers, will provide an 'Update on Egg Bill - Federal Legislation'. Tom Early, vice president for Agralytica Consulting, will give a presentation on the 'Economic Impact of Egg Legislation' and Tom Hebert, Managing Director of Bayard Ridge Group, will present on 'Environmental Issues and Regulations Facing the Egg Industry'. Additional topics will include 'Producers Perspective: Enriched Colony Cage Eggperiences'; 'Traceability: On-farm, Transportation and Processing' and 'Footprint of the Egg - Dramatic Progress Past 50 Years'.

The Future of the US Egg Industry Conference is scheduled for Thursday 31 January from 8:30am to noon. The conference is $100 for all Expo attendees.

Terry N. Barr of CoBank will deliver the Milton L. Dendy Keynote Address at the International Poultry Scientific Forum

Another conference traditionally held at the start of the International Poultry Exposition is the International Poultry Scientific Forum.

In 2013, it will be held on 28 to 29 January and is sponsored by the Southern Poultry Science Society, the Southern Conference on Avian Diseases and USPoultry.

The forum presents information on industry topics such as environmental management, nutrition, physiology, pathology, processing and products and avian diseases.

Animal Care and Handling

As part of the education schedule, the American Meat Institute and USPoultry will host a new conference for poultry processors, Animal Care and Handling - Focus on Poultry.

Taught by leading experts in the field, the programme will provide poultry processors with in-depth instruction on best practices for poultry handling and transportation, current stunning systems technology, and will address factors that can impact welfare and affect poultry quality.

"The new poultry focused Animal Care and Handling programme is both timely and essential. The poultry industry is being challenged in the area of animal welfare, and a program such as this can offer valuable, time-tested guidance for the proper care and handling of the birds," said John Starkey, USPoultry President.

"This programme is another example of the synergistic benefit of integrating our respective tradeshows at the IPPE. We are able to offer an even stronger education program to benefit our attendees," said AMI President J. Patrick Boyle.

Dr Yvonne Vizzier Thaxton of the University of Arkansas will present on 'Stunning Systems for Chickens and Turkeys'. Dr Sarge Bilgili of Auburn University will discuss 'Factors Affecting Chicken and Turkey Quality'. Dr Karen Christensen of OK Foods will provide an 'Overview of NCC, NTF, and UEP Animal Care Guidelines', and Dr. Eva Pendleton of Pennsylvania State University will present on 'Broiler, Layer and Turkey Handling & Transport Quality Assurance'.

The 'Animal Care and Handling - Focus on Poultry' programme will be on Monday 28 January from 1pm to 5pm. The registration fee for the programme is $100 for all Expo attendees.

Global Look at Antibiotics

While antibiotic use in poultry production has been effective in enhancing bird health and producing a wholesome, safe, and economical food supply, its use has increasingly raised questions among many consumers and industry bodies.

Now those consumers and industry professionals, together with the law- makers, are seeking to gain more understanding about how their food is produced, the use of antibiotics by the poultry industry is coming more and more under the spotlight.

The Antibiotics Conference - Current Issues for the Poultry and Egg Industry, sponsored by USPoultry, aims to explore and discuss antibiotic use as viewed from the regulatory and scientific perspective of leading industry experts.

For the first time at the International Poultry Expo, experts from the United States, Europe and Latin America will discuss the current use of antibiotics throughout the world, explore the differences in regional perspectives involving antibiotics, investigate how antibiotic use is monitored, and review the current science behind alternatives to antibiotics.

"Animal welfare and the production of a safe food supply are prime concerns for all growers and processors. This conference aims to provide scientific, well-researched antibiotic data from global experts, so that attendees can gain a greater understanding about the risks and benefits. There are differences in the way regions of the world view antibiotic usage. However, we all want the same thing - to ensure that poultry producers can continue to bring safe, nutritional, affordable food to tables across America and the world," said Mr Starkey.

The conference will include 'Current State of Affairs Regarding Antibiotics - How We Got to Where We Are, How We Currently Use Antibiotics'; 'Antibiotic Resistance - Science Behind Antibiotic Resistance, How Is It Being Monitored' (NARMS), 'How Is Data Being Used?'; 'Is There a Disconnect Between Use in Animals Compared to Antibiotic Resistance in Humans?'; 'Is the Issue Consumer or Government Driven?'; 'Alternatives to Antibiotics'; and 'Future of Antibiotic Usage - Industry & FDA Perspective'.

The 'Antibiotics Conference - Current Issues for the Poultry and Egg Industry' programme will be on Wednesday 30 January and Thursday 31 January from 8am to 11:30am. The registration fee for this conference is $150.

Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit

Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals - environmental health, social and economic equity, and economic profitability.

The heritage of the family farm and the importance of both land and livestock have allowed the industry to take the lead in the development of sustainable practices as a core principle of our business.

A variety of philosophies, policies and practices have contributed to this goal. People in many different capacities, from farmers to consumers, have shared this vision and contributed to it.

The fifth annual Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit will include a series of presentations on operational approaches to sustainability to help attendees identify and discuss the challenges for the future.

The programme will provide viewpoints from top industry experts on sustainability and why it matters to your business, as well as how to unite the existing sustainability gap between industry and consumers.

