A massive recall of ground beef aims to stop the tainted product from becoming kids’ school lunches. Palo Duro Meat of Amarillo, Texas is recalling 40,000 pounds of frozen ground beef because of fears of E. coli contamination. the frozen beef was produced on September 9, 2011, and was shipped in 40-lb. boxes to six Georgia school districts associated with the federally assisted National School Lunch Program, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced. To date, the agency is not aware of the beef having been served to students.

The contamination was discovered following a positive lab test for the E. coli P157:H7. Officials say the problem may have resulted from a “sample tracking error” which allowed for a batch-in-question to be inadvertently shipped. Find out more about this Palo Duro Meat of Amarillo, Texas ground beef recall.

Recall scares like this one remind us why recall tracking and tracing, and quality control systems are crucial for food & beverage companies to ensure safe handling and error-free operations. Our ERP solution for the food & beverage industry includes robust food tracking and traceability solutions as well as a quality control system designed specifically to meet the needs of food & beverage manufacturers and distributors.

Check out this article, “How Microsoft Dynamics Partners Are Evolving with the Cloud,” by Barb Levisay in Redmond Channel Partner. eSoftware Professionals’ own Gretchen Freeman-Cromar is quoted in the article. See excerpts below.

Build Customer Trust

Most partners get it: There’s a direct relationship between the partner’s concern for the best interest of the client and partner success. As Gretchen Freeman-Cromar, VP of Client Services for the Oregon-based Dynamics VAR eSoftware Professionals, puts it: “We work to cultivate trust by demonstrating that we have a team of experts who want to partner with our clients to make the best use of technology, and not just treat them like a dollar sign.”

We’ll be watching the Senate and House and the Food Safety Regulations bill which includes stronger government oversight on food safety. The bill would require increased accountability from food companies. They would be required to write food safety plans, in addition to conducting routine food safety tests. It will be even more important for food processors to have fail-safe methods built-in to their quality control programs to reduce the risks of contamination and other safety issues.

Dickinson Frozen Foods was ahead of the curve in food safety when they included an improved Quality Control System in their ERP project last year. Their new Quality Control system now includes product traceability down to the lot level. Product recalls can be processed in minutes instead of hours. And the positive release and fail-safe Quality Control system has a much higher level of reliability and consistency. In fact, Brad Coleman, VP of Quality Assurance and Innovation, at Dickinson was proud to report recently that in the 10 months since implementation there were no incidents where a product shipped in error. The new food quality and food safety system is working flawlessly.

“Huge kudos to eSoftware Professionals for designing a new positive release Quality Assurance system, it helps us deliver the quality products that our customers depend on each and every day.” Brad Coleman.

Stay tuned for more information on the food safety regulation overhaul and other issues affecting food producers and food distributors. For more information on the Senate Bill check out the NY Times Article “Senate Passes Overhaul of Food Safety Regulations”.

Portland, Ore. — November 19, 2010 — In February of 2000, eSoftware Professionals got an urgent call from Navision and America’s Second Harvest (now Feeding America). They needed an inventory management and financial system designed specifically for the unique challenges facing the nation’s food banks. And by the way, they needed it designed, developed and implemented as soon as possible!

eSoftware Professionals knew their knowledge of accounting and business processes would be important in creating a system for this distinctive industry. The project was kicked off in mid-February when eSoftware met with ten food banks and America’s Second Harvest staff to help document the industry’s unique requirements. Then the serious work began. The result: an unveiling of the new software solution, Ceres 1.0, at the America’s Second Harvest National Conference in mid-September of 2000. The first “go live” was also in September a short 7 ½ months total project time.

“Looking back, that phone call was a pivotal moment in eSoftware history,” said Sharon Jacobson, Vice President at eSoftware. “Until that moment ten years ago, we thought, like most people, that food banks were nothing more than a local church pantry helping a few folks every week. Now we realize the immense need food banks serve nationwide, and the logistical challenges they confront each day. I am proud we, as a company and as individuals, are able to use our skills and technology to make a difference in so many people’s lives.”

Imagine what it would take to move a million pounds of food from a donor warehouse or store, to a network of hundreds of food banks, and local pantries before the product spoils. The logistics and warehouse efforts alone are staggering. Now imagine moving a million pounds per month. That’s the size of the first food bank where eSoftware implemented the Ceres software solution in September 2000. Today the same food bank, Road Runner Food Bank in New Mexico, delivers over 26 million pounds of food each year, that’s over 200% growth in just 10 years. This degree of growth is not uncommon in the food banking industry.

