2 Appointments Made at the USDA

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue made two key appointments this week to help fulfill the vital mission of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply. 

Perdue announced that Carmen Rottenberg was selected as Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety and Paul Kiecker was named Acting Administrator for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). 

The two will serve in those capacities until presidential nominees are confirmed by the Senate for those roles.

“Ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply is our most important responsibility, and it’s one we undertake with great seriousness," Perdue said.  

"Both Carmen and Paul have dedicated their careers to the mission of food safety and I am pleased to have appointed them to these important roles within the USDA,” said Perdue. “I commend the work of the entire USDA’s food safety team for painstakingly safeguarding the food we serve our families every single day.”

Rottenberg will oversee development, implementation and enforcement of all of FSIS regulations, policies, and programs. This appointment follows nearly six years in leadership roles in the FSIS Office of the Administrator, including serving as Chief of Staff, Chief Operating Officer and, most recently, Deputy Administrator.

In those leadership roles, Rottenberg executed a budget of over $1 billion, prioritizing resources and resolving disputes, advancing the agency’s vision and goals, and leading innovative solutions to challenges in FSIS.  

She spearheaded strategic planning at FSIS and implemented numerous initiatives to strategically move the agency forward. Rottenberg implemented two major reorganizations, leading to a more streamlined, efficient agency better positioned to carry out its food safety mission.  

Through her leadership and oversight, an early governance process matured into an established systematic approach to agency decision-making, resulting in more deliberative, science-based decisions that consider enterprise-wide risks and benefits. Rottenberg led the very successful i-Impact initiative, which has increased the awareness of and engagement in FSIS’s public health mission by the more than 9,000 employees throughout the Agency.

Rottenberg has a bachelor's degree in political science and philosophy from Hope College in Holland, MI and a law degree from American University’s Washington College of Law.

Kiecker has been with FSIS for 29 years and is committed to a strong public health vision that has guided him to overcome obstacles, identify opportunities for improvement, manage resources efficiently, and achieve food safety objectives to prevent foodborne illness.

Since joining FSIS in 1988 as a food inspector, Kiecker has served in a number of roles at the agency, most recently as Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Field Operations. He came to Washington, D.C. to serve as Executive Associate for Regulatory Operations, after serving as the District Manager in Springdale, AR and Madison, WI, as well as Deputy District Manager in Madison, WI.  

Kiecker’s experience with FSIS also includes work with the Office of Investigation, Enforcement, and Audit, where he has served as a Compliance Investigator and as Supervisory Compliance Officer.

In his various positions with FSIS, Kiecker has played a critical role in leading external coordination with other federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, international organizations, and law enforcement agencies.  

He also has had oversight responsibility for strategic planning, policy formulation and implementation, budget development and execution, human resource management, and day-to-day inspection operations.

Cornell Professor Wins Food, Plant Genetics Award

From Cornell University:

Edward Buckler and Dean Kathryn Boor

Plant geneticist Edward Buckler of Cornell University received the inaugural Food and Agriculture Sciences Prize from the National Academy of Sciences April 30 in Washington D.C. 

The award recognizes his transformative research on agricultural crops crucial to global food security.

Buckler, a research geneticist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service and adjunct professor of plant breeding and genetics at the Institute for Genomic Diversity at Cornell University, is a pioneer in genomics and statistical genetics to improve the resiliency and nutritional value of agricultural crops. 

The $100,000 prize recognizes research by a midcareer scientist at a U.S. institution who has made an extraordinary contribution to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production.

The prize was established to elevate food and agriculture research in the scientific arena and highlight the critical need for scientists working toward more productive, sustainable agriculture and better health through nutritious food.

“My scientific ambition has been to improve human lives and reduce the environmental impact of agriculture by creating better crops,” said Buckler. “This award reflects the vital work conducted by teams of scientists as we harness powerful tools to explore the natural diversity of crops, and work to ensure food security across the globe.”

Buckler’s lab uses statistical genetics to spearhead genome-wide association studies in crops such as maize, cassava, grapes and biofuel grasses. 

