RPE Adds Staff

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From: Melinda Goodman
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:34:21 -0500
To: 'Melinda Goodman'<melinda@goldensunmarketing.com>
Subject: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: RPE Adds Staff

For More Information Contact
RPE

Randy Shell, VP of Marketing

PH:  (952) 353-4747

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

RPE Fuels Mission for Growth;
Expands Staff With Four New Positions

 

Bancroft, Wis; September 24, 2009, – RPE recently expanded their staff with four new positions in the areas of business, sales and marketing and agricultural research and development. 

 

In the area of sales and marketing, recent hires include Madhu Jamallamudi and Melissa Copas.  Jamallamudi will serve as Senior Business Analyst and will be responsible for both category and operations data analysis with the goal of identifying opportunity gaps for increased efficiencies and sales opportunities. With a master's degree in agribusiness, Jamallamudi's previous experience includes tenure with the United Potato Growers of America.  Additionally, Copas has joined RPE as a marketing assistant to expand customer communication and advance the image and brand of RPE.  Copas was previously employed by Indiana University where she worked as the Assistant Director of Marketing for Campus Recreational Sports. 

 

In the area of business management, Sheila Meddaugh has been promoted from Human Resource Manager to Business Manager.  Meddaugh has been with the company for 10 years and will be working to establish workflow processes and efficiencies across all departments as part of her new position.  When asked to comment about her new position Meddaugh remarked, "I'm happy to work for such a progressive, yet family-focused company.  The opportunity to be part of the development and implementation team is exciting as we develop new plans for the future."

 

Finally in the area of agricultural research and development, Michael Copas has joined the staff of RPE as Senior Agronomist.  Copas is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he earned a doctoral degree in horticulture, focusing his research on potatoes and other vegetable crops.  His role at RPE will include continued potato research, as well production recommendations for potato growth, storage and packing operations.

 

Russell Wysocki, President and CEO of RPE commented, "This is an exciting time at RPE.  We are on a rapid growth trajectory and a talented staff is our number one tool.  The addition of these new positions and these valuable players to our team brings valuable skills and knowledge to our program so we can continue to offer innovative solutions to our customers."

 

When asked to sum up the new positions at RPE, Melissa Copas had this to say.  "It's not every day you find a company so motivated to grow, yet not willing to lose sight of their family roots.  The team of professionals at RPE is well balanced and diverse.  I'm excited to be part of the group as we continue to execute on a vision for Responsible Farming and Innovative Solutions."

 

RPE, a second generation family farm, is a category leader and key grower/shipper of year-round potatoes and onions.  RPE prides itself on maintaining a high level of business integrity that includes commitments to environmental sustainability, as well as category innovation and retail solutions.

 

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Hearings begin on leafy greens agreement

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From: Doug Powell
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:26:27 -0500
To: BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU<BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>
Subject: [BITES-L] bites Sept. 24/09

bites Sept. 24/09

UK: Redhill parents to sue E. coli farm

UK: E.coli tally grows as more farm cases found

CALIFORNIA: Hearings begin on nationwide standards for produce safety

US: Strawberry season starts with a lesson on food safety

UK: Fraudsters target food businesses

US: Edible apple film wraps may protect meat and poultry products against foodborne pathogens

US: Microwaving frankfurters may protect against foodborne illness

US: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology may help in keeping foods safe

KANSAS: Food safety cannot be taken for granted

ILLINOIS: 4 arrested in Ill. dogfighting ring at day care

UK: Fish fend off invading germs with an initial response similar to the one found in people

CHINA, BRASIL collaborate on aquaculture

EU: EFSA holds two-day conference to debate GMO risk assessment

UK: Pesticide Residues Committee annual report published

US: Residue monitoring reports – FDA pesticide program residue monitoring: 1993-2007

Internalization of Salmonella enterica in leaves is induced by light and involves chemotaxis and penetration through open stomata

