Field hearing on food safety

Monday could be a big day for regulatory news about produce safety. United's Tom Stenzel will testify at a U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee field hearing in Verona, Wisc.

Along with Stenzel, FDA officials and other stakeholders will give their input(see witness list below). Expect to hear details from the FDA about what "strong federal oversight" may look like - and perhaps even an indication from FDA what new funding and authority will be required from Congress.

Here is the info about the hearing:

The Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration,
and Related Agencies will meet in open session at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, March 12,
2007, at the West Madison Agricultural Research Center, Verona, WI.
The program includes: Hearing to discuss food safety.
Witnesses:
Panel 1:
Dr. Pat Verduin, Sr. Vice President, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, GMA/FPA
Mr. Thomas Stenzel, President and CEO, United Fresh Produce Association
Ms. Caroline Smith DeWaal, Director, Program on Food Safety, Center for Science in
the Public Interest
Dr. Michael Pariza, Director, Food Research Institute, Madison, WI
Panel 2:
The Honorable Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration
Dr. Robert Brackett, Director, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety
and Applied Nutrition

Must....stop

At some point in time - I have no idea when - I will stop tweaking the links in my blog. However, as usual, I did make a few changes in some links. You will find that my TK Hot Picks links to hot ag and fruit and vegetable related stories; this entire list will turn over every couple of days, so be sure to check it out when you visit. I reserve the right to throw in the occasional oddball story.

I've also added several other links under Government Links. Two provide research and reports policymakers rely on: the Congressional Research Service and the Government Accountability Office. Another link is from the Environmental Working Group's Farm Subsidy Database, which is a public record of subsidies received by farmers.
Another Web resource is opensecrets.org - a good source to use to follow the money in politics.

The first step is admitting I have a problem....

America's Second Harvest and more

Rick Bella, director of purchasing for America's Second Harvest, shared this encouraging news with his network partners last Thursday...

What can a network of over 200 wonderful food banks do in just three days!!! They can commit to taking 3-Million pounds of fresh produce!!! It's true; we have recorded allocation of OVER THREE MILLION POUNDS in just THREE DAYS! A2H has assisted members so far this week with $10,000 in trucking costs with members paying $74,500 in freight costs... we have also helped to subsidize $148,800 in packing costs with members paying $47,000. Yes, it does cost money... but if you add it all up... shipping 3,154,053 pounds of fresh produce: PRICELESS! Congratulations to our network... and much thanks to Emily Maris for her hard work this week with logistics' of all of this... that's a lot of tomatoes!

Later, Rick wrote in an e-mail that A2H broke another record for donations. Produce allocations for the week of March 5 through March 12 were 4,249,000 pounds--- over 100 truckloads. As Rick says, that amazing.. Wow. Congrats to the work and will of the network, and Rick's team to get this done for the nation's hungry.

Hunts Point donation

One of Fresh Talk's readers provided this link from The New York Daily News. The New York Yankees made headlines for offering to pay funeral and burial expenses for nine Malian immigrants who died in a Bronx fire last Wednesday.
Also, note this, from the story:

The New York City Produce Market at Hunts Point donated $5,000 to the families. "We feel for these people, and this donation is the least we could do," said Joe Palumbo, treasurer of the Produce Market.

TK: That was a great gesture and a meaningful gift by the market to help survivors of this tragic event.