Gaps need to be filled: House Agriculture Committee

Can the USDA wrest away produce safety oversight from FDA? Not likely, but the House Ag Committee wouldn't be opposed to it, based on the tenor of the meeting today. Witnesses were asked if they trusted the FDA more than USDA to create on farm standards - that's a politically untenable question, if there ever was one. From the House Agriculture Committee:


WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to review Federal food safety systems. Food safety is a top priority in the Committee's oversight plan for the 111th Congress.

Witnesses at today's hearing included three former Federal food safety officials and several food companies that interact with Federal food safety agencies. This is the first of several hearings that the Agriculture Committee plans to hold this year to consider food safety issues.

"While it's true that our current food safety system and those entrusted to produce wholesome and safe products do a good job most of the time, it's clear that there are gaps in the system, and some modernization and improvements are needed," Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson said.

"As we examine food safety issues we should judge each proposal as to whether it contributes to or reduces the ability of our farmers and ranchers to provide our consumers with the safest, most affordable, most abundant food supply in the history of the world," said Ranking Member Frank Lucas.

Written testimony provided by the witnesses is available on the Committee website: http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html.
A full transcript of the hearing will be posted on the Committee website at a later date.


Witness List
Panel I
. Mr. Chandler Keys, III, Head of Government and Industry Relations, JBS, LLC., Washington, D.C.
. Mr. David D. Dever, CEO and President, Pandol Brothers Incorporated, Delano, California . Mr. Tony DiMare, Vice President, DiMare Homestead, Inc., and DiMare Ruskin, Inc., Ruskin, Florida

Panel II
. John Hanlin, Ph.D., Vice President Food Safety, SUPERVALU INC., Eden Prairie, Minnesota
o Accompanied by Mr. Mike Erlandson, Vice President Government Affairs, SUPERVALU INC., Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Panel III
. Elsa Murano, Ph.D., President, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas . Michael Taylor, J.D., Research Professor, Department of Health Policy, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Washington, D.C.
. Ms. Carol L. Tucker-Foreman, Distinguished Fellow, The Food Policy Institute, Consumer Federation of America, Chevy Chase, Maryland

Vilsack at farmer's market

From the USDA this afternoon:

WASHINGTON - On Friday, April 3rd, at 1:30pm Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will lead a press briefing and a tour of the farmer's market at Reading Terminal in Philadelphia to announce $20 billion in stimulus funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and discuss how the program can be used to help millions of Americans to eat healthier. The farmer's market at Reading Terminal is an innovative example of how other small businesses and communities can participate in the SNAP program.

WHO: Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

WHAT: Press briefing and tour of farmer's market to announce $20 billion increase in nutrition programs

WHEN: Friday April 3rd, 2009
1:30 p.m. EST

WHERE: 12th and Filbert entrance, Reading Terminal Market
51 N. 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Note: The press briefing will be in the center court area.

A Terminal Market map can be found at:http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/merchants/

Chat - Lorelei DiSogra

On March 25, I chatted with Lorelei DiSogra, vice president of nutrition and health for Washington, D.C.-based United Fresh Produce Association.

10:02 a.m. Tom: Lorelei, thanks for making time and being a part of another Fresh Talk chat.
First of all, tell us what is in your inbox this morning — other than a couple of e-mails from me. In other words, What are you working on this week?

10:04 a.m. Lorelei: I’m working on Child Nutrition Reauthorization, specifically the Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Act of 2009. Also on the cafeteria equipment grants; the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack program; Women, Infants and Children and the (United Fresh) convention.
10:08 a.m. Tom: This seems to be a time when fruit and vegetable issues are gaining momentum. What did you think of news of the White House vegetable garden (in late March), mere blocks from United Fresh’s headquarters?
10:13 a.m. Lorelei: I am thrilled that First Lady Michelle Obama has planted a fruit and vegetable garden at the White House, but even more important is her leading the cheer everyday like she did last Friday — “Let's hear it for vegetables! Yay! Let's hear it for Fruits! Yeah!” We now have a real champion for kids and all Americans eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.

10:16 a.m. Tom: Yes, it was a remarkable scene and one thinks the theme will be noted by policy makers and USDA. Speaking of USDA, Are you excited about the expansion of the fresh fruit and vegetable program for schools? What are the challenges in a rapid expansion of the program?

10:22 a.m. Lorelei: All of the states now know their funding allocations for next school year. The total funding available is $72.5 million and each state is receiving about 40% more than last year. The challenge is the states communicating with eligible elementary schools about the availability of these funds and interested schools applying within the next month. Ideally all states would select their new FFVP schools by May 1. The new FFVP schools are then aware they will be implementing the program, can be trained before the end of this school year and be ready to rock & roll at the start of next school year.

