Recent high-profile cases of food-borne illness and supply contamination have reinvigorated federal oversight of the safety of the food supply, and the finalized regulations of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act have been released and are now under interpretation and being integrated throughout the industry. At the same time, progressive organizations representing the meat, poultry and egg industries have, in conjunction with the USDA FSIS, integrated high level standards to reduce food-borne pathogens, increasing the quality and safety of the food supply through the use of enhanced technologies and validation systems. As regulations continue to evolve, requiring additional safeguards, quality measures, documentation and validation, organizations require insightful processes and procedures that will ultimately mitigate risks, streamline operating procedures and ensure the safety of food products throughout the supply chain.