Since the first go live in September 2000, Ceres has been deployed in over 110 food banks – that’s over half the nation’s food banks. The team at eSoftware Professionals has become specialists in providing financial and inventory management solutions for the food bank industry. The team appreciates the huge effort it takes to coordinate feeding the hungry across America and the importance of having the tools and technology to enable their growth.  Feedback from one of the recent upgrades: “I have found eSoftware Professionals to be knowledgeable, capable, and highly responsive,” Michael P. Miller, COO, Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana.

Jody Leoni, President, eSoftware Professionals, “We pride ourselves on our long term relationships with our clients. We understand that companies grow and evolve and their tools should be able to grow with them. We are dedicated to a true business partnership.”

eSoftware Professionals values the ten year relationship with Feeding America, the national network of food banks, and the dedicated individuals at each food bank. The company is focused on delivering the innovations and solutions that will be needed for food banks to serve the rising need in their communities over the next decade and beyond.

eSoftware Professionals was named to the exclusive Technical Adoption Program (TAP) for Microsoft Dynamics NAV. TAP, the early beta program designed by Microsoft for select partners and customers who Microsoft has determined are important to a successful release of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 7. eSoftware Professionals is among an elite group of Microsoft partners worldwide selected for this TAP.

“As the first Dynamics NAV solution center in the United States, eSoftware Professionals is uniquely qualified to share insights, industry expertise and customer focused feedback. eSoftware Professionals has a long tradition of being Microsoft’s go-to partner for mid-market ERP solutions in the Pacific Northwest. We have broad industry and role tailored expertise from food processors to archdiocese, and food banks to distributors, from financial management to procurement, and quality control to inventory management. We are proud to be among the elite group selected for the TAP. Our position on the TAP continues our 20 plus year role as leaders in ERP Consulting.” Jody Leoni, President, eSoftware Professionals

About eSoftware Professionals

eSoftware gives you the Microsoft Dynamics solutions organizations need to eliminate duplicate work, improve productivity, and do more with fewer resources. An eSoftware solution consolidates information into one integrated system to get the information you need where and when you need it. And everyone is working with the same data – all on a familiar Microsoft platform.  eSoftware Professionals developed and implements both eFood and Ceres which are industry focused ERP solutions designed to address the unique requirements of Food Processors/Distributors and Food Banks.

About eFood for Food Processors and Food Distributors

eFood streamlines the fundamental business processes faced by food processors and distributors including the often tricky tasks of inventory tracking, production control, vendor management, supply chain management, achieving regulatory compliance, quality management, and recalls.

About Ceres ERP Solutions for Food Banks

Designed and implemented by eSoftware Professionals, and based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Ceres helps food banks be more efficient by solving their main business challenges including inventory control, donor and grant management, and simplifying both the audit and regulatory compliance processes. Ceres enables food banks to do more with fewer resources and it allows them to focus more attention on their main mission – serving their communities.

Tax Breaks for Small Businesses in 2010

On September 27, President Obama signed the Small Business Jobs Act which includes tax breaks and better access to credit for small businesses. If you are considering capital investments of any kind including software or hardware you may want to get started before the end of the year to take advantage of these tax breaks and credit opportunities.

Capital Investment Expense Benefits

The Small Business Jobs Act included the extension and expansion of Small Businesses’ ability to immediately expense capital investments. The bill increases for 2010 and 2011 the amount of investments that businesses would be eligible to immediately write off to $500,000, while raising the level of investments at which the write-off phases out to $2 million. Prior to the passage of the bill, the expense limit would have been $250,000 this year, and only $25,000 next year. This provision means that 4.5 million small businesses and individuals will be able to make new business investments today and know that they will earn a larger break on their taxes for this year.

50% Bonus Depreciation Extension

The bill extends a Recovery Act provision for 50 percent “bonus depreciation” through 2010, providing 2 million businesses, small and large, with the ability to make new investments now and know they can receive a tax cut for this year by accelerating the rate they deduct capital expenditures.

Small Business Lending Fund

The bill creates a new $30 billion Small Business Lending Fund which – by providing capital to small banks with incentives to increase small business lending – could support several multiples of that amount in new credit.

Talk to your tax adviser to find out the benefits you can receive by making your capital investments before December 31, 2010. Find out more about the Small Business Job Act.

Help us support Feeding America and get your back to school shopping done at the same time. Enjoy 30% off at Gap, Banana Republic, & Old Navy, this week during  Give & Get and they’ll give Feeding America 5% of what you spend!