For the past two decades, his cutting-edge research has been key in identifying genes responsible for variation in some of the world’s most important crops. His findings have made it possible for plant breeders to more efficiently select for traits like yield and the nutritional value in crops vital to human health.

Kathryn J. Boor, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said, “Agricultural research has never been more vital as our rapidly expanding human population confronts the environmental disruption caused by climate change. The work of Ed Buckler is bolstering agricultural crops and advancing scientific discovery essential to the lives of billions of people.”

His landmark explorations of the maize genome have uncovered ways to use the natural genetic diversity to improve productivity, sustainability and nutrition. 

In one study, Buckler and his team identified natural variation key for making maize varieties with 15 times more vitamin-A. The findings are helping to address a key driver of global malnutrition in developing countries.

He and his group also focus on other critical issues related to global food security, such as hybrid vigor, local adaptation, drought tolerance and disease resistance.

Due to its affordability and effectiveness, Buckler’s approach to analyzing natural genomic diversity has reached far beyond his lab. His methods are used to research more than 1,000 different species and have influenced how the human genome is studied. 

To make their work even more accessible to the scientific community, he and his group also developed original open-source software now used by thousands of research groups around the world.

The NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences is endowed through gifts from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Webinar on Food Safety Modernization Act Set for Dec. 20

A seminar about the Food Safety Modernization act is coming up.

Read more about it at http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/farm-credit-east-hosts-webinar-on-food-safety-modernization-act--20161213 this link.

USDA Proposes Amending Nutrition Label Regulations for Meat, Poultry

From the USDA:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service Dec. 1 proposed a critical step in ensuring that consumers have updated nutritional information for meat and poultry products, helping Americans make better informed decisions when purchasing meat and poultry products.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service is proposing to amend the nutrition labeling regulations for meat and poultry products to parallel the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's final nutrition regulations, which were published May 27.

The proposed rule will improve the presentation of nutrition information to assist consumers in maintaining healthy dietary practices.

"This new rule will provide more transparency on nutrition labels so that American consumers can make informed decisions about the foods they eat and feed their families," said Alfred Almanza, Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA. "The new nutrition facts panel will complement the many other proactive, prevention-based food policies that we've put in place in recent years."

Specifically, the Food Safety and Inspection Service is proposing to:

• Update the list of nutrients that are required or permitted to be declared;
• Provide updated Daily Reference Values and Reference Daily Intake values that are based on current dietary recommendations from consensus reports;
• Amend the labeling requirements for foods represented or purported to be specifically for children under the age of 4 years and pregnant women and lactating women and establish nutrient reference values specifically for these population subgroups;
• Revise the format and appearance of the Nutrition Facts label;
• Amend the definition of a single-serving container;
• Require dual-column labeling for certain containers;
• Update and modify several reference amounts customarily consumed (reference amounts); and
• Consolidate the nutrition labeling regulations for meat and poultry products into a new Code of Federal Regulations part.

The proposal may be viewed on the FSIS website at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/a8674ea1-0c26-4bf3-8413-43b6551c0680/2014-0024.pdf?MOD=AJPERES this link.

Expert Presents Department of Agriculture Funded Research on Food Security

Check out this story about food security and safety from The Daily Orange at SU.

Go to http://dailyorange.com/2016/09/expert-presents-department-of-agriculture-funded-research-on-food-security/ to see the story.

New York Farm Bureau Lists National Priorities for 2016

From New York Farm Bureau:

New York Farm Bureau leaders met with members of New York’s congressional delegation this week in Washington, DC to discuss the organization’s member-approved national public policy priorities for 2016.

Following the visits, New York Farm Bureau President Dean Norton and Elizabeth Wolters, NYFB’s associate director of national affairs, held a press conference call with reporters this morning to publicly unveil the priorities. 

The priorities are:


GMO LABELING

New York’s visit was timely with next week’s expected markup of Sen. Pat Robert’s bill that would establish national standards for the labeling of products that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). 

GMO labeling is an important issue in New York state as a proposed bill looks to create a statewide label for ingredients created with the assistance of biotechnology. This disregards the clear scientific evidence that shows the food is just as safe and nutritious as ingredients bred using more traditional methods. 

