Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Friday, December 21, 2012

General Mills to Improve Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups Labeling

General Mills to Improve Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups Labeling Settlement Agreement Negotiated with CSPI Resolves Lawsuit WASHINGTON--General Mills has agreed to improve its labeling for Strawberry Naturally Flavored Fruit Roll-Ups. The agreement resolves a lawsuit brought against the company by a California woman, Annie Lam, who was represented by the nonprofit nutrition watchdog group the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the consumer protection law firm Reese Richman LLP. Strawberry Naturally Flavored Fruit Roll-Ups contain no strawberries but are made with pears from concentrate, corn syrup, dried corn syrup, sugar, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, and 2 percent or less various natural and artificial ingredients. So long as the product continues not to contain strawberries, the new labels will not depict images of strawberries, according to the agreement. And, so long as the product’s label carries the claim “Made with Real Fruit,” such claims will be required to include the actual percentage of fruit in the product. Both of those changes will take effect in 2014. “By stating the actual percentage of fruit in the product, these labels will be less likely to lead consumers to believe that the product is all or mostly fruit,” said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. “A more accurate name for the product would be Pear Naturally Flavored Fruit Roll-Ups, since pear is present and strawberry is absent. But the removal of pictures of strawberries is a step in the right direction. We are pleased to have worked cooperatively with General Mills to reach this agreement.” In recent years, CSPI’s litigation unit has negotiated agreements or otherwise spurred improvements in labeling or advertising for products as diverse as Airborne dietary supplements, Centrum multivitamins, and Aunt Jemima Blueberry Waffles. CSPI negotiated a historic settlement agreement improving the nutritional quality of Kellogg products marketed to children, and its lawsuit against KFC spurred that company to cease using partially hydrogenated oil. Currently, CSPI is pursuing litigation aimed at correcting labeling and advertising for Coca-Cola’s Vitaminwater and Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s 7UP “Antioxidant” varieties.

Chairwoman Stabenow Statement on Expected Doubling in Consumer Milk Prices, Following House’s Failure to Pass Farm Bill

Chairwoman Stabenow Statement on Expected Doubling in Consumer Milk Prices, Following House’s Failure to Pass Farm Bill Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today released the following statement concerning the expected doubling in consumer milk prices come January 1, as a result of the House’s failure to pass a new farm bill. While the Senate passed a strong, bipartisan farm bill with overwhelming support that saves taxpayers $23 billion, House Republican leadership has refused to bring the farm bill to the floor for consideration. As a result, the agriculture economy and the 16 million jobs that rely on agriculture will soon face uncertainty. "Fiscal cliff tax increases would hit middle class families' pocketbooks, but so would paying six or seven dollars for a gallon of milk. It is absolutely critical that Congress pass a new five-year Farm Bill to keep food prices stable and protect America's 16 million agriculture jobs. The Farm Bill reforms programs and cuts spending by $23 billion, so including it in a final deficit reduction deal will help the country avoid the fiscal cliff."

Foodie news: Five Easy Steps to Buff Up Your Buffalo

Five Easy Steps to Buff Up Your Buffalo The Wild Mushroom’s Chef Jerrett Joslin Shares his Tips to Grilling Buffalo Looking to switch up a stale dinnertime routine? Instead of buying the typical slab of beef to grill, venture out and experiment with the tasty flavors of buffalo. An extremely juicy option that is extremely versatile, buffalo can easily be incorporated into many different dishes. Chef Jerrett Joslin, chef and owner of The Wild Mushroom Steakhouse, explains his tips for grilling the perfectly cooked buffalo. “Buffalo is a very lean meat, so making sure you watch it closely and cook it correctly is vital. It is also super tender and can be made for many dishes, but grilling a nice big ribeye is the ticket to a great meal,” says Chef Jerrett Joslin. · What to look for- It is very important to find the best quality buffalo at your local grocery store or butcher so you can appreciate the meat’s natural flavor. Look for a deep blood red (almost red brown) piece of meat to ensure preservatives were not used to make the meat look artificially red, as buffalo meat does not marble. · Seasoning the meat- Buffalo is already a flavorful meat and seasoning it excessively is not necessary. Dash it with salt and pepper and throw it on the grill for the best results. · Finding the right temperature- Since buffalo is so lean, it cooks very quickly on the grill and it is important to cook it very slowly on low to medium temperatures. The heat should range from 300-355 degrees Fahrenheit. · Grilling is everything- Buffalo can be very juicy and flavorful, if cooked properly. You want to be patient with grilling, and make sure not to cook it too quickly, or else the meat will become rubbery. Cook on the grill for about 6-7 minutes on each side for a medium-rare texture. · Patience is a virtue- It is extremely tempting to cut into the piece of buffalo right away and start tasting the flavors, but it’s important to be patient and let the meat rest. The key is to let it sit for about 10 minutes after you take it off the grill so that the juices stay in the steak and you get the full effect. At The Wild Mushroom Steakhouse, Chef Joslin tops his Buffalo Ribeye with a black truffle butter sauce and a side of mashed Yukon Gold garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus before serving.

The Pope's on Twitter - you should be too

The Pope's on Twitter – If You’re Marketing, You Should Be, Too 3 Lessons for Small Businesses Inspired by @Pontifex By: Marsha Friedman His handle is @Pontifex and 85-year-old Pope Benedict XVI can tweet in eight different languages on his brand new Twitter account. On Dec. 12, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church tentatively typed out his first tweet on an iPad. It read, "Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart." (For those of you counting, that's the maximum 140 characters allowed per tweet. Once His Holiness gets the hang of things, he'll want to shorten them up a bit so they'll be easier for his followers to re-tweet.) And followers he has -- more than 1.8 million and counting. The pope is already a hit in the Twitter-verse, which makes one wonder why he didn't sign up a long time ago. And that thought leads to a more important question: How many of small business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals and authors are not yet using this marvelous social networking platform? It's time to take a lesson from the Vatican -- whether or not you're Catholic. The pontiff took to Twitter for the same reasons anyone with something to market should: • He needs to generate leads. "Part of the pope's job description is to spread the word," Greg Burke, senior communications adviser for the Vatican, has said. "Twitter is turning out to be a very effective way of doing this." Like business owners, the Catholic Church must generate leads to bring in new "customers." According to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, while there are 66.3 million Catholics in the United States, the growth rate has slowed in past years, and only 24 percent of those Catholics attend Mass every week. The church also has a problem with declining numbers of U.S. priests. The shortage has left nearly 3,400 parishes without a resident pastor. And book and product sales? Word of mouth to the world's more than 1.2 billion Catholics can only help. • He wants to keep the customers he has. It's not just about growing his clientele; the pope wants to keep his existing church members coming back. Interacting with them regularly through the give-and-take of a platform like Twitter helps him create a more personal relationship with them. (On his first day of tweeting, the pope responded to three questions posed by followers using his #askpontifex hashtag.) It will also keep him in front of his target audience if he posts tweets regularly, responds to followers, and occasionally re-tweets their messages. • He has an important message to share. The pontiff had thousands of followers even before his first tweet! Why? Because many people were already interested in his message, and they expect his posts will have value for them. So far, they apparently have. The third and final question from followers that he answered on his first day tweeting was, "Any suggestions on how to be more prayerful when we are so busy with the demands of work, families and the world?" His response: "Offer everything you do to the Lord, ask his help in all the circumstances of daily life and remember that he is always beside you." It had been re-tweeted nearly 20,000 times by Dec. 14. The pope has a message he wants the world to hear. That's a good sign he'll be successful on social media. I find it fascinating, but not surprising, that Pope Benedict XVI is embracing social media. While the Catholic Church is a centuries-old institution steeped in tradition, it recognizes the need to be where its audience is if it hopes to remain visible and relevant in their lives. For anyone in business, or anyone marketing anything, that's not only true for you, too, it's essential. About Marsha Friedman Marsha Friedman is a 22-year veteran of the public relations industry. She is the CEO of EMSI Public Relations (www.emsincorporated.com), a national firm that provides PR strategy and publicity services to corporations, entertainers, authors and professional firms. Marsha is the author of Celebritize Yourself: The 3-Step Method to Increase Your Visibility and Explode Your Business and she can also be heard weekly on her Blog Talk Radio Show, EMSI’s PR Insider every Thursday at 3:00 PM EST.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Consumers Union Urges Major Reduction of Antibiotics in Food Animal Production To Protect Public Health