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UK: Redhill parents to sue E. coli farm
24.sep.09
This Is Surrey Today
http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/news/Redhill-parents-sue-E-coli-farm/article-1366454-detail/article.html
A children's petting farm is facing legal action from families affected by an E. coli outbreak.
Redhill's Gemma Weaver, 24, of Bramley Close, has vowed to "never forgive the farm" after her three-year-old son, Alfie, suffered kidney failure following a visit to Godstone Farm.
The business, on Tilburstow Hill Road, has been in the spotlight since September 12 after it was closed following one of the UK's largest E. coli outbreaks.
Mrs Weaver said: "We are taking legal advice at the moment.
"I will never, ever be setting foot in a farm with my children again. Not just Godstone Farm but any farm."
Mrs Weaver said she still hadn't heard from (farm manager) Mr Oatway.
"I phoned him on the day it closed to tell him how ill Alfie was, and where he had been on the day, and I still haven't heard back from him," she said.
However, when the Mirror contacted manager Richard Oatway regarding Mrs Weaver's concerns, he said a colleague had called her back.
But he said: "Obviously I'm sorry for what happened to Alfie and I hope he gets better soon."
Questioned on how he thinks his business will be affected by the E. coli outbreak, Mr Oatway vowed to reopen.
He said: "We will definitely be opening again.
"There are still ongoing investigations but we are sure we will open again."

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UK: E.coli tally grows as more farm cases found
24.sep.09
Sky News
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Petting-Farm-Ecoli-HPA-Confirms-Three-More-Cases-Linked-To-Godstone-Farm-Taking-Tally-To-79/Article/200909415388501?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_2&lid=ARTICLE_15388501_Petting_Farm_E.coli%3A_HPA_Confirms_Three_More_Cases_Linked_To_Godstone_Farm_Taking_Tally_To_79
Three more cases of E.coli linked to a children's petting farm have been confirmed - taking the number of people affected to 79.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said they expected more people to develop symptoms of the O157 strain due to a delayed incubation period.
Four children remain in hospital in a stable condition.
Tests have shown the bug present in animal droppings collected from Godstone Farm in Surrey.
Of 102 samples taken by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, 33 contained the
bug.
Positive samples came from ewes, lambs, pigs, goats, cattle, ponies and rabbits, but not pond water or sand from the sandpit.

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CALIFORNIA: Hearings begin on nationwide standards for produce safety
23.sep.09
Monterey Herald
Lane Wallace
http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_13400547?nclick_check=
Expanding a program that began in California to the entire country would be "the best available instrument" to ensure food safety, a Castroville farmer testified Tuesday.
Joe Pezzini, chief operating officer for Ocean Mist Farms, was the first witness in a U.S. Department of Agriculture hearing in Monterey on a proposed national leafy green marketing agreement.
Although it's called a marketing agreement, it's more about food safety than marketing. The California Leafy Green Marketing Agreement was started in 2007 after three people died and about 300 people were sickened by an E. coli outbreak traced to spinach grown on the Central Coast.
"Sales of spinach plummeted" after the outbreak, said Pezzini, chairman of the advisory board for the California agreement. People in the industry "realized we had to do something to raise the bar ... to make sure we don't have a repeat."
Arizona and California are the only states that have agreements.
The state Leafy Green Marketing Agreement is voluntary, but once growers sign on, they're subject to government audits of food safety practices set forth in the agreement. Almost all of those who handle leafy greens in the state have signed up, and they bear the cost of those audits.
The hearing is scheduled to continue through Thursday at the Hyatt Regency Monterey and, depending on the number of speakers, it could continue Friday. There are no restrictions on who can testify. The speakers are subject to questions from the opposition and the USDA staff.
Additional hearings will be held across the country through October. The final decision on the national agreement is up to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