New York Farm Bureau opposes a statewide approach because it would create a patchwork of labeling laws that would prove costly for New York farmers and consumers alike.  Because of the concern, New York Farm Bureau is supportive of Sen. Robert’s bill.

The chairman’s proposal is centered on a strong foundation to protect interstate commerce and prevent state-by-state labeling laws. It will direct USDA to initiate formal rulemaking to set definitions and standards for the labeling of products that may contain ingredients derived from agricultural biotechnology. The bill also contains an educational component to inform consumers about the safety of GMOs.

REGULATIONS

New York Farm Bureau has long been in opposition to proposed changes to the Clean Water Act that members believe broaden the jurisdiction from navigable waters to also including dry land. 

The new “Waters of the U.S.” rule will vastly increase the scope of the Clean Water Act and put an undue burden and more regulatory control on farmers and their land with no benefit to the environment.

Both houses of Congress voted in a bipartisan fashion to repeal the rule. Unfortunately, the President vetoed the measure. 

That doesn’t mean this issue is settled.  The Sixth Circuit Court has issued a stay based on legal concerns. While it works its way through the legal system, New York Farm Bureau will continue to work with Congress to find a solution on the matter along with advocating for more comprehensive regulatory reform.

New York Farm Bureau also was successful this year at the American Farm Bureau Federation national meeting in Orlando, FL to pass a resolution in the national policy book related to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.   

New York Farm Bureau supports allowing third party accredited individuals as well as Natural Resources Conservation Service staff to complete wetland determinations. This will help to reduce the amount of time farmers have to wait to have a determination completed. Currently, the delays of up to a year hinder what farmers can do with their land.

IMMIGRATION REFORM

New York Farm Bureau has long been saying we need a stable workforce on our farms or else the rural economy and our local food supply will ultimately suffer. 

Despite the political climate in Washington and the current presidential campaign, immigration reform remains a top priority for New York Farm Bureau. It is time to end the immigration stalemate and pass reform legislation that addresses short and long-term farm labor needs.
Because of the unlikelihood of that happening in 2016, New York Farm Bureau is changing its focus this year to look for reforming the H2A seasonal guest worker program. This includes modernizing the application process to use electronic submissions as opposed to the current paper applications that must be mailed to the U.S. Department of Labor. 

In addition, New York Farm Bureau is looking for opportunities to open up the H2A program to dairy farmers who need help year round.

Until this is completed, New York Farm Bureau will work with Congress to minimize negative impacts of farm labor shortages and will oppose a mandatory E-Verify program unless and until a new comprehensive agricultural guest-worker program is in place to provide farmers with workforce security.

FOOD SAFETY RULES

Food safety is another top priority for New York Farm Bureau. The FDA is in the process of implementing new food safety rules as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act and New York Farm Bureau is monitoring the implementation, particularly those dealing with produce and animal feed, and will be working with the FDA to balance the compliance burden with an actual public health benefit.

Federal money should also be used to provide adequate training of inspectors and provide for inspections for foreign farms. The United States must ensure foreign farms and the goods that they produce are held to the same standards so as not to make domestic farms non-competitive and offshore our food production. 

If we are to be able to compete on the world market place, our farmers’ hands cannot be tied by our own rules and food should be safe regardless of where it comes from. 

TRADE

With a growing export market for a number of things that we produce in New York, New York Farm Bureau will continue to support the next generation of trade negotiations that remove unscientific barriers and high tariffs and provide new opportunities for our farms. 

This includes the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership  agreement with the European Union.

The Pacific agreement is expected to increase cash receipts and net exports from New York by $111.4 million and $66.2 million per year, respectively. It is estimated the increased marketing opportunities for New York’s farmers and ranchers will add more than 500 jobs to the New York economy.

New Federal Standards Finalized to Reduce Poultry Foodborne Illnesses

From the office of U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service finalized new federal standards that will reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses from poultry. 

