Fw: Press Release: Subcommittee Reviews Federal Rural DevelopmentPrograms

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Subject: Press Release: Subcommittee Reviews Federal Rural Development
Programs

News from the House Agriculture Committee

http://agriculture.house.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Media Contacts:
Liz Friedlander (202) 225-1564
James Ryder (202) 225-0020

Subcommittee Reviews Federal Rural Development Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Rural
Development, Biotechnology, Specialty Crops, and Foreign Agriculture, held a hearing to review the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
rural development programs in advance of the 2012 Farm Bill.

The Subcommittee heard testimony from Dallas P. Tonsager, Under Secretary for Rural Development at USDA and from rural economic
development stakeholders utilizing rural development programs across America.

"Today's hearing provided a good overview of the strengths and the weaknesses of our rural development programs given their current
resources. I appreciate hearing from Under Secretary Tonsager and the USDA Rural Development administrators about their progress on
Farm Bill implementation, the administration of Recovery Act funds, and issues we might consider for the next Farm Bill," Chairman
McIntyre said. "Our second panel of witnesses provided good testimony and helpful suggestions, particularly on the complexity of
the loan and grant application process, that I hope USDA will keep in mind as we move forward with the 2012 Farm Bill."

"Today's hearing was intended to review rural development programs in advance of the next Farm Bill. I believe it is appropriate to
be discussing our rural development programs to find out what is working. I think it is even more important to hold a hearing when
programs are not working as Congress intended," said Ranking Member K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas. "Unfortunately there are several
significant issues with the way our programs are being implemented, and today presented an opportunity to shed light. This
Subcommittee has previously highlighted the need for interagency cooperation. There are 16 federal agencies administering over 88
programs that target rural development, and it is important to stay on top of what the USDA is doing to effectively coordinate rural
development efforts and use taxpayer funds more efficiently. I appreciate the time our witnesses took to share their insights with
us today."

The 2008 Farm Bill provides $120 million for critical water and wastewater projects in rural areas as well as $15 million for the
Value-Added Agricultural Product Market Development Grant program, which offers planning and working capital for marketing
value-added products. The 2008 Farm Bill also includes $15 million for the new Rural Entrepreneur and Microenterprise Assistance
Program that provides technical and financial assistance to micro-enterprises and small businesses in rural areas.

The opening statements of all witnesses are available on the House Agriculture Committee website at
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

The Honorable Dallas P. Tonsager, Under Secretary for Rural Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

Accompanied by:

Mr. Jonathan Adelstein, Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

Ms. Judith Canales, Administrator, Business and Cooperative Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

Ms. Tammye Trevino, Administrator, Housing and Community Facility Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

Panel II

Dr. Van H. Ayers, Board Member, Delta Land and Community, and Agriculture and Rural Development Specialist, University of Missouri
Extension, Bloomfield, Missouri

Mr. Ralph E. "Eddie" Miller, Director of Community Development, North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, Raleigh, North
Carolina

Mr. Mark Bahnson, General Manager, Bloomingdale Telephone Company, on behalf of National Telecommunications Cooperative Association,
Bloomingdale, Michigan

Mr. Lee Beaulac, Vice President, PathStone Corporation, Rochester, New York

Mr. Thomas Higginbotham, Executive Director, Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District, Norfolk, Nebraska, on behalf of
National Association of Development Organizations

Mr. Ed Miller, Director of Economic Development, King and Queen County, Virginia, Mechanicsville, Virginia

###

The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture web site http://agriculture.house.gov has additional information on this and other subjects.

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Fw: Agriculture Committee Witness List: Wednesday, July 21st - 10:00a.m.

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Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:10:42
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Subject: Agriculture Committee Witness List: Wednesday, July 21st - 10:00
a.m.

