Fresh Food Trade Association Roundtable

TK: Just sliding into the inbox is a release describing ... well.. here is the text of the release:

A group of leading fresh-food associations and industry groups have formed the Fresh Food Trade Association Roundtable to facilitate the exchange of information, and to guide and support the use of GS1 standards in the United States fresh food industries. The founding groups are:

Food Marketing Institute

GS1 US

International Dairy, Deli and Bakery Association

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National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

National Chicken Council

National Fisheries Institute

National Pork Board

Produce Marketing Association

The group’s goals include expanded communications between the Roundtable’s association members, GS1 US and other GS1 organizations worldwide as the fresh-food industries pursue their incorporation of GS1 standards to address various supply-chain challenges. The group believes the only way to achieve a successful implementation of GS1 standards is with a focused effort obtaining critical mass for key industry initiatives facilitated by close collaboration and planning between the Roundtable and GS1 US.

TK: A question for Julia Stewart or another staffer at PMA: who is the best contact there for trade associations interested in joining this group? Any further background you can give us?

Team Diarrhea to the Rescue

Bill Marler passes on links that reveal that Minnesota's disease investigators appeared to have cracked another salmonella case. Here is coverage from the Star Tribune. The lede:

Minnesota disease investigators once again may have solved the riddle of a nation-wide salmonella outbreak. This time the culprit is peanut butter.

Here is a post from Marler's blog, again highlighting the need for federal and state agencies to work together better and asking the question: Change is coming, right?