Consumers Union Urges Major Reduction of Antibiotics in Food Animal Production To Protect Public Health Consumer Group Highlights The Overuse of Drugs In Food Animals During CDC’s “Get Smart About Antibiotics Week” Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, today called for a major reduction in the use of antibiotics in food animal production because their overuse promotes the spread of drug-resistant superbugs and makes antibiotics less effective for people Consumers Union is calling attention to the overuse of antibiotics on farms during the Center For Disease Control and Prevention’s “Get Smart About Antibiotics Week” (November 12-18), which aims to raise awareness about how growing antibiotic resistance is one of the world’s most pressing public health threats. The CDC is emphasizing the need for doctors and patients to work together to improve antibiotic use in order to preserve these critical medications for the future. "Doctors and patients need to be much more careful about how they use antibiotics if we’re going to preserve their power,” said Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives for Consumers Union. “But we also need to get smart about the overuse of antibiotics in food animals. It’s time to stop the daily feeding of antibiotics to healthy food animals which makes these life-saving medications less effective for people.” In 2010, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, Director of the CDC, noted that “there is strong scientific evidence of a link between antibiotic use in food animals and antibiotic resistance in humans.” Numerous health organizations, including the American Medical Association, American Public Health Association, Infectious Disease Society of America, and the World Health Organization, agree and have called for significant reductions in the use of antibiotics for animal food production. Some 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used on food animals, mostly to make them grow faster or prevent disease in crowded and unsanitary conditions. As a result of large scale use of antibiotics in livestock production, most of the bugs that are vulnerable to the antibiotics are eventually killed off, leaving behind superbugs that are immune to one or more of the drugs. These superbugs spread on the farm and beyond, contributing to antibiotic resistance in hospitals and our communities According to the CDC, antibiotic resistance is leading to higher treatment costs, longer hospital stays, and unnecessary deaths. The CDC estimates that nearly 100,000 people die from infections they pick up in the hospital every year. The vast majority are caused by bacteria that have developed resistance to the antibiotics used to treat them. Antibiotic-resistant superbugs from the farm are showing up on meat and poultry and causing serious illness and even death. Consumer Reports found in 2010 that two-thirds of the chicken samples it tested were contaminated with salmonella or campylobacter or both and that more than 60 percent of those organisms were antibiotic-resistant. Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked drug companies and livestock growers to voluntarily eliminate growth promotion uses of antibiotics over the next three years. Consumers Union has long urged the FDA to take stronger action and has called on the agency to restrict the use of antibiotics in food animals to the treatment of veterinarian-diagnosed sick animals only. In June, Consumers Union launched its Meat Without Drugs campaign to encourage grocery stores to move away from selling meat and poultry raised on a steady diet of antibiotics. The consumer group is initially targeting Trader Joe’s, the national specialty grocer, because it already offers some antibiotic-free meat and poultry and has taken recent stands in support of other sustainable purchasing practices. “The threat to public health from the overuse of antibiotics in food animals is real and growing,” said Halloran. “Trader Joe’s can be a leader in the campaign to protect public health and preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics by selling only meat raised without drugs. The Meat Without Drugs campaign, which includes more than a dozen consumer, environmental, and animal welfare organizations, has presented Trader Joe’s with a petition signed by more than a half million consumers urging the grocer to stop selling meat and poultry raised on antibiotics. Trader Joe’s has been unwilling to meet with Consumers Union to discuss the issue. Consumers Union also supports Representative Henry Waxman's plan to introduce legislation in Congress to require the FDA to give the public more detailed information about the use of antibiotics in food animals. Right now there is little reliable data on the amount and type of antibiotics that are used for each category of food animal. Among other things, Waxman proposes to require drug manufacturers to disclose to the FDA how their antibiotics are used on the farm by determining which animals the drugs are given to and for what purpose. For more information, see Consumers Union’s fact sheet on how the overuse of antibiotics in food animals threatens public health.

Friday, November 9, 2012

FDA Proposes Changes in Regulation of Processed Ackee Fruit

November 8, 2012 FDA today published in the Federal Register a draft Compliance Policy Guide that, when finalized, will provide guidance for FDA staff on our enforcement criteria for canned ackee, frozen ackee, and other ackee products that contain hypoglycin A. Ackee fruit is harvested from the ackee tree, which is native to West Africa but has been grown for its fruit in Jamaica since the 18th century and is now a widespread fruit tree in many countries in the Caribbean and Central and South America. Canned and frozen ackee fruit is marketed in the United States almost exclusively to people from Caribbean cultures. Most of the ackee and ackee products in the United States are imported from tropical countries, such as Jamaica, Belize, and Haiti. However, ackee trees also grow in southern Florida and in recent years there has been interest by a processor in Florida to market ackee products in interstate commerce. The ackee fruit naturally contains the toxin hypoglycin A, which drops to negligible levels in certain parts of the fruit when it is fully ripe. Hypoglycin A may pose a health risk in amounts in excess of 100 parts per million, according to an FDA risk assessment. If the ackee fruit is not processed properly, levels of hypoglycin A above 100 ppm may be present in the processed ackee product. FDA has in place an Import Alert which states that districts may detain without physical examination all ackee products offered for import, except for those ackee products from firms that are identified on a “green list” included in the Import Alert. The firms on the green list are those firms that have demonstrated to FDA that future shipments of their ackee products will not be adulterated. The Import Alert also includes a “yellow list.” Firms on the “yellow list” of the import alert have been identified as having food safety controls in place to control the toxin, hypoglycin A, in their ackee products. Firms on this list must provide test results demonstrating that their product does not contain a level of hypoglycin A that may render the product injurious to health, in order to secure release of the shipment. FDA assesses all processors of ackee for export to the United States on a facility-by-facility basis. See the Federal Register notice for the Draft Compliance Policy Guide Sec. 550.050 Canned Ackee, Frozen Ackee, and Other Ackee Products--Hypoglycin A Toxin for more information. Interested parties can submit comments on the draft during a 60-day comment period. View the FDA Import Alert for ackee fruit (IA 21-11) on the FDA website.

Peterson Statement on 2012 Farm Bill During Lame Duck Session

WASHINGTON – U.S. House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin C. Peterson, D-Minn., today urged House Republican Leaders to bring the Agriculture Committee’s bipartisan five-year farm bill to the floor for a vote next week. “The election is over so it’s time to get to work. I’m optimistic that, if given the chance, we have the votes to pass a five-year farm bill. There is no good reason not to vote on the bill when we return next week, before Thanksgiving. This will give us the time we need to work out our differences with the Senate and get a new five-year farm bill signed into law by the end of the year. “I remain opposed to an extension of any kind for any time.”

Nov. 8, 2012 , Los Angeles - NASA call to animal researchers condemned by animal protection group

Nov. 8, 2012 , Los Angeles - NASA call to animal researchers condemned by animal protection group Taking one giant leap backwards, NASA has called on researchers to submit funding applications for projects which may involve the use of primates, dogs, cats and other animals, provoking condemnation from Animal Defenders International (ADI). The purpose of the research is to study how the environment in space affects biological processes, enabling NASA to develop “a safe, productive human presence in space for extended periods”. Two years ago, following a concerted campaign by ADI and other groups, NASA cancelled a research program at the Brookhaven National Laboratory which would have involved the irradiation of 36 squirrel monkeys. As part of the campaign, ADI distributed a DVD entitled ‘Space Experiments on Monkeys – One Giant Leap Backwards’ to Members of Congress which: • Revealed the horrific nature of the monkey experiments • Outlined how the tests were scientifically flawed • Included quotes from: the European Space Agency; Cosmonaut Valentin Lebedev, who set a world record for time in space; Jim Bates, NASA retired, formerly Co-Chairman of the JSC Space Radiation Environment Group; and ex-ESA astronaut and former MEP, Umberto Guidoni • Included an extensive interview with aerospace engineer April Evans, who worked as a space architect on the International Space Station and resigned in protest over the tests. ADI President Jan Creamer: “Animal Defenders International is horrified at the thought that NASA may recommence their research on primates who, alongside any other animals used, would needlessly suffer for this project. We call on NASA to do the right thing, scientifically and ethically, and ensure that NO animals are used.” In their research guidelines, NASA state “If procedures (e.g., pharmacological or surgical) might lead to severe discomfort, distress, pain or injury, indicators for humane endpoints and euthanasia (e.g., severe infection, respiratory distress, failure to eat, tumor size) should be described.” identifying the potential for severe animal suffering to occur. Calls for research proposals for the project opened on September 30th and the deadline for submissions was October 31st. The selection of proposals is expected to be announced on April 30th, 2013.

An Open Letter to Mitt Romney By Dr. Mark W. Hendrickson

An Open Letter to Mitt Romney By Dr. Mark W. Hendrickson Editor's note: A version of this piece first appeared at USAToday.com. Dear Mitt, I have awakened on November 7 to learn that your bid for the presidency was unsuccessful. In the midst of the disappointment that I share with you, I want to thank you for devoting years of your life to the wearisome task of running for president. Millions of Americans are grateful to you. You have been one of my heroes for the past 48 years. I still recall vividly the valiant cross country race you ran at our Cranbrook Homecoming in October of 1964—a race when you willed yourself to run faster than you ever had until, near the end, oxygen starvation set in, causing you first to stagger, then to collapse just 30 yards from the finish line. I can still see your face, ashen and contorted in pain, as you ignored the torture of the cinders on the track scraping against soft skin and began to crawl. Even though every other runner passed you, and you had nothing to gain—other than surcease of agony—from dragging yourself to the finish line, you refused to quit until you reached your goal. Your brave effort touched me deeply. That’s when I learned that you were special—a man of character, commitment, heart and guts, someone who embodied the indomitable American spirit. I also admired your exuberant joie de vivre. You loved life, and I can see that your great capacity for love found abundantly happy fulfillment in your life with your wife and sons. I also remember your friendship with Chester, our night watchman at Cranbrook. At prep school, there can be a tendency to disregard the support staff, to take them for granted like the furniture, but you reached out to that good, simple, kind, salt-of-the-earth security guard. (Just for the record, I befriended Chester, too, during my senior year, so I feel we share that bond.) Nobody can doubt your love for our country. Whereas your opponent concentrated on lining up support from key special interest groups, your focus was more akin to the patriotic statesman than the opportunistic politician—it was so clear that you wanted to get our country back on track. As we can now see, that wasn’t to be. What occurs to me is that, by losing the election, you might have been spared a cruel fate. If elected, you would have inherited an economic mess. The problem isn’t just the looming fiscal cliff and debt ceiling, but the overall financial situation of our government is clearly unsustainable and nonviable. Entitlement spending has mushroomed so that it—combined with interest on the national debt—now consumes virtually every dollar of tax revenue. That means that the various departments and agencies that we normally think of as “the federal government,” from the Pentagon through the EPA and everything in between, is being run on borrowed (or “quantitatively eased”) dollars. No president could trim entitlement spending or shut down enough of the government to stanch the flood of red ink. Government indebtedness will continue to balloon and our currency will continue to be debauched, and it would have been impossible for you, given the prevalent attitudes of the people, to halt that insidious process. You might have tried by firing Ben Bernanke and replacing him with someone who would stop quantitative easing, but that would have caused interest rates to rise and the federal government to become insolvent, triggering a crisis that would have made you a vilified president. The presidency at this juncture in history strikes me as an impossible job. Both domestic and foreign policy seem to be Gordian knots that no mere mortal can cut. I know, though, that you would have valiantly been willing to give your all in the attempt to help your country at this difficult time. Your path as president would have been as excruciating as those last 30 yards of that cross country race you ran so long ago, but you would have addressed the challenge with the same determination and commitment as you did then. Now those awful burdens you would have been willing to shoulder fall on your opponent, and we’ll see what kind of shoulders he has. You gave years of your life for the chance to be of service to your country, Mitt, and you lived by our school motto, “Aim High.” You did us proud. — Dr. Mark W. Hendrickson is an adjunct faculty member, economist, and fellow for economic and social policy with The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College.