Wednesday, July 21st - 10:00 a.m.
1300 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC
Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture - Public Hearing
RE: To review specialty crop and organic agriculture programs in advance of the 2012 Farm Bill.
Witness List

Panel I
Mr. James A. Angelucci, General Manager, Phillips Mushroom Farms, on behalf of
American Mushroom Institute, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Mr. Robert N. Jones, Director of Production, The Chef's Garden, Huron, Ohio

Mr. Bernie Kohl, Jr., President, Angelica Nurseries, Inc., on behalf of the American
Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA), Kennedyville, Maryland

Mr. Mark Nicholson, Executive Vice President, Red Jacket Orchards, Geneva, New York

Mr. Paul Platz, corn, soybean, green pea, and sweet corn producer, Lafayette, Minnesota

Mr. Daniel R. Richey, President/CEO, Riverfront Packing Company, President,
Riverfront Growers, Inc., and President, Gulfstream Harvesting Company, Vero Beach,
Florida

Margaret A. Smith, Ph.D., Value Added/Sustainable Agriculture Extension Educator,
Iowa State University, and Co-manager, Ash Grove Farm, Hampton, Iowa

The House Agriculture Committee web site http://agriculture.house.gov has additional information on this and other subjects.

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Fw: [BITES-L] bites July 20/10

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Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:14:11 -0500

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Subject: [BITES-L] bites July 20/10

bites July 20/10

UK Food Standards Agency survives; new focus should help get the science right; piping hot is not a standard

UK: Food Standards Agency to keep crucial safety role

Cedar brand Tahini may contain salmonella

Lack of food safety costly for diners, eateries; ALABAMA training center tries to fix errors

Man detained at Mexican airport found with 18 baby monkeys taped to body

Characterization of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 00B015: a Shiga toxin producing but virulence-attenuated isolate

CANADA: Health hazard alert – Certain ready-to-eat sliced meats made by Dats Déli Européen (Establishment 155) may contain Listeria monocytogenes

GEORGIA firm recalls frozen chicken nugget products that may contain foreign materials

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UK Food Standards Agency survives; new focus should help get the science right; piping hot is not a standard
20.jul.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143196/10/07/20/uk-food-standards-agency-survives-new-focus-should-help-get-science-right-pipin
'You won't have Nixon to kick around any more.'
That's what eventual U.S. President Richard Nixon said to the press after losing the election for Governor of California in 1962 (he became President in 1968).
"I leave you gentleman now and you will write it. You will interpret it. That's your right. But as I leave you I want you to know — just think how much you're going to be missing. You won't have Nixon to kick around any more, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference and it will be one in which I have welcomed the opportunity to test wits with you."
And just like Nixon, the U.K. Food Standards Agency has come back from the political backwaters with, what the government calls, "a renewed focus on food safety."
The Government recognizes the important role of the Food Standards Agency in England, which will continue to be responsible for food safety. The Food Standards Agency will remain a non-ministerial department reporting to Parliament through Health ministers.
In England, nutrition policy will become a responsibility of the Secretary of State for Health. Food labelling and food composition policy, where not related to food safety, will become a responsibility of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
This is tremendous news for food safety types as it was clear the Agency was being distracted by trying to be everything to everybody. Issues surrounding salt, fat, genetic engineering, labeling and others are largely lifestyle choices – they are not food safety issues, the things that make people barf.
Although the U.K. Department of Health needs new communications types when they begin a press release with,
"Public confidence in food safety issues will be protected, as the Government confirmed its intention to retain the Food Standards Agency (FSA) with a renewed focus on food safety."
Public confidence is earned, not protected by a bureaucratic shuffling of the chairs.
Now that FSA is clearly focused on food safety, can they get rid of their nonsensical cooking temperature advice – piping hot – and focus on some evidence that will lead to fewer people barfing.
Otherwise, like Nixon, you'll be back, only to get kicked around.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2010/jul/fsachanges
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/143050/10/07/11/uk-food-standards-agency-be-abolished-health-secretary-was-it-due-'piping-hot'-

