Subject: NEWS: Food Safety Week - 6/15/94 (fwd)
From: [email-masked] (Gabriel Hegyes)
Date: 17 Jun 1994 11:28:09 -0400
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 16 Jun 94 07:04 PDT
From: Michelle Thom <[email-masked]>
To: "Recipients of conference susag.news" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Food Safety Week - 6/15/94

Food Safety Week
Produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
June 15, 1994
Volume 2, Number 12
_____________________________________________
HEADLINES
_____________________________________________
- rBGH NEWS OF THE WEEK
- MEAT LABELING GOES INTO EFFECT
- ESPY UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR TYSON TIES
- GERMANS AGREE TO BRITISH BEEF SLAUGHTER BAN
- USDA ISSUES MEAT HANDLING WARNING FOR 7 STATES
- CONSUMER FOOD PRICES GO UP SLIGHTLY
- DEAN TO ACQUIRE CURTICE-BURNS
_____________________________________________
NEWS SUMMARIES
_____________________________________________
rBGH NEWS OF THE WEEK

The price of milk is likely to remain steady in the dairy case while it 
drops for the nation's dairy farmers.  A recent editorial in the 
Minnesota newspaper AGRI NEWS says farmers are most likely to 
pay for the current milk surplus of milk through assessments when 
the government buys it up at below market prices.  In addition, 
taxpayers may contribute if some politicians are successful in 
convincing the USDA to purchase supplies of milk and dairy products 
now for use in school lunches and other nutrition programs.  The 
editorial criticizes retailers, who it says will gain from government 
spending on the oversupply of milk.  "The subsidies will ensure that 
the milk keeps flowing, thus perpetuating the retail windfall," the 
editorial says.  

The National Farmers Organization (NFO) says the talk of oversupply 
is purely fictitious and that milk prices should increase.  '"What's 
happening in the dairy industry is a classical case of a psychological 
market overriding the real market," according to Al Scott of the NFO.  
He said milk prices should go up for the following reasons:  national 
production is down 1%; cheese inventories are down 4.5% since 
January; cheesemakers are using powder priced under the III-A 
system to supplement inadequate milk supplies; and 84% of the 
nation's dairy farmers qualified for an assessment refund in 1993 as 
their farms produced less than the previous year.  "If the dairy 
industry insists on using non-existent milk to depress prices, then 
dairy producers' best choice is to join together to resist those low 
prices," said Scott.  According to the National Agricultural Statistics 
Service, April production was up 1% from last year.  Per cow 
production in the 21 main dairy states was 1,372 pounds, 31 pounds 
more than last April.

A recent article in the Food Institute Report states that rBGH 
provides a prime example of how consumer misunderstanding can 
create a backlash against other genetically engineered products.  It 
says other developments of agricultural biotechnology have been 
met with consumer skepticism and response to the genetically 
engineered Flavr Savr tomato has been just mediocre.  It says critics 
who continue to push for labeling may keep consumers from buying 
milk from cows treated with the drug.  

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has banned the use of 
labels on milk derived from cows not treated with rBGH on the basis 
that they could be "false and misleading."  The department said the 
labels could create a false impression and provide a marketing 
advantage to those who use rBGH-free labels.  Wegman's Food 
Markets has been asked to stop selling its milk labeled "rBST-free."  
Wegman's said it began selling the milk because customers wanted a 
choice.

Nationally, legislation is expected to be introduced in Congress next 
week.  The bills will require the government to develop a test for 
detecting the presence of rBGH in milk; impose an assessment on 
farmers using the drug; and require mandatory labeling.  An 
omnibus version will include all of the above.  

Lastly, Vermont's Governor Howard Dean is reportedly backing down 
from legislation he signed this spring which requires all milk to be 
labeled  as either derived from cows treated with rBGH or rBGH-free.  
Legislative budget negotiators said the Dean administration asked 
them to include language in the budget bill which would protect the 
state from the costs of dealing with lawsuits over the labeling bill.  
They said they were also asked to consider repealing the law.  
Administration Secretary William Sorrell said, "I've had some 
discussions to see if there's any interest in avoiding the cost of BST 
litigation.  The discussions have been so preliminary ... The 
administration has not made a decision to go forward with this."  Tim 
Atwater of the advocacy group Rural Vermont said, "I think it would 
be a gross insult to the people of Vermont ... If the Dean 
administration tries to use a back-door method to repeal our labeling 
law, I think Vermonters will be rightly very angry."