How to Detect & Protect Against Workplace Bullying -- a Chronic Corporate Disease

How to Detect & Protect Against Workplace Bullying -- a Chronic Corporate Disease By: Rakesh Malhotra Stories of workplace bullying are commonplace throughout the United States. Some real-life examples: Mavis: “When I started there, I was told that someone had been acting in the position and had expected to get the job. This person continually undermined me and turned other staff against me. I endured 12 months of hell, and felt as if I was sinking in quicksand.” A male employee at a different company: “The misery took over my whole life. I turned nasty and bitter and treated my wife and kids like whipping posts. After many visits to a psychologist, I was able to think of all the positive things in my life. Now I look back and think I wouldn’t want to go through that experience again.” In general, there are no legal repercussions for non-physical bullying except in specific cases, such as sexual harassment. In fact, bullying is a character trait that tends to be condoned in American society. Consider our national obsession -- football. The object of this celebrated game is to get the ball to the other player’s goal, no matter what it takes: trampling, hitting, pushing, screaming. If football is a metaphor for American society, then the winner is the person who pushes others out of the way and wins no matter the cost. Bullies win by controlling situations and people around them. They crave power and the attention that comes from getting what they want. The effects of working with a bully Adults have a difficult time performing their jobs effectively when subjected to bullying by a co-worker. It takes a toll physically because of our physiological responses to emotional stress. Typically, victims endure feelings of depression, guilt and shame, and they suffer sleep loss and fatigue. In some cases, victims begin to believe the bully’s behavior is warranted, and they develop feelings of worthlessness. They cannot complete tasks at the same level as others in their units. Victims of bullying may suffer from panic disorders, post traumatic stress syndrome, agoraphobia and stress-induced high blood pressure. If they leave the job or are docked because of resulting lowered performance, they face economic issues. Some take their own lives. The abuse takes a toll on victims in every way imaginable. Are you a bully? Being accused of being the bully can be difficult to accept. You may believe your actions were unintentional, or a justified emotional response to provocation. Perhaps, you see yourself as the only one in the office qualified to do anything right. However, whatever you have said or done, whether purposefully or not, you have created a culture of negativity for at least one person and you need to honestly assess the situation and your role in it. Symptoms that you may be the bully include: • Insulting a coworker (remember, one person’s “joke” may be another’s insult). • Undermining another employee’s work by creating a hostile environment or perhaps by consistently calling their attention to “flaws”. (Bullies focus on a person, while constructive criticism focuses on a task.) • As an employer, ignoring your employees’ suggestions. • Humiliating your employee in front of others. If any of these sound like something that you may be doing, it is important to address this immediately with your victim. You may want to speak with your doctor about getting help, such as counseling, sensitivity training, anger management and other seminars. It is important to understand the signs and symptoms of a bully in order to help the victim and the victimizer deal with and exterminate the behavior. If you are a victim, diligently record workplace bullying events. If you choose to make a formal complaint, you will be responsible for providing information should there be charges brought against the bully.

CSPI: Antioxidant Comes From Illegal Fortification, Not the Named and Pictured Fruits

WASHINGTON--7UP manufacturer Dr Pepper Snapple Group is facing a lawsuit over its practice of touting an added antioxidant in its regular and diet Cherry Antioxidant, Mixed Berry Antioxidant, and Pomegranate Antioxidant varieties. “There’s never been a more delicious way to cherry pick your antioxidant!” is how 7UP’s web site puts it. But according to the lawsuit filed today in federal court in California, the antioxidant claim is both misleading, since it gives the impression that the antioxidants come from the pictured healthful fruits, and illegal, since Food and Drug Administration regulations prohibit fortifying nutritionally worthless snack foods and beverages with nutrients. The suit was filed on behalf of a Sherman Oaks, Calif., man who purchased the drinks but would not have had he known the product didn’t contain juices from the advertised fruits, and that the drinks have only a small amount of one isolated antioxidant, vitamin E. The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is acting as co-counsel in the lawsuit, with the consumer protection class action law firm Reese Richman LLP. “Non-diet varieties of 7UP, like other sugary drinks, promote obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and other serious health problems, and no amount of antioxidants could begin to reduce those risks,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “Adding an antioxidant to a soda is like adding menthol to a cigarette—neither does anything to make an unhealthy product healthy.” Despite the pictures of cherries, blackberries, cranberries, raspberries, and pomegranates on various 7UP labels, the drinks contain no fruit or juice of any kind. 7UP Cherry Antioxidant contains water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, potassium benzoate, and the controversial dye Red 40. The Mixed Berry and Pomegranate varieties also contain Blue 1 dye. One 12-ounce serving contains 9 teaspoons (38 grams) of sugars and 140 calories. The diet versions replace the high-fructose corn syrup with the artificial sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame potassium. In all six products, the added antioxidant is a small amount of vitamin E in the form of vitamin E acetate or d-alpha tocopherol acetate. But the purported health benefits of antioxidants are suggested by studies involving the consumption of whole fruits and vegetables, not artificially fortified foods, according to CSPI. Moreover, the FDA has a policy that states that the agency “does not consider it appropriate to fortify … snack foods such as candies and carbonated beverages.” The FDA sent a warning letter to Coca-Cola for similar violations of that policy. According to the lawsuit, the antioxidant claims violate several California laws, including its Consumers Legal Remedies Act, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Law, and several provisions of its Business and Professions Code related to fraudulent business practices and misleading advertising. This isn’t the first time that 7UP’s labeling and marketing practices have attracted CSPI’s attention. In 2006, CSPI threatened to sue to stop the company from calling 7UP “100% Natural” even though it contains factory-made high-fructose corn syrup. Cadbury Schweppes, then 7UP’s parent company, soon dropped that claim though it now makes reference to the drinks’ “100% natural flavors.” In May, CSPI had privately contacted 7UP’s new parent company, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, over the issues surrounding the antioxidant claims, but the company has since refused to correct its labels. Reducing soda consumption is increasingly a priority of public health officials. “High consumption of SSBs [sugar-sweetened beverages] has been associated with obesity....diabetes, elevated triglycerides, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, elevated uric acid levels, gout, and dental caries,” according to a guide published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CSPI recently released The Real Bears, an animated short film that depicts a family of polar bears suffering from some of the adverse health effects of soda consumption. "Every can or bottle of 7UP consumed brings one closer to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other serious health problems," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. "So I look forward to having 7UP go under oath and testify before a judge or a jury that this disease-promoting sugar water is actually a source of healthy antioxidants."

United We Dream Network to Congressional Republicans: If Sean Hannity Can "Evolve" on Citizenship for New Americans, So Can You!

50,000 Latinos Turn 18 Every Month – The Clock is Ticking for Action Washington, DC – Talk radio host Sean Hannity said yesterday that he had “evolved” on a pathway to citizenship for immigrants without papers. Hannity’s comments were the latest in a string of Republican and conservative leaders including Charles Krauthamer, Speaker John Boehner, Leader Eric Cantor and others who have realized the obvious: Latino voters don’t appreciate it when politicians lash out at their youth, the DREAMers, and their families. NAME, a member of the National Coordinating Committee for United We Dream, the largest network of immigrant youth led organizations in the country issued the following statement: "For years, conservative leaders have told DREAMers that they support us and our families behind closed doors. DREAMers are glad to see conservatives begin to poke their heads out of the anti-immigrant closet by speaking publicly about citizenship. "But DREAMers know the difference between talk and action; and we know how to win. After years of talk, the President agreed to protect DREAMers from deportation after the enormous pressure we put on his Administration to deliver. And after Republicans talked a good game to our face and then voted against the DREAM Act, we made sure that Latino voters cast their ballots with us in mind. "DREAMers call on both parties to create a roadmap to citizenship for us and all of the millions undocumented Americans. We will not rest until we win anything less. "900,000 DREAMers are expected to apply for our new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program over the next two years and according to the polling firm Latino Decisions, 50,000 U.S. born Latinos – our cousins, siblings and friends – become eligible to vote every month. The demand in our community and in all immigrant communities for politicians to deliver citizenship is only going to get stronger. "Our message for Republican leaders in Congress is: if Sean Hannity can evolve on immigration, so can you." For more information, and to interview members of United We Dream, please contact Rafael Noboa y Rivera, (202) 455-4673, or Marisol Valero, (281) 806-0170, marisol@unitedwedream.org

Chairwoman Stabenow Statement on Continuing Farm Bill Process in the Lame Duck Session

Washington, DC - Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today released the below statement on continuing and finalizing the farm bill process in the lame duck session. "Americans could not be more clear that now that the election is over, they want us to work together to create jobs and reduce the deficit. If Congress can work together to pass the Farm Bill, it will create the trust and momentum we need to overcome gridlock and solve the challenges our country faces. Passing a bipartisan Farm Bill that reduces the deficit by $23 billion is a significant first step in meeting the critical deficit reduction challenges our country must face head-on this year."