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UK: Food Standards Agency to keep crucial safety role
20.jul.10
Department of Health
Public confidence in food safety issues will be protected, as the Government confirmed its intention to retain the Food Standards Agency (FSA) with a renewed focus on food safety.
The FSA in England will focus on its core remit of food safety policy and enforcement. The Department of Health will become responsible for nutrition policy in England, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will become responsible for Country of Origin Labelling, and various other non-safety-related food labelling and food composition policies in England.
The FSA was established as a non-ministerial Government Department in 2000. Its primary purpose was to secure food safety and provide vital advice to Government and to the public; a role that the Government believes must remain independent.
Reorganising in this way will contribute to the Government‟s objectives to improve efficiency, and is paramount to the key priority of improving the health of the nation by creating a public health service. To achieve this coherence, some policy-based functions can be brought „in house‟ to give a more coordinated approach on health and food issues.
Ministers and officials at the Department of Health and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are working closely with the FSA to implement the following changes:
Food Standards Agency
Retains a clearly defined departmental function focused on its core remit of food safety. This means that, on crucial issues of food safety, the independent advice from FSA experts would be final.
Retains current responsibility for nutrition and labelling policy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Approximately 2,000 staff will remain at the FSA.
Lord Rooker, Chair of the FSA, said:
"Food safety and hygiene have always been at the heart of what the Agency does. They are our top priorities in protecting the interests of consumers."
Department of Health
Nutrition policy will be transferred to the Department of Health. This includes front of pack nutrition labelling, such as Guideline Daily Amounts. The transfer of nutrition policy into the Department of Health directly contributes to the Government‟s plans for public health. In the long-term, bringing policies „in house‟ will enable better services to be created and clearer information to be given to the public. The Department of Health will, as a result, be able to press industry to contribute more on improving the health of the nation. This includes reformulation, and provision of nutrition information in supermarkets and restaurants. Approximately 70 policy posts will move to the Department from the FSA.
Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, said:
"Our ambition is to create a public health system that truly helps people live longer and healthier lives. To achieve it, we can‟t stand still. Changes are inevitable.
"It‟s absolutely crucial for the Food Standards Agency to continue providing independent expert advice to people about food safety. But bringing nutrition policy into the Department makes sense. It will enable a clear, consistent public health service to be created, as our Public Health White Paper later this year will set out.
"I believe – in the-long term – we‟ll have a clearer and less bureaucratic system for public health. The end result will focus on turning expert advice and support into better health."
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Country of Origin Labelling will transfer to Defra. This will support delivery of the Government‟s commitment to deliver
honesty in food labelling and ensure that consumers can be confident about where their food comes from. It will also support delivery of one of Defra‟s top priorities: Ministers‟ firm commitment to support and develop British farming and encourage sustainable food production, and promote increased domestic food production.
Other policy areas that will transfer to Defra include composition policy which is about agreeing the components and standards for characterising products such as honey, jam, chocolate, ice-cream or meat content of sausages). Approximately 25 policy posts will move to Defra from the FSA.
Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said:
"It makes perfect sense to bring policy on food origin and associated labelling to Defra to sit with wider food policy. The Government has made very clear its commitment to clear and honest labelling – particularly origin labelling.
"These changes will enable the FSA to focus on food safety and it is right that this should stay in the hands of an independent body."
Notes to editors
1. The following policies in England will be brought into the Department of Health: leading on nutritional labelling and EU negotiations on this; health and nutrition claims, dietetic food and food supplements; calorie information in catering establishments; reformulation to reduce salt, saturated fat and sugar levels in food and reducing portion size (including in catering); nutrition surveys and nutrition research; scientific advice and secretariat to Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).
2. The following policies in England will be brought into the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: food labelling, where this does not relate to food safety or nutrition; food composition standards and labelling, where unrelated to food safety; and leading on EU negotiations for all non-safety aspects of food labelling, except for nutrition.
3. The FSA will remain a non-ministerial department reporting to Parliament through DH ministers. All three departments are working together closely on this to ensure a smooth transition. For Defra, the policy transfer will be immediate, with affected staff reporting to Defra ministers and joining the Food Policy Unit at Defra from today, though they will continue to work from the FSA offices for now. Physical moves for staff between offices will take a little longer, and the departments will work closely to coordinate these and limit disruption for staff. Exact timing for the transfer from FSA to the Department of Health, as well as the exact numbers of staff and posts transferred to both Departments will be available in due course.
4. These changes can be put in place without primary legislation
5. For media enquiries please contact the Department of Health news desk on 020 7210 5221.

