This week I attended the 20^th annual Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCO) conference in Denver, Colo. My daughter, Reagan, and I picked up our registration badges and the gentleman said to Reagan, “You are a first-time attendee, you get a special ribbon for your name tag.”

He then asked me if this was my first BIFSCO meeting. I replied with a laugh, “No”. He asked, “How many BIFSCO meetings have you been to?” I said, “All of them…” He handed me a “16 years + years” attendee ribbon. I do think I missed a couple of meetings here and there because of conflicts with my children when they were showing sheep or heifers at the Houston Livestock Show, but we always had someone from our lab group there. This meeting has been critical and instrumental for beef food safety and continues to lead the way for food safety in the beef industry with open and collaborative discussions about emerging issues, new technologies and solutions that work.

For those of you who don’t know, BIFSCO began 20 years ago because of a proactive effort of industry to keep beef products safe for the consumer. The industry decided as a whole to take responsibility for public health risks and found solutions to address them.

There is a common perception that regulations cause reductions of pathogens in beef, but the industry has been proactive in ensuring the safety of the final products. The beef industry established a culture of preventive control that continues today. FSIS regulates the product to ensure safety measures are followed, but the leaders from academia and the industry are finding solutions. Each year, BIFSCO members still come together to speak openly to share ideas, technologies and concerns related to food safety. There is usually a regulatory update from FSIS, but agency officials and the media are not allowed to participate in the rest of the meeting to allow free-flowing ideas to flow.

This year, Dr. Mandy Carr gave a wonderful overview and timeline of the progress to and through food safety issues, from the crisis situation with O157:H7 progressing through BSE issues and on to current food safety topics. Testimonials from participants over the years were given and it was a great illustration of how far the industry has come and how this approach has actually worked to improve the safety of beef products. At the first BIFSCO meeting, members signed a food safety pledge and at this 20-year event, a new opportunity to sign a poster and to commit to safety was given to everyone from the first time attendee to the “16+ years” attendees. It was a great honor to sign it with a new team of our faculty, students and staff from Texas Tech this year!

Many former students had signed the original pledge, which was on display, and now they are leaders in academia and industry with their own programs. Knowledge is passed and new leaders emerge from this meeting.

This event signifies the impact of people coming to the table and talking honestly about challenges. Food safety is a non-competitive topic and the ability to share data and information has pushed the bar higher in beef. Outbreaks associated with beef have declined since the first BIFSCO meeting. FSIS Administrator, Paul Kiecker, spoke and commended the industry for taking an active approach to food safety issues. He also discussed the fact that the industry should lead food safety efforts and if they do, it reduces the need for the regulatory action. The industry should lead food safety efforts, not wait to be pushed into them by regulatory pressures.

It is such a great testament to the commitment to food safety that this industry continues to come together to address emerging issues and the leaders examine problems and take action. BIFSCO is a wonderful example of how open communication and the sharing of ideas can have a major impact on public health. Well done!

BIFSCO: Celebrating 20 years dedicated to beef safety

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