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Regarding Election and Lame Duck Session

Statement by Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation, November 7, 2012 “The American Farm Bureau Federation congratulates President Barack Obama on his re-election, as well as those candidates elected to serve during the 113th session of Congress. A number of important issues lie ahead of us, both for our nation, and for American agriculture. It is vital that, under the president’s leadership, all our elected officials come together in a bipartisan fashion to resolve the challenges we face. “Farmers and ranchers, like all Americans, have a list of issues that they are relying on the administration and Congress to address. But we cannot wait until 2013 for the action to start. Serious work on the farm bill, the fiscal cliff and critical tax policy fixes all must start during the lame duck session of the 112th Congress. “Farm Bureau also looks forward to working in a cooperative and positive manner with the Obama administration and the new Congress on issues such as turning around our economy, ensuring agriculture an adequate labor supply, pursuing a trade agenda focused on reducing barriers and expanding exports and the continued fiscal challenges we face as a nation. There are many points of view on these issues, but we also know that our elected leaders have one thing in common: each ran on a platform to make America better and improve this country for all Americans. “We will do our part to help identify opportunities for cooperation, not only to improve the lives of Farm Bureau members and their rural communities, but for all Americans proudly served by our farm and ranch families.”

Monday, October 8, 2012

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Fulfills Commitment to Designate 1 Million Additional Conservation Acres to Support Wildlife Habitat Restoration

Failure to Pass Food, Farm and Jobs Bill Puts Enrollments in Jeopardy LEWIS, Iowa, Oct. 8, 2012—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today underscored the Obama Administration's commitment to partnerships in conservation by announcing the allocation of 400,000 acres to support conservation and restoration of wildlife and their habitats as part of the Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP. Under Vilsack's leadership, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has enrolled more than 12 million acres in CRP, a voluntary program available to agricultural producers to help them use marginal and environmentally sensitive land to bring conservation and economic benefits for their land and communities. Today's announcement of 400,000 state acres for wildlife enhancement (SAFE acres), fulfills Vilsack's commitment made last spring to commit 1 million acres for special initiatives to restore grasslands, wetlands and wildlife habitat. "Since 2009, USDA has worked with producers and private landowners to enroll a record number of acres in conservation programs," said Vilsack. "These efforts have not only conserved our natural resources, but bolstered rural economies for current and future generations. That's why it's important for Congress to pass comprehensive, multi-year food, farm and jobs legislation—so that America's rural communities have certainty that millions of acres of conservation lands will be there tomorrow to sustain and create jobs in the small businesses that reinforce our tourism and recreation industry." With 400,000 SAFE acres available, USDA will work with producers and landowners to target habitat for high-priority species like the lesser prairie chicken and sage grouse, as well as game species like pheasants and quail that providing hunting opportunities and support rural jobs. Existing projects in 20 states will be able to add up to 280,000 combined acres for all projects, including prairie, wetlands, forest and savanna habitat restoration. In addition, more than 100,000 acres were added to target species as diverse as northern scarlet snakes, ferruginous hawks and the American woodcock. SAFE is a voluntary continuous CRP practice that conserves and restores habitat for wildlife species that are threatened or endangered, have suffered significant population declines or are important environmentally, economically or socially. SAFE is currently capped at 1.25 million acres nationally. Acres are now allocated across 97 SAFE projects located in 36 states and Puerto Rico. Under SAFE, state fish and wildlife agencies, non-profit organizations and other conservation partners work collaboratively to target CRP delivery to specific conservation practices and geographic areas where enrollment of eligible farm land in continuous CRP will provide significant wildlife value. USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) monitors SAFE and other continuous CRP activity and manages available acres to ensure that CRP goals and objectives are being met. The Food Security Act of 1985, Section 1231(a), as amended, provides authority to enroll land in CRP through September 30, 2012. However, no legislation has been enacted to reauthorize or extend this authority; therefore, CRP currently is unable to enroll new acres. In March, Secretary Vilsack announced USDA's intent to enroll up to 1 million acres in a new CRP grasslands and wetlands initiative meant to target environmentally sensitive land through continuous signups. FSA has set aside acres within CRP for specific enrollments that benefit duck nesting habitat, upland birds, wetlands, pollinators and wildlife. In addition, USDA announced a continuous sign-up of highly erodible cropland, which seeks to protect the nation's most environmentally sensitive lands. The Highly Erodible Cropland initiative permits landowners to enroll up to 750,000 acres of land with an Erodibility Index (EI) of 20 or greater. CRP is one of America's most valuable and vital conservation efforts, ensuring cleaner air and water, preventing soil erosion, and enhancing economic opportunity in rural America by supporting recreation and tourism. The approach to target the most sensitive lands is essential to maintain the substantial benefits of CRP while ensuring that productive farmlands continue to produce America's food, feed, fiber and renewable fuel. Highlights of CRP include: • CRP prevents the erosion of 325 million tons of soil each year, or enough soil to fill 19.5 million dump trucks; • CRP has restored more than two million acres of wetlands and two million acres of riparian buffers; • Each year, CRP keeps more than 600 million pounds of nitrogen and more than 100 million pounds of phosphorous from flowing into our nation's streams, rivers, and lakes; • CRP provides $1.8 billion annually to landowners—dollars that make their way into local economies, supporting small businesses and creating jobs; and • CRP is the largest private lands carbon sequestration program in the country. By placing vulnerable cropland into conservation, CRP sequesters carbon in plants and soil, and reduces both fuel and fertilizer usage. In 2010, CRP resulted in carbon sequestration equal to taking almost 10 million cars off the road. As part of President Obama's America's Great Outdoors Initiative, the Administration is opening up recreational access to lands and waters, supporting the creation of urban parks and trails, increasing youth employment in conservation jobs and making historic investments in large landscapes such as the Everglades. The initiative is empowering locally-led conservation and outdoor recreation efforts, from supporting the working landscapes of the Dakota Grasslands and longleaf pine in the southern U.S., to designating the Chimney Rock National Monument in Colorado, to countless other success stories across the country. In 2011, USDA enrolled a record number of acres of private working lands in conservation programs, working with more than 500,000 farmers and ranchers to implement conservation practices that clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and prevent soil erosion. Moreover, the Obama Administration, with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack's leadership, has worked tirelessly to strengthen rural America, implement the Farm Bill, maintain a strong farm safety net, and create opportunities for America's farmers and ranchers. U.S. agriculture is currently experiencing one of its most productive periods in American history thanks to the productivity, resiliency, and resourcefulness of our producers. The following tables show the breakdown of SAFE allocations by state and projects: SAFE ALLOCATIONS State Project Original Acreage Allocation Change in Allocation Final Allocation AR Trees 5,000 1,200 6,200 AR Grass 7,700 1,000 8,700 AR Wetlands 3,500 -1,000 2,500 GA Restoring Native Pine Savannah 8,800 3,000 11,800 ID Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse 94,300 11,800 106,100 ID Western ID Upland Game Bird 25,000 25,000 IL Mercer County 800 1,000 1,800 IN American Woodcock 1,000 1,000 IN Indiana Bat 3,100 1,000 4,100 IN Henslow's Sparrow 5,075 1,000 6,075 IN Northern Bobwhite 7,875 1,000 8,875 IN Ring-Necked Pheasant 4,000 4,000 IN Sedge Wren/ Grasshopper Sparrow 3,050 1,000 4,050 IA Gaining Ground 36,250 5,900 42,150 IA Pheasant Recovery 50,000 50,000 KS Upland Game Birds 30,100 14,800 44,900 KS Lesser Prairie Chicken 30,000 22,100 52,100 KY Early Successional / Bottomland 8,600 3,000 11,600 MN Back Forty Pheasant 33,900 14,800 48,700 MS Bobwhite Quail 9,450 1,000 10,450 MO Bobwhite Quail 17,650 7,400 25,050 MO Delta Stewardship 6,000 6,000 MO Sand Grassland 3,250 1,800 5,050 MT Pheasant Winter Cover 15,200 4,400 19,600 MT Prairie Pothole 8,500 5,900 14,400 MT Sagebrush 1,000 1,500 2,500 NE Tallgrass Prairie 21,450 7,400 28,850 NE Upland Bird 30,950 22,100 53,050 NJ Agricultural Heritage 300 150 450 NJ Grassland 400 350 750 NJ Raritan-Piedmont 300 250 550 NV Sage Grouse Habitat Improvement 400 400 ND Coteau-drift Prairie Water 20,000 16,200 36,200 ND Habitat for Pheasants 18,000 11,800 29,800 ND Sagebrush Restoration 1,000 1,000 2,000 ND Tallgrass Prairie 6,090 1,000 7,090 OH Big Island/ Killdeer 925 1,000 1,925 OH Grasslands for Pheasants 6,600 22,100 28,700 OH Kitty Todd 200 500 700 OH LaSuAn Grasslands 1,950 4,400 6,350 OH Paint Creek 675 1,000 1,675 OH Western Lake Erie 400 1,000 1,400 OH Southern Grassland 850 1,000 1,850 SD Pheasants 50,200 14,800 65,000 SD Western SD Grassland Wildlife 18,000 14,800 32,800 TN Grass 10,000 1,500 11,500 TX Mixed Grass 78,400 44,300 122,700 WA Ferruginous Hawk 20,000 20,000 WA Shrub-steppe 7,322 8,900 16,222 Subtotal 607,112 385,550 992,662 Other project with no change in original allocation 232,878 -- 232,878 Reserve 10,010 14,450 24,460 Total 850,000 385,550 1,250,000 For more information on SAFE, contact a local FSA county office or visit the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/crp. # USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay).