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US: Strawberry season starts with a lesson on food safety
23.sep.09
Monterey Herald
Lane Wallace
http://www.montereyherald.com/business/ci_13400551?nclick_check=1
Strawberry pickers started the season with a tailgate event this year, but it wasn't a party.
Workers got "tailgate training," a food-safety program in the fields developed by the Strawberry Commission.
The workers were shown a series of pictures on a flip chart, showing them how to wash their hands and how to handle the fruit. It also reminded them of things they're not supposed to do, such as eating or drinking while picking.
There was also a reminder that if there's an outbreak of food-borne illness traced to strawberries, "it will shut down the industry and you will have no work," said Carolyn O'Donnell, communications director for the Strawberry Commission in Watsonville.
The tailgate trainings, which began this year, are part of a program that began in the late 1990s, when illnesses were traced to Guatemalan raspberries in 1996 and Mexican strawberries in 1997.
They weren't California berries, but the outbreaks "devastated the industry," O'Connell said.
In 1998, the Strawberry Commission began its food safety program. Growers were following safe practices, O'Donnell said, but the program offered standardized methods.
While information and a poster have been available to growers since the program started, the flip-chart presentations didn't begin until this year.
The Strawberry Commission doesn't train workers, but it offers seminars for supervisors on how to make the presentations.
The commission has trained 350 supervisors who will make presentations to 40,000 field workers, or from 40 percent to 50 percent of the berry workers in the state, O'Donnell said. The commission hopes to get all workers trained by next year.
Growers "are thrilled" with the program, she said.

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UK: Fraudsters target food businesses
24.sep.09
Food Standards Agency
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2009/sep/fraudfsa
The Food Standards Agency is warning food business operators to be aware of fraudsters who are visiting food business premises claiming that they are from the Agency. The fraudsters claim that they are there to carry out inspections and then extract substantial amounts of money as a fixed penalty fee for the premises being allegedly unhygienic.
The Agency does not carry out food inspections and there are no fixed penalties for food safety breaches. All inspections are carried out by local authority authorised inspectors who carry relevant identification when visiting a food business.
If your food business is visited by anyone claiming to be from the Food Standards Agency you should not part with any money and should contact the local police or your local authority.
You can also report the crime by emailing foodfraud@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk or report any known or suspected food fraud by telephoning the food fraud hotline, tel: 020 7276 8527.
More on the Agency's Food Fraud Advisory Unit can be found at the link below.

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US: Edible apple film wraps may protect meat and poultry products against foodborne pathogens
23.sep.09
Institute of Food Technologists
http://www.ift.org/cms/?pid=1002134
CHICAGO –- Foodborne pathogens like Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes are serious safety issues for food processors and consumers alike. However, meat and poultry products may be rendered safer with the use of edible apple film wraps, according to a new study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.
Researchers from the University of Arizona investigated the use of carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde in apple-based films. Carvacrol is the main ingredient of oregano oil, and cinnemaldehyde is the main ingredient of cinnamon oil. The researchers looked at how the antimicrobials in these films would protect against S. enterica and E. coli O157:H7 on chicken breast and L. monocytogenes on ham at two different temperatures. Their findings are as follows:
* Carvacrol was a stronger antimicrobial agent against both Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 than cinnamaldehyde on the chicken breast at 4° C.
* At 23° C, S. enterica population reductions were similar for both carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde but higher for carvacrol against E. coli O157:H7.
* Carvacrol was also a stronger antimicrobial agent against L. monocytogenes than cinnamaldehyde on ham at 4° C and 23° C.
* The antimicrobials containing apple films were also effective against the natural microflora present on raw chicken breast.
"Our findings provide a scientific rationale for large-scale application of apple-based antimicrobial films to improve microbial food safety," says lead researcher Sadhana Ravishankar. "The use of edible antimicrobial films offers several consumer advantages, including prevention of moisture loss, control of dripping juices—which reduces cross contamination—reduction of rancidity and discoloration, and prevention of foreign odor pick-up."
NOTE: This study was conducted in collaboration with Mendel Friedman and colleagues of USDA-ARS-WRRC in Albany, CA, where the apple-based edible antimicrobial films were prepared. This research was partially supported by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Arizona and by the USDA-CSREES-NRI grant #2006-01321.