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Cedar brand Tahini may contain salmonella
20.jul.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143197/10/07/20/cedar-brand-tahini-may-contain-salmonella
Whenever I hear 'Tahini' I somehow superimpose in my brain the last line from the 1978 seminal hit from the B-52s, Rock Lobster,
"There goes a dog-fish
chased by a cat-fish
in flew a sea robin
watch out for that piranha
there goes a narwhal
here comes a bikini whale!"
Bikini whales may or may not carry salmonella, but Tahini keeps appearing with salmonella, probably from the sesame seeds.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Produits Phoenicia Inc. are warning the public not to consume the Cedar brand Tahini described below because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.
The affected product, Cedar brand Tahini is sold in 450 mL jars, bearing UPC 0 62356 50178 5. There is no lot code on the packages.
This product has been distributed nationally.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2010/20100719e.shtml

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Lack of food safety costly for diners, eateries; ALABAMA training center tries to fix errors
20.jul.10.
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143198/10/07/20/lack-food-safety-costly-diners-eateries-alabama-training-center-tries-fix-error
Here's a common scene from many of the mom and pop restaurants I've visited: a towel used to sop up juice from raw hamburger meat also is used to wipe down counters.
Phyllis Fenn, a standardization officer with the Alabama Department of Public Health's bureau of environmental services, has seen the same thing – too often.
The Montgomery Advertiser reports today the Food Safety Training Center on Atlanta Highway is an attempt both to help restaurant owners avoid bad inspections and to protect their customers' health.
When Alabama adopted the 2005 Food Code, one provision was that at least one person in restaurants where raw foods are handled, including fast-food eateries and sushi bars, would become food safety certified. When the state adopted the code, it opted to go with a lead-in time -- Jan. 1 of this year.
The classes can help restaurants improve their health department inspection scores, which is exactly what they are designed to do, Fenn said.
She said the certification class helps restaurants reduce food-related illnesses as well as teaching them about the proper temperatures to cook and hold food (the temperature of food that sits out at a buffet) and proper hygiene.
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20100720/NEWS01/7200323/Lack-of-food-safety-costly-for-diners-eateries

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Man detained at Mexican airport found with 18 baby monkeys taped to body
20.jul.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143199/10/07/20/man-detained-mexican-airport-found-18-baby-monkeys-taped-body
Customs officials at Mexico City's airport detained a Peruvian man carrying 18 baby monkeys, including two which had died, hidden under his clothes, federal police said.
"The Titi monkeys were found hidden in a band tied around the man's body," a statement said.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports the discovery was made when the 38-year-old man appeared edgy during random checks on passengers off a flight from Lima, Peru, it said.
Titi monkeys -- found in Central and South America -- are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/peruvian-detained-in-mexico-with-18-hidden-monkeys-20100720-10im7.html

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Characterization of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 00B015: a Shiga toxin producing but virulence-attenuated isolate
20.jul.10
Can. J. Microbiol. 56(8): 651–656 (2010)
Haiguang Wang, Jiang Gu, Shu Yu, Weijun Zhang, Yefei Zhu, Quanming Zou, Fengcai Zhu, and Xuhu Mao
http://rparticle.web-p.cisti.nrc.ca/rparticle/AbstractTemplateServlet?calyLang=eng&journal=cjm&volume=56&year=2010&issue=8&msno=w10-049
Abstract: Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) causes a wide range of systematic diseases in human and animals in 2 main ways: (1) production of Shiga toxin (Stx) and (2) induction of actin polymerization characterized by attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions. Stx is commonly targeted in the development of drugs and vaccines to control EHEC infection for its indispensible contribution to EHEC pathogenisis. In this study, we isolated a Stx-producing EHEC O157:H7 isolate 00B015 and found that its ability to induce actin polymerization was impaired. In addition, it reduces pathogenicity and decreases mortality in mice. Our results report a Stx-producing but virulence-attenuated EHEC isolate 00B015 and suggest that the formation of actin polymerization may help Stx-induced pathogenesis and have a more important contribution in EHEC infections.