Do Something Good. This Charity will Receive 5% of What You and Your Friends Spend.

Get your 30% Discount Coupon and share it with friends here!

Valid August 26 – 29, 2010.

About Feeding America and eSoftware Professionals

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive.  As the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, they supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors.

eSoftware Professionals is proud to proud to partner with Feeding America and its 202 local member food banks to deliver our food bank specific Supply Chain Management Solution, Ceres.

Cluck-cluck. Don’t eat those eggs – the egg recall has officially hatched and egg retailers and wholesalers are scrambling to mop up the mess.

What Does the Egg Recall Entail?

The FDA, in collaboration with the Federal and State partners, is currently investigating a nationwide increase in Salmonella Enteritidis infections.

Investigations revealed several restaurants or events where more than one person has fallen ill with salmonella after eating there; information suggests that shell eggs are the likely cause of infection.

What the Egg Recall Means for the Food Industry:

Food establishments should replace pooled eggs (raw unpasteurized eggs combined together),  or raw or undercooked shell eggs with pasteurized egg products and pasteurized in-shell eggs.

Everyone in the food industry should make sure the eggs they carry aren’t included in the recall.

Egg Brands Involved in the Recall:

An Iowa company produced and distributed the eggs to these 13 brands and retailers:

Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps.

Recall dates and plant numbers:

Eggs were packed between May 16 and August 13. Look for the dates and codes stamped on the egg carton – the plant number begins with P followed by a number. The date follows the plant number.

Plant numbers and Julian dates involved in the egg recall: Julian dates from 136-225; plant numbers 1026, 1413, 1946.

Symptoms of Salmonella:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Muscle pains
• Blood in the stool

According to About Salmonella, only about a dozen (out of over 2,000) strains of salmonella cause illnesses – gastroenteritis, typhoid fever (less common in developed nations), and bacteremia. If you have these symptoms after consuming a recalled egg product, we encourage you to see a doctor.

How an ERP System Can Help:

A recall of this magnitude reminds us not only to be especially cautious with food products, but also how important it is to have a good ERP system in place, should an outbreak or product defect occur. Among many other great benefits, eFood, a Microsoft Dynamics NAV powered ERP software system developed specifically for the food and beverage industry can:

• Run an end product or ingredient-based recall in minutes (sometimes seconds!)
• Provide quality testing based on current regulations and compliance guidelines from the FDA and other regulating bodies
• House entire production processes under one system, improving efficiency and information visibility

Want to learn more about eSoftware’s ERP consulting services? Fill out our contact form and one of our ERP experts will contact you within one business day.

The New York Times is reporting that Honda is recalling an additional 384,000 models of 2003-04 Accords, Civics and Elements. This current recall comes on the heels of two previous recalls for the same problem, except the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now investigating whether the previous recalls covered all defected vehicles.

The problem revolves around the shift interlock system malfunctioning, allowing someone to turn the car off and take out the key without the vehicle being in Park, giving it the ability to roll away. There have been 17 crashes reported due to the defect, although no injuries have been reported.

Previous recalls occurred in 2003 and 2005, and involved various Honda models dating all the way back to 1997. With the three recalls combined, around 1.4 million vehicles have been affected. However this is also the second recall in little over a year, as in July of 2009, 440,000 vehicles were recalled for an air bag defect that was originally reported in 2008, but at the time led to a recall of only 3,900 vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating whether Honda is issuing their recalls in a timely manner as well as covering all defected vehicles. The investigation could lead to penalties for Honda if it is determined that they are not doing so.

Not only is this recent string of recalls for the automaker rearing its head into one of the 10 Worst Product Recalls of All Time, the company’s suppliers would benefit from having Dynamics NAV to help them efficiently track their inventory at all stages of the product life cycle.

Source: Wal-Mart

CNN is reporting that over 90,000 lbs. of chicken nuggets are being recalled by Perdue Farms after it was discovered that the nuggets may contain pieces of plastic. The nuggets in question are sold by Wal-Mart under the Great Value brand.

No injuries have been reported; however, the company received complaints from consumers which led to the recall. You can check the Perdue Farms website for more information about the recall, including the case and package codes for the recalled items.

Although this probably won’t be considered one of the ten most disastrous product recalls of all time, it will nonetheless, be a blow to Perdue Farms as well as Wal-Mart. The companies must repair their damaged reputations after failing to deliver quality products and losing their customers’ trust.

For more on how to stay ahead in the food & beverage industry, check out eFood, our  custom Microsoft Dynamics NAV ERP solution for food processors.