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US: Microwaving frankfurters may protect against foodborne illness
23.sep.09
Institute of Food Technologists
http://www.ift.org/cms/?pid=1002138
CHICAGO –- A new study from the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists, shows that microwave reheating of hotdogs for 75 seconds at high power may decrease risks from pathogens that cause foodborne illness.
Because of their speed and convenience, microwave ovens are commonly used to cook and reheat food; however, these appliances often provide non-uniform heating, which may produce hot and cold spots within food products being heated. The uneven distribution of heat could lead to the survival of pathogens in contaminated food cooked in microwave ovens.
Most studies on the effectiveness of microwave oven heating of foods and its control of pathogens have been based solely on heating frozen meals and cooking meat, chicken or fish. With regard to chilled leftovers and ready-to-eat meats, such as frankfurters and deli meats, limited or no information is available about the effectiveness of microwave ovens increasing microbial safety.
Researchers evaluated different power and time combinations of microwave oven heating for inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes on inoculated and stored frankfurters. The frankfurters were formulated with and without antimicrobials, inoculated with Listeria monocytogene and stored under different conditions. The findings are as follows:
* The highest reductions of Listeria monocytogenes contamination were obtained when frankfurters were reheated at high power for 75 seconds. Standing time after treatment may also play a role in obtaining a more uniform distribution of heat, by conduction, after the microwave power is off and can improve microbial destruction in food.
* Frankfurters that were formulated with antimicrobials, which inhibited growth of the pathogen during product storage, displayed a decrease in Listeria monocytogenes counts after microwave treatments at high power for 60-75 seconds, regardless of storage time or packaging condition.
* Frankfurters that were formulated without antimicrobials and in which counts of Listeria monocytogenes steadily increased during product storage, treatments of medium power for 60 or 75 seconds and high power for 30 or 45 seconds were consistently ineffective in decreasing pathogen numbers. The effectiveness of the 75 second-high power treatment depended on the contamination level of the pathogen on the frankfurters, which in turn, was related to the length of product storage and packaging condition
"Microwave oven reheating instructions must be designed specifically for each type of product and consider variations in microwave appliance power, amount of food to be reheated, age of the product and the presence of antimicrobial compounds in the formulation of the food," says Colorado State University researcher and IFT member expert Patricia Kendall.

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US: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology may help in keeping foods safe
23.sep.09
Institute of Food Technologists
http://www.ift.org/cms/?pid=1002139
CHICAGO –- The October 2009 issue of the Journal of Food Science reviews the key concepts of RFID technology and its food safety applications to the food industry.
RFID technology has led to better safety handling of raw materials and finished products in the food industry and is used to speed up the processing of manufactured goods and materials. RFID technology enables identification of an object from a distance without requiring a line of sight. RFID tags can also incorporate additional information such as details of the product and manufacturer and can transmit measured environmental factors such as temperature and relative humidity.
Scientists from North Carolina State University detail the numerous applications of RFID technology in the food industry:
* Within supply chain management, RFID tags can be used to track food products during distribution and storage.
* Multiple tags can be read simultaneously and RFID technology can facilitate automated product shipments from a warehouse to a retail location.
* Freshtime RFID tags monitor the shelf life of foods to which they are attached. The tags sense temperature and integrate it over time to determine the shelf life of products.
* ThermAssureRF is a new RFID-based system that combines tracking and temperature measurement to ensure foods such as meat, fruit and dairy products remain at a safe temperature during transportation and storage. It is currently being used by companies that ship wine, produce, seafood, meat, poultry, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
"The challenges that face RFID technology are read range and accuracy in retail environments, nonuniform standards, cost, recycling issues and privacy and security concerns" says lead researcher K.P. Sandeep. "Another challenge is the differences in frequencies allocated for RFID applications because each country is setting their own standards for the new technology."