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CANADA: Health hazard alert – Certain ready-to-eat sliced meats made by Dats Déli Européen (Establishment 155) may contain Listeria monocytogenes
19.jul.10
CFIA
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2010/20100719be.shtml
OTTAWA -– The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Dats Déli Européen are warning the public not to consume the sliced meat products described below because these products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
The following ready-to-eat sliced meats, bearing Establishment number 155, are affected by this alert:
Brand Product Size UPC Lot # and Best Before
Dats Déli Européen "Black Forest Hame" 250 g 0 67229 00025 9 L10615
23JL10
Dats Déli Européen Cooked Turkey Breast 250 g 0 67229 00179 9 L10504
23JL10
Dats Déli Européen Old Fashioned Smoked Meat 250 g 0 67229 00039 6 L10607
16JL10
Dats Déli Européen Old Fashioned Smoked Meat 250 g 0 67229 00039 6 L10616
23JL10
Dats Déli Européen Old-Fashioned Smoked Meat 170 g 0 67229 00039 6 L10623
05AU10
Dats Déli Européen Roast Pork 250 g 0 67229 00023 5 L10608
16JL10
Dats Déli Européen Seasoned Roast Beef 250 g 0 67229 00053 2 L10518
16JL10
Le Bifthèque Old-Fashioned Smoked Meat 170 g 0 67229 00039 6 L10607
16JL10
Le Bifthèque Old-Fashioned Smoked Meat 170 g 0 67229 00039 6 L10616
23JL10
These products have been distributed in Quebec and Ontario.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria may cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, however, infections during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.
The manufacturer, Dats Déli Européen Inc., Montreal, QC, is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA
For more information, consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
For information on Listeria monocytogenes, visit the Food Facts web page at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/listeriae.shtml.
For information on all food recalls, visit the CFIA's Food Recall Report at: http://active.inspection.gc.ca/eng/corp/recarapp_dbe.asp.
To find out more about receiving recalls by e-mail, and other food safety facts, visit: www.foodsafety.gc.ca. Food and consumer product recalls are also available at http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca.

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GEORGIA firm recalls frozen chicken nugget products that may contain foreign materials
19.jul.10
FSIS
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_046_2010_Release/index.asp
Recall Release
FSIS-RC-046-2010
CLASS II RECALL
HEALTH RISK: LOW
Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Adrian Gianforti
WASHINGTON -- Perdue Farms, Inc., a Perry, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 91,872 pounds of frozen chicken nugget products that may contain foreign materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The products subject to recall include: [View Labels (PDF Only)]
* 1-pound, 13-ounce bag of "GREAT VALUE Fully Cooked Chicken Nuggets." Each bag bears the establishment number "P-33944" as well as a case code of "89008 A0160" on the backside of the packaging. There is also a "BEST IF USED BY" date of June 9, 2011.
Each case contains 8 bags and the frozen chicken nugget products were produced on June 9, 2010, and were shipped to a single retail store chain nationwide.
The company discovered small pieces of blue plastic after receiving consumer complaints. FSIS has not received any reports of injury at this time. Anyone concerned about an injury from consumption of this product should contact a physician.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.
Media with questions about the recall should contact Luis Luna, Vice President of Corporate Communications, at (410) 341-2533. Consumers with questions about the recall should contact Perdue Consumer Relations at (877) 727-3447.
Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at www.AskKaren.gov. "Ask Karen" live chat services are available Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.

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Fw: [BITES-L] bites July 19/10 -- II

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bites July 19/10 -- II

Salmonella sickens 26 on boat docked in CLEVELAND

Cargill launches beef line with leakproof packaging

Horse tranquillizer ketamine found in aloe vera drink

New IFT report reviews the role of food science and technology in providing, uh, food

ILLINOIS: Germs eyed to make foods safer

Avoiding 'C' food in NEW YORK CITY

WISCONSIN: Baker Street cleared for opening

CANADA: Health Unit turns off tap for raw milk sales

EU: Animal protein feed restrictions to be eased

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Salmonella sickens 26 on boat docked in CLEVELAND
19.jul.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143173/10/07/19/salmonella-sickens-26-boat-docked-cleveland
GoErie.com reports that salmonella has been confirmed as the cause of the gastrointestinal illness that sickened 26 of 42 crew members of the U.S. Flagship Niagara while in Cleveland (right, not exactly as shown).
Most of the crew members are feeling well enough for a Great Lakes tour to Duluth, Minn.; Green Bay, Wis.; and Chicago, said Bill Sutton, executive director of the Flagship Niagara League, the ship's fundraising arm.
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100719/NEWS02/307199919/-1/news