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

CSPI: McDonald's to Put Calories on Menu Boards

Statement of CSPI Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan WASHINGTON--To its credit, McDonald’s is getting out in front of the other big burger chains and most other restaurants by putting calorie counts on its menu boards and drive-through menus—even before the federal requirement to do so kicks in. It’s a step that’s important for McDonald’s customers’ health, and it’s a sign that calorie counts on chain-restaurant menus are here to stay. McDonald’s announcement won’t be noticed by folks in New York City, California, and Vermont, for instance, where laws already require calorie labeling in chain restaurants. And companies like Panera Bread and Au Bon Pain are already posting calorie counts. Though not all studies are able to measure an effect of menu labeling, bigger studies show that calorie labeling is helping consumers make lower calorie selections when eating out. And perhaps most importantly, calorie labeling is encouraging companies to reformulate products. If the biggest restaurant chain on Earth can cheerfully announce that it’ll put calorie counts on menu boards, the Food and Drug Administration should take notice. The Administration should issue final menu labeling rules that include vending machines, restaurant-style foods sold at supermarkets, convenience stores, and movie theaters, and not give in to every special interest that doesn’t want to play by these same rules. It’s terrific that McDonald’s is testing new healthier menu options. Good nutrition didn’t matter much at restaurants in the past when eating out was an occasional treat. But with Americans now getting about a third of their calories outside the home, people need more options that are healthy, appealing, and competitively priced.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

LDAF Update on Isaac Aftermath

Baton Rouge, LA (September 1, 2012) – The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) continues to coordinate efforts with the Louisiana Air National Guard to drop hay to stranded cattle in Plaquemines Parish. On Friday, LDAF delivered 53 round bales of hay by truck. The hay was donated by the Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association. LDAF is also supplying portable corral panels and water troughs. “Our work is not finished as we are now in the recovery phase of this storm. We will continue to assist Louisiana residents in getting their lives back to normal as soon as possible. Right now, we’re trying to ensure that the stranded livestock are safely returned to their owners,” said Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M. LDAF is in communication with Louisiana Search and Rescue Teams (LSART) and other national humane groups that are working with local animal control to conduct search and rescue efforts for pets. LSART currently has six teams working on this rescue mission. The LDAF forestry division is also conducting aerial assessments of timber damage in Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

GMA: E15 Waiver Decision Disappointing, Unfortunate for Consumers

WASHINGTON, DC – The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) today issued the following response to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia’s decision to dismiss a petition brought by a broad array of stakeholders challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s granting of a waiver for E15 fuel. The waiver allows for a 50 percent increase in the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline for use in cars and other engines. The court’s split decision to dismiss the petition on procedural grounds instead of the merits of the case is disappointing and unfortunate for consumers. The decision clears the way for the continuation of misguided food–to-fuel policies at a time when Americans can least afford it. What’s more, the decision comes in the midst of the most devastating drought the U.S. has experienced in the last 50 years, increasing demand for a crop that is already in extremely short supply. While GMA member companies are committed to delivering safe, nutritious food to consumers at affordable prices, consumers will feel the effects of these higher input costs at retail.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Burch Equipment LLC Expands Recall to Include Additional Cantaloupe Shipping Dates and to include Honeydew Melons

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm315248.htm?source=govdelivery

Burch Equipment LLC Expands Recall to Include Additional Cantaloupe Shipping Dates and to include Honeydew Melons


Contact
Consumer:
910-267-5781
burch@intrstar.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 10, 2012 - Burch Equipment LLC, North Carolina, is expanding its recall to include all of this growing season's cantaloupes and honeydew melons that may remain on the market because they may possibly be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no illnesses reported to date.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. The incubation period (the length of time between consuming a product and becoming ill) for Listeria monocytogenes can be 1 to 3 weeks, but may be in the range of 3 to 70 days.

The whole cantaloupes are identified by a red label reading Burch Farms referencing PLU # 4319. All cantaloupes involved in the recall were grown by Burch Farms, however some of the cantaloupes may have been identified with a "Cottle Strawberry, Inc." sticker referencing PLU #4319 (note: Cottle Strawberry, Inc. did not grow or process the cantaloupe involved in this recall). Cantaloupes from Burch Farms were shipped in both corrugated boxes (9 cantaloupe per case) and in bulk bins.

Honeydew melons involved in this recall expansion do not bear any identifying stickers and were packed in cartons labeled melons.

Consumers who may have purchased these honeydew melons should contact the store where they purchased their melons, for information about whether those melons are part of this recall.

The cantaloupes and honeydew melons involved in this expanded recall were sold to distributors between June 23rd and July 27th, in the following states: FL, GA, IL, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, and VA, VT and WV. The melons may have further been distributed to retail stores, restaurants and food service facilities in other states."

Burch Equipment LLC is requesting any consumer that may have one of these cantaloupes or honeydews to discard the product.

There have been no illnesses reported to date. FDA and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services are working with Burch Equipment LLC following a random sample of a cantaloupe testing positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

This recall expansion is based on FDA's finding of Listeria monocytogenes on a honeydew melon grown and packed by Burch..

Questions can be directed to Burch Equipment LLC at 910-267-5781 Monday through Friday, (9:00am to 4:00pm) or email burch@intrstar.net.

Fresco Green Farms Inc. RECALLS Cilantro BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE HEALTH RISK

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm315245.htm?source=govdelivery


Fresco Green Farms Inc. RECALLS Cilantro BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE HEALTH RISK


Contact
Consumer:
(562) 205-7673

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 9, 2012 - Fresco Green Farms Inc. of Winchester, CA is recalling 1,643 cases of Cilantro harvested from July 18th 2012 to July 27th 2012, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. Consumers who believe they have purchased the affected cilantro should dispose of it and it should not be consumed.

The cilantro was on store shelves in California and Minnesota beginning July 19, 2012 and likely sold or removed from sale before August 6, 2012. There have been no illnesses reported. The cilantro is bunched and tied together with a brown rubber band. Each bunch has the following dimensions; 10 inches of length and 1 ¼ width. The individual bunches have no identifying labels or lot numbers. They were distributed in shipping cases labeled “Fresco Green Farms Inc., Hemet, CA. Produce of USA cilantro 2.5dz “ Consumers who may have purchased the cilantro should contact the store where hey purchased it to determine whether the cilantro was included in the recall.

The recall was as the result of a routine sampling program by the USDA, which revealed that the cilantro harvested from July 18th to July 27th has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Fresco Green Farm is taking this matter as high priority and has made extreme quality control measures to identify if any cilantro is contaminated prior to shipping to distributors and retail markets.
Consumers whom have concerns may contact Fresco Green Farms Inc. at (562) 205-7673 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Pacific standard time.

PETA back at Iowa State Fair

PETA received a call late Friday afternoon from Iowa State Fair official Rollie McCubbin inviting us to return for the fair’s duration and show uncensored undercover footage—showing unlawful animal cruelty and profane language by farm workers—taken at Iowa farms. PETA will re-open the booth on Saturday at noon, in case you’d like to cover fairgoer reaction and speak with PETA rep Matt Bruce on-site. His contact info is on the release below from earlier today. Thank you. For Immediate Release:
August 10, 2012

Contact:
Matt Bruce 801-839-8487; MattB@peta.org
Shakira Croce 212-260-2304; ShakiraC@peta.org

PETA BOOTH BOOTED FROM STATE FAIR FOR PROFANITY OF SLAUGHTER WORKERS IN GRAPHIC VIDEO
Animal Charity Demands $1,050 Refund From Fair Organizers as Multimedia Display Is Disbanded

Des Moines — PETA's interactive booth has been thrown out of the Iowa State Fair after a video—which initially had been approved—sparked complaints over profane language used by meat-trade workers who abused animals on factory farms. PETA has demanded fair officials return its $1,050 fee for the booth—which drew throngs of visitors on opening day. (See photos below.)

The scene that led to the booth's dismissal spotlights a worker on a turkey farm who unsuccessfully attempts to break the neck of a struggling bird. He exclaims, "Sometimes they're fucking hard [to kill]." In the wake of Iowa's controversial new law to ban undercover investigations inside factory farms, the booth also contained video footage from PETA's investigation of an Iowa pig farm, which documents supervisors and workers beating pigs with metal rods and jabbing clothespins into the animals' eyes—evidence that led to convictions for the abuse and neglect of animals. The video, hosted by Paul McCartney, is viewablehere.