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KANSAS: Food safety cannot be taken for granted
23.sep.09
NBAF Blog
http://www.nbafblog.com/2009/09/food-safety-cannot-be-taken-for-granted.html
This column, by the President and CEO of the Kansas Bioscience Authority, Tom Thornton, is a good reminder of the importance of ongoing research into our country's food safety needs. The federal government is taking threats to the safety of our food supply seriously as evidenced by the recent announcement that a construction manager was selected. The NBAF is on schedule to be fully operational by 2015.
Here's the column:
"One of the things we don't often have to think about is the safety of the food on those dinner tables. Yet a recent report serves as a reminder that food safety cannot be taken for granted, and we must renew our efforts to fight diseases that threaten the food supply.
"Former senators Bob Graham of Florida and Jim Talent of Missouri issued the "World at Risk" report, which came to the conclusion that even more imminent than the threat of a rogue nuclear attack in the next five years is the threat of an attack by biological weapons.
"Perhaps because of the agricultural heritage of Kansas, I am particularly attuned to biological threats, especially those that could attack our food supply and agriculture economy. These threats, if carried out, would affect all of us — young and old, urban and rural, poor and rich.
"With that perspective, I was heartened this month when our nation took an important and serious step forward to address this concern.
"That step was the recommendation of Kansas as the preferred location for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, a proposed federal research laboratory that will develop vaccines and countermeasures for animal diseases that could harm our food supply.
"In other words, the federal government is moving ahead on a much-needed, state-of-the-art science lab for research to prevent and defeat biological agents that could diminish the integrity of our livestock and other food sources.
"Kansas is the best place for this research, and we are prepared to focus the state's expertise on meeting this national challenge.
"The Graham-Talent report reinforced what experts have been saying for years: It is past time to accelerate research to ensure that our agricultural infrastructure is protected from foreign animal diseases, either intentionally or unintentionally introduced.
"There is no laboratory today in the U.S. to conduct the level of research needed to protect the food supply and agricultural economy from the most serious diseases, despite the clearly identified danger of biological pathogens.
"This vulnerability does not have to remain for long — and must not. The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility must be built without delay.
"It can serve as the nation's premier research facility for developing vaccines and countermeasures to safeguard livestock and other animals.
"A lack of research, or research that does not make full use of the best expertise and infrastructure available in America, will only keep us at risk longer."

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ILLINOIS: 4 arrested in Ill. dogfighting ring at day care
23.sep.09
USA Today
Associated Press
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-09-23-dogfighting-day-care_N.htm?csp=34
CHICAGO RIDGE, Ill. -- Police say four people who allegedly operated a "horrific" dogfighting ring out of a suburban Chicago home day care have been arrested.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart says during a raid police found blood spattered on the walls of the home and devices to train the dogs were discovered not far from where children played.
Police say felony dogfighting charges are pending against several of those arrested including the day care operator's husband.

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UK: Fish fend off invading germs with an initial response similar to the one found in people
24.sep.09
The Company of Biologists
Kristy Kain
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-09/tcob-ffo091709.php
Since the human response to infection is highly complex, research to understand how people fight infection is facilitated by studying how similar processes occur in simpler organisms. Zebrafish are becoming an important model for human disease, since they are easily handled, maintained and manipulated and many fundamental processes between zebrafish and humans are conserved. In addition, the small zebrafish embryo is highly amenable to drug screening assays. The functional similarity between the initial responses of zebrafish embryo and humans to infection suggests that the zebrafish embryo may be a valuable model for understanding early immune responses and identifying potential therapeutics for infection or immune mediated disease. However, the initial response of zebrafish to infection and how it compares to the human response is not well understood.
When humans first encounter germs, like viruses or bacteria, the first stage of a two-part inflammatory response is triggered, which is termed the innate immune response. During this early phase, proteins are made around the site of infection to initiate the body's defense system and to recruit circulating immune cells, which begins the inflammatory process. A family of proteins that are critical to instigating the immune response are the interferons (IFN), particularly IFN-γ.
Scientists now report that IFN-γ is also produced in zebrafish embryos when they are exposed to bacteria that cause disease in fish. These studies use developing zebrafish embryos whose response to infection is isolated to the innate immune response. Since the zebrafish embryo only demonstrates innate immunity, it allows for specific study of the effects of IFN-γ on these early events. This study demonstrates that both zebrafish and human IFN-γ proteins function in much the same way, despite having very distinct protein structures. In both zebrafish and humans, IFN-γ triggers the production of an array of proteins that rally the defense mechanisms of the infected cell and activate the immune system. They also found that compromising the ability of the zebrafish embryos to produce IFN-γ impairs the fish's ability to survive infection. Thus, the zebrafish embryo may provide a very simple model to understand the innate immune response.
Interestingly, large quantities of bacteria, which would cause septic shock -- a potentially fatal condition -- in humans, do not elicit the same response in zebrafish. This suggests that some key differences between the immune systems of zebrafish and humans may also provide insight into harmful events associated with inflammation.
The characterization of IFN-γ function in zebrafish is presented in the Research Article titled 'The role of gamma interferon in innate inity in the zebrafish embryo', which was written by Dirk Sieger, Cornelia, David Neifer and Maria Leptin at the University of Cologne in Germany and Astrid van der Sar at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam in The Netherlands. The study is published in the November/December 2009 issue of the new research journal, Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), http://dmm.biologists.org/, published by The Company of Biologists, a non-profit based in Cambridge, UK.
About Disease Models & Mechanisms:
Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM) is a new research journal, launched in 2008, that publishes primary scientific research, as well as review articles, editorials, and research highlights. The journal's mission is to provide a forum for clinicians and scientists to discuss basic science and clinical research related to human disease, disease detection and novel therapies. DMM is published by the Company of Biologists, a non-profit organization based in Cambridge, UK.
The Company also publishes the international biology research journals Development, Journal of Cell Science, and The Journal of Experimental Biology. In addition to financing these journals, the Company provides grants to scientific societies and supports other activities including travelling fellowships for junior scientists, workshops and conferences. The world's poorest nations receive free and unrestricted access to the Company's journals.