Source:  "Retailers Are Milking Dairy Farmer Misfortune," AGRI 
NEWS, June 9, 1994; "Fictitious Milk Supplies Put Psychological 
Burden on Prices," THUMB FARM NEWS, May 25, 1994; 
"Biotechnology -- Unproven in the Eyes of the Consumer," FOOD 
INSTITUTE REPORT, June 6, 1994; Margaret Scherf, "Farm Scene," AP, 
June 6, 1994; "Pennsylvania Bans BST Labels," DAIRY PROFIT 
WEEKLY, May 30, 1994; "Legislative Update," PURE FOOD CAMPAIGN, 
June 1994; Ross Sneyd, "Administration is Seeking to Revise State 
Law Requiring BGH Labeling," RUTLAND DAILY HERALD, June 8, 
1994; Ross Sneyd, "Adjournment Draws Near as Negotiators Settle 
Issues," TIMES ARGUS, June 9, 1994.

MEAT LABELING GOES INTO EFFECT

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy issued a directive on May 26 
mandating that safe cooking and handling instructions appear on raw 
ground meat packages May 27.  Espy told meat and poultry 
processors to apply the labels without delay.  Calling the move a 
"victory for consumers," Espy said "the safe cooking and handling 
label will better educate the consumer that meat and poultry could 
contain dangerous bacteria."  Labels must appear on all other cuts of 
raw and not-ready-to-eat meat by July 6.  

Nutrition -- as opposed to safe cooking and handling -- labels must 
appear on all meat packages by August 8.  This deadline was 
extended from July 6 to be consistent with the Food and Drug 
Administration's (FDA) nutrition labeling deadline, according to the 
USDA.  

A recent article by columnist Marian Burros said the FDA's new 
labels have not managed to diminish consumer confusion about food 
nutrition.  She points to the Food Guide Pyramid developed by the 
FDA as one source of confusion.  According to the pyramid, grains, 
including bread, cereal and pasta, appear at the top.  This does not 
prevent companies such as Keebler cookies from using the pyramid 
in their packaging.  "Using the pyramid may give the impression the 
product is something that's good or better for you than it is," said 
Stewart Greenblatt, Keebler spokesperson, adding that they only use 
it on their low-fat cookie products.  "Using the pyramid on a package 
of food implies that the food is healthy.  The company is using it as a 
shield ... Does this mean that you should eat six to 11 servings of 
Teddy Grahams a day?" asked Bonnie Liebman of the Center for 
Science in the Public Interest.  FDA Commissioner David Kessler 
recommends that consumers ignore the "hype" about packages and 
just follow the nutrition label.  "You can't get fooled if you look at the 
nutrition facts panel," he said.

Source:  Robert H. Brown, "Espy Gives Meat Firms Short Notice of 
Handling Labels," FEEDSTUFFS, May 30, 1994; "USDA Extends Label 
Deadline on Some Meat, Poultry," REUTER, June 13, 1994; Marian 
Burros, "Eating Well," NEW YORK TIMES, June 15, 1994.

ESPY UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR TYSON TIES

Last week, the New York Times reported that Secretary Espy is being 
investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the 
Justice Department for alleged impropriety involving the poultry 
giant Tyson Foods.  The allegations aginst Espy involve acceptance of 
sporting event tickets and free air travel from Tyson, possibly in 
exchange for applying less stringent inspection standards to poultry 
processors.  The 1907 Meat Inspection Act says USDA employees 
cannot accept any "thing of value" from industry.  The purpose of the 
act was to prevent public officials from accepting gifts from 
industries which might benefit from their decisions -- or bribery.

Justice Department attorneys confirmed that there was at least one 
violation of the law, but it involved an amount less than $100.  Espy's 
office issued a statement which said he has "cooperated fully and he 
believes there will be a positive outcome."  

The Arkansas-based Tyson foods is owned by Don Tyson, a well-
known friend of the Clintons.  For his part, Tyson released a two-
page statement which said the relationship between Espy and Tyson 
amounted to "good business practice."  He said Espy's trips to 
Arkansas to speak with agriculture officials and trips to a Dallas 
Cowboys football game and Chicago Bulls basketball game are "not 
considered to be gifts."  

The investigation also allegedly involves destroyed documents and 
computer diskettes by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).  
The agency was considering extending the zero-tolerance rule, which 
prohibits the presence of contaminated matter on meat, to poultry.  
Elaine Dodge, director of the Government Accountability Project, 
which represents whistleblowers, said, "They are still permitting 
fecal contamination on poultry."  Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) said 
he found the investigation ironic as he had been receiving complaints 
from poultry processors that the USDA has been too tough.  "It 
doesn't sound like he's doing anyone any favors," he said.

Espy delayed filing a financial disclosure report required for people 
serving in public positions.  Espy has reportedly visited 64 cities in 
12 months; 16 of those were to his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi.  
The investigation is trying to determine if any of these were paid for 
by companies which might benefit from USDA rulings.  Espy has until 
June 29 to file the papers.

