Sunday news roundup

It is my experience that the number of daily consumer press stories that are in the orbit of the fresh produce solar system average about 10 a day. Some are more important than others. Here are today highlights from TK Hot Picks (listed below and right).

This story

Government agencies review response to food safety concerns
Source: Sacramento Bee
Lede: National alarm over whether it's safe to eat lettuce and spinach has grown so great that federal officials have set a public hearing Tuesday in Oakland, Calif., to map out the government's response.
Notable quote: "This hearing is a big deal," said Elisa Odabashian, director of the West Coast office of Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. "The FDA knows they need to do something."
Gist: Preview to Tuesday meeting


Farm bill has unusual focus: fruits and veggies
Source: Stephen Hedges, Chicago Tribune
Lede: The building congressional debate over the Bush administration's proposed 2007 farm bill involves something unusual: actual food.This bill puts new emphasis on what the Department of Agriculture calls specialty crops: fruits, vegetables and nuts from trees.
Notable quote: "The specialty crop group has always been tangentially involved, and now we expect to be in the middle of things," said John Keeling, executive vice president and chief executive of the National Potato Council.
Gist: Recounting of specialty crop importance to U.S. ag receipts, nutrition priorities and organic ag. Industry concern noted about the planting flex provision for fruits and vegetables.


House Bill Would Help Growers Of Citrus, Spinach
Source: AP
Lede: California citrus farmers would get $20 million, spinach growers $25 million and salmon fishermen $60.4 million in an emergency war spending bill that passed a House committee Thursday.
Notable quote: None
Gist: Money for citrus and spinach growers part of a $124 billion war spending bill that includes a controversial Iraq troop withdrawl date of Sept. 1. The full House and the Senate have to consider this bill, but California senators will try to keep the money related to damages from January freeze in the bill.


Produce safety procedures that work
Source: Nancy Luna, Orange County Register
Lede: At a recent investor conference, an executive tied to Irvine-based Taco Bell described the company's brush with E. coli as an "opportunity" to develop better farm safety procedures.
Notable quote: "The best way to avoid the carnage of a train wreck is to do everything you can do make sure the wreck never happens," said Steve Lash, director of supply chain management for El Pollo Loco in Irvine.
Gist: This story is one part feature on El Pollo Loco and another on the emerging trend of pathogen testing of produce. Michael Doyle of the University of Georgia is also quoted. This is the second of a three part series.


Local truckers react to new pilot program
Source: William Wilczewski, Nogales International
Lede: In a little more than a month, as many as 100 approved Mexican trucking companies will be able to deliver goods beyond the 25-mile border zone for the first time since 1982.
Notable quote: "We specialize in the produce part of the deal here," explained Chairman of the Greater Nogales and Santa Cruz County Port Authority Terry Shannon Jr., of Shannon Brokerage. "And as you know, fruits and vegetables are highly perishable. Because of that, it's hard for me to picture your average company wanting to set up loads of mangoes from Mazatlan or honeydews from Hermosilla to go straight to Chicago.
Gist: Nogales produce handlers aren't worried about a big shift toward direct shipments from Mexican growing fields to U.S. retailers. One reason: FDA inspections at the border.