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CHINA, BRASIL collaborate on aquaculture
24.sep.09
FIS
Analia Murias
http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&country=0&special=&monthyear=&day=&id=33946&ndb=1&df=0
A group of Chinese technicians will collaborate with the National Fisheries Development Institute (INDP) to start work intended to facilitate the drafting of a Strategic Pisciculture Development Plan (PNDP) for Cape Verde.
Their objective is that this Plan spurs the development of marine and hatchery farming of various species, and shrimp and lobster in particular.
More importantly, the Cape Verde government seeks to enable the production of a considerable volume of the most-consumed shellfish in the local market, as well as increase seafood exports.
The plan was first developed in San Vicente and should be concluded within a year, Macauhub reports.

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EU: EFSA holds two-day conference to debate GMO risk assessment
22.sep.09
European Food Safety Authority
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_1211902898772.htm
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) held a two-day conference on GMO risk assessment for human and animal health and the environment in Brussels on 14-15 September 2009, bringing together risk assessors from EU Member States, risk managers, and representatives from stakeholders including industry, consumer and environmental groups from the EU and beyond.
Opening the conference, EFSA Executive Director Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle reaffirmed EFSA's role as a provider of independent scientific advice on GMOs. "EFSA is neither pro-GMO nor anti-GMO," she said. She acknowledged that there exists a significant divergence of opinion among various actors in the field of GMOs in the EU and low social acceptability. It was important that the conference clarified EFSA's role in the risk assessment of GMOs. "We are here not only to inform but also to listen and learn. We want to get as wide a range of views and experiences as possible," she said. The Commission's Director-General for Health and Consumers DG Robert Madelin welcomed the conference and said scientists can help regulators make better decisions. He said the EU needed to continue to open up the risk assessment process to integrate public concerns and imbed it in a global context.
Day 1: Assessing the risks for human and animal health and the environment
On the first day, experts from EFSA's GMO Panel and the GMO Unit presented the EU legal framework for GMOs and some of EFSA's updated guidelines on the risk assessment of GM plants, which are developed in the context of mandates from the European Commission and to reflect the latest scientific state of the art. Specific and detailed guidelines ensure greater clarity for applicants regarding data requirements.
Howard Davies from the GMO Panel, presenting EFSA guidance related to food and feed safety, stressed that this was defined in close consultation with Member States and stakeholders. EFSA participated in several consultation meetings and held a public consultation on the guidance before adoption. The updated guidance is currently being discussed by the European Commission (EC) and Member States in view of adoption as an annex to an EC regulation. It has been developed to include more detailed data requirements from applicants, for example, concerning field trials, as highlighted by Claudia Paoletti from the GMO Unit.
The environmental risk assessment (ERA) of GM plants is a complex area where science is evolving and EFSA's guidelines in this field are currently being updated to take into account latest scientific developments. GMO Panel experts Salvatore Arpaia and Jeremy Sweet presented two of the main topics related to the new ERA guidelines: the assessment of effects on non-target organisms and the assessment of long-term environmental impacts. Andreas Heissenberger of Austria's Environment Agency presented Austria's scientific view on environmental risk assessment (ERA). He concluded that while Austria endorses EFSA's case-by-case approach, it believes the ERA is based on insufficient data and he provided a detailed view on how it could be improved. EFSA will consider inputs from the EC, Member States and stakeholders when finalising its updated guidelines.