10:27 AM Tom: So there is work to do but it is certainly on path to have a bigger impact. You have so many things to talk about to the trade and United Fresh members — fresh-cut apple purchases, the fruit and vegetable program, the WIC vouchers — do you think the trade is beginning to grasp the impact of these programs and how they might fit in?

10:38 a.m. Lorelei: Some in the produce industry clearly understand the marketing and sales opportunities presented by WIC, FFVP, school lunch and (USDA) fresh-cut purchases. However, many in the industry are still unaware of the benefits. To increase industrywide awareness of the potential revenue opportunities of all of United Fresh’s Nutrition Policy accomplishments, we urge produce industry leaders to attend both of our workshops on April 22 and 23 at this year’s convention in Las Vegas. These workshops will help to translate our policy victories into sales opportunities for the industry.

10:40 a.m. Tom: Very good. I know I’ve kept you beyond 30 minutes and I’ll let you go with one more question. What are you most looking forward to at Las Vegas?

10:47 a.m. Lorelei: I’m looking forward to the “Striking It Rich” Bowling Tournament that benefits our United Fresh PAC. It was so much fun last year; everyone is still talking about it! I hope twice as many turn out this year for fun, good team spirit and support our PAC. The PAC allows United Fresh to support members of Congress who support our policy goals. After the convention, I’ll go to California to visit friends for 3 days.
10:48 a.m. Tom: Nice. Thanks again for your time Lorelei. We'll do this again and we'll see you in Las Vegas for United Fresh.
10:49 a.m. Lorelei: Tom thanks. See you in Vegas

Chat - Lorelei DiSogra

On March 25, I had a chance to chat with Lorelei DiSogra, vice president of nutrition and health for Washington, D.C.-based United Fresh Produce Association. You can read the entire chat online at www.freshtalk.blogspot.com.

10:02 a.m. Tom: Lorelei, thanks for making time and being a part of another Fresh Talk chat.
First of all, tell us what is in your inbox this morning — other than a couple of e-mails from me. In other words, What are you working on this week?

10:04 a.m. Lorelei: I’m working on Child Nutrition Reauthorization, specifically the Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Act of 2009. Also on the cafeteria equipment grants; the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack program; Women, Infants and Children and the (United Fresh) convention.
10:08 a.m. Tom: This seems to be a time when fruit and vegetable issues are gaining momentum. What did you think of news of the White House vegetable garden (in late March), mere blocks from United Fresh’s headquarters?
10:13 a.m. Lorelei: I am thrilled that First Lady Michelle Obama has planted a fruit and vegetable garden at the White House, but even more important is her leading the cheer everyday like she did last Friday — “Let's hear it for vegetables! Yay! Let's hear it for Fruits! Yeah!” We now have a real champion for kids and all Americans eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.

10:16 a.m. Tom: Yes, it was a remarkable scene and one thinks the theme will be noted by policy makers and USDA. Speaking of USDA, Are you excited about the expansion of the fresh fruit and vegetable program for schools? What are the challenges in a rapid expansion of the program?

10:22 a.m. Lorelei: All of the states now know their funding allocations for next school year. The total funding available is $72.5 million and each state is receiving about 40% more than last year. The challenge is the states communicating with eligible elementary schools about the availability of these funds and interested schools applying within the next month. Ideally all states would select their new FFVP schools by May 1. The new FFVP schools are then aware they will be implementing the program, can be trained before the end of this school year and be ready to rock & roll at the start of next school year.

10:27 AM Tom: So there is work to do but it is certainly on path to have a bigger impact. You have so many things to talk about to the trade and United Fresh members — fresh-cut apple purchases, the fruit and vegetable program, the WIC vouchers — do you think the trade is beginning to grasp the impact of these programs and how they might fit in?

10:38 a.m. Lorelei: Some in the produce industry clearly understand the marketing and sales opportunities presented by WIC, FFVP, school lunch and (USDA) fresh-cut purchases. However, many in the industry are still unaware of the benefits. To increase industrywide awareness of the potential revenue opportunities of all of United Fresh’s Nutrition Policy accomplishments, we urge produce industry leaders to attend both of our workshops on April 22 and 23 at this year’s convention in Las Vegas. These workshops will help to translate our policy victories into sales opportunities for the industry.

10:40 a.m. Tom: Very good. I know I’ve kept you beyond 30 minutes and I’ll let you go with one more question. What are you most looking forward to at Las Vegas?

