More than 40 participants from the poultry industry from more than 14 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in this practical workshop focused on Value Adding, Quality, Food Safety and Developments in Poultry Processing. This event included access to the International Poultry Expo (IPE) held in Atlanta from 24-26 January, and continued after the show at the University of Georgia campus in Athens from 27 January to 1 February 2012. This is the sixth edition of this event that attracts several of the main poultry processors in the hemisphere and provides a robust agenda composed of training lectures and hands-on activities in topics related to poultry processing and the development of quality products with emphasis in their food safety. The course focuses in providing an update on technological developments, ingredients, regulations and trends that allow processors to compete in global poultry markets.

This practical workshop is highly anticipated by poultry processors and suppliers in the Americas and was coordinated by the specialist from the IICA-PAC, Dr Marcos X. Sanchez-Plata, and UGA professors, Dr Karina Martino and Dr Brian Kiepper. More than 20 speakers and trainers participated in this edition that for the first time is organized on a five-day timeframe with an intense agenda featuring technical lectures provided by faculty and industry technical specialists, and a series of demonstrations and hands-on activities that allow participants to familiarize with a global perspective of the poultry processing food chain and the market trends that can help them improve their competitiveness and market access. The event includes plant tours and complementary access to the Poultry Show in Atlanta, where the latest developments in equipment, supplies, ingredients and services for the poultry industry are presented annually in the hemisphere. In addition, the well-known poultry consultants Fabio Nunes from Brazil and Eduardo Cervantes from Colombia joined other industry experts from the US and other countries in the region to complete the workshop agenda.

Poultry School en español workshop, Class of 2012 at the University of Georgia campus in Athens, GA, EEUU, January 28th, 2012.

The main topics covered in this edition included technological and regulatory developments in poultry processing, effects of nutrition on processing, trends in value adding, meat functionality, marination, quality and food safety, water and processing waste use and re-utilization, sensory evaluation and packaging developments for fresh and processed products. The workshop initiated with a talk about perspectives for the poultry industry by Greg Tyler from the US Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) and concluded at the Packforum Americas in Atlanta with a culinary demonstration with poultry-based dishes by the chefs Gabriel Montauti and Susan Edwards. Participants from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, United States, Venezuela and even Spain enjoyed lectures, practical demonstrations, laboratory exercises, equipment and ingredient demos, plant tours and other activities that are characteristics of this initiative. In addition, course attendees received a full course manual and CD with additional materials, plus tickets to the Poultry Show kindly provided by the US Poultry and Egg Association.

For the 2013 edition, a larger participation is expected considering that the poultry expo will merge with the meat expo organized by the American Meat Institute (AMI). Pre-registrations and questions are already being considered for the 2013 event, please contact the organizers by email to: [email protected], or follow the announcements on Facebook (Poultry School) and Twitter (PoultrySchool) with industry news and information on future editions. Interested participants or sponsors are encouraged to contact the organizers to discuss their participation in future events.