The new standards are targetd at Salmonella and Campylobacter in chicken parts and ground chicken and turkey products. The Food Safety and Inspection Service will use these new pathogen standards to assess the food safety performance of establishments that process these types of poultry products. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that Salmonella and Campylobacter cause nearly two million foodbome illnesses, 27,500 hospitalizations, and over 450 deaths each year. Further, the CDC reports current food safety regulations have not reduced the number of illnesses caused by Salmonella since 2000.

U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Dianne Feinstein and Dick Durbin, in announcing the new standards, said they have pushed for updated and improved pathogen standards to better match the variety of poultry products consumers purchase today. 

The new pathogen standards, sampling methods, and public notification regarding food company performance will provide a more thorough assessment of a company’s food safety system and whether additional measures to ensure food safety are needed.

The new standards will require Salmonella contamination rates of no more than 25 percent for ground chicken and no more than 13.5 percent for ground turkey. In contrast, the old standards allow 44.6 percent contamination for ground chicken and 49.9 percent for ground turkey.

For chicken parts, the standards will require Salmonella contamination rates of no more than 15.4 percent and Campylobacter contamination rates of no more than 7.7 percent. The standards also will require Campylobacter contamination rates of no more than 1.9 percent for ground chicken and no more than 1.9 percent for ground turkey. Previously, there were no federal standards for pathogens in chicken parts or for Campylobacter in ground chicken and turkey.

As part of their ongoing efforts to improve food safety, the senators have also asked the USDA to update pathogen standards for beef and pork products.

Tech Valley High Students Visit State Food Laboratory

From the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:

Tech Valley High School students tour the state Food Laboratory Feb. 11.

Students from Tech Valley High School in Albany today (Feb. 11) visited the New York State Food Laboratory as part of their I-term experience.

More than a dozen students got an up-close look inside the state-of-the-art research and testing labs as part of their I-term experience, which allows the students to learn first-hand about careers at businesses and non-profits in the Capital Region.

Thursday morning, students toured the New York Food Laboratory, which provides expert, analytical testing capacity in the areas of microbiology and chemistry to support food safety and security programs, as well as protect consumer and agricultural interests in New York state.  

The Food Lab collaborates with federal and state organizations like the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state Department of Health’s Wadsworth Laboratory.  

In 2015, more than 20,000 food and pesticide samples were analyzed in the New York State Food Laboratory, leading to nearly 240 recalls of adulterated food products.

Students were able to get a first-hand look at the testing methods of food and beverage samples for specific health hazards, purity of a food product and accuracy of labeling. 

The visit to the New York State Food Laboratory builds on Tech Valley High School’s I-term experiences this semester. Tech Valley High School is a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)-based school, and the tour helped the students learn about the Department’s involvement in innovative, high-tech research and testing.

I-term is an annual project that gives Tech Valley High School students the opportunity to explore their interests and gain experiential learning in careers first-hand. The program is designed to foster direct workplace interaction between students and professionals to give students a realistic understanding of an industry or field of study. I-term starts freshman year and scaffolds to build in complexity over four years.

For more information about the Department of Agriculture and Markets’ New York State Food Laboratory, visit http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/FL/FLHome.html, and for the Bureau of Weights and Measures, go to  http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/WM/WMHome.html.

Animals Used for Meat Don't Have Antibiotics in Them

Read this story from Food Insight to see that it is all marketing hype when a company comes out stating "we are no longer going to use animals treated with antibiotics" at our restaurants or stores.

Go to http://www.foodinsight.org/human-animal-antibiotics-food-safety#sthash.XYLisvow.wSWC50vF.dpbs to check out the story.

New York State Ag Experiment Station in Geneva Obtaining Equpment for Food Safety

The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva is receiving $600,000 in state funding for new food processing equipment.

The Ithaca Journal reports the money was used to purchase a Hiperbaric 55 High Pressure Processing machine, which uses high pressure instead of high temperatures to eliminate food-borne pathogens.

Officials say the new machine, unveiled Monday, will bring a higher quality to foods in addition to enhanced safety through its more effective elimination of germs.
 
The technology will be beneficial for the grape industry in addition to producers of dairy products.
 
Cornell President Elizabeth Garrett says the machine will enable researchers to "open new frontiers for food safety."