Photos from PETA's booth are included below. For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Fact Sheet: President Obama Leading Administration-wide Drought Response

As communities across the country struggle with the impacts of one of the worst droughts in decades, President Obama is committed to ensuring that his Administration is doing everything it can help the farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and communities being impacted. To respond to immediate needs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other federal agencies are using their existing authorities wherever possible to address the hardships arising from the lack of water, feed, and forage. Within the last month, USDA has opened the Conservation Reserve Program to emergency haying and grazing, has lowered the borrower interest rate for emergency loans, and has called on crop insurance companies to provide more flexibility to farmers. The Department of the Interior has provided additional grazing flexibility on federal lands and the Small Business Administration is working to help with access to investment capital and credit in affected communities. On Tuesday, August 7, 2012, President Obama convened his White House Rural Council for one of a continuing series of policy meetings to review Executive Branch response actions and to develop additional policy initiatives to assist drought-stricken Americans. Following the meeting, the White House announced several new measures the Administration is implementing to help those impacted by the drought, including providing additional assistance for livestock and crop producers, increasing the capacity for lending to small businesses, and waiving certain requirements on trucks helping to provide relief. President Obama also stressed the need for the entire Administration to continue to look at further steps it can take to ease the pain of this historic drought. As the drought continues, the Administration will actively implement its longer-term strategy for assessing and managing the effects of the crisis. In addition to impacts on farming and ranching operations, a long-term, widespread drought will also have implications for wildfires, water availability, navigation, and power generation across much of the country and across other sectors. As we move forward, the Administration will work closely with state and local governments, farming and ranching communities and others to ensure an effective and efficient response and recovery. Finally, while the Administration is exploring every possible avenue to provide relief from the impacts of the drought, Congress still needs to act to ensure that the needed disaster assistance is available to these communities. The best way to do that is by passing a comprehensive, multi-year farm bill that not only provides much-needed disaster assistance but gives farmers and ranchers the certainty they deserve while enacting critical reforms. New Actions by Federal Agencies to Help Respond to the Drought UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE • Additional Emergency Funding to Assist Livestock and Crop Producers: To assist producers facing extreme drought conditions, USDA announced Tuesday that it will utilize nearly $16 million in financial and technical assistance to immediately help crop and livestock producers in 19 states cope with the adverse impacts of the historic drought. In addition, USDA will initiate a transfer of $14 million in unobligated program funds into the Emergency Conservation Program. These funds can be used to assist in moving water to livestock in need, providing emergency forage for livestock, and rehabilitating lands severely impacted by the drought. Together these efforts should provide nearly $30 million to producers struggling with drought conditions. THE NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION • Allowing an additional 1,000 Credit Unions to increase their lending to small businesses: The National Credit Union Administration will announce that more than 1,000 credit unions are eligible for a low-income designation, which permits unlimited lending to small business owners including farmers; nearly half of those eligible credit unions are located in a severely drought-stricken state. Small business lending by credit unions is normally capped at the statutory 12.25 percent rate. This designation exempts designated credit unions from this cap. Currently, approximately 1,100 CUs are designated low-income and can offer unlimited lending to small businesses. The average credit union member business loan is $223,000. THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION WITH USDA AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE • Community Outreach Events: SBA, USDA, and the Department of Commerce (DOC) through its Economic Development Administration (EDA), will host targeted events in communities severely impacted by the drought to provide detailed information on what federal resources are available to assist small businesses, farmers, and others in the community. These events will also be webcast to ensure audiences in other drought impacted communities can attend virtually. At these events SBA disaster assistance staff, small business counselors from its network of resource partners, and field staff from SBA district offices along with interagency staff will provide information and offer technical assistance on applying for loans and where to find additional resources after the event. • Leverage State and County Fairs in Regions: In addition to the standalone events, SBA, USDA, and EDA will conduct outreach at already scheduled State and Country Fairs. • Online Outreach: Since the drought's full impact may take months to be fully felt by small businesses and communities, SBA, USDA, and DOC will continue to reach out to affected regions through online webinars and conference calls that will further raise awareness and provide opportunity to gather real-time detail on the impact to communities. THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • Existing Emergency Exemptions of Federal Operating Requirements: This authority can put more commercial drivers behind the wheel—driving large trucks needed to assist the farmers and ranchers in need. If a qualifying drought emergency has been declared in a state by the Governor or appropriate official, the state automatically gets Hours of Service and other regulatory relief for those providing emergency assistance; no application is needed. If the situation does not qualify for emergency relief, the Federal rules regulating large truck and bus operations may be waived in certain circumstances. DOT can process a request to waive regulations in 7-14 days. o In addition, the transportation bill President Obama signed in July provides a new authority for States to issue special permits for overweight vehicles and loads that can easily be dismantled or divided in an emergency. The legislation makes the new special permits available beginning October 1, 2012. DOT is expediting the process of developing guidance for States to support their permitting programs, and the way in which “relief supplies” are defined may provide states with a new tool to use for hauling heavy loads of grain, livestock, etc. for drought relief. Today’s Actions Build on Steps Taken by Agencies across the Federal Government to Help Drought-Stricken Counties UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE • Use of Indemnity Payments for Crop Insurance Premiums. To assist farmers in meeting cash flow challenges, USDA has taken steps to ensure that farmers will be able to apply this year’s crop indemnity payments toward their crop insurance premiums for the following crop year. As of August 1, 2012, the sixteen major providers of U.S. crop insurance have all agreed to forego interest charges on unpaid premiums through November. • Disaster Designation Regulation. On July 12, USDA announced an expedited disaster designation process, allowing farmers and ranchers to obtain disaster assistance faster. USDA projects a 40 percent reduction in processing time for affected producers as a result of this change. • Reduction of USDA’s Emergency (EM) Loan Rate. Emergency Loans will help producers recover from production and physical losses associated with natural disasters. The current rate was set in 1993 at 3.75 percent. Effective July 15, the Administration lowered the interest rate on loans, effectively lowering the rate from 3.75 percent down to 2.25 percent. • Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Haying and Grazing. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) allows farmers and ranchers to receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers (grasses) on eligible farmland. Nationwide, 29 million acres are enrolled in the CRP. Due to the drought, the federal government has opened up virtually all of the CRP grassland acres for emergency haying and grazing and reduced the payment penalty for haying and grazing from 25 percent to only 10 percent. Further, the Administration took additional steps to ensure that appropriate wetland and riparian buffer areas will also be available for haying and grazing. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR • Grazing on Federal Lands: The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management and the USDA Forest Service are providing relief to ranchers who graze on public lands byemploying flexibility to accommodate needs and conditions on the ground. BLM will issue refunds to cattlemen that were displaced by early season fires and therefore not able to make use of their allotments and the Forest Service has liberally granted Permittee requested non-use. Both agencies are making vacant land available for grazing and allowing for: changes in grazing use, including delayed or early turnout if conditions allow; increased salting to improve livestock distribution; water hauling and temporary portable water troughs; and other measures. THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • SBA Drought Disaster Declarations. To date, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has followed USDA’s disaster declarations and has issued 71 agency declarations in 32 states covering 1,636 counties, providing a pathway for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and non-farm small businesses that are economically affected by the drought in their community to apply for SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS • Army Corps of Engineers Preserving Navigation: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has published guidance to coordinate a collective Common Operation Picture (COP) to monitor ongoing drought impacts on navigation. At this time they have identified the 15 most critical river gages (of 2000+) as key monitors for navigation impacts and implemented Water Way Action Plans. USACE will continue coordinating with Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and navigation industries on the mitigation of drought impacts by: o Working with contract dredges to identify areas of concern to divert resources based on priority. o Identifying available channel depths and widths to navigation industries, so barge tow drafts and widths can be modified accordingly. o Ensuring that storage reservoirs are releasing flow to augment natural flows downstream. o Continuing to do public and media outreach via, conference calls, webinars and emails with respect to the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio rivers and tributaries. o Monitoring the National Weather Service outlook on short and long term rainfall forecast to prepare for potential reservoir releases are other mitigation measures. THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • DOT Outreach to the State DOTs: On Wednesday August 1, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood convened a call with states to listen and discuss the ways in which DOT can work with Governors and State Departments of Transportation to help communities impacted by the drought. Issues raised during the call included emergency waivers of hours of service requirements and emergency waivers for Federal truck weight regulations.

DineEquity, Inc. Announces Opening of First IHOP Restaurant in the Middle East

DineEquity, Inc. Announces Opening of First IHOP Restaurant in the Middle East GLENDALE, Calif., August 7, 2012 -- DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), the parent company of IHOP Restaurants and Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, today announced the opening of the first IHOP restaurant in the Middle East, an IHOP in The Mall of the Emirates, in the Al Barsha district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The opening marks the first of a 40-restaurant development agreement between IHOP and M. H. Alshaya Company for restaurants in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain and Egypt. As a leading international retail franchise business, Alshaya operates over 2,200 stores across 7 divisions: Fashion & Footwear, Food Service, Health & Beauty, Optics, Pharmacy, Office Supplies and Home Furnishings. Alshaya’s stores can currently be found in 19 markets across the Middle East and North Africa, Russia, Turkey and Europe and the company employs more than 28,000 people from over 90 nationalities. “This marks a major milestone in IHOP’s international development strategy and we are delighted to make the IHOP experience available to guests in the Middle East,” said John Merkin, IHOP VP of Development and International. “In this venture, we are proud to partner with one of the premier franchisees of international brands in the Middle East. Together we plan to expand the IHOP brand to a new continent and provide our signature menu to an entirely new set of guests and their families.” “IHOP has international recognition and appeal and we are delighted to welcome it to the Middle East with this prime location at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates,” said Duncan Garrood, President of Alshaya’s Food division. “We look forward to expanding IHOP across the region and working in partnership with the brand to introduce a growing number of customers to the great quality and value that IHOP represents.” The restaurant features the brand’s latest international designs, will seat 225 guests and will be open 7 days per week. With the popularity of breakfast growing in the region, this newest IHOP menu offers many of the same traditional favorites as U.S. locations, including traditional breakfast pancake/egg/meat combinations, hearty omelets and signature pancakes. All meats at IHOP in Dubai will feature Halal-certified turkey hams, veal sausages and beef bacon. Dubai’s first IHOP has a prime location in the Mall of Emirates, one of the largest shopping malls in the Middle East drawing over 31 million visitors each year. The newest IHOP is adjacent to the world’s biggest man made indoor ski slope. The Dubai opening marks the first IHOP expansion into the Middle East. Other international IHOP restaurants locations include Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Danforth Plant Science Center awarded $12 million to study drought as part of the effort to develop next generation bioenergy grasses

