This and that

Two irradiation plants being built in Pakistan should be done in February- can mangoes be far behind?

Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley thinks the FDA should stop worrying about trace back and use irradiation at the source to kill pathogens. Vegetable pasteurisation, so to say.

This link to a NY Times piece, "The Vegetable Industrial Complex", wonders if FDA action to clean up the produce industry will get rid of the little guys. If it means meeting HACCP standards, that indeed may be the unintended result.

The produce industry's one-time Congressional advocate and now Food Products Association leader Cal Dooley is quoted in this story about the rising demand for ethanol and the impact on food prices.

"The Gatekeeper" sounds like a horror novel by Stephen King, but this story about nutritional gatekeepers - i.e., parents. A poll finds that parents think they control about 72% of the food their children eat, but the perception is that they are slipping in authority. Researchers mention how dinner time is when the Gatekeeper can reassert control and boost f/v intake. Also, increasing access to fruits and vegetables is key to promoting healthier habits.

Politicians who attack Wal-Mart do so at their own peril, according to this story about a poll in Ohio and Florida.

Wal-Mart announces that its global procurement chief is leaving the company. The retailer is under pressure to grow sales, so analysts say turnover at the top is not surprising.

This story goes behind the headlines of the Miami port terror scare and revisits concerns about terrorism in the trucking industry. Another report talks about trucking company resistance to the cost of state and national security cards for drivers.

The new proposal from the Governator in California to expand health insurance is sketched here. The LA Times says the plan, announced today, will mandate employers with 10 workers or more to buy insurance for their workers or pay a fee of 4% of their payroll into a program to help provide coverage for the uninsured. I saw no stated exemptions for growers in this report.

This story talks about school wellness policies and notes the demise of cupcake-dominated class parties in favor more healthy food.

Lure of avocados

The Packer's Andy Nelson does a great job with crop stories, and they are among the highest read parts of the publication. Check out his work on avocados. Also, here is a price comparison with last year that shows a slight price shortfall compared with year-ago levels, and monthly imports of a variety of fruits.

Consumer risks and behavior

This USDA study examines how consumer behavior was changed by BSE findings in cattle during 2003 and by extension, what implications can be drawn for other foods.
Not much definitive here, just the assertions that news must be "news" to consumers before they revise they way they act. "Information might have to be at odds with what consumers believe to have an impact on risk perceptions," the report said.

This industry seems to be in dire need a big poll on consumer attitudes about fresh produce and food safety. That's one reason why an industry funded "Center for Produce Quality"-like group to address consumer concerns should be seriously considered by the boards of United, PMA, and Western Growers.

Talking with John McClung today, he recalled the days when he at United and Bryan Silbermann at PMA were kept busy with the original incarnation of the Center for Produce Quality. Back then, it was the roiling wake of Alar and the confusion of allegedly tainted Chilean grapes. Now the worry is pathogens on produce, but an equally vigorous industry response is warranted.

Two bills

One of the blog's readers passes along this link to a bill introduced by Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y. The bill would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to community organizations with the purpose of increasing access to fruits and vegetables. Note the comment on Buyers' letter Part 2 that also refers to a food safety-oriented bill just introduced by Rep. José Serrano, D-N.Y. That bill H.R. 215, would require consumers to be notified if food products were produced on land where sewage sludge was applied.

It chaps me

Why not start Monday with this theme: "It chaps me." No explanation necessary, except for our readers in U.K., Netherlands and France, of which our site meter tells us we have a handful. "Chaps" does not refer to the fellows at university, it refers to being peeved or annoyed.

Here is my offering.

I sent in a Freedom of Information request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service more than a month ago and still have not heard from them. I requested what would seem to be fairly straightforward data. What are the statistics for the last five years for the number of terminal market inspections performed by AMS Fresh Products Branch? I haven't heard yet and it chaps me.

If your equanimity is undisturbed, leave a message on this post (anonymous or not) and tell us what you do and where you are reading this blog from.

Cheers!