Produce Growers Should Wait 24 Hours After Rain to Harvest Crops

From Cornell University:

To protect consumers from foodborne illness, produce farmers should wait 24 hours after a rain or irrigating their fields to harvest crops, according to new research published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Rain or irrigation creates soil conditions that are more hospitable to Listeria monocytogenes, which when ingested may cause the human illness Listeriosis. Waiting to harvest crops reduces the risk of exposure to the pathogen, which could land on fresh produce.

Cornell scientists, along with other agricultural researchers from around the country, are conducting more food safety research in order to set rules, standards and guidelines for the Food Safety Modernization Act, which became law in 2011.

“We’re looking at the science that helps governmental entities, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and private entities create policies that keep our food supply safe,” said Daniel Weller, a doctoral student in the field of food science and the lead author of the new work, “Spatial and Temporal Factors Associated With an Increased Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in New York State Spinach Fields.” 

The other authors are Martin Wiedmann, Cornell’s Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety, and Laura Strawn, assistant professor at Virginia Tech.

Factors such as proximity of a field location to water and other landscape features also play important roles in the presence of Listeria. 

The researchers tested fields in a variety of locations throughout New York and found that after rains or irrigation, the chances of finding Listeria were 25 times greater. But, after the fields dried at least 24 hours, the chances of detecting Listeria dropped dramatically, to levels similar to baseline.

Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed rules allowing farmers to apply “wait periods” after application of irrigation water. This would allow for “potentially dangerous microbes to die off,” said the FDA.

Through a combination of weather data, GIS technology and data driven information, technology allows farmers and producers to take a systems approach managing food safety.

“Current technology tools are improving food safety and increasing consumer confidence in food products,” Wiedmann said.

The Center for Produce Safety funded this research.

Cornell University Awarded Food Safety Grants

Cornell University is receiving nearly $1 million in grants from the U.s. Department of Agriculture to study and research food safety issues.

Here are the two grants awarded to Cornell:

Cornell University, Ithaca
$479,764  |  Examine the significance of water films and droplets on the initial retention and attachment of foodborne pathogens to the surface of fresh produce and explore potential steps to modify conditions of the initial attachment process so that pathogens can be washed off more easily.

Cornell University
$499, 997  |  Execute a three-pronged, interdisciplinary, mechanistic approach involving engineering modeling, microfluids, and microbiology validation to study active and passive attachment and internalization at produce surfaces during exposure to contaminated water during irrigation/washing, as well as passive infiltration into produce from hydro- and vacuum-cooling.

These were part of nearly $19 million in grants announced Tuesday by USDA. The 36 food safety grants are aimed at research that will protect consumers from food issues.

New York Farm Bureau Lists its National Agenda

While in Washington, DC meeting with members of the state’s congressional delegation, New York Farm Bureau released its national public policy priorities for the year. 

The agenda originated at the grassroots level and is member approved.

IMMIGRATION REFORM

Immigration reform remains a top priority for the state’s farmers and their employees. NYFB has long pushed for a flexible guest-worker visa program that addresses both seasonal and long-term needs of New York agriculture.  

There is of special concern as the House of Representatives is looking to move ahead with an enforcement only action that American Farm Bureau Federation estimates could cost the country’s farmers as much as $60 billion and raise food prices by 5 percent to 6 percent. New York Farm Bureau is calling for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that also takes agricultural labor needs into account.

“We need a stable workforce on our farms that benefits the rural economy and the local food supply,” said NYFB President Dean Norton during the conference call with reporters. “It must be comprehensive. Enforcement-only reforms put the chicken before the egg so to speak. They all need to go together.”

FOOD SAFETY

The implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is also a public policy priority. New York’s farmers already participate in a host of food safety programs and audits, but the Food and Drug Administration is instituting new food safety rules. 

This past year NYFB submitted comments to the FDA over its planned rollout of FSMA.  NYFB is pleased many of the concerns were addressed relating to proposed requirements for animal feed and the commodity value threshold that would trigger the new regulations on an individual farm. 

