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Department of Animal Sciences

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Knipe Teaches 70+ HACCP Training Courses Over 20 Years

For over 20 years, Dr. Lynn Knipe, associate professor of food and animal sciences in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, has provided training as part of the Meat Science Extension program. Since 1998, he has taught 1,845 people in 72 introductory Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Training for Meat and Poultry Processors courses, as well as other food safety, labelling and processing courses. 

According to Knipe, “All meat companies that are fully licensed with either the Ohio Department of Agriculture or the USDA Food Safety Inspection System, are required to have at least one person trained in the seven principles of HACCP, in order to write, reassess or modify their HACCP plan(s).” 

The 71st  Introductory HACCP course occurred at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

“Cleveland is a popular location in Ohio, because there are many fully-inspected, smaller meat processors in Cleveland and northeast Ohio,” Knipe said. “The Dr. Lynn Knipe (standing, far left in the blue button-down shirt) and Dr. Daniel Clark (standing, far right in the green polo shirt) at the most recent HACCP trainingprocessors are required to have at least one employee trained to write, modify, or reassess the companies’ HACCP plans.” 

While Knipe offers a variety of food-safety training courses, the Introductory HACCP course occurs most frequently. Knipe developed the course curriculum for meat and poultry processors, egg processors, and food service operations; the International HACCP Alliance accredits the course. Knipe brings in experts from the USDA Enforcement Investigations and Analysis Officers (EIAO) program, part of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS, a USDA agency). Other faculty members, most recently Dr. Daniel Clark, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, Attendees working at the most recent HACCP training in the Greater Cleveland Food Bankhave also assisted him.

The 72nd Introductory HACCP course was at the University of Illinois Meat Laboratory for Illinois meat processors, on October 11-12.

This course has gone on the road to other locations besides Cleveland, but this was the first time that I have done it outside Ohio,” said Knipe. "The University of Illinois is currently lacking someone to conduct HACCP training that is designed for meat processors.  Former OSU Animal Sciences Assistant Professor Dustin Boler invited me to bring the HACCP course that I do here to Illinois."

HAACP training at the University of IllinoisTwenty one employees of meat-inspected operations completed this two-day course that was focused specifically on HACCP for meat and poultry processors.  Individuals from the Chicago District of USDA FSIS (meat inspection) and the Illinois Bureau of Meat and Poultry Inspection assisted to facilitate with regulatory questions. 

"This regulatory team was very helpful with their answers to regulatory questions, but this was the first time that either organization had been involved with a meat industry HACCP training course in Illinois," Knipe said. 

In addition to the Introductory HACCP course, Knipe also offers other courses, including a Meat and Poultry Labeling short course. This two-day course is offered annually and deals with the regulatory issues related to labeling meat products, under USDA FSIS Meat Inspection.  The first day covers basic labeling and the second day is devoted to nutrition labeling. It is the only course of its kind taught at a university in the USA. 

Twenty six meat industry employees and regulators converged on the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center on October 23 & 24 for the Ohio State Meat and Poultry Labeling short course.Participants at the labeling short course  Participants came from Ohio and 8 other states (Michigan, Kentucky, Iowa, Tennessee, Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Mississippi). 

Knipe developed this course as a result of requests from Ohio meat processors, fourteen years ago, who were looking for a better option than traveling to the University of Guelph or Washington, DC.  The main presenters this year were Kim Karweik and Vickie Edwards, who have worked with labeling at various meat companies; both have worked for Lamar Hendricks (Ohio State Food Science alumnus), well known for his labeling and regulatory affairs skills at Hillshire Farm & Kahns and an early trainer for this course.

Additional dates for Meat Science Extension courses can be found here.