Farm bill could be bogged down because of California’s Prop 12
Food Safety News » Food Politics
by News Desk
22h ago
House Agriculture Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-PA) may be making it tougher to pass a new Farm Bill. Thompson is insisting on including what he calls “a fix” for California’s Proposition 12. He claims the Prop 12 requirements have upset the hog market. Two agricultural non-profit groups are challenging the Pennsylvania  Republican over the legislation that took effect this year in California. Thompson recently said the Proposition 12 law has driven up the cost of meat for consumers, flooded the hog market, and “we need a fix there.” Proposition 12, also known as the Prevention of Cruelty to ..read more
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Non-profit groups duel about ‘clean’ fresh fruits and vegetables
Food Safety News » Food Politics
by Coral Beach
5d ago
The Environmental Group is out with its annual Dirty Dozen fresh fruits and vegetables and the Alliance for Food and Farming is countering the message as usual. The EWG generally pushes consumers to buy organic fruits and vegetables while the AFF says it is important to eat fresh produce whether or not it is organic. The position of the EWG The Environmental Working Group bills itself as a nonprofit, non-partisan organization. “Non-organic produce is loaded with fungicides that may harm human hormone systems” according to the Environmental Working Group’s 2024 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in ..read more
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Lewiston City Council may cease food safety responsibilities tonight
Food Safety News » Food Politics
by Dan Flynn
1w ago
Tonight, local officials will discuss whether food safety is still a priority for Lewiston, Maine. On its agenda tonight, the Lewiston Council has at least two items that do not look good for food safety. The first is to approve a letter to the State of Maine terminating the city’s agreement to inspect local food service establishments. The state will be charged with inspecting Lewiston restaurants if the termination letter is sent. Secondly, the Lewiston City Council will vote on whether to rescind the budget for the coming year for the position of Certified Sanitation Inspector/Code Enforcem ..read more
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USDA offers to close ‘Product of USA’ loophole, but not until 2026
Food Safety News » Food Politics
by Dan Flynn
1w ago
Making an election-year promise that does not have to become a reality until well after the voting isn’t new.  Since Congress surrendered Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling in a trade war with Canada and Mexico, American consumers have wanted a reliable replacement. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has promised a new system, but it won’t exist for a couple more years. He rolled it out as a new rule on March 11 for labeling meat, poultry, and egg products that, if born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the U.S., may be labeled as a “Product of the USA.” Since Congress’s 201 ..read more
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Increased poultry line speeds will likely continue with USDA extensions
Food Safety News » Food Politics
by Dan Flynn
2w ago
The dismissed federal case of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) v. Sonny Perdue is returning. The U.S. District Court for Northern California has scheduled a case management conference for June 13. Around that date, look for the non-profit’s plaintiff activists, the Humane Society of the United States, Animal Outlook, the Government Accountability Project, Mercy for Animals, and Marin Humane, to join in an amended complaint against USDA. In the meantime, poultry plant evisceration lines will continue to operate at speeds up to 175 birds per minute under USDA waivers. Certain ..read more
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A new agreement might avoid a partial government shutdown early on Saturday
Food Safety News » Food Politics
by Dan Flynn
1M ago
Kicking deadlines down the road over government shutdowns is much like those punt kicks in the NFL playoffs.  They don’t generally win the game, but the skill involved is appreciated. Without another short-term deal; a partial federal government shutdown will commence at 12:01 a.m. Saturday for some government agencies. Government shutdowns are usually short or postponed to some time down the road. On Thursday, the punt kicker of the hour looked like House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was floating a deal to push the shutdown deadline to March 8 for some government agencies and March 22 ..read more
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Oldest U.S. meat association forms an agreement with similar groups in Canada and Mexico
Food Safety News » Food Politics
by News Desk
1M ago
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) in the United States, to deepen ” meat industry coordination and government collaboration,” has a new agreement with organizations in Canada and Mexico. NAMI is the nation’s oldest and largest trade association representing the U.S. meat industry, The Canadian Meat Council (CMC), Consejo Mexicano de la Carne (COMECARNE), and the NAMI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that formalizes the three associations’ ongoing work to improve trade, reduce regulatory barriers, and enhance information exchange within North America. The organizations also fin ..read more
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Its own staff reported the cockroach infestation that led to the politically charged closure of Maine restaurant
Food Safety News » Food Politics
by Dan Flynn
2M ago
The 9-day closure of a popular Lewiston, ME, restaurant has created such a kerfuffle that Food Safety News has looked deeper into what happened.  Dialing back to last year, it seems an emerging cockroach infestation concerned restaurant staff who tried working with their pest control contractor but found it necessary to report the health hazard to health authorities shortly after the first of the year. Staff reported on Jan. 6 to Maine health officials that there was a cockroach infestation at the restaurant.  In mid-2023, staff had reported the roach sightings to Pine State Pest Sol ..read more
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Banning horse exports for slaughter might take a ride on the Farm Bill or another big spending measure
Food Safety News » Food Politics
by Dan Flynn
2M ago
The number of horses likely being exported for slaughter has not dropped off anywhere near enough for animal activists. It is believed that Mexican slaughter plants during 2023 took 17,997 horses from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, according to the non-governmental organization Animal Wellness Action. The Washington D.C.-based group says: “This was the  most significant annual percentage increase of live exports since 2012.” It says final numbers are not yet available for live exports to Canada. The horse slaughter business in the United States effectively ended in 2007. In most years si ..read more
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Brazilian judge cuts $2.1 billion off JBS owner’s bribery fines
Food Safety News » Food Politics
by Dan Flynn
3M ago
Did you get something big for Christmas?  Big?!!  I bet it was not as big as the gift a Brazilian Supreme Court judge gave J&F, the family investment firm that controls the world’s largest meatpacker, JBS. Right before Christmas, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice suspended $10.3 billion or about $2.1 billion U.S. of fines imposed under a 2017 “leniency agreement” that J&F had reached with the government of Brazil. Joesley and Wesley Batista, which control JBS through  J&F investments, admitted in a plea bargain to paying about $180 million in bribes to numerous Brazi ..read more
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