However, there are additional changes that NYFB would like to see before the rules take effect. This includes reworking the unscientific standards FDA has established for irrigation water.  The organization will continue to work with the FDA and fellow stakeholders so the final rules address the real risks that exist and can be successfully implemented on our farms. In the end, both public health and agriculture will benefit.

CLEAN WATER ACT EXPANSION

New York Farm Bureau has long been in opposition to proposed changes to the Clean Water Act that it believe broadens the jurisdiction from navigable waters to dry land. This month farmers had a partial victory in their campaign when the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers withdrew their interpretive rule as mandated by both Congress and the President.  

Contrary to what the agencies had claimed, the farm exemptions provided in the Interpretive Rule actually narrowed “normal farming and ranching” exemptions by imposing burdensome new requirements for farmers and ranchers.

NYFB will continue to advocate for the repeal of the full rule through Congressional action to stop the EPA and the Army Corps from expanding federal jurisdiction onto New York farms.

FARM BILL IMPLEMENTATION

NYFB has been closely monitoring the USDA’s rollout of the 2014 Farm Bill. It is imperative the new programs and expanded crop insurance follow the intent of the law that was passed.

Nearly half of the dairy farms in New York state have signed up for the new Margin Protection Program. This will offer a safety net should dropping milk prices fall below a selected margin, which is the gap between the price of milk and the cost of feed. Over the past few months, lower milk prices have underscored the need for effective risk management.   

NYFB will work with lawmakers to insure that it is meeting the needs as it was intended.

The organization will also review the development of new and enhanced programs for specialty crops, including the NAP buy-up crop insurance program.

TRADE

With a growing export market for a number of things that farmers produce in New York, New York Farm Bureau will continue to support the next generation of trade negotiations that remove unscientific barriers and high tariffs and provide new opportunities for our farms.

This includes renewing the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). It is imperative that the White House and Congress be on the same page during trade negotiations.  Swift passage in Congress without additional individual member amendments to already negotiated pacts is essential to having successful trade policy.

NYFB also will continue to oppose limitations based on the use of geographic indicators. New York is a big dairy producing state, but if farms and cooperatives can’t market cheeses based on how they are known around the world, like parmesan for instance, this will put New York products at a serious competitive disadvantage.

LOCAL FOOD AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS

NYFB’s final top priority will be to support additional funding for school and local food purchasing programs, food infrastructure initiatives and food-based entrepreneurship programs.  

Funding for these was allocated in the Farm Bill and it serves many important needs. For one, it connects farmers with those who often have limited access to healthy food, including children and seniors in low income communities or urban food deserts. 

Not only do these programs put food on the table but they also support local farms in New York. 

This priority also includes efforts to increase farmer food donations. Last year, New York’s farmers donated a record amount of food, more than 10 million pounds, to regional food banks across the state. NYFB would like to see that climb even higher.

Its members support the Fighting Hunger Incentive Tax Act that would help offset the costs of harvesting, packaging and transporting the food to the donation site. Corporations, like big box stores, receive a similar tax credit for food donations, and they are not the ones actually growing the food.

“We want to encourage greater donations and provide an important source of fresh, local food for low-income New Yorkers who may not have access to this food otherwise,’ said Elizabeth Wolters, NYFB’s associate director of national affairs. “It’s a win-win for our communities and our farms.”

“New York agriculture is a large part of the state’s economy. Over $5 billion in direct farm receipts and more than 200,000 jobs are created by agriculture," said farm bureau President Norton. "These issues are important to us as we strive to move the economy forward. We look forward to working with our congressional representatives to make sure that happens for us on the national level.”