Danforth Plant Science Center awarded $12 million to study drought as part of the effort to develop next generation bioenergy grasses Grant supports expansion of research at the Enterprise Institute for Renewable Fuels ST. LOUIS, MO, July 16, 2012 – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a five year, $12.1 million grant to researchers at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and their collaborators at the Carnegie Institution for Science, the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, the University of Minnesota and Washington State University to develop a new model plant system, Setaria viridis, to advance bioenergy grasses as a sustainable source of renewable fuels. Drought is the number one stress crops endure which limits yield and is of growing concern due to the globe’s diminishing water supply and climate change. This year, extreme heat and lack of rainfall combined with the mild winter has resulted in an all-time low in soil moisture and is producing new challenges for our nation’s farmers. Reduced yields will likely spark a rebound in global food prices. Drought conditions also have a major impact on crops that serve as sources of bioenergy. Bioenergy grasses hold promise to provide a sustainable source of renewable fuels for the U.S. economy and reduce our dependence on foreign petroleum. These dedicated second generation bioenergy crops can be grown on marginal lands and with fewer inputs than traditional row crops such as corn, which requires energy intensive annual planting and the addition of chemical fertilizers. Bioenergy grasses require water just like all other crops and the next generation of bioenergy crops will need to be bred for important characteristics including drought resistance and other properties that will make them more productive. To engineer bioenergy grasses with the desirable traits needed for large scale production, it is necessary to develop model plant systems that are closely related to bioenergy feedstocks, but which are more amenable to genetic analysis. One of the most promising model species is the grass Setaria viridis. “What we learn in improving bioenergy grasses in many cases can also be applied to cereal crops to improve their productivity. Setaria viridis, the model species that will be used as the focus of our research, is closely related to corn and Brachypodium, another model grass of interest at the Danforth Center that has a genetic makeup similar to wheat,” said Dr. Tom Brutnell, director of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels who is serving as Principal Investigator on the grant. Brutnell and his colleagues will utilize genomic, computational and engineering tools to begin the genetic dissection of drought and density response in S. viridis. The research team will produce one of the most extensive molecular characterizations of plant growth in the field to date, generating several million data points that will be collected from physiological and molecular genetic studies. In doing so, they hope to discover the mechanisms that underlie drought responses and identify candidate genes and pathways for improving the closely related feedstock grasses. The ability of bioenergy feedstocks to use water efficiently and to produce abundant yields at high density will be major drivers in the development of improved varieties that can serve as a replacement for petroleum-based fuels. Co-PIs/Senior Personnel, Institutions on the grant include: Ivan Baxter, USDA-ARS/Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Asaph Cousins, Washington State University Jose Dinneny, Carnegie Institution for Science Andrew D.B. Leakey, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Todd Mockler, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Hector Quemada, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Seung (Sue) Rhee, Carnegie Institution for Science Daniel Voytas, University of Minnesota About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research at the Danforth Center will feed the hungry and improve human health, preserve and renew the environment, and enhance the St. Louis region and Missouri as a world center for plant science. The Center’s work is funded through competitive grants and contract revenue from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center invites you to visit its new website, www.danforthcenter.org, featuring interactive information on the Center’s scientists, news and research, including the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels, the Center for Advanced Biofuel Research, and the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts. Public education outreach, RSS feeds and the brand-new “Roots & Shoots” blog help keep visitors up to date with Center’s current operations and areas of research. Follow us on Twitter at @DanforthCenter.

The Means to Help Producers Impacted by Drought

This week, we continued to see historic levels of drought grip much of our nation, impacting thousands of farm families. Although the hard work and innovation of our producers has fueled a strong farm economy in recent years, President Obama and I understand the major challenges this drought poses for American agriculture. As of July 20, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 1,055 counties across the country as disaster areas due to drought. Significant portions of many crops are impacted – for example, according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor report, 88 percent of our nation’s corn and 87 percent of our soybeans are in drought-stricken areas. Rising grain prices are threatening livestock and dairy operators with high input costs. Our farmers and ranchers are no strangers to uncertainty – but it’s even harder to plan for the future when we don’t know how much more severe the drought will be. Over the years, American producers have constantly innovated to meet new demands and adapt to new conditions, embracing new methods and utilizing new technology. The same innovative spirit that has positioned American agriculture as a global leader has helped to reduce the impact of the drought. Nevertheless, the uncertainty of drought means this is a very difficult time for many. At President Obama’s direction, USDA is doing all it can within the Department’s existing authority to help. Last week, I announced a final rule to simplify the process for Secretarial disaster designations – both to speed the process for producers and to reduce the burden on State government officials, who are also hard at work to help producers around the country cope with this disaster. I reduced the interest rate for Farm Service Agency Emergency Loans, effectively lowering the current rate from 3.75 percent to 2.25 percent to help ensure that credit is available for farm families who are hit by drought. And finally, I announced that USDA has lowered payment reductions for Conservation Reserve Program lands that qualify for emergency haying and grazing in 2012, from 25 to 10 percent. USDA officials are traveling to states around the country to see firsthand the impact of the drought, and we will continue to look for ways to help. But the fact is USDA’s legal authority to provide assistance remains limited right now. That’s because the 2008 Farm Bill disaster programs, which were implemented under President Obama, expired last year. Prior to the expiration, these programs helped hundreds of thousands of U.S. producers during disasters. If Congress doesn’t act, USDA will remain limited in our means to help drought-stricken producers. That’s why President Obama and I continue to call on Congress to take steps to ensure that USDA has the tools it needs to help farm families during the drought. Disaster assistance for producers is also one of many reasons why we need swift action by Congress to pass a Food, Farm and Jobs Bill this year. I know that many producers are struggling today with the impact of this historic drought. The President and I are committed to doing all we can to help farmers and ranchers in this difficult time. As all of us across America hope for rainfall, and while USDA does all it can to assist America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities, I hope that Congress will do all it can to help us get the job done.

Small business owners available to comment on the July 24 anniversary of the last federal minimum wage increase and why a raise is right for our economy

This Tuesday, July 24, will mark the third year in a row without an increase in the minimum wage from $7.25. If the minimum wage had kept pace with the cost of living since reaching its highest value in 1968, it would be $10.55 today. There are proposals in Congress (Harkin and Miller) to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.80 in three annual steps and then adjust it for inflation. Business for a Fair Minimum Wage supported the last raise in the minimum wage and believes another increase is overdue. Here are some of the small business owners and business leaders available for comment: David Bolotsky, Founder and CEO of UncommonGoods in Brooklyn, New York, said, “Businesses don’t expect the costs of energy, rent, transportation and other expenses to remain constant, yet some want to keep the minimum wage the same year after year, despite increases in the cost of living. That kind of business model traps workers in poverty and undermines our economy. The minimum wage should require that all businesses pay employees a wage people can live on.” Camille Moran, Owner of Caramor Industries and Four Seasons Christmas Tree Farm in Natchitoches, Louisiana, said, “A minimum wage increase is long overdue. It’s not right or smart for any business to pay a wage that impoverishes not only working men and women and their families, but also impoverishes our communities and our nation. Boosting the wages of low-paid workers who could then purchase the goods and services they need is the best medicine for our ailing economy.” Lew Prince, Managing Partner of Vintage Vinyl in St. Louis, Missouri, said, “The evidence that trickle-down economics doesn’t work is all around us. People are falling out of the middle class instead of rising into it. Putting money in the hands of people who desperately need it to buy goods and services will give us a trickle-up effect. Raising the minimum wage is a really efficient way to circulate money in the economy from the bottom up where it can have the most impact in alleviating hardship, boosting demand at businesses and decreasing the strain on our public safety net from poverty wages. I’m sick of my tax dollars subsidizing money machines like Walmart and McDonald's that are dribbling out wages their workers can’t live on, lobbying against minimum wage increases, and draining the lifeblood out of our local economies.” Marilyn Megenity, Owner of Mercury Cafe in Denver, Colorado, said, “We opened our doors in 1975, and I know that raising the minimum wage is not only affordable to restaurants and other businesses – it’s crucial for our economy. It's important that all employees be able to make a decent wage, in order to pay rent and all the other costs of living. Our government needs to take charge of this now, just as it did in the past. We cannot continue a minimum wage that keeps even people who are working full time, year round in poverty.” Jim Wellehan, President of Lamey Wellehan Shoes in Auburn, Maine, said, “Our family business is nearly a hundred years old, and clearly our country does better when all believe that their hard work will bring good results for them and their loved ones. Now, as Bloomberg BusinessWeek Magazine reports, the USA has higher income inequality and lower social mobility than most industrialized countries. If you are born poor, you are quite likely to die poor. Raising the minimum wage is a step to correcting this worsening situation. And the ability of a broad segment of our society to have a bit more spending money will benefit every area of our economy. Our increasingly unequal economic structure has no long-term viability.” Brian England, Co-Owner of British-American Auto Care in Columbia, Maryland, said, “Have you ever wondered why every time you visit some businesses the staff has changed? Well chances are it is because they only pay an inadequate minimum wage. Instead of paying a fair wage, they are inviting costly constant turnover and unreliable customer service. In raising the minimum wage, we should be moving people away from just surviving. We should be moving working Americans as far away from needing the social safety net as possible. Raising the minimum wage raises everyone up.” Joseph Rotella, Owner of Spencer Organ Company in Waltham, Massachusetts, said, “As a small business owner and an American, I support proposals to raise the federal minimum wage to at least $9.80 by 2014, because I strongly support workers being able to earn a living wage. America should be a country where no one who puts in a fair day's work can't afford to make ends meet, and no business owner who offers a living wage has to be undercut by competitors who do not. Not only is increasing the minimum wage the right and fair thing to do, but it will also help stimulate our struggling economy by putting more money into the hands of workers who need to spend it.”