This year's 'Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit' will include a presentation by Dr Jon Goodson of Evonik on the 'Use of Amino Acids and the Impact on Carbon Footprint'. Joe Forsthoffer of Perdue Farms will provide an 'Industry Perspective on Bridging the Sustainability Gap Between Industry and Consumers', with a 'Consumer Perspective' provided by Terry Fleck, Center for Food Integrity, and an NGO's Perspective, provided by Suzy Friedman of Environmental Defense Fund. A presentation on 'Viewpoints for the Future of Sustainability: Why It Matters' will be presented by Bryan Weech of World Wildlife Fund, with Dr Marty Matlock from the University of Arkansas focusing on 'Measuring What Matters'. Dennis Treacy, VP of Environmental Affairs and Governmental Relations at Smithfield Foods, and Leigh Ann Johnston, EHS Training and Sustainability Manager at Tyson Foods, will participate in a panel discussing the key steps in embedding Sustainability in Business. Also participating on the panel are Dr Michael McCloskey of Select Milk Producers and Mike Mullins of Cargill.

The summit will also include a ceremony to recognise and present honours to winners of USPoultry's 2013 Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award.

The Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday 28 to 29 January. The two-day programme is $150 for all registered Expo attendees.

Poultry Market Intelligence Forum

The Poultry Market Intelligence Forum is returning to the International Production & Processing Expo by popular demand. Sponsored by USPoultry and the National Poultry & Food Distributors Association (NFPDA), the programme will identify the challenges facing the industry and provide insight into how domestic and International poultry industries are positioned to move forward in 2013.

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

"The Poultry Market Intelligence Forum has been one of the most popular programmes on the Expo schedule since its inception, and we are pleased to add it back for 2013," said Mr Starkey.

"Feed costs, global competition, and consumer demand present constant challenges for the poultry and egg industry, so it is important to stay informed about current conditions and projections for the future. This program helps keep industry leaders current on the various factors that could impact their financial performance," Mr Starkey added.

The programme will feature two noted industry economists and a major food service provider. Mike Donohue of Agri Stats, will review 'Performance Trends for the Poultry and Egg Industry'. Dr Paul Aho of Poultry Perspective, will discuss 'Domestic and Global Drivers for 2013'. Barry Barnett, Vice President of Global Supply and Purchasing for Church's Chicken, will provide insight into 'The Customer's View of the Poultry and Egg Industry'.

Natural and Organic Products at Meat and Poultry Research Conference

The Meat and Poultry Research Conference will focus on the new economic reality presented by natural and organic products, addressing topics from regulatory and animal management challenges to processing and ingredients issues.

Co-sponsored by the American Meat Institute, USPoultry, the American Meat Science Association and the Poultry Science Association, the Meat and Poultry Research Conference serves as the leading forum for presenting the most current meat and poultry production research and its direct application to the industry.

The conference will present cutting-edge science in practical, applied ways.

The conference will begin with sessions focusing on the role of the consumer, the economic state of the food industry, and regulatory issues and will conclude with a retailer perspective on natural and organic products.

Other topics covered include food safety and clean label ingredients, food quality and nutrition challenges of natural and organic products, and marketing organic products.

The Meat and Poultry Research Conference will take place from 8am to 5pm on Thursday 31 January. The registration fee for the programme is $150 for all Expo attendees.

Improving Food Safety Sanitation and Maintenance

Every day, meat and poultry processors face a variety of food safety challenges in order to produce safe, nutritious product and effective sanitation is an important part of meeting these challenges.

The Improving Food Safety, Sanitation and Maintenance workshop was developed by industry experts and loos at in-plant scenarios based on actual occurrences and hands-on sessions to give you first-hand knowledge to take back to the plant.

The programme will look at 'Sanitation Best Practices' with Peter Bodnaruk from Ecolab, Inc. and Rory Redemann from Kraft Foods Global will also look at Sanitary Equipment Design. There will also be case studies looking at 'Heat Intervention' with Steve Tsuyuki, Senior Director, Food Safety with Maple Leaf Foods and 'Sanitation Verification' with Christine Hurckes, Corporate Manager of Food Safety and Sanitation for OSI Industries. A Breakout Session will discuss 'Sanitary Equipment Design'.

Recalls and Public Health Investigations

An increased number of product recalls combined with intense media and regulatory scrutiny have created a perfect storm for the meat and poultry industry.

The workshop on Recalls and Public Health Investigations will help attendees learn more about managing the process of a recall with in-depth instruction by leading experts to understand the issues and challenges involved in recalls and public health investigations for meat and poultry processors.

Attendees will be able to better understand the role of industry and the public health and regulatory agencies during a foodborne outbreak and recall.

The seminar will look at subjects ranging from the CDC's process in a foodborne outbreak investigation and the state's role in foodborne outbreak investigation to the new regulations, emerging issues and challenges, insurance coverage and handling the media.

International Rendering Symposium

The US rendering industry collects and safely processes more than 50 billion pounds of animal by-products each year.

Rendering converts these materials into fats and proteins used in animal feed.

The rendering industry provides services for the safe collection of these materials and uses heat to dehydrate and separate the fat and solid materials.

This seminar will focus on the quality and safety of rendered products.

Building on a background of the industry and its markets, globally recognised speakers will describe process control methods, microbiological controls, current research, and useful details on using rendered products in high quality diets for various species.

The Rendering Symposium takes place on Thursday 31 January. There is a registration fee of $150.

Pet Food Conference

The Pet Food Conference, held before the IPPE show opens, is now in its sixth year and is sponsored by AFIA.

The conference will cover a variety of topics from regulatory issues to technical aspects of production to product claims, marketing and nutrition.

The conference is expected to attract about 200 attendees and representatives from more than 30 pet food companies.

It will take place on 29 January.

January 2013