North American Meat Institute

The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) is a non-profit, industry trade association formed in 2015 from the merger of the American Meat Institute (AMI) and the North American Meat Association (NAMA). It is headquartered in metropolitan Washington, DC.

NAMI provides guidance and regulatory assistance to meat packers and processors. It is the leading voice for the meat and poultry industry. The institute has a century-long history and provides member services including legislative, regulatory, scientific, international and public affairs representation. NAMI’s mission is to shape a public policy environment in which the meat and poultry industry can produce products safely, efficiently and profitably. The institute’s members produce the majority of U.S. beef, pork, lamb and poultry plus equipment, ingredients and services.

History

Logo of the American Meat Institute

The North American Meat Institute was formed with the merger of the American Meat Institute and North American Meat Association in 2015.[1] The origins of the association date back to the passage of the Federal Meat Inspection Act in 1906, one of the first U.S. laws to set federal food processing standards. The American Meat Packers Association was founded in Chicago shortly thereafter to assist meat packers in complying with the new law. Its name was changed to the American Meat Institute in 1940. In 1979, AMI moved from Chicago to Washington, DC to be closer to the federal government while regulatory and legislative affairs dominated the Institute's agenda.[2]

Logo of the National Meat Association.

NAMA formed in 2012 from the merger of the National Meat Association (NMA) and the North American Meat Processors (NAMP). NAMA was headquartered in Oakland, California. NMA was formed by the merger of Pacific Coast Meat Association, itself formed in 1948, and Western States Meat Packers Association which had launched in 1946 in San Francisco, California. NMA was once known as Western States Meat Association, but had since grown to national prominence with approximately 500 member companies. It had a biennial trade show called MEATXPO.

Organizational structure

NAMI is governed by elected leaders and staffed by 35 professionals. NAMI elected leaders include five officers plus the President and CEO, as well as a 106-person Board of Directors and a 42-person Executive Committee.[3] Representatives on both of these bodies include leaders in both the supplier and packer/processor segments of the industry. NAMI has also created operating groups, called committees, within its membership to allow member companies to recommend NAMI policies in their primary areas of interest including Regulatory Affairs, Legislative Affairs, Public Affairs, Scientific Affairs and International Trade.[4]

The current officers are as follows:[5]

  1. NAMI president and CEO: Barry Carpenter
  2. Chairman: Brian Coelho, Central Valley Meat Company
  3. Vice Chairman: J. Michael Townsley, Bob Evans Farms, Inc
  4. Treasurer: John Vatri, Cardinal Meat Specialists, Inc
  5. Secretary: Sara Lilygren, Tyson Foods
  6. Immediate Past Chairman: David McDonald, OSI Group, LLC

Events

NAMI and the Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education sponsor annual education conferences, topical workshops, award programs, committee meetings and an annual trade show.

The annual trade show, the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), takes place each January at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. It is co-located with the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association and American Feed Industry Association.[6] Processors from all over the world convene at the show to see and discuss the latest technology innovations in packaging, processing equipment, ingredients and services that are changing the meat and poultry industry. In 2017, the event is expected to exceed 500,000 net square feet with more than 30,000 attendees and 1,300 exhibitors and it is regularly one of the Trade Show News Network's (TSNN) largest trade shows.[7]

Other educational conferences include:

  • Annual Meat Conference, Co-located with the Food Marketing Institute annually in February
  • Animal Care and Handling, annually in October
  • Advanced Listeria monocytogenes Intervention and Control. annually in October
  • Environmental Conference for the Meat and Poultry Industry, co-located with IPPE
  • Worker Safety Conference for the Meat and Poultry Industry, co-located with IPPE

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.meatinstitute.org/index.php?ht=display/ReleaseDetails/i/99496/pid/287
  2. ↑ https://www.meatinstitute.org/index.php?ht=d/sp/i/232/pid/232
  3. ↑ "North American Meat Institute". www.meatinstitute.org. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  4. ↑ "NAMI | Committees". www.meatinstitute.org. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  5. ↑ "North American Meat Institute". www.meatinstitute.org. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  6. ↑ USPOULTRY. "Welcome to the International Production & Processing Expo Web Site". ippexpo.org. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  7. ↑ "2015 Top 250 US Trade Shows | TSNN Trade Show News". www.tsnn.com. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
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