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New Missouri law to expand egg inspections

May 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

A bill that includes state inspection of more than just chicken eggs has been signed into law by Governor Jay Nixon.  Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Brian Munzlinger says the bill (SB 329) expands the definition of eggs that are being sold in Missouri.

“Right now, chicken eggs are the only thing that’s being inspected and with guinea, duck and a lot of the other eggs (turkey & goose) that are going for sale at a lot of these places, the Department of Ag has requested that they also be inspected since they are going for human consumption.”

Munzlinger says it is clearly a food safety bill. He tells Brownfield, “I’m sure nobody would want to crack a rotten egg in the skillet in their kitchen. It wouldn’t be good.”

Under the new law, the Missouri Ag Department will inspect for cleanliness and appropriate temperature of all those types of eggs to help prevent disease.

Filed Under: Livestock, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Additional funding for poultry testing

May 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

CIMG5222_webWhile at the Statehouse earlier this week, for the breakfast reception to celebrate May as National Egg Month, Jim Chakares, Executive Vice President of the Ohio Poultry Association (OPA) talked with Brownfield about the increase in funding for poultry testing that was included in the House budget and why it’s important.

“The food safety side is so important to us, we take pride in producing a safe product, but we need that validation process, we run several tests to make sure the consumers are receiving safe, wholesome eggs,” said Chakares. “Those costs have gone up to the state, there’s been new requirements put in place, so there’s been a need for additional funding and we were pleased that the House saw that and recognized the value of providing that food safety funding.”

Chakares says they’re now working with members of the State Senate to makes sure the additional funding remains in the state budget.

Audio: Jim Chakares, Ohio Poultry Assn. (:55 mp3)

 

Filed Under: Livestock, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , ,

Opinions on antibiotics vary widely

May 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is moving ahead with new restrictions on the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture.  But there is still a big difference of opinion over whether those new rules are necessary—or whether they go far enough.

Dr. Liz Wagstrom, chief veterinarian for the National Pork Producers Council, says they’re still not convinced that the use of antibiotics in livestock is the big issue.

“On a scientific basis, we’re not sure that growth promotion uses of antibiotics need to end,” Wagstrom says, “because we don’t feel that there is a proven negative public health impact to those uses.”

AUDIO: Liz Wagstrom (5:44 MP3)

But Susan Vaugh Grooters with the Center for Science in the Public Interest argues FDA’s voluntary restrictions on antibiotic use are not enough.

“Addressing a public health crisis like antibiotic resistance, with a voluntary approach, is inherently flawed,” Vaughn Grooters says. “We need the FDA to use their regulatory authority to protect the public health with a more enforcement mindset than they are now.”

AUDIO: Susan Vaughn Grooters (2:52 MP3)

Wagstrom and Vaughn Grooters were participants in a recent FDA-sponsored meeting in Fort Collins, Colorado.  The purpose of the meeting was to gather public input on the FDA’s proposed restrictions on antibiotic use combined with increased veterinary oversight of antimicrobial use.

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, Livestock, News, Top Stories, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , , , ,

OIG sees flaws in boxed beef E. coli inspection

April 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) is not doing enough to catch E. coli in boxed beef that’s turned into ground beef nor in tenderized cuts of meat, according to an audit by the USDA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).

The OIG audit says the FSIS needs to “re-evaluate its E. coli testing methodology as it relates to downstream processing of boxed beef products.”

While the FSIS tests products designated as “ground beef” or likely to become ground beef they do not sample ALL boxed beef products. Unsampled cuts of beef without sampling prior to grinding at “downstream processors” could be contaminated with E. coli, the report says, and grocery stores and butcher shops could also potentially grind their own ground beef from bench trim which is NOT tested for E. coli.

The audit also says the FSIS needs to ensure accurate data and sufficient record-keeping in its new Public Health Information System (PHIS) for correct sampling of beef for E. coli testing and for traceback and recall purposes.

