For this week’s Lean Trimmings and Herd on the Hill headlines, click here.

Introduction to NMA

National Meat Association has been advocating the interests of the meat industry since 1946, plenty of time to have established a place in the lives of many businesses. Indeed, NMA serves its community well and has become a trusted partner in the meat industry’s ongoing commitment to remain competitive and efficient in the national and international marketplace. NMA isn’t just someone you call on when you’re in trouble; NMA is a proactive association, always at work in Washington and across the nation, making sure that regulations are fairly implemented, that information is evenly distributed and that nothing is overlooked in the drive toward excellence.

NMA provides its members with expert guidance and contact with the people who have the know-how in the industry. Our information services are superb, providing the industry with a weekly newsletter, an award-winning website that is both informative and easy to use, educational seminars accessible to everyone, conventions packed with the best and the brightest speakers, a biennial exposition that has a strong meat industry focus, and teleconferences on emerging topics. Members are kept up to date through blast faxes, resources and e-mail. A crisis hotline waits 24 hours a day to access for help in emergencies.

NMA has a continued presence in Washington, DC, and officially visits the capital city once a year to speak with Senators, Congressmen and USDA in person. NMA’s PAC advocates the industry’s interests. Members of congress receive and read our newsletter, regularly speak at our conferences and know our organization well as a credible source.

NMA is regularly consulted by the press, acting not only as a buffer against hungry news hounds for a busy industry, but also as a means by which members can receive recognition for the good things that they do in their businesses.

National Meat Association is a non-profit trade association with over 600 members throughout the United States, as well as internationally. For its members, NMA is a vanguard, an associate, a lifesaver and a friend.

National Meat Association's mission is to advocate the interests of the meat industry in federal regulatory issues and national  legislation that impacts the industry. Through expert guidance, National Meat Association assists its members to meet the consuming public's expectation for  safe food produced in a competitive market environment. National Meat Association's leaders are selected for their integrity, experience, and caring, their vision and courage to lead, and their conviction to implement the policy of the organization to these ends.

NMA has various membership opportunities:

• General = Any person, firm or corporation engaged in the slaughtering of  livestock or the processing, sale and distribution of meat, poultry, meat food  products and poultry food products or engaged in the wholesaling or jobbing of  meat, poultry, meat food products and poultry food products in the United  States, and has a grant of meat and/or poultry inspection.
• Allied = Any person, firm or corporation engaged primarily in buying,  taking possession and selling meat and meat food products and animal by-products  in the United States.
• Associate = Any person, firm or corporation engaged in supplying  non-meat supplies and equipment, or that brings them into continuing contact  with the industry activities of General Members and Allied Industry Members.
• International = Any person, firm or corporation who would be eligible to  be a General, Allied or Associate Members but for the fact that its operations are carried on outside the United States.
• Student = Any Juniors, Seniors or Graduate Students majoring in Animal/Food/Meat Science in a college or university in the United States.

NMA provides a variety of services for its members including:

• Grass Roots Problem Solving - Case studies show effective results from NMA intervention in crisis situations. Members have publicly thanked NMA for  their "beyond-the-call-of-duty" efforts to pull their businesses back  on their feet.
• Regulatory Guidance - Daily inspection in the meat industry can present  a variety of problems, both big and small. NMA's inspection consulting staff is industry renowned for acting as a liaison between members and key USDA personnel. Since NMA stays on top of regulatory and policy developments that  impact its member firms, knowledgeable assistance is available when members must  appeal adverse policies, regulations or decisions.
• Weekly Newsletter and Publications - Provided weekly to NMA members, Lean Trimmings/Herd on the Hill is considered one of the most timely and thorough newsletters in the industry,  covering a wide range of current events. Back issues are available for viewing on the Back Issues page.  You will also find a link to our latest edition of Heads up for HACCP. NMA also  maintains an extensive library of NMA Resources which address important current issues in the industry.
• Technical Resources - NMA and the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University work together to provide broad  technical/scientific support for NMA members on demand. Members have answers to  their technical questions in meat microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry,  processing, packaging, shelf-life, rapid methods for microbial testing, and  proximate, sensory and textural analyses of meat products at their fingertips with NMA and TAMU.
• Seminars and Workshops - Specialty seminars and workshops are developed throughout the year to meet the need for information and advice on industry issues and concerns. NMA holds its seminars across the United States and often  gears seminars towards the specific interests of a particular region. Topics include: Sanitation SOPs, workplace issues, HACCP, labeling, inspection, and more. To see what seminars are coming soon, click here.
• Audio and Video Tapes - Presentations made at workshops and seminars are often recorded and copies are made available for sale to members. Tape  recordings make it easy to provide staff members with information straight from the industry experts. They are also valuable for those unable to attend one of  NMA's seminars, for the company library, or for future reference. Contact the NMA office to receive an order  form.
• Standing Committees - Committees made up of NMA staff and members  targeting various areas of interest to the membership. Policy Committees  include: Beef, Small Stock, and Processed Meats. Administrative Committees include: Membership, Education, and Associate Advisory. Senior Committees are:  Executive, Strategic Planning, Food Safety and Regulatory, and Workplace Issues.
• Member Advertising Opportunities - NMA members may place free advertisements in the Lean Trimmings supplement “Announcements.” NMA members also have an opportunity to advertise in the annual membership directory, as well as support major NMA events.
• Summer Conference and Board Meeting - NMA's summer conference and board meeting is an annual event featuring business and industry meetings as well as  committee and board meetings. All members are invited to this annual event, held in an enjoyable and relaxing location.
• Annual Convention - NMA's Annual Convention is an annual event featuring in-depth seminars focusing on the ever-changing industry coupled with social activities to meet informally in a network forum.
• Biennial Exposition - NMA's biennial exposition is a quality exhibit of the latest in technology, equipment and services offered by high-powered  supplier firms. This event also provides an networking forum to make important contacts and establish business relations.
• Annual Membership Directory - Updated annually and issued each November,  this NMA's Membership Directory is a concise listing of all NMA members. Firms  are also listed by business classification and by location to provide a wealth  of information in one convenient, easy to use publication. Also included are academic contacts and USDA personnel contacts.
• Insurance and Benefits Programs - NMA members have the opportunity to participate in NMA's group workers compensation program and get competitive quotes for medical and liability insurance coverage. Participating members all  receive the latest summaries of Compensation & Benefits Surveys which are  updated annually.
• Scholarship and Internship Programs - Annually, the NMA Scholarship Foundation awards merit-based scholarship grants to outstanding students majoring in  animal/meat/food science or related agriculture engineering. NMA's internship  program helps member companies and students come together for summer internships  which provide students with valuable industry exposure.
• Electronic Access - NMA offers valuable resources to members via its website. NMA is accessible by e-mail at [email protected] and is also established here on the World Wide Web.