Officials are also reportedly investigating acting assistant secretary 
for marketing and inspection Patricia Jensen.  

Source:  Howard Schneider and Pierre Thomas, "Espy's Ties to Food 
Firm Under Study; Criminal Case Unlikely," WASHINGTON POST, June 
10, 1994; "Espy Delays Filing Financial Disclosure Report," REUTER, 
June 13, 1994; "Reno Confirms Espy Probe," UPI, June 9, 1994; Bruce 
Ingersoll and Viveca Novak, "Justice Department Won't Charge Espy 
in Closing Probe of Possible Illegal Gifts," WALL STREET JOURNAL, 
June 10, 1994; "Tyson Foods Responds to New York Times Article," 
BUSINESS WIRE, June 9, 1994.

GERMANS AGREE TO BRITISH BEEF SLAUGHTER BAN

Veterinarians in all 16 of Germany's states have agreed to a ban on 
the slaughter of cattle from the U.K. which might be infected with 
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), otherwise known as mad 
cow disease.  Veterinary authorities agreed to a package of measures 
intended to prevent the disease from spreading in to Germany.  In 
addition to a ban on slaughter, the other measures include routine 
observation and checks on herds with suspect cattle and a 
requirement that owners divulge information about potentially 
exposed cattle.  "The veterinary authorities of the states will 
implement this decision immediately," said a spokesperson for the 
German ministry of agriculture.  Three cases of BSE have been 
reported in Germany thus far.  All cases have involved animals from 
British herds.  

A recent article in the FINANCIAL TIMES characterized the German 
move as "living in a glass house but still throwing stones" noting that 
Germans are dealing with both BSE and a severe outbreak of swine 
fever in domestic herds.

Source:  "German States Agree on 'Mad Cow,'" FINANCIAL TIMES, 
June 10, 1994; "German States Ban Slaughter of British Cattle," 
REUTER, June 9, 1994; "Bavaria Joins German Limits on British Beef," 
REUTER, June 8, 1994; "Two More German States Limit British Beef," 
REUTER, June 7, 1994; David Richardson, "Germany's Political Stone-
Throwing on BSE," FINANCIAL TIMES, June 7, 1994.

USDA ISSUES MEAT HANDLING WARNING FOR 7 STATES

The USDA recently issued a warning about a potential threat from 
the bacteria E coli in seven states.  Stores in the states of Indiana, 
Michigan, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland 
may have received meat from a packing plant in Nebraska, which 
recently had an outbreak of E coli.  The stores are the Jewel and 
Giant chains.  While no outbreaks of E coli have occurred in these 
states, USDA official Terry Medley said 21 recent cases of E coli were 
traced to the plant.  

A recent editorial in FEEDSTUFFS criticized a mid-May speech by 
Medley in which he states the USDA is developing a system to detect 
food-borne pathogens from the farm to the table.  The journal says 
once the USDA takes steps to trace food-borne illness, they will find 
the problem is not confined to a specific category or species of 
animals but to producers.    "The next policy questions must then be:  
Should the government treat the food safety threat of naturally 
occurring pathogens the same way it treats illegal drug residues and 
take actions against the farmer?"  It says the USDA simply will not 
find entirely clean animals on the farm and questions spending 
resources on going to the farm when many pathogens occur later 
down the chain, like in packing, processing and even at the table.  
"Government-operated traceback certainly appears to be a system to 
place blame, and it will place that blame right on the producer."

Source:  "USDA Warns About Meat Handling in Seven States," Farming 
Today, UPI, June 13, 1994; "Tracing Pathogens to Farm is Perilous 
USDA Policy," FEEDSTUFFS, June 4, 1994.

CONSUMER FOOD PRICES GO UP SLIGHTLY

According to a recent survey by the American Farm Bureau 
Federation, consumers are paying only slightly more for food than 
during the first quarter of 1994 and the second quarter of 1993.  For 
16 "popular" items, consumer paid an average of $30.21 -- 16 cents 
more than last year and 10 cents more the first quarter of 1994.  
Prices have remained relatively steady across the board.  Slight 
increases in the price of red meat and potatoes were sufficient to 
offset decreases in the price of eggs and cheese.

Source:  Michelle Groenke, "Midwest Farming Today," UPI, June 8, 
1994.

DEAN TO ACQUIRE CURTICE-BURNS

The food giant Dean Foods has announced its intention to acquire 
Curtice-Burns Foods for $172.8 million.  The deal involves five 
different entities and both companies acknowledge it could take 
months to sort the deal out.  Dean, a big player in the vegetable 
processing market, said the reason it wanted Curtice-Burns is to 
enhance its recent acquisition of Bird's Eye frozen foods.  Other 
parties to the transaction could potentially include Hormel, Agway 
and Pro-Fac Cooperative.