Filed Under: Human Interest, News, Top Stories, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , , ,

Blunt keeps pushing furlough flexibility

March 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Democrats this week blocked an amendment that Senator Roy Blunt wanted so he is now introducing a stand-alone bill to provide flexibility to keep essential workers from being furloughed because of sequestration cuts.

Blunt cites an Obama administration memo from the office of personnel management in April 2011 that outlined which federal workers would be exempt from furloughs in the event of a government shutdown. Blunt says it’s the same language that was used in President Clinton’s administration in preparation for the 1995 government shut down.

Blunt says, “If it’s good enough for President Clinton to tell ‘em to report to work and if it’s good enough for President Obama in April of ‘11 to tell ‘em to report to work it should be good enough now for the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Homeland Security and anyone else where these people are being furloughed to do so.”

Senate leadership has agreed to let an amendment that Missouri Senator Roy Blunt cosponsors with Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor be considered for a continuing resolution on government funding to keep meat inspectors and other essential federal employees working.

They want $55 million transferred from existing USDA programs to the Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) to make sure inspectors of poultry, beef, pork and egg processing are not furloughed. Without them, he says, 146 such plants in Missouri face closings and layoffs.

~Missourinet contributed to this report~

 

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Starting a home food business

March 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Entrepreneurs interested in starting their own food business have the opportunity to learn how to begin and grow their enterprise at an upcoming Purdue Extension workshop.  “An Introduction to Starting a Specialty Food Business in Indiana” will cover a variety of topics from business planning, marketing, to food safety and regulations. 

Maria Marshall, agricultural economics associate professor at Purdue says the workshop is a great introduction to all the issues entrepreneurs will have to deal with before starting their food business. 

The workshop is April 25th at the Indiana Farm Bureau offices in Indianapolis.  The cost of the workshop is $100 per person and is due by April 17th. 

A link to more information can be found HERE.

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, Human Interest, News Tagged With: , , ,

FDA seeking comments on proposed rule

March 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

FDA_proposed_rule_webA public comment period on a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed produce safety rule is underway and Kelli Ludlum with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) says the comment period provides growers with an opportunity to share their thoughts on the proposed rule.

“So FDA is very much in a listening mode, they have put out their thoughts,” said Ludlum. “This is a great time for actual growers to respond to FDA’s thoughts and tell FDA what is either workable or probably even more importantly this is a great time to tell them what’s not workable, to make sure there are changes made before a final rule is published and they have to comply with it.”

The deadline to submit comments is May 16, 2013.

Audio: Kelli Ludlum, AFBF (5:50 mp3)

Filed Under: News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , ,

What to do with that meat/poultry marinade

March 4, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Marinades are liquids like lemon juice and wine that have natural acids to make meat more tender and to infuse meat and poultry with flavor. But once you pull the raw meat or poultry out of the marinade and cook it – do NOT reuse the liquid in its current state or the utensils that touched it because that can spread bad bacteria. There’s a way to save the marinade and safely use it – by cooking it!

HEALTHY LIVING PROGRAM – How to safely marinate (1:30 mp3)

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Healthy Living Tagged With: , , ,

Raw milk recall by Wash. State dairy

February 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The Washington State Agriculture Department is warning consumers about E. coli found in a sample of raw cream from a dairy in Sequim, Washington.  The Dungeness Valley Creamery is recalling its products because of the possibility they may be contaminated with E. coli. All retailers were notified on the state of discovery, February 22nd.  No illnesses have been reported.  Raw milk sales in Washington are legal in Washington State if from an state ag department licensed operation.

 

Filed Under: Dairy, News Tagged With: , ,

Grain milling company recalls some product

February 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Dakota Specialty Milling of Fargo, North Dakota, is recalling some of its products because of the possible presence of thin metal wire fragments in them. The company says it had a defective screen on a manufacturing line at one of its milling facilities. The recall is a precaution and there are no reports of injuries. Dakota Specialty Milling supplies products to leading makers of bread, cereal and a number of other products.

For questions, click on their Contact Us feature on DakotaSpecialtyMilling.com or call 253-219-4208 or 701-388-9271.

 

Filed Under: Human Interest, News Tagged With: ,
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