ICYMI: What Farmers are Saying about GMOs

This is from the Coalition for Safe and Affordable Food:

A hot topic grabbing headlines recently is GMOs.  The technology behind GMOs is fairly new, quite sophisticated and basically misunderstood by the masses. Many consumers view GMOs with suspicion and even fear, and there is plenty of misinformation on the Internet to fuel these emotions. However, there are potential benefits to this technology that may be surprising to some people:  Farmers using GMO crops report using substantially less pesticides, water and fuel. GMO technology has enormous potential for solving some of our world's big problems – such as increasing production to feed a growing world population, or delivering key nutrients to third-world countries. Consumers should be aware that GMOs have been tested for safety, and a recent review of 1,783 high-quality research studies concluded that they are safe. While that's reassuring, there still remains uncertainty over why GMOs are used in the first place, and how they might impact our environment. For these questions, it's best to talk to farmers. Jennie Schmidt, Maryland farmer Schmidt is a registered dietitian who also works on her family farm in Maryland, growing many types of crops – including GMO corn and soybean – alongside non-GMO crops. Her farm is progressive, continuously trying out new forms of technology in order to strengthen and protect the family business. Schmidt explains that her GMO crops have a higher yield than the non-GMO crops, but the real benefit comes from savings in time, labor, fuel and wear and tear on her machinery. "All those things combined are very meaningful to a family farm,” she notes. [Read: GMOs: A Breakthrough or Breakdown in U.S. Agriculture?] Ken Kamiya, Hawaii farmer In some cases, GMO technology has saved family businesses. Papaya farming is a prime example. Kamiya is president of Kamiya Gold, Inc, and he notes that “without GMO technology, there would be no papaya business, and I would be out of farming." Kamiya’s family has been growing papayas for the past 40 years, with the past 16 years using GMO papaya. His confidence in the safety of his product is rock solid, and he points out that the papaya industry has marketed roughly 400 million pounds of papaya since the introduction of GMO technology, without a single negative incident. Katie Pratt, Illinois farmer The decision to use a GMO seed is not one that farmers make lightly. According to Pratt, her family uses GMO crops because of the clear value they bring to their family business. They have greatly reduced the amount of insecticide that needs to be sprayed, and they only need to treat the weeds at one point, not several times over a growing season. Her soil has now improved, because she and her family don't have to tromp through the fields as often. The family also uses less fuel, because they spend less time in the tractor. “No one is more aware than the farmer of the impact we have on the environment, in addition to the urgency to feed and fuel a growing population, while reducing our footprint on the planet,” she maintains. [Read: 11 Health Habits that Will Help You Live to 100.] Kevin Rogers, Arizona farmer Sustainability is a word not often associated with GMOs in popular press, but farmers who grow GMO crops see them as a tool for sustainable farming. According to Rogers, if it were not for GMO technology, the cotton industry in Arizona would not be thriving or sustainable. The pest that was destroying Arizona cotton crops was winning, and it was costing farmers more money to fight that pest than the crop was worth. GMO cotton has produced plants that resist the pest, and according to Rogers, it “has allowed farms in Arizona to be sustainable over the long haul. This technology allows us to produce more product on the same footprint, with less expense.” Jay Schultz, Canadian farmer Farmers use many different tools to manage a healthy, sustainable farm. Farming involves weed management, insect control and the wise use of resources in order for a farm to thrive as a business. Schultz notes that farmers take the issues of health and environmental safety very seriously when choosing farm management tools. “As a farmer, I would not produce anything that I am not willing to serve to my own family," he says. "Farmers work very closely with the environment, and I want to leave the land in better condition than when I found it. I want to create more with using less, with less impact on the environment. GMOs are an invaluable technology to help achieve this end goal.”

New USDA Testing Improves Safeguards Against Salmonella in Beef

From the USDA:

As grilling season heats up, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is enhancing our food safety testing program for ground beef. 

While FSIS has a range of safeguards to reduce E. coli in ground beef, this summer we will begin new testing to improve the safeguards against Salmonella as well. Salmonella is commonly found in ground beef and, in fact, caused an illness outbreak in January 2013 in six states.

Salmonella is an especially difficult bacteria for food safety experts to address because it is so prevalent in almost all food sources.
Recognizing that we need more information about the prevalence of Salmonella in ground beef to better prevent food-borne illness, FSIS is “super-sizing” our pathogen testing program to include Salmonella every time our laboratories test for E. coli in samples of ground beef and ground beef sources. Because the samples taken for E. coli testing are much larger than those we have taken in the past for Salmonella, there is higher likelihood that we will be able to detect the bacteria if it is present.

