Subject: NEWS: Food Safety Week - 6/23/94 (fwd)
From: [email-masked] (Gabriel Hegyes)
Date: 26 Jun 1994 10:09:29 -0400
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 24 Jun 94 05:34 PDT
From: Michelle Thom <[email-masked]>
To: "Recipients of conference susag.news" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Food Safety Week - 6/23/94

Food Safety Week
Produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
June 23, 1994
Volume 2, Number 13
_____________________________________________
HEADLINES
_____________________________________________
- rBGH NEWS OF THE WEEK
- CHEERIOS WITH UNAPPROVED PESTICIDES
- USDA CRITICIZED AT CHICKEN HEARINGS
- AG MINISTER SAYS 31,000 CATTLE AFFECTED BY BSE
- FSIS INSPECTS GROCERY STORES FOR MEAT LABEL COMPLIANCE
- A GLASS OF WINE A DAY ...
_____________________________________________
NEWS SUMMARIES
_____________________________________________
rBGH NEWS OF THE WEEK

Representative Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced legislation in the 
House yesterday that calls for the labeling of milk products derived 
from cows treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH 
or BST).  Citing a growing milk surplus and falling prices caused by 
increased production, the Sanders bill also calls for an assessment 
against farmers who choose to use rBGH to offset surplus purchases 
by the federal government.  "If you want to look at the role of big 
money in government, there is no better example than ... Monsanto," 
said Sanders.  Monsanto spokesperson Tom McDermott responded 
that Sanders' statement was "a bit of hyperbole."

Milk prices continue to fall for dairy farmers throughout the country.  
Two weeks ago, the USDA announced that the Minnesota-Wisconsin 
series price dropped $1.48 a hundredweight.  The M-W price is a 
benchmark for the rest of the nation.  Industry and government 
continue to deny the price drop is due to the use of rBGH. However, a 
recent article in AGRI VIEW says that if Monsanto's claim that 15% of 
the nation's milking cows are receiving the drug is true, then 
increased production is at least partially attributable to rBGH use.  
"I'll acknowledge that good weather out west has helped in making a 
milk flood of a size not seen in several years.  Yet it is difficult for 
anyone to make a 'no effect' argument for [r]BGH even if you 
discount any possible damage to commercial sales due to adverse 
publicity.  By the way, with the exception of butter, dairy product 
sales have been pretty bad the past few months," writes Joel McNair.

The ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH compared farmers who are using 
rBGH and those who aren't.  "I wished it had never come out -- but 
now it's here, I've got to use it," said John Hensley, who dairies near 
Springfield, MO.  Hensley said he considers rBGH another dairy 
technology he has to embrace.  He added that it's not as simple as 
injecting your cows and sitting back and waiting for a miracle.  He 
said he needs to figure in the cows' health, additional feed 
requirements, falling milk prices and the cost of the drug itself.  
Using rBGH on 200 of his 300 cows, Hensley said per cow production 
has increased 18% among the treated portion of his herd.  Hensley 
said that while he believes he has profited from the technology, it 
doesn't necessarily mean he sleeps easier at night.  "Down the road, 
the milk supply will be in control of a few people.  A way of life will 
go down with it."  Delano Calton, on the other hand, who also farms 
near Springfield, said he will not use rBGH in his operation.  "I'm 
concerned about it.  If this happens to go sour, it would be a disaster 
for this industry."  Though his herd is small, Calton uses 
the latest in dairy technologies such as a national milk testing 
service, artificial insemination and computerized feeding schemes.  
However, he said he draws the line at rBGH because he feels it is 
being shoved down farmers' and consumers' throats by the chemical 
companies.  "Monsanto has a choice to put it out there, the farmer 
has a choice to use it.  Does the consumer have a choice?  The 
consumer has been left out," he said.  To users of rBGH, he added, 
"You're not taking a chance in losing public confidence.  You're not 
shooting yourself in the foot.  You're shooting yourself in the head."

Source:  Office of Representative Bernie Sanders, Telephone 
communication, June 22, 1994; Tom Hacker, "Sanders Plans BST 
Labeling Bill," BURLINGTON FREE PRESS, June 21, 1994; Joel McNair, 
"M-W Plunges, Cheese Steady," AGRI VIEW, June 10, 1994; Joel 
McNair, "Impacts & Hypocrisy," AGRI VIEW, June 10, 1994; Robert 
Steyer, "BST User sees Drug as Part of Progress," ST. LOUIS POST-
DISPATCH, June 13, 1994; Robert Steyer, "Dairy Farmers Part 
Company Over BST Use," ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, June 13, 1994.

