TopofPageMidwest Food Processors Association News Bulletin  - September 1, 2016   
In This Issue
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FDA Extends Compliance Dates On FSMA, Releases New Guidance

FDA The FDA has issued a final rule for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that extends and clarifies the compliance dates for certain provisions in four of the seven foundational rules.

These changes impact the compliance dates for certain provisions in the following rules: Preventive Controls for Human Food; Preventive Controls for Food for Animals; Produce Safety Final Rule; Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP)  Read the FDA news release here and learn about the compliance extensions here.


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Dayton, Legislative Leaders Fail To Agree On MN Special Session
After meeting with legislative leaders, MN Gov. Mark Dayton said he could not reach agreement on all issues needed for him to call legislators back to St. Paul to finish work not completed earlier this year.

Talk of a special session began almost immediately after the regular session ended in May.
At that time the Legislature was unable to agree on a $1 billion-plus package of public works spending.

A $260 million tax cut bill did pass, but Dayton allowed it to die without his signature because of a wording error he maintained would have cost the state $100 million over the next three years. The measure would also have trimmed business property taxes paid to the state by more than $56 million and would have cut farmland taxes by $44 million.

The governor has said he'll propose a similar tax bill, and separate transportation funding bill next session.
 
Bee, Pollinator Decline Prompts MN Executive Order
MN Gov. Mark Dayton has issued an executive order restricting uses of neonicotinoid pesticides to reverse the decline of bee and other pollinator populations. 

According to Dayton, pollinators are crucial to the state's $90 billion agricultural sector, but they've been in decline over the past decade. 

The order directs state government to take immediate action to alleviate the risks faced by pollinators. It also creates a task force to study issues impacting pollinators and to recommend long-term solutions.  Among other things, the governor's order says state regulators should require verification that the use of neonicotinoid pesticides is necessary due to imminent threats of significant crop losses.  Read more.

The Governor's action has met with some criticism from groups such as the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) "We understand the concerns involving pollinators and neonics," says MSGA President Theresia Gillie. "However, we are troubled the Governor has politicized this issue and didn't consult with affected producers." 

Soybeans are Minnesota's number one exported crop. Limiting the use of this insecticide presents difficult challenges for Minnesota soybean farmers. Minnesota's unique environment creates a greater need for pest management, which left unchecked could prove costly to Minnesota farmers.


MWFPA too is concerned.  The association is currently studying the pollinator matter with the University of Wisconsin.  The study is funded by a grant from USDA.  
 
 Roads Amendment On IL November Ballot
Highway
IL voters will consider a constitutional amendment in November aimed at preventing transportation-related funding in the state from being used for other purposes.
 
Since 2003, the State of Illinois has diverted $6.8 billion of gas tax and registration fees to be used for transportation, but instead were used on other programs and projects.

The proposed constitutional amendment known as the "lockbox amendment" proposes the money be used solely for transportation-related purposes, such as construction or paying debt related to transit projects.

MWFPA along with the IL Chamber of Commerce supports passage of the amendment.


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Bust A Clay For MWFPA! Help Raise Money For
MWFPA Scholarships

null Register now for MWFPA's Sporting Clays Challenge at
Milford Hills Hunt Club in
Johnson Creek, WI, 
October 6, 2016.   

Last year's event raised $10,000 enabling us to provide $19,000 in scholarships to the children of association members pursuing a post-secondary education.  The day's schedule is as follow: 

          Registration
          Lunch
          Safety Review
          Clay Shoot
          Reception/Awards 
             10:30 a.m.
             11:45 a.m.
             12:45 p.m.
               1:00 p.m.
               3:30 p.m. 

Register now! To view the event brochure and a listing of sponsorship opportunities, click here 
 
See you at the Milford Hills Hunt Club!
   
View the MWFPA Photo Gallery for pictures of last year's event .

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Don't Wait - Reserve Your MWFPA Convention Lodgings Now And Meet Us At The Kalahari!
Kalahari Meet us at the 112th MWFPA Convention/Expo being held November 29 - December 1, 2016 at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells, WI. Make your lodging reservations now!!

General attendee registration is currently closed but will be opening soon. Bookmark the MWFPA convention website at and watch for future updates. Meanwhile, reserve your booth and make your lodging reservations now!

KALAHARI RESORT AND CONVENTION CENTER
1305 Kalahari Drive * Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
www.kalahariresorts.com/wisconsin, or call:
877-525-2427 or 608-254-5466

$116 for single/double/triple/quad for standard room
$190 for Two Room Suite
$139.00 for a Lodge Suite

Reservations must be made on or before Tuesday, November 1, 2016. After the cutoff the hotel will still accept reservations if rooms are available. To receive the group rate when phoning, ask for the Midwest Food Processors Association Group Rate.
The Kalahari is offering a special rate of $139 for standard rooms, if you'd like to stay the weekend!

FOR ONLINE RESERVATIONS:

Once you type in our group ID, click on "Get Dates" and then click on "Submit." Follow the instructions to reserve your rooms.
GROUP ID: 31362
PASSWORD: 70

See you in Wisconsin Dells!