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Cargill launches beef line with leakproof packaging
19.jul.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143174/10/07/19/cargill-launches-beef-line-leakproof-packaging
Consumers ain't no dummies.
Cargill asked consumers what they wanted in beef packaging and they said stuff that doesn't leak.
David Bisek, associate brand manager for Cargill said in a statement.
"Shoppers have spoken and Cargill has listened. They told us their No. 1 frustration with current fresh beef packaging is the fact that it leaked. These leaks plague consumers throughout the shopping process: they leave a mess in grocery carts, they stain car upholstery and they necessitate refrigerator clean-up during storage."
And the cross-contamination potential is enormous.
So Cargill introduced a new Grantwood Meats line where beef is vacuum-sealed into a leakproof package with a peel-to-open tab. It is freezer-ready and has a 30-day shelf life from the packing date.
The Grantwood Meats line includes muscle cuts and roasts.
http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=17355

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Horse tranquillizer ketamine found in aloe vera drink
19.jul.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143184/10/07/19/horse-tranquillizer-ketamine-found-aloe-vera-drink
Hanging out with veterinarians and vet students over the past 30 years, I've heard enough stories about the horse tranquillizer, ketamine, and human recreational use.
Not the best thing to get addicted too, as far as addictions go, but is apparently popular at raves.
Two women in Leicester, U.K. required hospital treatment after drinking an aloe vera-based health drink that was apparently spiked with ketamine.
Forensic tests are still being conducted and the final analysis will not be known for some time.
Leicestershire Health Protection Agency said there was only one outlet in Leicester which had bottles of the product and that stock had been seized.
Health Protection Agency spokesman Philip Monk said,
"We have bottles with that label [Gayatri] on which we know contain ketamine and the police will be working out how the ketamine got into them and indeed whether they came from the manufacturer - they may be completely fake products."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketamine
http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/abuse/8-hallu.htm#Ketamine
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-10687488

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New IFT report reviews the role of food science and technology in providing, uh, food
19.jul.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/143185/10/07/19/new-ift-report-reviews-role-food-science-and-technology-providing-uh-food
The world's food system provides food for nearly seven billion people each day. But according to a new report from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), more advances are critical for an adequate food supply, which must nearly double during the next several decades, for the future world population.
The first-of-its-kind scientific review, to be published in the September 2010 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, takes a historical look at the food system, the many challenges ahead, and the crucial role of food science and technology in meeting the needs of the growing population.
The report summarizes the historical developments of agriculture and food technology, details various food manufacturing methods, and explains why food is processed. The report also describes and stresses why further advancements in food science and technology are needed -- to more equitably meet growing world population food needs with enhanced food security in developing countries and solutions to complex diet-and-health challenges in industrialized countries.
Impact of Modern Food Manufacturing Methods
John Floros, PhD, of the Pennsylvania State University Department of Food Science said,
"Thanks to food science and technology and modern food manufacturing methods, nutritional deficiencies and inconsistent food availability can be addressed, harvests can be protected, and various commodities can be transformed into new products having specific nutrients for better health and wellness. However, this success has distanced consumers from the agricultural origins of today's food products and understanding of why processing is important. As a result, there are concerns and misconceptions regarding food safety, and the food system's effect on health and the environment."
Uh-oh. That sounds condescending.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-institute-of-food-technologists-report-reviews-the-role-of-food-science-and-technology-in-meeting-the-needs-of-a-growing-world-population-98768384.html