The aim of the new guidelines is to strengthen and streamline GMO risk assessment processes, contributing to increase their efficiency and transparency. EFSA's risk assessment is only one part of the EU regulatory framework on GMOs, as highlighted by Chantal Bruetschy, Head of the Commission's Unit of Biotechnology, Pesticides and Health, who explained the legal provisions on Post Market Environmental Monitoring, as well as its relation with the risk assessment carried out by EFSA and also with the initial environmental risk assessment carried out by Member States.
Day 2: The impact of GM crop cultivation on the environment
The second day began with presentations from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC). EFSA works in close liaison with the scientific community and international bodies in the field of GMO risk assessment. Peter Kearns from the OECD illustrated risk assessment from a global perspective and presented the work of the OECD Working Group on Biosafety.
Emilio Rodriguez Cerezo from the JRC focused on the impact of GM crops presenting an analysis of the experiences in the cultivation of Bt maize during the past 10 years in Spain and showed figures from various Spanish regions on reduced use of insecticides and yield increase. Similar experiences of farmers on GM cultivation were shared by Esther Esteban Rodrigo of Spain's Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs. Spain has practical experience in GM crop cultivation and is a Member State working closely with EFSA in environmental risk assessment of GMO applications.
Representatives from stakeholder organisations were also invited to the conference to present their views. Helen Holder from Friends of the Earth recognised that there had been improvements in EFSA's risk assessment work, but reported some outstanding concerns of her organisation regarding environmental risk assessment and expressed criticism of some of EFSA's scientific opinions on GMOs. EFSA is holding one of its regular meetings with NGOs on October 2 this year for further dialogue on a number of specific GMO issues.
Presenting the views of EU farmers, Copa-Cogeca's Director of Commodities and Trade, Arnaud Petit, said farmers wanted to keep the option of choosing between GM, conventional or organic farming. The biotechnology industry, represented by Willy De Greef of Europabio, European Association for Bioindustries, asked for the existing experiences of the safe use of GM crops to be better taken into consideration in EU risk assessment and called for a clearer distinction between risk research and risk assessment.
Closing the conference, the Commission's Director-General for the Environment, Karl Falkenberg, said the Commission valued the work that EFSA carries out as the body providing scientific advice to support its decision making.

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UK: Pesticide Residues Committee annual report published
24.sep.09
Food Standards Agency
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2009/sep/prcreport08
The 2008 annual report of pesticide residues on food in the UK has today been published by the Pesticide Residues Committee (PRC) – an independent committee that advises the Food Standards Agency.
Of the 4,129 samples tested, 50 (1.2%) contained a residue that was above the legal maximum residue level (MRL). Limits are set to ensure that any traces of pesticides left on food are at safe levels. The MRLs are the maximum amount of residues that should be found on food when the pesticides are being used correctly. However, foods with traces of pesticides above the MRL do not necessarily mean that the levels of residues are harmful to people's health.
The PRC oversees the UK surveillance of residues of pesticides in both food produced in the UK and imported foods. It advises Ministers, the Director of the Chemicals Regulation Directorate and the Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency on its work and the importance of its results.
The Agency's role is to advise on the UK surveillance overseen by the PRC, and act upon the findings. The Agency has a nominated member of staff on the committee and also has representatives at meetings. More information on the role of the committee and its work can be found on the PRC website at the link below.

