Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

State of the industry


Here is the audio link to Bryan Silbermann's "state of the industry" speech delivered at PMA's Fresh Summit. Silbermann delivers an insightful and forward looking address, revisiting the "great opportunities disguised as insoluble problems" of the last year.
He reminds the audience the produce industry was "sustainable before sustainable was trendy."
Silbermann pays homage to previous industry leaders and says today's efforts are reinventing, redefining and growing upon what was done before. He touches on the importance of connecting with consumers, reflecting on brand image, the local food movement and the social responsibility.
About social responsibility and consumers:
"It is all about connecting and less about selling."
"Food has become the new social movement."
About local food:
"(The local food movement) is already influencing how to grow, what to purchase and what to promote."
"More and cheap do not necessarily mean better."
About connecting with the consumer:
"Consumers are gravitating toward brands that have a story and have a face.:"
"We have to start telling consumers who we are. We have to stop hiding behind our products and start telling the story of the incredible people who have driven our industry for decades. It shouldn't be hard for us; sustainability is the very heart of the industry."
About food safety:
" I'm proud of what this industry has done (in the past year) but I know food safety is a journey and not a destination. We've reached some milestones but the road stretches a long ways into the distance and we've got a lot of ground to make up."
There is much more to consider - notably remarks about traceability - in Silbermann's state of the industry speech, which has become an important marker for the industry.

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Not in my cart?

TK: This New Web site offers a feature for shoppers to "share their stories" about hazardous food, products and imports. A real pick me upper....

From CU:


Consumers Union Launches NotInMyCart.org to Empower Consumers Concerned about Hazardous Products and Food
Washington , DC--Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, today launched a new website,
www.NotInMyCart.org, to keep consumers informed about everything from recalls to Congressional action involving hazardous products and foods.
"With so much in the news about hazardous imports and unsafe levels of lead in toys, people don't know how to find safe products and get rid of unsafe ones. We hope
www.NotInMyCart.org provides American families with timely information to help keep their homes and children safe," said Donald Mays, Senior Director of Product Safety Planning and Technical Administration for Consumers Union. "People who agree real safeguards need to be enacted can also contact lawmakers to push for strong legislation to mend the hole in the safety net," added Mays.
Among its many features, the website offers CU's recommendations for ensuring the products we import and sell are safe, and news on the latest recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In addition, the website provides tips from Consumer Reports magazine on how consumers can keep their homes safe, and includes updates on what Congress and the Administration are doing to make our food supply, toys, and other products safer.
Finally, the website features a "share your story" section where consumers can share their experiences with hazardous food, products, and imports so other consumers can learn from their experiences.
In recent years, imports have skyrocketed, especially from China. The value of all imports increased by 67 percent between 2000 and 2006, and today 80 percent of all toys sold in the United States are imported from China. Of all the food we consume, 13 percent is imported, and 83 percent of the seafood is imported, yet less than one percent is inspected.
As part of Consumers Union's ongoing effort to educate consumers and legislators on unsafe products and food, Jean Halloran, CU's Director of Food Policy Initiatives, will testify before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, October 18, 2007 on, "Growing Trade, Growing Vigilance: Import Health and Safety Today and Tomorrow."

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Organic rule

The Federal Register published a final rule from the USDA pertaining to the National Organic Program today. From the rule's summary:

This rule amends the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) regulations to reflect recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) from November 17, 2005 through October 19, 2006. The amendments addressed in this final rule pertain to the continued exemption (use) and prohibition of 168 substances in organic production and handling. Consistent with the recommendations from the NOSB, this final rule renews 165 exemptions and prohibitions on the National List (along with any restrictive annotations) and removes 3 exemptions from the National List.


The USDA reported some feedback from the earlier proposed rule:


AMS received 11 comments on proposed rule AMS-TM-06-0222. Comments were received from organic consumers, trade associations, organic handlers, ingredient manufacturers, and one foreign government. In general, comments were in support of the proposed rule. One commenter questioned of whether AMS had made errors in listing certain proposed substances under Sec. 205.601 by duplicating entries. Specifically, the commenter questioned whether hydrogen peroxide, newspaper or other recycled paper, elemental sulfur, horticultural oils, and lignin sulfonate were duplicates and entered in error. In response to the concern expressed by the commenter, AMS did not list the aforementioned substances in error. The substances appear twice under Sec. 205.601 of the National List because they have multiple uses. For example, hydrogen peroxide is authorized and listed for use under Sec. 205.601(a) as an algicide, disinfectant, and sanitizer. It is also authorized and listed for use under Sec. 205.601(i) as a plant disease control. A few commenters requested that certain proposed exemptions be discontinued due to the assertions that the substances were either (1) nonsynthetic and did not require identification on the National List or (2) were no longer necessary for organic production due to the presence of an alternative. USDA believes that these comments did not provide sufficient information/documentation to support the assertions. We recommend that the commenters submit petitions to the NOSB and have the substances of interest reviewed through the National List review process. A foreign government requested that the Secretary provide scientific justification for the use of Potassium bicarbonate, Humic acids, Lignon sulfonoate, and liquid fish products in organic production. The comment noted that such substances are not included in Annex 2 of the Codex Guidelines for Organically Produced Foods or do not meet Section 5 of the Codex Guidelines. The foreign government also requested the Secretary to explain why the NOSB did not consider removing the prohibition on the use of ``Ash from manure burning'' as they believe its use complies with the principles of organic production. Lastly, they requested an explanation as to why the exemption for nonsynthetic colors was proposed for removal from the National List whereas the exemption for nonsynthetic flavors was proposed for retention.

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Traceability with teeth

It will be revealing to see how the recently announced traceability initiative from PMA, CPMA and United spurs action in the industry. Gary Fleming of PMA said implementing the kind of traceability envisioned would cost perhaps cost a few cents per case. The trouble is getting everyone on board at the same time; suppliers don't want to jump before everyone else and retailers also have their own issues. I want to rewind my interview with Fleming on the issue (including some surprising stats on industry buy-in and compliance) , but he noted that the U.S. FDA is "that close" to mandating some more specific regulation on traceability. (Picture Fleming holding his thumb and forefinger together as if adding a pinch of seasoning to spinach salad).

Anyway, after years of talk about traceability, are we to a point where this promised initiative "with teeth" can get the industry to where it needs to be? More coming....

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