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ILLINOIS: Germs eyed to make foods safer
19.jul.10
Science News
Janet Raloff
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/61270/title/Germs_eyed_to_make_foods_safer
CHICAGO -- Adding viruses to foods doesn't sound appetizing, much less healthy. But it's a stratagem being explored to knock some of the more virulent food poisoning bacteria out of the U.S. food supply. Scientists described data supporting the tactic July 18 at the Institute of Food Technologists' annual meeting in Chicago.
Every year, some 76 million food poisoning cases occur throughout the United States. Most people suffer major distress but recover fine. Roughly 375,000 Americans do become hospitalized, however, and roughly 5,000 die. Since bacteria play a major role in provoking these gut wrenching illnesses – remember the E.coli O157:H7 outbreak affecting spinach four years ago – the food industry is looking for new ammo to protect its products and reputation.
A whole session of the IFT meeting was devoted to mushrooming interest in bacteriophages – viruses that quash bacteria. Phages are very discriminating. Each seeks out a particular bacterial species and largely ignores the rest. 

These viruses also eschew larger beings, like plants, fish, birds and mammals. Indeed, it's this exquisite selectivity that makes them so appealing to food scientists. Find the right phage, and it will knock out the food poisoner of concern. And nothing else.
Some phages have already been granted federal approval for use on foods; approval for others is still pending, noted Lawrence Goodridge of Colorado State University in Fort Collins. 

He described experiments that showed spraying cattle a few hours prior to slaughter could reduce by roughly 90 percent the pathogens present on the hide of those animals over the next 90 minutes. (In these tests, the bacteria had been added in known amounts prior to treatment.) University of Florida experiments on tomatoes suffering from a blight in the field due to a test inoculation with Xanthomonas not only slowed the spread of lesions to other plants, Goodridge said, but also improved crop yields by preventing vigor-robbing low-level disease.
Encouraging but no panacea
The Food and Drug Administration has approved phages for use in foods – but only against Listeria monocytogenes, notes food microbiologist Ipek Goktepe of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro. And these products find use primarily on meat and deli products, she added. But that's not bad, since Listeria is one of the most common food-poisoning agents. And a particularly recalcitrant one since it happily grows at refrigerated temperatures.
Goktepe reported new data showing that Listeria phages aren't uniformly effective in protecting every contaminated food to which they're applied. Food producers would like to see at least a "4 log" reduction in bacteria – that is, a reduction to one ten-thousandth of the starting population of bugs. In some of Goktepe's tests, she may see a three log reduction or less.
One recent success: An E. coli phage that targets O157:H7 strains killed a huge share of these bacterial cells that had been growing on loose lettuce and spinach leaves. When the phages were applied in a moist mist, Goktepe says, "We achieved a 3 to 7 log reduction – and that's a lot. We were not expecting that," she says. "Usually a 4 log reduction is considered very significant."
She cautions that the big bacterial drop occurred under fairly ideal conditions, such as at 3 °C, a good refrigerator's temperature. Raise the leafy greens' temperature to 10 °C (about 50 °F) and the phage delivered only a 2 to 5 log drop in E. coli numbers.
Some phages prey on Salmonella. But to date, Goktepe says, most phage studies haven't yielded much success in quashing populations of these bacteria. So viral protection from this major pathogen remains a challenge. This, as in many instances, may reflect trouble matching the right virus to the bacterium. Select the wrong phage and the virus will die of hunger as the food-poisoning agent prospers.
Such observations suggest, Goktepe says, that because farmers or food manufacturers are unlikely to be able to predict which strain of bacterium stands poised to afflict their crops or product, effective treatment may require the development of viral cocktails containing many phages. Indeed, her lab is actually interested in developing a supercocktail mixed from phages specific to a medley of pathogens – from E. coli to Salmonella.

