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SSOE’s years of experience in the food business have enabled us to develop procedures to help our food clients with quick recovery from salmonella outbreaks in plants producing and using peanut butter or paste.

This experience includes designing and modifying new or existing process design and equipment layouts to separate raw from cooked ingredients, as well as the necessary cleaning procedures to deter all types of safety issues. This is accomplished while keeping changeover time down and production up.

SSOE’s engineers and architects have collectively worked in thousands of food manufacturing plants and are familiar with the most state-of-the art practices and cGMP procedures. Our experts can incorporate them into any new or existing facility. We understand the crucial need to end an unexpected shut-down as quickly as possible and if necessary can respond with the appropriate round-the-clock, on-site resources.

SSOE’s most extensive experience involved a large peanut butter plant that was unexpectedly forced to shut-down operations due to a salmonella outbreak. Beginning in the first phases, we helped guide the recovery process. SSOE investigated the cause, developed options for solutions, and designed a new process layout, controls upgrades, and safety procedures to ensure future outbreaks would be eliminated. In the end, what was originally thought to require a 15-18 month shut-down was cut to 5 months through the on-site, round-the-clock work by SSOE and seamless cooperation of the client and construction company.

During these five months, the client also was able to take advantage of the down time to integrate numerous other upgrades that would improve productivity and reduce energy consumption. These efforts culminated in a state-of-the art plant. Throughout the course of this project, more than $750,000 in operational cost savings was documented based on approaches suggested by SSOE.

To learn quickly and confidentially about how SSOE can help your company deter, investigate, or recover from a salmonella outbreak, call or email Vince DiPofi, PE.

Office: 419.255.3830
Cell: 419.304.0710
Email: VDipofi@ssoe.com

Please direct all media calls to Catherine Malicki:
Office 419.255.3830
Cell: 419.351.9600
Email: CMalicki@ssoe.com

For more information on SSOE’s food experience, please visit our main food page.

For additional resources, visit these sites:
U.S. Government Food Safety Page listing recalls from the FDA and USDA

Investigation information for outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infection in 2008-2009

What is ICE?

ICE is an acronym that stands for In Case of Emergency. ICE can be easily programmed in your cell phone and can help emergency responders retrieve valuable personal information and emergency contact numbers quickly. Here’s how it works:

• In your cell phone, program the acronym ICE for the phone numbers of your emergency contacts or next of kin. (For example, use ICE as the contact’s last name, and their actual name and relationship for the first.)
• You can add multiple ICE contacts including your doctor if appropriate.
• Choose family, friends, neighbors, a primary care doctor, or work contact that can provide the necessary emergency information for you.
• Be sure to provide your ICE contacts with any pertinent information, such as blood type, medical conditions, medications, insurance information, etc.
• Be selective on the amount and type of information you include; avoid data that could make you a target for identity theft.
• To let emergency responders know your phone is on ICE and where to look for your contact information, put the ICE sticker you received on the back of your phone.