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Health Groups Urge Surgeon General's Report on Soda

Sugary Drinks’ Contribution to Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Disease Warrants Call to Action from Nation’s Top Doc, Groups Say WASHINGTON--Nearly 100 national and local health, medical, and consumer organizations, several municipal public health departments, and more than 20 prominent individuals are calling on the Surgeon General of the United States to issue a report on the health effects of soda and other sugary drinks. Citing the importance of the 1964 landmark Surgeon General’s report on tobacco use, the groups and individuals say a report on soda would appraise the health-damaging effects and alert health professionals, government officials, and consumers to the public-health impact of over-consuming sugary drinks. “Soda and other sugary drinks are the only food or beverage that has been directly linked to obesity, a major contributor to coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, and a cause of psychosocial problems,” the groups wrote in a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. “Yet, each year, the average American drinks about 40 gallons of sugary drinks, all with little, if any, nutritional benefit.” The groups say that soda and sugary drinks have a devastating effect on the health of young people in particular. Each extra soft drink consumed per day was associated with a 60-percent increased risk of overweight in children, according to one important study. Type 2 diabetes, which used to occur primarily in middle-aged and older adults, is now becoming more common among teens. Though soda consumption has declined somewhat in recent years, consumption is still dangerously high, according to the letter. Even almost half of two- and three-year-olds consume sugary drinks every day, according to the group. “Previous reports and calls to action from the Surgeon General, on topics as varied as tobacco, underage drinking, and obesity, have helped galvanize policymakers at all levels of government,” said Center for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “Unlike just about any other product in the food supply, sugar-based drinks are directly connected to obesity and diet-related disease. Reducing their consumption should be one of the main pillars of the government’s prevention strategy.” The call for a Surgeon General’s report on soda and sugary drinks was organized by the CSPI, and included the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, Consumer Federation of America, National Hispanic Medical Association, Prevention Institute, the Trust for America’s Health, and Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Public health departments in Boston, El Paso, New York City, and Philadelphia also signed the letter to Sebelius.

Friday, July 13, 2012

RESTAURANT ASSOCIATIONS SUE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, CHALLENGING REGULATIONS THAT EXCLUDE KITCHEN STAFF FROM TIP POOLS

(Portland, Ore.) Restaurant industry trade associations have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on behalf of restaurants and restaurant employees who share in tips and participate in tip pools. The lawsuit was brought by the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, the Washington Restaurant Association, the Alaska CHARR and the National Restaurant Association, along with a Portland, Oregon restaurant and an employee of that restaurant. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court in Portland, asks the court to declare recent DOL regulations prohibiting back-of-the-house (kitchen) workers from sharing in tips left by customers unlawful and not applicable to restaurants that pay employees who share the tips at least federal or the applicable (if higher) state minimum wage with no tip credit. In 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit—the federal appellate court with jurisdiction over numerous Western states including, among others, Alaska, Oregon, and Washington—ruled that federal law does not prohibit an employer from instituting a tip pool that includes back-of-the-house workers if that employer pays its employees who share in tips the full minimum wage and does not take a tip credit. Cumbie v. Woody Woo, Inc., 596 F.3d 577 (9th Cir. 2010). DOL responded approximately a year later, publishing regulations in direct conflict with the Woody Woo decision. Shortly after the DOL published these regulations on April 5, 2011, restaurant trade groups and at least one United States Senator contacted the DOL to raise concerns about these regulations and the confusion they create for employers, particularly in the Ninth Circuit, given their conflict with the Woody Woo decision. Enforcement of DOL’s new regulations against employers in the Ninth Circuit was left unclear by DOL at that time. However, on February 29, 2012, DOL issued a field assistance bulletin clarifying its position by rejecting the Ninth Circuit’s Woody Woo decision and declaring: “The Wage and Hour Division will enforce nationwide the 2011 final rule [including against employers in the Ninth Circuit] explaining [DOL’s position] that a tip is the sole property of the tipped employee regardless of whether the employer takes a tip credit . . . .” In March 2012, restaurant trade associations again asked DOL to reconsider its position on this issue, to withdraw its February 29 Bulletin, and to clarify that employers in the Ninth Circuit who pay their employees the full minimum wage and do not take a tip credit may legally implement tip pools that adhere to the Ninth Circuit’s Woody Woo ruling. DOL rejected this request. As a result, the plaintiffs felt they were left with no choice but to seek court intervention. It is their position that, not only are the DOL’s 2011 Regulations unlawful, but they fail to take into consideration the intent of the customers who leave tips, as well as of the employees who share in the tips. As one example, they point to the fact that the employee who joined this lawsuit is currently working as a server for the plaintiff restaurant, and is the one who initiated getting the restaurant’s tip pool to include its back-of-the-house employees. As the court complaint explains, this was done as a matter of fairness and to recognize the fact that back-of-house employee performance directly impacts guest satisfaction and tips left by those guests. Jackson Lewis LLP, a nationwide labor and employment law firm, and Paul DeCamp, a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and former Administrator of DOL’s Wage and Hour Division, represent the plaintiffs in this litigation. “This issue is about fairness to restaurant workers, and it is extremely important to those who earn their livelihood preparing and serving our food,” said Paul DeCamp on behalf of the plaintiffs. “Simply put, federal law clearly allows a restaurant to give kitchen personnel such as cooks and dishwashers a share in a tip pool when the restaurant pays its employees the full federal minimum wage and does not take a tip credit. Plaintiffs are asking the court to compel DOL to respect that law.”

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Worldwatch: Nine Population Strategies to Stop Short of 9 Billion

On World Population Day, Worldwatch explores nine polices to help stabilize population growth Washington, D.C.----Although most analysts assume that the world's population will rise from today's 7 billion to 9 billion by 2050, it is quite possible that humanity will never reach this population size, Worldwatch Institute President Robert Engelman argues in the book State of the World 2012: Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity. In the chapter "Nine Population Strategies to Stop Short of 9 Billion," Engelman outlines a series of steps and initiatives that would all but guarantee declines in birthrates-based purely on the intention of women around the world to have small families or no children at all-that would end population growth before mid-century at fewer than 9 billion people. "Unsustainable population growth can only be effectively and ethically addressed by empowering women to become pregnant only when they themselves choose to do so," Engelman writes. Examples from around the world demonstrate effective policies that not only reduce birth rates, but also respect the reproductive aspirations of parents and support an educated and economically active society that promotes the health of women and girls. Most of these reproduction policies are relatively inexpensive to implement, yet in many places they are opposed on the basis of cultural resistance and political infeasibility. Eschewing the language and approaches of "population control" or the idea that anyone should pressure women and their partner on reproduction, Engelman outlines nine strategies that could put human population on an environmentally sustainable path: • Provide universal access to safe and effective contraceptive options for both sexes. With nearly two in five pregnancies reported as mistimed or never wanted, lack of access to good family planning services is among the biggest gaps in assuring that each baby will be wanted and welcomed in advance by its parents. • Guarantee education through secondary school for all, especially girls. In every culture surveyed to date, women who have completed at least some secondary school have fewer children on average, and have children later in life, than do women who have less education. • Eradicate gender bias from law, economic opportunity, health, and culture. Women who can own, inherit, and manage property; divorce; obtain credit; and participate in civic and political affairs on equal terms with men are more likely to postpone childbearing and to have fewer children compared to women who are deprived of these rights. • Offer age-appropriate sexuality education for all students. Data from the United States indicate that exposure to comprehensive programs that detail puberty, intercourse, options of abstinence and birth control, and respecting the sexual rights and decisions of individuals, can help prevent unwanted pregnancies and hence reduce birth rates. • End all policies that reward parents financially based on the number of children they have. Governments can preserve and even increase tax and other financial benefits aimed at helping parents by linking these not to the number of children they have, but to parenthood status itself. • Integrate lessons on population, environment, and development into school curricula at multiple levels. Refraining from advocacy or propaganda, schools should educate students to make well-informed choices about the impacts of their behavior, including childbearing, on the environment. • Put prices on environmental costs and impacts. In quantifying the cost of an additional family member by calculating taxes and increased food costs, couples may decide that the cost of having an additional child is too high, compared to the benefits of a smaller family that might receive government rebates and have a lower cost of living. Such decisions, freely made by women and couples, can decrease birth rates without any involvement by non-parents in reproduction. • Adjust to an aging population instead of boosting childbearing through government incentives and programs. Population aging must be met with the needed societal adjustments, such as increased labor participation, rather than by offering incentives to women to have more children. • Convince leaders to commit to stabilizing population growth through the exercise of human rights and human development. By educating themselves on rights-based population policies, policymakers can ethically and effectively address population-related challenges by empowering women to make their reproductive choices. If most or all of these strategies were put into effect, Engelman argues, global population likely would peak and subsequently begin a gradual decline before 2050, thereby ensuring sustainable development of natural resources and global stability into the future. By implementing policies that defend human rights, promote education, and reflect the true economic and environmental costs of childbearing, the world can halt population short of the 9 billion that so many analysts expect. Worldwatch's State of the World 2012, released in April 2012,focuses on the themes of inclusive sustainable development discussed at Rio+20, the 20-year follow-up to the historic 1992 Earth Summit, which was also held in Rio de Janeiro. The report presents a selection of innovations and constructive ideas for achieving environmental sustainability globally while meeting human needs and providing jobs and dignity for all.