North Dakota Ag Connection - Newest State-Inspected Plant in Beulah, Making Fleischkuekle

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Newest State-Inspected Plant in Beulah, Making Fleischkuekle
North Dakota Ag Connection - 02/04/2016

M & L Concessions in Beulah is the newest North Dakota company operating under the State Meat and Poultry Inspection Program.

"M & L Concessions has met all requireme¬nts for the meat inspection program," said Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. "This will allow for more opportunities for their business."

Owner Lori Yeager and her mother, Marlene Sasse, have operated a concessions trailer and provided catering to various events for the last several years, primarily making fleischkuekle.

Lori decided to go through the process to become an inspected plant due to demand for her product and the desire to run her own business. She plans to sell to restaurants, grocery stores, bars and grills in the local area.

Meat processing plants, accredited by the state inspection program, can sell their products wholesale to other retail establishments. Meat and poultry products that have been processed under state inspection can be sold on a wholesale or retail basis anywhere in North Dakota. After operating as an official state establishment for at least three months, plants are eligible to apply for the Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program, which allows them to ship anywhere in the United States.

State Meat Inspection Director Dr. Andrea Grondahl and other meat inspection staff from the North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) helped Yeager meet regulatory requirements, including a written Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs).

HACCP is a science-based approach to manufacturing food products. The goal behind the HACCP program is to identify the crucial steps in the manufacturing process and to gain complete control over those places where a danger of microbiological, physical or chemical contamination exists. SSOPs outline the procedures for maintaining overall plant sanitation, including daily cleaning, regularly scheduled maintenance, food handling practices and employee hygiene.

Goehring said 13 North Dakota companies now operate under the State Meat & Poultry Inspection Program. NDDA also inspects 74 custom exempt facilities in the state, which process private game and livestock.

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