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Avoiding 'C' food in NEW YORK CITY
19.jul.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143186/10/07/19/avoiding-c-food-new-york-city
According to the New York Post, some of the city's best-known eateries are lucky the Health Department is starting to hand out letter grades next week -- instead of last month -- because thousands would have ended up with a bottom-rung "C" plastered in their front windows.
Officials estimate that about 6,000 of the city's 24,000 eateries had enough violation points in June to have earned the lowest mark on a three-letter rating scale devised by the city.
The "C" restaurants would have ranged from the Lion, a sizzling new spot in Greenwich Village, to the venerable Gallagher's steakhouse in Midtown, to the century-old Katz's deli emporium on the Lower East Side.
Even Radio City Music Hall's snack bar made the "C" list.
The Health Department plans to award "A" grades to restaurants that accumulate no more than 13 violation points; "B" to those with 14 to 27 points; and "C" for 28 or more points.
Restaurant owners and managers contacted by The Post who would have faced a "C" last month were surprisingly supportive of the grading system.
"It's for the sake of public health -- I'm perfectly OK with that," said Jake Dell, son of the owner of Katz's deli, which accumulated 47 points on its record for such infractions as evidence of roaches and mice, as well as bad plumbing.
Like every restaurateur contacted, he said the conditions cited by inspectors have since been corrected. A reinspection July 6 brought Katz's score down to 23 -- in the "B" range.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/avoiding_food_zoNKs5rSbymlo3lsan0NIO?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=

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WISCONSIN: Baker Street cleared for opening
19.jul.10
Kenosha News
Jon Olson
http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/baker_street_cleared_for_opening_13348111.html
Baker Street restaurant, which closed a week ago after a salmonella outbreak, will reopen Tuesday, said owner Lou Tricoli.
"We've been working steadily with the health department since this thing started," Tricoli said. The County Health Department said he could reopen, he said.
He said there has no determination on the cause of the outbreak at Baker Street, 6208 Green Bay Road.. "There was nothing with any food," he said.
Tricoli said his employees were all checked and none was found to have salmonella poisoning, and the restaurant has been thoroughly cleaned.
"I've been 30 years in this business, and I've never had a problem," Tricoli said.
He expressed the hope that people will return to eat at Baker Street, trusting that he has been thorough in his response.

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CANADA: Health Unit turns off tap for raw milk sales
19.jul.10
The Sault Star
Brian Kelly
http://www.saultstar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2674866
Algoma Public Health quickly soured on a Bar River farmer's plans to sell raw milk for cats and dogs.
The offer of unpasteurized milk, from Diamond J Farms owner Vic Fremlin, appeared in The Sault Star about three weeks ago.
That ad, said Fremlin, wasn't supposed to run until he knew he could sell the milk for animal consumption.
There was some interest from local residents, but the health unit told Fremlin he couldn't sell the raw milk.
"I thought maybe there was a market for other peoples' animals out there, but they don't want me selling it off the farm to anybody else," he said.
:Ad ran before permission was given to sell
"It's not like it was in the olden days."
Fremlin said he did not sell any unpasteurized milk to the public.
The Grade B milk he wanted to sell was not fit for human consumption. His farm also supplies Grade AAA milk which is used for Lock City Dairies, which Fremlin also owns.
He regularly feeds his calves and his cats and dogs raw milk.
"(They're) healthier than any dog or cat you'll know," said Fremlin.
"That's good stuff for them."
Algoma Public Health released an alert about unpasteurized milk Friday afternoon.

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EU: Animal protein feed restrictions to be eased
20.jul.10
FIS
Analia Murias
http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&country=0&special=&monthyear=&day=&id=37330&ndb=1&df=0
The European Commission (EC) proposed allowing the use of animal meal to feed fish, chickens and pigs.
Today, this practice is prohibited to prevent the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), known "mad cow disease".
The commission approved a proposal to ease the restrictions in force because it believes that, thanks to the efforts to combat diseases of the group of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), there was a significant decrease in the number of animals affected.
"We're finally on the verge of eradicating the disease in the European Union (EU)," said EU Health Commissioner, John Dalli.
Any change in the measures do not affect the aim of protecting citizens," he added.
From 2011, a certain "tolerance" level of processed animal proteins will be accepted in the feed used for animals other than ruminants.
But the EU authorities want to maintain the ban on the use of animal protein for ruminating mammals.
Furthermore, the EC seeks to prevent 'cannibalism', that is, cattle that eats the remains of its kind. So far, only the use of fish protein is allowed, and only in some cases.
Moreover, the EC proposed to increase the age at which animals should be subjected to mandatory screening tests, as experts say that sick specimens are increasing.
It is expected that the Community initiative will be in force over the next five years until 2015.

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