This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
This Website Uses Cookies
By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn More
This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • EVENTS
    • Food Safety Summit
    • Webinars
    • Submit an Event
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • Store
    • Customer Service
    • eNewsletter
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Custom Content & Marketing Solutions
    • Market Research
    • Polls
    • Sponsor Insights
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • SUBSCRIBE
Home » MBA Poultry Harnesses the Power of LIGHTNING
SanitationEnvironmental Monitoring

MBA Poultry Harnesses the Power of LIGHTNING

2307InsiderBioControl.jpg
February 1, 2007
Order Reprints

Cutting-edge innovation is what MBA Poultry, home of the air-chilled Smart Chicken®, is all about. This poultry processor, based in Waverly, NE, introduced air-chilled birds to the United States eight years ago, pioneering this safe, clean and efficient process (www.smartchicken.com). By using air instead of the traditional water immersion as part of their processing, MBA Poultry produces high quality poultry with superior taste and texture.

This focus on excellence extends throughout MBA’s operations, particularly in their Quality Assurance Department. Air-chilling eliminates cross contamination that can occur when birds are dipped one after the other into a cold ice water bath. This benefit, however, can be lost if the birds are exposed to contamination from equipment that has not been properly cleaned and sanitized.

Jennifer Fitzgerald, QA Manager at MBA Poultry is particularly aware of this, and brought in the LIGHTNING MVP® from BioControl Systems, Inc., a worldwide leader in food safety testing based in Bellevue, Washington to validate her sanitation programs (www.biocontrolsys.com). The LIGHTNING MVP is a single instrument that measures, records and analyzes results validating both HACCP and hygiene programs.

“The eye doesn’t tell you everything,” says Ms. Fitzgerald. “ATP testing validates the sanitation of equipment both pre-operation and throughout the day. I chose the LIGHTNING MVP because it’s a great tool. I had used it at another company and was impressed with both the LIGHTNING MVP system and BioControl as a company. The LIGHTNING MVP is accurate and easy-to-use. The swabs are convenient both to use—activation occurs by simply pressing down the plunger, no shaking required—and to store as they’re room temperature stable. This is particularly handy as we’re always short on space in the lab refrigerators.”

“I really relied on the LIGHTNING MVP when we opened up our new plant,” adds Fitzgerald. “When I was setting up the environmental monitoring program, I did a lot of swabbing for ATP to determine where our trouble spots would be. These became locations where we now test for both ATP and do traditional plating.”

LIGHTNING MVP is also used to ensure the hygiene of food-contact surfaces that may not typically get swabbed and tested. “We also audit the containers we use to transfer product from our slaughter facility to our processing site,” continues Fitzgerald. “This is an area where cross-contamination can occur and we want to be sure that anything our poultry touches is properly cleaned. The LIGHTNING MVP provides results that I can count on to support our environmental monitoring program.”

The LIGHTNING MVP monitors ATP to validate plant sanitation efficacy, as well as HACCP parameters such as temperature, pH, conductivity, and concentration of sanitizers and cleaners. Although MBA Poultry has not yet implemented these measures, Fitzgerald says these additional options do make a difference. “If I want to expand, it’s nice to know the option is there.”

Gaining Real Insight Into the Sanitation Program
Beyond the instrument and swabs, Fitzgerald also likes the LIGHTNING MVP software. “Really the whole system is so easy-to-use. Entering test points and uploading data are quick and intuitive.”

Results from testing can be uploaded to a PC for archiving and analysis with a single click of a button. However, MBA Poultry doesn’t do their own reporting on ATP test results. They rely on the LIGHTNING Index Proficiency Program, a confidential reporting program offered by BioControl. A download of monthly test results are sent electronically to BioControl where automated reports on single or multiple plants are generated and returned to MBA Poultry. These reports compare ATP results from across multiple plant locations as well as against relevant industry benchmarks.

According to Fitzgerald, using the LIGHTNING Index Proficiency Program to report on their ATP results is very easy and highly useful, “It takes no time at all for what you get.” The reporting program graphs results on all test points, as well as particular test points of interest and/or groups of test points. Positive and negative controls are also highlighted, providing insight into a company’s entire sanitation monitoring program.

Fitzgerald uses the comparisons against others in her industry most. “While I like to compare our two plants, since one is a slaughter facility and the other does further processing, I don’t expect their test results to match. However, I do see how our results compare to others in the meat processing industry. This gives me an idea of how our sanitation program compares industry-wide. If I see a month where we’re a little higher than average, I contact our sanitation manager and let him know what I’m seeing on my reports. Then I watch the next few months and expect to see a reduction in our test results.”

“It’s satisfying to see a company like MBA Poultry use the LIGHTNING MVP system so thoroughly,” states Kathy Drommerhausen, Hygiene Product Manager for BioControl. “Just like MBA Poultry, we work hard to produce a high quality product that stands out in the market. By offering tools like the LIGHTNING MVP and the LIGHTNING Index Proficiency Program we hope to make our customers’ sanitation and HACCP monitoring programs easier to implement and more effective.”

www.biocontrolsys.com

>
Author(s): BioControl Systems

Subscribe Button

 

Related Articles

LIGHTNING MVP ICON® Provides Rapid Solutions for Managing Environmental Monitoring Programs

LIGHTNING MVP System Keeps QA Ducks in a Row

Listeria monocytogenes: Controlling the Hazard in RTE Meat and Poultry Processing Environments

Related Directories

Novolyze

Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

Podcast Custom Content

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Contentclose
  • Process control
    Sponsored byTrace Analytics

    Indicator Organisms and Food-Grade Air

  • Grain Facility lifestyle
    Sponsored byProFume

    Discover a Pest Solution with Proven Efficacy and No Known Resistance

  • food transportation
    Sponsored byThinkIQ

    Transformational Intelligence Delivers Actionable Insights

Popular Stories

cooked crayfish

Why Food Safety, Like Workplace Health and Safety, Must Be a Business Priority

Gillian Kelleher

Gillian Kelleher to Chair 2023 Food Safety Summit EAB

Food Safety Matters

Ep. 119: Live From the 2022 Food Safety Summit

corn

Risk of Aflatoxin Grows for U.S. Corn

eDigest

Improving Food Safety

Dairy Foods Buyers Guide and Sourcebook

Submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) to suppliers of your choice with details on what you need with a click of a button

Start your RFP

Browse our Buyers Guide for leading vendors, suppliers, manufacturers and service providers of food safety solutions on how to monitor, defend and solve safety issues around food and beverage products and processes.

Find Suppliers

Events

August 30, 2022

Improving Food Safety Culture Through an Understanding of Human Bias

LIVE: August 30, 2022 at 1 pm EDT: We will also explore how we, as food safety professionals, must reflect on our biases and how these might help or hinder our efforts to engage others in taking action to improve food safety. 

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Food Safety Culture

Would you say your company has a strong food safety culture?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Trends in Food Safety and Protection

Trends in Food Safety and Protection

Trends in Food Safety and Protection explores the recent developments and ongoing research in the field of food safety and protection. The book covers improvements in the existing techniques and implementation of novel analytical methods for detecting and characterizing foodborne pathogens.

See More Products
webinars

Get our eMagazine delivered directly to your inbox

Stay in the know on the latest science-based solutions for food safety.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
  • Content
    • eMagazine
    • Current Issue
    • News
    • Newsletters
    • Products
    • Podcast
    • eBooks
  • Topics
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
    • Contamination Control
  • Resources
    • Events
    • Food Safety Book Store
    • Food & Beverage Brands
    • Market Research
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact Us
    • Subscriptions
    • Website Registration
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2022. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing