Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Thursday, February 26, 2015

DeLauro Commends Secretaries Burwell, Vilsack for Supporting Single Food Safety Agency



WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today commended United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell for supporting a single food safety agency. DeLauro made her comments during meetings of the appropriations subcommittees responsible for funding the aforementioned departments. She is the senior Democrat on the subcommittee responsible for funding HHS and a former Chairwoman of the subcommittee responsible for funding USDA.

During Secretary Burwell’s testimony she called the Administration’s proposal to consolidate the currently fragmented food safety system an attempt to “get a system that is simpler and higher quality…”

DeLauro pressed Secretary Vilsack not to put food safety on the “back burner,” where it has been relegated to in the past. Secretary Vilsack agreed with DeLauro that consolidating the 15 different agencies that currently perform food safety functions would be more effective and efficient, and allow problems to be addressed more quickly.

The President’s budget calls for the creation of a single food safety agency within HHS, which DeLauro called “a good first step” at today’s hearing with Secretary Vilsack. When the budget was released earlier this month she said, in part that “American families deserve the security of knowing the food on their table is safe. Our current food safety system is hopelessly fragmented and outdated, consequently putting lives at unnecessary risk. Putting our food safety functions under HHS is a step that I first suggested in 2007; I am glad the Administration has proposed taking this action in their FY16 budget.”

Friday, February 20, 2015

FTC Sends Refund Checks Totaling More Than $464,000 to Consumers Who Lost Money Buying Deceptively Marketed ‘Fat Burning’, ‘Calorie Blocking’ Diet Pills

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More Than 11,500 Checks Are Being Mailed Starting Today
The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 11,585 refund checks totaling more than $464,000 starting today to consumers who lost money buying dietary supplements deceptively marketed as “fat burning” and “calorie blocking.” These are legitimate checks, and the FTC encourages consumers who receive them to cash them before they expire on April 21.
The refunds are being made from funds collected through a July 2014 settlement with Canadian marketers who falsely claimed that their Double Shot pills would cause rapid, substantial, and permanent weight loss without diet or exercise. According to the FTC’s complaint, Manon Fernet and the company she controls, which did business as the “Freedom Center Against Obesity,” marketed Double Shot to U.S. consumers from 2012 through October 2013. The company falsely claimed that users could eat as much of any food as they wanted and lose 15 to 20 pounds a week, just by taking the pills.
Rust Consulting, Inc., the redress administrator for this matter, will mail refund checks to eligible consumers beginning today. The checks must be cashed by April 21, 2015 or they will become void. Recipients should note that the FTC never requires consumers to pay money or provide information before redress checks can be cashed.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

Contact Information

MEDIA CONTACT:
Mitchell J. Katz
Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2161

CONSUMER REDRESS HOTLINE:
1-866-684-6674

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Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Best College Reviews Releases Ranking of Top 20 University Farms in America


GRANDVILLE, Mich., Feb. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Best College Reviews (bestcollegereviews.org) has published a ranking of the 20 best University Farms in America. Best College Reviews is an editorially independent college review website focusing on college rankings, reviews of college features, and thought leadership on helping students find their place in the higher education landscape.
Warren Wilson College of Asheville, North Carolina leads the ranking, which is based on a number of factors, including the size of the farm, the farm's integration with the main campus, how sustainable the farm is, whether courses are taught on the farm, whether students use the farm, and whether the farm is utilized by the community. College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri and Deep Spring College in Big Pine, California were second and third, respectively.
The full ranking can be viewed here: http://www.bestcollegereviews.org/best-university-farms/
Other college and university farms ranked include (in alphabetical order):
Berea College, Berea, Kentucky
Berry College, Mount Berry, Georgia
Butte College, Oroville, California
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California
California State University at Chico, Chico, California
Central Carolina Community College, Sanford, North Carolina
Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington
Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
University of California, Davis, Davis, California
University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California
University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
According to the lead editor for the piece, Merrill Cook, besides the direct educational benefit for those studying agriculture or related fields, university farms often offer a unique glimpse into how schools value sustainability, hands-on-learning, connecting to the natural world, and integrating with the greater community. After surveying over 50 schools, those listed came out on top for the previously listed criteria, with many also providing unique opportunities for student-entrepreneurialism, independent study, and ways for the community to both help make and buy food on university farms as well.