Source:  Richard Gibson, "Dean Foods Plans to Buy Curtice-Burns in 
complex Deal Involving Five Entities," WALL STREET JOURNAL, June 
13, 1994.
_____________________________________________
RESOURCES
_____________________________________________
The State of Food and Agriculture 1993 is a publication of the Food 
and Agriculture Organization.  This edition examines water resources 
and agriculture policies.  Statistics on food production, food aid and 
the environment are included.  Country table data are also included 
on an accompanying diskette.  FAO Director General Edouard Saouma 
concludes in his opening statement, "it is my hope the international 
community will recognize that equitable and sustainable 
development is the only way to avoid massive outlays for 
peacemaking, peace-keeping and relief."  The publication (F33609) is 
available for $50.00 from UNIPUB, 4611-F Assembly Drive, Lanham, 
MD 20706, Tel:  (301) 459-7666, Fax:  (301) 459-0056.

The June 1994 issue of the USDA publication, Agricultural Outlook, 
examines "Assessing the Earth's Food Production Capacity."  
Subscriptions are $42/year.  To order, contact ERS-NASS, 341 Victory 
Drive, Herndon, VA 22070.
   
A new database on Food Safety and Risk Communication has been 
developed by the USDA and Extension.  The purpose of the database 
is to reduce the risk associated with food-borne illness; improve 
consumers' understanding of food-related risks from production to 
consumption; and develop critical thinking abilities about food risks.  
Materials covering pathogens, irradiation, pesticides and 
biotechnology are included in the database.  For information on 
accessing the database, contact Cynthia Cook, Tel:  (517) 353-9158, 
Email:  [email-masked].  Information on the materials 
can be obtained from Gloria Green, Tel:  (608) 265-3323, Email:  
[email-masked].
_____________________________________________
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
_____________________________________________
HOUSE AGRICULTURE SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS 
AND NUTRITION HEARINGS ON CLINTON ADMINISTRATION 
PESTICIDE BILL, June 14-15, 1994, Washington, D.C.  FFI, contact:  
Stan Ray, Subcommittee Staff, Tel:  (202) 2125-1495.

CONSUMER FEDERATION OF AMERICA'S 24TH ANNUAL AWARDS 
DINNER, June 21, 1994, Washington, D.C.  FFI, contact:  CFA, 1424 
16th Street NW, Suite 604, Washington, D.C. 20036.

WOMEN, FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, June 24, 1994, Loveland, OH.  FFI, 
contact:  Audrey Sorrento, 932 O'Bannonville Road, Loveland, OH 
45140, Tel:  (513) 683-2340.

TALK BY ALAN SAVORY, founder of Holistic Resource Management 
center, June 24, 1994, LaCrescent, MN.  FFI, contact Land 
Stewardship Project, Tel:  (507) 523-2204.

INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS, June 27-
August 18, 1994, Davis, CA.  FFI, contact:  Mark Van Horn, Student 
Experimental Farm, Department of Agronomy, University of 
California, Davis, CA 95616, Tel:  (916) 752-7645.

BASICS OF FARMING AND MARKETING VEGETABLES, farm tour, June 
29, 1994, Delano, MN.  FFI, contact:  Tel:  (612) 972-2052, Fax:  (42 2) 
205878, email:  [email-masked].

NATIONAL GROWTH MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, 
September/October 1994, St. Paul, MN.  FFI, contact:  Land 
Stewardship Project, 14758 Ostlund Trail North, Marine on St. Croix, 
MN 55047, Tel:  (612) 433-2770.

DOWN TO EARTH:  PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF ECOLOGICAL 
ECONOMICS, October 24-28, 1994, San Jose, Costa Rica.  FFI, contact:  
III International Conference of Ecological Economics, P.O. Box 555-
3000, Heredia, Costa Rica.

FARMING SYSTEMS RESEARCH, EXTENSION AND RURAL 
DEVELOPMENT, November 21-25, 1994, Montpelier, France.  FFI, 
contact:  Amon Z. Mattee or Thierry Lasalle, Department of 
Agricultural Education and Extension, Skoine University of 
Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
_____________________________________________
Produced by:  Michelle Thom, Institute for Agriculture and Trade 
Policy, 1313 5th Street SE Suite 303, Minneapolis, MN 55414, Tel:  
(612) 379-5980  Fax:  (612) 379-5982  EMail:  [email-masked] or 
[email-masked].  In addition to this news bulletin, the 
Institute publishes a variety of news bulletins on agriculture, the 
environment and international trade.  All bulletins may be 
reproduced and distributed freely without prior permission as long 
as proper attribution is included.  A copy of any publication in which 
an IATP bulletin is cited would be appreciated.