CHEERIOS WITH UNAPPROVED PESTICIDES

Last week, FDA Commissioner David Kessler announced his agency 
will launch an investigation into the use of an unapproved pesticide 
on oats used by General Mills in the production of its Cheerios 
product.  A spokesperson for the regional FDA in Minneapolis said 
the agency is deciding whether or not stocks of Cheerios should even 
be sold.  FDA investigators searched the offices of Fumicon, Inc., the 
independent company allegedly responsible for spraying the oats 
with the unapproved pesticide chlorpyrifos-ethyl.    Y. George Roggy, 
president of Fumicon, maintains that the use of chlorpyrifos-ethyl 
was a mistake.  Though not approved for oats, it is used on wheat, 
apples, cherries, beef, milk, peanuts and other crops.  Chlorpyrifos-
methyl is the product approved for use on oats.  

General Mills President Steve Sanger said that Fumicon used 
chlorpyrifos-ethyl for "economic reasons" without advising General 
Mills.  He added he expects the company to get a waiver to sell the 
products tainted with the pesticide.  "They (FDA officials) are 
deciding whether we should let them (General Mills) distribute it," 
said FDA spokesperson Jeff Spykerman of FDA officials.  "It's all the 
way to [Kessler's] office.  He's aware of it.  I'm sure the decision will 
be made very high up."  

The FDA said a preliminary review revealed that chlorpyrifos-ethyl 
does not present a human health hazard.  A General Mills 
spokesperson said, "We are trying to put the consumers first here.  
It's clear, and the FDA and the EPA have agreed, that this is not a 
health and safety issue.  Rather, it is a technical regulatory issue."  
General Mills is the second largest cereal manufacturer in the U.S.

Source:  Tony Kennedy, "FDA Probing Use of Pesticide on Oats for 
Cheerios," MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE," June 17, 1994; "A Pesticide 
Error Brings a Halt to Cheerios," NEW YORK TIMES, June 17, 1994; 
Michelle Groenke, "Midwest Farming Today," UPI, June 17, 1994.

USDA CRITICIZED AT CHICKEN HEARINGS

Last week, two House Government Operations subcommittees held a 
hearing to try to determine the extent of the relationship between 
the USDA and the chicken giant Tyson Foods.  Deputy Secretary of 
Agriculture Richard Rominger found he had to deflect chickens along 
with accusations that the USDA is too cozy with Tyson.  "USDA's meat 
and poultry programs are obsolete, misleading and incapable of 
protecting the public," said the chicken-wielding Representative 
Edolphus Towns (D-NY).  Filling in for vacationing Secretary Mike 
Espy, Rominger said the agency is reviewing poultry industry 
regulations and that the department plans to hold hearings on the 
labeling of raw poultry products later this summer.          

USDA Inspector Charles Gillum had declined to testify at the hearing, 
saying it was inappropriate for him to comment on something that is 
still under review by the Justice Department.  Lawmakers criticized 
USDA officials for being unprepared for their questions.  "We need 
answers, gentlemen [sic]," said Towns.  

Meanwhile in the hallway, California lawmakers bowled with 
chickens that were labeled fresh by the USDA.  The federal labeling 
regulation allows chicken that has been chilled to 20 degrees or less 
to be labeled fresh until it reaches a temperature of zero degrees.  
Last year, California enacted a law forbidding chicken that has been 
chilled below 26 degrees to be labeled fresh.  Industry groups sued, 
arguing that California would then be closed to interstate shipments 
of "fresh" birds from other broiler producing states as transportation 
requires that the birds be chilled.  A federal judge recently struck 
down the California law, saying it conflicts with federal law.  
Secretary Espy has promised that the law will be revisited.  Kenneth 
May of the National Broiler Council said, "Product freshness is a 
condition in which a product exhibits various characteristics" 
including "taste, aroma, bacterial quality and nutritional 
characteristics."  Los Angeles chef Wolfgang Puck, came into the 
hearing room, threw down a chicken and pronounced, "I'm surprised 
they let this through the security check.  It is more like a weapon 
than a chicken."

Finally, a Nebraska cattle feeder has filed a lawsuit against the 
Secretary of Agriculture for $25 million in damages, alleging the 
department gave unfair treatment to the poultry industry.  Bob 
Gottsch, president of Gottsch Feeding Corp., said Espy's policies have 
favored the poultry industry at the expense of the beef industry.  
"The secretary has knowingly permitted Tyson Foods to so insinuate 
its corporate goals and interests with the formal policies of the 
Secretary that the Tyson-dominated Department of Agriculture is 
driving hundreds of cattle feeders out of business," the suit alleges.  
Steve Kinsella, a spokesperson for Secretary Espy, said, "I 
characterize his legal action as ridiculous.  We obviously are going to 
contest the lawsuit.  It is not based on reality."  

Source:  Jenny Tomkins, "U.S. Agency Accused of bowing to Poultry 
Industry," REUTER, June 16, 1994; "USDA Top Cop Says No To Poultry 
Hearing Testimony," REUTER, June 15, 1994; Jenny Tomkins, "Poultry 
Industry Accused of influencing Policy," REUTER, June 16, 1994; 
Robert Greene, "Chilly Chickens," AP, June 17, 1994; "Leading 
Nebraska Cattle Feeder Sues USDA's Espy," REUTER, June 15, 1994.