10:47 a.m. Lorelei: I’m looking forward to the “Striking It Rich” Bowling Tournament that benefits our United Fresh PAC. It was so much fun last year; everyone is still talking about it! I hope twice as many turn out this year for fun, good team spirit and support our PAC. The PAC allows United Fresh to support members of Congress who support our policy goals. After the convention, I’ll go to California to visit friends for 3 days.
10:48 a.m. Tom: Nice. Thanks again for your time Lorelei. We'll do this again and we'll see you in Las Vegas for United Fresh.
10:49 a.m. Lorelei: Tom thanks. See you in Vegas

A pipe dream

I'm tied up working on some news for The Packer today so I haven't devoted my normal energy to the blog scanning the WWW for news of interest. Therefore, I'm running my column that was published in the March 30 edition of The Packer...


The other day I was collecting the mail with the usual mix of anticipation and dread when I discovered my son had sent me a package. I happily and correctly suspected this book-sized box from Nashville was a belated birthday gift. I'm not sure how those of you with grown-up sons and daughters feel, but I always regard a birthday (or Christmas) gift from my three kids totally unnecessary. It is enough that they are being productive citizens out there in the world (and not still under my roof) -- and remember me with a phone call. So getting a package from Brian was a treat, and I wondered what he might have thought to get me on the occasion of my 50th birthday. That's right, the big 5-0, the birthday that marks the occasion of the "Welcome, you are one of us" letter from AARP, the legendary precipice of mid-life crisis, the foreboding, more than halfway home sense that it's "all downhill from here." I must say, though, my 50th was nothing of the sort. Just another candle (now one candle for every 10 years, of course), another German chocolate cake made from scratch by my wonderful wife, Sally. Just another number. I managed to ignore the inclination for introspection. Back to the package … I set it on kitchen table and ripped open the brown paper wrapping. After additional moments of pulling and bending the stubborn cardboard box, I discovered Brian had sent me a classic "coming of age" gift -- a Mac Baren pipe with accompanying packages of vanilla cream and cherry ambrosia pipe tobacco, along with the obligatory pipe cleaners. Though I have never smoked, I was delighted with the gift and gave him a call right then to express my approval. Later that evening, I gave the pipe its first trial, striking about eight matches in the garage to set afire a bit of vanilla cream tobacco I had inexpertly thumbed into the pipe. Once the pipe was lit, amateur hour began. In the end, I think the idea of having a pipe may be more satisfying than actually smoking it. In that respect, I will draw a comparison with my pipe experience to the White House vegetable garden that first lady Michelle Obama helped christen March 20. My thought is the idea of a vegetable garden at the White House may be more alluring than the reality of it. There is no denying the White House vegetable garden is a produce-related presidential phenomenon unlike any we have seen. Let's face it, the most publicity the industry has received from the White House was when George Bush 1.0 said he hated broccoli, thus prompting (as my recollection goes) a load of broccoli to be shipped to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Though there have been vegetable gardens at the White House before, it was decades ago, in the shadow of World War II. Now, like apparently everybody else in the country, the Obama's will try their hand at being green thumbs. The upside for fruit and vegetable advocates seems huge with the White House "Victory Garden." Did you happen to see the first lady lead grade-school children at the garden ceremony in cheers for fruits and vegetables? "Let's hear it for fruits!" Wee! "Let's hear it for vegetables!" Yeah! One industry lobbyist remarked to me that political appointees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- a skeleton crew at this point, admittedly -- are sure to take notice of such a strong message from the person who is closest to President Obama. Will the reality match the hype? Will the vegetable garden be lost and forlorn in a few months? Will the Obama family lose interest in tending the veggie patch when D.C. heats up? The garden will be fine, and probably the best-run backyard plot ever. Beyond the full force and power of the executive branch landscaping crew, Michelle Obama promised when she put shovel to ground that the garden would be weeded by all the first family, including Barack himself. She may have been joking, but I have no doubts that Michelle Obama could motivate Barack Obama to do just about anything she wants him to. What are the down sides? Not many. Of course, opinion writers have already penned thoughts like, "Do we really want the leader of the free world tending the White House vegetable garden?" If "we" are the produce industry, we certainly do. If I want to dream a little, I will imagine that the White House will give me access to the vegetable garden when I make my next trip to Washington, D.C. While there, I will interview the first lady and see how her garden of some 58 plants grows. I may get a photo opportunity of plucking a tomato with President Obama that will be splashed over the front page of The Packer. I know, it's a pipedream. And I have one of those already. E-mail tkarst@thepacker.com