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US: Residue monitoring reports – FDA pesticide program residue monitoring: 1993-2007
31.jun.09
FDA
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodContaminantsAdulteration/Pesticides/ResidueMonitoringReports/default.htm
Since 1987, annual reports have been prepared to summarize results of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) pesticide residue monitoring program. Reports from Fiscal Years (FYs) 1987 to 1993 were published in the Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists/Journal of AOAC International.
FY1993 and FY1994 reports were published in the journal and also made available on the World Wide Web. Reports for FYs 1995-2007 are available only from WWW. Each report is available in the format(s) used at the time they were written.
Also available: databases of monitoring results, FY 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Results in these reports continue to demonstrate that levels of pesticide residues in the U.S. food supply are well below established safety standards.
2007 Report and Database (6/09)
HTML format
FDA 2007 Pesticide Monitoring Database
2004-2006 Reports and Databases (8/08)
2004-2006 Introduction
FY 2004 Results and Discussion
FY 2005 Results and Discussion
FY 2006 Results and Discussion
FDA 2004 Pesticide Monitoring Database
FDA 2005 Pesticide Monitoring Database
FDA 2006 Pesticide Monitoring Database
2003 Report and Database (6/05)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (408 Kb).
FDA 2003 Pesticide Monitoring Database
2002 Report and Database (5/04)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (307 Kb).
FDA 2002 Pesticide Monitoring Database
2001 Report and Database (4/03)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (278 Kb).
FDA 2001 Pesticide Monitoring Database
2000 Report and Database (5/02)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (205 Kb).
FDA 2000 Pesticide Monitoring Database
1999 Report and Database (5/00)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (313 Kb).
FDA 1999 Pesticide Monitoring Database
1998 Report and Database (3/99)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (266 Kb).
FDA 1998 Pesticide Monitoring Database
1997 Report and Database (8/98)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (231 Kb).
FDA 1997 Pesticide Monitoring Database
1996 Report and Database (1/98)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (234 Kb).
FDA 1996 Pesticide Monitoring Database
1995 Report (10/96)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (438 Kb).
1994 Report (10/95)
The text, tables, references, and appendices (94wp51.zip, 47Kb) are a group of files in WordPerfect 5.1 format, zipped using PKZIP 2.04g.
The charts and graphic figures (94hg3.zip, 34 Kb) are a group of files in Harvard Graphics 3.0 (DOS) format, zipped using PKZIP 2.04g.
The charts and graphic figures (94tif.zip, 99Kb) are a group of files in TIFF format, zipped using PKZIP 2.04g.
ALL of the above files (94all.zip, 171 Kb) are available here zipped using PKZIP v. 2.04g.

1993 Report (10/94)
HTML format
For additional information or to send comments, contact Ronald.Roy@fda.hhs.gov.

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Internalization of Salmonella enterica in leaves is induced by light and involves chemotaxis and penetration through open stomata
01.oct.09
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 75, No. 19, p. 6076-6086
Yulia Kroupitski, Dana Golberg, Eduard Belausov, Riky Pinto, Dvora Swartzberg, David Granot, and Shlomo Sela
http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/75/19/6076
Outbreaks of salmonellosis related to consumption of fresh produce have raised interest in Salmonella-plant interactions leading to plant colonization. Incubation of gfp-tagged Salmonella enterica with iceberg lettuce leaves in the light resulted in aggregation of bacteria near open stomata and invasion into the inner leaf tissue. In contrast, incubation in the dark resulted in a scattered attachment pattern and very poor stomatal internalization. Forcing stomatal opening in the dark by fusicoccin had no significant effect on Salmonella internalization. These results imply that the pathogen is attracted to nutrients produced de novo by photosynthetically active cells. Indeed, mutations affecting Salmonella motility and chemotaxis significantly inhibited bacterial internalization. These findings suggest a mechanistic account for entry of Salmonella into the plant's apoplast and imply that either Salmonella antigens are not well recognized by the stoma-based innate immunity or that this pathogen has evolved means to evade it. Internalization of leaves may provide a partial explanation for the failure of sanitizers to efficiently eradicate food-borne pathogens in leafy greens.

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