AG MINISTER SAYS 31,000 CATTLE AFFECTED BY BSE

Last month, British Agriculture Minister Gillian Shephard presented a 
report to parliament about the extent to which bovine spongiform 
encephalopathy (BSE), otherwise known as mad cow disease, has 
affected cattle herds in the U.K.  In  response to a question about how 
many cows were affected, she said 31,395 farms had at least one 
confirmed case of BSE between November 1986 and May 1994.  At 
last count, nearly 129,000 cows were affected by the disease.

Source:  "Mad Cow Disease Hits 31,000 British Farms," THE DAILY 
CITIZEN, May 26, 1994.

FSIS INSPECTS GROCERY STORES FOR MEAT LABEL COMPLIANCE

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has sent inspectors out 
to six cities around the U.S. to ensure grocery stores are complying 
with the new safe cooking and handling instructions required for 
meat and poultry products.  Espy issued a directive on May 26 which 
required meat packages to begin carrying the labels on May 27.  
Stores in the following cities are being inspected:  Atlanta, GA, 
Seattle, WA, Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN, Kansas City, MO and 
Washington, D.C.  No citations will be issued for non-compliance; 
however, stores will be placed on a list for a future inspection.  
Should the store fail a second time, management will be given a 
"reasonable opportunity" to comply.  If the outlet is still not in 
compliance, unlabeled or mislabled meats will be seized.  

Source:  Robert H. Brown, "FSIS Inspectors Look for Handling in Six 
Cities," FEEDSTUFFS, June 13, 1994.

A GLASS OF WINE A DAY ...

Once again, the recommended glass of wine a day by some experts is 
coming under fire in the U.S.  At a conference this week, food experts 
from Harvard University and the World Health Organization (WHO) 
will unveil a new food pyramid based on a Mediterranean diet.  
Included in the pyramid is a lot of pasta, couscous, yogurt, bulgar, 
olive oil and one or two glasses of wine a day.  The goal of the panel 
presenting the pyramid is to emulate "those parts of the 
Mediterranean region that in the recent past enjoyed the lowest 
recorded rates of chronic diseases and the highest adult life 
expectancy."

Some studies have indicated wine can play a role in preventing heart 
disease, but health officials have not gone so far as to recommend the 
public partake on a daily basis.  "For every seven people you 
encourage to start drinking, you can bet that at least one of them us 
going to get in trouble," said Herbert Kleber of Columbia University's 
Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.  Andrew Ball, a substance 
abuse specialist with WHO, expressed surprise at the WHO backing of 
the pyramid.  He said his work has taken him into many developing 
countries where substance abuse is increasing.  "In Europe, you're 
talking about a culture which has a traditional use of alcohol over 
centuries -- it's been incorporated into the normal lifestyle."  He said 
it is dangerous to assume the rest of the world can handle the 
consumption of alcohol just as easily.  

The project leaders say their intent is to inform people about a new 
way of thinking about healthy diets.  They are quick to point out 
their pyramid contains footnotes that recommend pregnant women 
not partake.  And, it states "from a contemporary public health 
perspective, wine should be considered optional."  "The evidence is 
very clear that the net effect [of wine] is beneficial," maintains 
Harvard nutrition specialist Walter Willett.  The Wine Institute, a 
sponsor of the conference, is reportedly quite pleased with the 
pyramid, particularly given the "sin tax" spirit affecting many federal 
and state legislators this year.  

Source:  Michael Miller, "Call for A Daily Dose of Wine Ferments 
Critics," WALL STREET JOURNAL, June 17, 1994.
_____________________________________________
RESOURCES
_____________________________________________
FOOD SAFETY"  RISK-BASED INSPECTION AND MICROBIAL 
MONITORING NEEDED FOR MEAT AND POULTRY, testimony by John 
Harman (GAO/T-RCED-94-189) is now available from the General 
Accounting Office.  For a copy, write GAO, Washington, D.C., 20548.

The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides has produced 
an Action Alert on pesticides and food safety.  For a copy, contact 
NCAP, P.O. Box 1393, Eugene, OR 97440, Tel:  (503) 344-5044.

The Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste has a booklet on the 
Delaney Clause.  For a copy of "PROTECT OUR CHILDREN, SAVE 
DELANEY," contact CCHW, P.O. Box 6806, Falls Church, VA 22040. 
_____________________________________________
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
_____________________________________________
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.

LILLIAN FOUNTAIN SMITH CONFERENCE FOR NUTRITION EDUCATORS, 
July 29-30, 1994, Fort Collins, CO.  FFI, contact:  Pat Kendall or 
Jennifer Anderson, Colorado State University, Department of Food 
Science and Human Nutrition, Fort Collins, CO 80526, Tel:  (303) 491-
7743, 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.