Once FSIS has collected enough data about the prevalence of Salmonella in ground beef, we will create a new standard to encourage ground beef processors to strengthen their Salmonella controls, resulting in safer products and fewer foodborne illnesses. The data collection process will take some time, but it is critical that the new standard is supported by meaningful data. 

Of course, we will continue to analyze any positive samples for multi-drug resistance and specific serotypes to determine whether they are contributing to human illnesses.

Salmonella is the most urgent issue facing FSIS when it comes to protecting consumers and it is why we developed our Salmonella Action Plan. This plan details our strategy for reducing the number of Salmonella-related illnesses, and this enhancement to our sampling and testing programs is part of that comprehensive effort. 

Another part of our war on Salmonella is encouraging consumers to take steps to protect themselves from illnesses, including cooking all ground beef to 160 °F (poultry should be cooked to 165 °F). For more information on ways to keep your family Salmonella-free this summer, we invite you to check out FoodSafety.gov or AskKaren.gov before your next cook out.

Food Safety Tips for Holiday Meals

Check out these food safety tips from the USDA. Let's be safe out there on Thanksgiving.

Study: Consumers Wants Negative Info on Food Labels

From Cornell University:

It’s no surprise that labels are becoming the “go to” place when people have questions about how food is produced.

 

But new Cornell University research finds that consumers crave more information, especially for the potentially harmful ingredients that aren’t included in the product.

 

The laboratory study of 351 shoppers found consumers willing to pay a premium when a product label says “free of” something, but only if the package includes “negative” information on whatever the product is “free of.”

 

For example, a food labeled “free of" a food dye will compel some consumers to buy that product. But even more people will buy that product if that same label also includes information about the risks of ingesting such dyes.

 

“What did surprise us was the effect of supplementary information,” said Harry M. Kaiser, a Cornell professor whose field of study includes product labeling. “Even seemingly negative information was valued over just the label itself.”

 

When provided more information about ingredients, consumers are more confident about their decisions and value the product more, Kaiser said.

 

Published earlier this month as “Consumer Response to ‘Contains’ and ‘Free of’ Labeling” in the journal, Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, the Cornell study might interest CEOs of food-processing companies, government policy makers and American consumers alike.

 

Other authors of the journal article were Jura Liaukonyte, Nadia A. Streletskaya and Bradley J. Rickard, all of the Dyson School. The study was supported by internal funds from Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

 

Will Food Safety Rules Bankrupt Small Farmers?

Interesting story.

Check it out http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-slama/food-safety-rules_b_4235080.html at this link.

Staphylococcus Found in Cheese Sold in Westchester County

News from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:


New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets Acting Commissioner James B. Bays, today warned consumers not to consume Emperador Farm Queso Fresco “Fresh Cheese” made by Emperador Farm Inc. of East Chatham, NY, due to possible Staphylococcus aureus contamination.

The recalled fresh Spanish-style cheese is sold in 1-pound plastic tub packages. The manufacturer presented on the package is:  Emperador Farm Inc., 667 Frisbee St., East Chatham, NY  12060. The package labels do not bear a lot code. All production lots of product containing this label, are being recalled.  The product was distributed to stores in Westchester County.

A routine sample of the cheese, taken by an inspector from the Department’s Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services on October 28, 2013 was subsequently tested by the New York State Food Laboratory and discovered to be contaminated with high levels of Staphylococcus aureus.  On October 30, 2013, the manufacturer was notified of the positive test result and voluntarily recalled the product.   

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that usually causes rapid food poisoning symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, retching, abdominal cramping and prostration.  In more severe cases, headache, muscle cramping and transient changes in blood pressure and pulse may occur.  Recovery generally takes two days.  All people are susceptible.  Death is very rare, however such cases have occurred among the elderly, infants and severely debilitated persons.

Consumers who have purchased the Emperador Farm Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese should return the product to the place of purchase or discard it.

Webinars on Food Safety Planned

Go to http://farmprogress.com/story-fruit-veggie-growers-catch-usda-food-safety-webinars-0-103911-nl_26_nlr_97?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=28+October+2013 to see the list of webinars.