Smart Food Safety, Inc.

Linda Slover  President

Linda’s background provides over 10 years experience in multiple medium, small and very small meat plants combining day to day operations with HACCP documentation and training experience. 

Linda has applied both traditional and alternative training and performance solutions to meet a plant’s requirements.

Linda has worked with plants to:

Develop SSOP, HACCP plans and supporting documentation

HACCP plans developed include

1. slaughter (cattle, swine, goat/sheep/lamb, poultry)
2. raw not ground
3. raw ground
4. heat treated, shelf stable (jerky and snack sticks, lard and cracklings)
5. heat treated, not fully cooked
6. fully cooked, not shelf stable
7. secondary inhibitor, not shelf stable
8. not heat treated, shelf stable

Provide labeling guidance and paperwork to insure plants labels meet the appropriate approvals, both generic (plant approved) and agency (required) approvals

• Provide on-going annual support to meet re-assessment requirements
• Update plans when FSIS issues directives or notices effecting the plant
• Acquire their Federal Grant of Inspection
• Transition from State Inspection to Federal inspection
• Respond to potential “Recall” situation and provide guidance regarding if a recall is necessary, reviewing the press release put together by FSIS (to be sure all information is accurate and minimize the financial damage to the plant)
• Respond to a Notice of Intended Enforcement (NOIE) working with local and district inspection personnel
• Develop a Plan to meet all commitments in the NOIEs response
• Work in the plant to insure the plant meets all commitments, including personnel training and working with inspection personnel
• Be released from an NOIE
• Develop and implement a “Statistically Sound L.mono Plan” as part of the NOIE commitments
• Re-open a plant after a “sanitation” related closure
• Negotiate a “Consent Decision” after the Administrator of FSIS has issued a Notice of Suspension working with USDA/FSIS General Council (Washington DC)
• Provide guidance and help answer a “compliance” complaint to insure bringing the non-compliance into compliance and assuring FSIS that the non-compliance no longer exists
• Provide plants with the most up to date information regarding inspection, new regulations, directives, notices, guidance materials, etc.
• Successfully defend against a potential recall by working with and securing valid information from other clients to support the plant’s needs.  All documents provided wither the consent and agreement of the supplier providing help.

Linda is HACCP trained, attending classes sponsored by the American Meat Institute, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Ohio State University.  In addition, Linda has been an Industry Facilitator for the Ohio State University for HACCP training.  Linda participated in the development of a HACCP Video on Validation and Verification (USDA funded grant.)  Linda provided technical guidance in developing the scripts for the video and appeared in one of the scenarios/demonstrations.

Linda provides third party audits and can provide business and process analysis and improvement recommendations.  Linda can fit business components together for a plant and help to insure that the plant is being successful in all facets of the operation.

Prior to entering the meat industry, Linda spent 10 years at a corporation where she worked in multiple industries including cable television, health care, manufacturing, publishing and banking.    Additionally, Linda had responsibility for managing teams across the globe, including personnel in England, Ireland Germany, France, Belgium, Soule, Hong Kong, China and other locations.  Linda’s ability to learn the customer environment and apply adult learning theories combined with creative solutions for customers earned her high marks in customer satisfaction while meeting budgetary requirements.

Linda has a Bachelor’s Degree in Paralegal Studies.

Mark Schad      Vice-President

Mark’s background brings over 30 years in the meat industry combining working for a major corporation for over 5 years, then opening and operating his own small meat processing corporation for 25 years..  Mark has the day to day experience to understand medium, small and very small processor’s opportunities and challenges. 

Mark has a Master’s Degree in Agriculture, specializing in Meat Science from The Ohio State University.  Mark has worked to keep his education up-to-date over the past 30 years, including taking technical and processing classes, HACCP and related classes, Pathogen Classes.

Additionally, Mark has attended National, Regional and State Conventions where there are educational sessions and the opportunity to network which frequently provides information valuable to his operation.

Mark has served on the Board of Directors and held the President’s position at both the National and State level of Meat Processing Trade Associations.  Mark has been instrumental in representing those organizations and very small to medium processors at both the State and Federal government level.

Mark was appointed by the US Secretary of Agriculture to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection to serve his first term in 2003–2004. 

Mark was re-appointed, serving a second term in 2005-2006 and is currently serving his third term 2007-2008.

Mark has worked to develop key relationships in Washington, D.C. across all stakeholder groups, including USDA, FSIS, HACCP Alliance, State and Health agency personnel, Educational and Consumer Groups.

Bringing the perspective of a plant owner to the table understanding the numerous facets involved in making a business successful, Mark has provided plants with assistance for:

• Technical issues in the processing environment
• Business development
• Business processes
• Sanitation
• HACCP
• Food Defense

Mark is currently working as an Industry Expert participating in a Foreign Agricultural Service international project for Food Defense.  In Peru, Mark participated in a sucessful pilot including pilot set up meetings, presentation delivery for Food Defense and in-plant site visits to help plants develop their Food Defense Plan.

After a sucessful pilot in Peru, Mark. along with team, is now working the same process in Thailand to help the food industry develop and implement Food Defense Plans.

Mark is a Certified by the HACCP Alliance as an instructor to teach   Introductory HACCP.