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MWFPA Thanks Our 2016 Convention Big Prize Raffle Sponsors
Abbott & Cobb, Inc
Applied Science, Inc
BFM Equipment Supplies
Bolton & Menk, Inc
Clayton Industries
EIS Packaging Machinery, Inc
Hughes Equipment Company, LLC
Hydro Thermal Corporation
IMETA SRL
JAX Inc
JBT Corporation  

Langguth
Lubriplate Lubricants
Lyco Manufacturing
NALCO Water, an Ecolab Co.
Summit Refrigeration Group
Sweetener Supply
Tomra/Meyer
Weimer Bearing & Transmission
Wil-Kil Pest Control
Wissota Tool


Big Prize Raffle sponsorship has closed, but there are plenty more sponsorship opportunities available. Raise your profile as a market leader and increase your brand recognition. Sponsorships for as low as $1,000 are available at this event. For more information contact Brian Deschane or call 608-255-9946.

Exhibitors - Apply today while prime booth space is still available. Exhibiting at the MWFPA convention is a great way to meet customers and attract valuable prospects. Don't miss out, reserve your booth now! Go to the convention website to view the exhibitor prospectus and convention floor map.

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MWFPA Hosts Management Training Program With Cheesemakers, UW School of Business
In partnership with the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and the Wisconsin School of Business Certificate Program, the Midwest Food Processors Association is again promoting a custom certificate program designed to build leadership, management, and business acumen in dairy and food industry professionals.

High Performance Leadership and Management Skills for Food and Cheese Professionals provides the skills to lead, motivate, and manage employees to create a stronger, more productive organization. Participants will spend a total of eight days (four, two-day modules) immersed in thought-provoking and pragmatic training, with action learning components, group discussion, team exercises, and case studies built into each module.  Module dates are September 29-30, 2016, November 14-15, 2016, January 23-24, 2017 and March 6-7, 2017.

The program is offered to all MWFPA members. Cost to attend the program is $6,900 per participant and includes instruction, educational materials, meals, parking, and overnight accommodations for all four two-day sessions. Complete information on the program can be found at online.  Don't wait - register today for this premiere event.

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MWFPA Events You Won't Want To Miss
October 6, 2016: MWFPA Sporting Clays Challenge. Milford Hills, Johnson Creek, WI.

November 29- December 1, 2016: MWFPA 112th Annual Convention and 89th Processing Crops Conference.  Kalahari Resort & Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells, WI.

Other Educational Opportunities
September 13, 14, & 15, 2016Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) WorkshopThe Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires every food manufacturer to have a written food safety plan, and it is the responsibility of a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) to prepare the food safety plan. This 
training workshop will fulfill your certification requirements.  For more information, click here

September 15, 2016Pet Food/Animal Feed Intentional Contamination Exercise. University of Minnesota's Continuing Education & Conference Center, 1890 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Food Protection and Defense Institute are hosting a food/feed safety exercise based on the U.S. FDA Food Related Emergency Exercise Bundle (FREE-B) "Foul Fodder".  Contact Carrie Rigdon at   [email protected] or 651-201-6453 for more information.       

September 26-30, 2016
: Private Label, Food Service and Retail Products Trade Mission. Monterrey and Mexico City, Mexico. Expand your export sales in Mexico by joining Food Export-Midwest and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture on the Focused Trade Mission to Mexico, for Private Label, Food Service and Retail food product companies.  Cost:  $400 by the Early Registration Deadline - May 23, 2016. For more information, contact Ashwini Rao/ 608-224-5119/ [email protected].  Register here.

September 28-29, 2016Food Safety Modernization Act - 21 CFR Part 117 Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventative Controls for Human Food.  US Bank Plaza Conference Center,
One South Pinckney Street, Madison, WI 53703. MWFPA Associate Member Michael Best is partnering with EAS Consulting Group to host a two-day  Food Safety Modernization Act seminar. MWFPA members can receive a10% registration discount by using the special discount code: MB10.  The cost is $1,200 per individual (includes registration, lunch, and 21 CFR Part 117 Pocket Guide).


September 29-30, 2016
High Performance Leadership & Management Skills for Dairy and Food Professionals. Fluno Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 601 University Ave, Madison, WI.  For more information, see article above, or go to the program website.

October 12-13, 2016: Preventive Maintenance Optimization.
DoubleTree by Hilton,
525 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI.
Stop blindly following your manufacturers' recommendations for preventive maintenance optimization programs. Learn how to transform your existing program into an effective and efficient system, and establish a culture of continuous improvement at this University of Wisconsin School of Engineering course. Click here.

October 13, 2016Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food Conference.  Minneapolis Airport Marriot, 2020 American Blvd. E, Bloomington, MN 55425.  Receive an overview of the sanitary transportation of human and animal food rule straight from the FDA. Learn about best practices for record keeping, training and temperature monitoring.  Participants will be instructed on how to identify top fleet concerns, specific conversation points for essential communication between carriers and shippers and how to determine important protocols.  For more information, click here.

November 14-15, 2016: Oilseed & Grain Trade SummitHyatt Regency in Minneapolis, MN. For more information, see the summit website.   
 
 
Midwest Food Processors Assoc. | | [email protected] | http://www.mwfpa.org
4600 American Pkwy.
Suite 210
Madison, WI 53718