Food Traceability Report articles from February 2002

Food Traceability Report archives from February 2002

U.S. condemns European Commission's traceability and labeling proposals.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The United States government has condemned the European Commission's traceability and labeling proposals for bioengineered foods as expensive, unworkable and unenforceable in comments submitted to the commission. The commission notified...

United States seeks to defer Codex debate on biotech traceability.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The United States delegation will seek to defer debate on traceability of bioengineered foods when the Codex Ad Hoc Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology meets March 4-8 in Yokohama, Japan. The issue will come up early in the...

Canadian grain industry urged to adopt identity preservation.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Canadian grain industry has to make better use of its identity preservation system for segregating different varieties of grain, according to prominent agricultural authorities. There is growing interest among grain buyers in using...

Study questions benefits of biotech for farmers.(corn and soybean farmers in Iowa)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Bioengineered corn and soybeans have been gaining in popularity among American farmers but not for quantifiable economic reasons, according to an Iowa State University researcher. In a paper presented to an American Seed Trade Association...

UPCOMING EVENTS.
February 1, 2002... February 16-19 Annual Conference and Expo for the Snack Food Industry. Chicago. Information: http://sfa.org. 800-628-1334 February 20-21 FDA Science Forum: Food Safety, Biotechnology, Bioterrorism -- Medical, Meat and Poultry....

Producer responds to FDA criticism of 'non-GMO' label.(Spectrum Organic Products alters labels on its canola oil product)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Spectrum Organic Products, based in Petaluma, Calif., has responded to Food and Drug Administration criticism by modifying the "non-GMO" seal on its canola oil product. FDA sent letters to several food processors last fall requesting...

Australia's consumer agency to monitor biotech-free claims.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Australia's consumer agency has promised to closely monitor claims by food manufacturers that their products contain no transgenic ingredients. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said last month the country's new laws...

Meat industry wary of EU cattle traceability rules.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The European Union's meat processing industry is wary of new cattle traceability and labeling rules that came into force at the beginning of this year. Industry spokesmen have called the rules too complex and difficult to implement. Only...

Australia moves to acceptance of livestock identification.
February 1, 2002... More than 10% of Australia's cattle -- 3.25 million head out of the national herd of 26 million -- are now electronically tagged as part of the industry's National Livestock Identification Scheme. NLIS manager Rick Beasley said...

Tasmanian survey prompts new labeling and traceback system.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A survey of meat eaters in the Australian state of Tasmania has found that 90% prefer to buy locally produced meat guaranteed free from chemical residues. The findings prompted the Tasmanian Farmers' and Graziers' Association, which...

Australian cattlemen fight over BSE-free labels.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Calls by farmers in Australia's state of Victoria for labels stating their beef is free from bovine spongiform encephalopathy contamination have upset the national cattlemen's council. The Victorian Farmers Federation has begun lobbying...

First Canadian organic certifier approved by standards council.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Standards Council of Canada has recognized the first organization to be granted status as a certifying body for foods produced under Canada's organic standards. However OCPP/Pro-Cert Canada Inc. will likely get some company soon as...

Saskatchewan organic farmers sue biotech companies.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Two organic farmers in Saskatchewan have launched a class action suit on behalf of more than 1,000 growers against Monsanto and Aventis for damages they say they suffered when their fields became contaminated by bioengineered canola. The...

Australia questions EC biotech proposals in comments.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... The Australian government has strongly questioned the European Commission's proposals for traceability and labeling of bioengineered foods in comments submitted to the commission. Noting that it recently implemented its own biotech...

Canada calls EC biotech proposals 'unworkable and unenforceable'.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Canada called the European Commission's biotech traceability and labeling proposals "discriminatory, very costly, unworkable and unenforceable" in comments submitted to the EC. "The [proposed] regulations attempt to respond to...

GMA challenges EU traceability proposals.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Grocery Manufacturers of America, representing major U.S. food companies, challenged the European Commission's traceability and labeling proposals for bioengineered foods in comments submitted in December. GMA said mandatory labeling...

Plant-based biologics guidance still under review by FDA.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A draft document designed to guide industry through the maze of regulations and agencies that control bioengineered plants used to produce human and animal biologics is under final review by the Food and Drug Administration. Food...

U.S. considers traceability paper for inspection committee meeting.(Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The United States delegation is considering submitting a conference room document on traceability when the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems meets Feb. 25-March 1 in Brisbane, Australia. "We...

Greenpeace urges minimal biotech threshold.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Greenpeace urges minimal biotech threshold. Greenpeace has asked the European Union to establish a threshold as low as the analytical detection level (about 0.1%) for the adventitious presence of biotech material in traditional seed. The...

Italy seeks 'zero tolerance'.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Italy seeks 'zero tolerance.' Farm Minister Giovanni Alemanno said last month that Italy will not tolerate the accidental contamination of seeds with transgenic material. Acknowledging that enforcement of the policy will cost at least 50...

Ireland finds misleading biotech-free labels.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Ireland finds misleading biotech-free labels. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has released details of a survey that found misleading biotech-free claims on food labels. FSAI undertook the survey of food products for the presence of...

Chinese biotech regulations translated.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Chinese biotech regulations translated. The U.S. Agriculture Department has made public a translation of new Chinese regulations governing imports of biotech foods, which are scheduled to take effect March 20. Agriculture Secretary Ann...

UK cautious on biotech plantings.(United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... UK cautious on biotech plantings. The UK government last month issued a statement that could delay any commercial planting of biotech crops in Britain for years. Margaret Beckett, Rural Affairs Secretary, said results of official field trials...

Biotech corn contamination in Mexico questioned.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Biotech corn contamination in Mexico questioned. Researchers at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico have questioned reports that DNA from bioengineered corn has been transferred to local Mexican varieties. The...

What to look for in a crop contract.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... In recent years, changes in the structure and economics of agriculture have led to an increasing number of production contracts with processors, marketing firms, other producers or other entities. While the trend has been most evident in...

Strategic Diagnostics rides the tide of traceability.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Strategic Diagnostics Inc., based in Newark, Del., has ridden the tide of traceability to become a global leader in food biotech and identity preservation testing. SDI offers an extensive line of rapid analytical test systems for...

Canadian soybean IP standard.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Canadian soybean IP standard. The Canadian Soybean Export Association has developed a national identity preservation standard for soybean producers. The standard represents a minimum guideline that outlines IP procedures for all stages of...

Food security audits.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Food security audits. NSF-Cook & Thurber, a division of NSF International, has announced a new food security audit program designed to help manufacturers and processors reduce their risk of deliberate product, process or environmental...

Mad cow disease testing.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Mad cow disease testing. Reading Scientific Services Ltd. in the United Kingdom has gained official accreditation for its testing service for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. RSSL says it has the first and only commercial testing service for...

Web-based cattle marketing data.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Web-based cattle marketing data. AgInfoLink USA Inc. has launched a new Web-based information that offers shareowners in the Iowa Beef Supply Network access to secure harvest data with online reporting capabilities. Users visit the Web site...

Origin labeling helps trace unsafe foods.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Those who say country-of-origin labeling won't help anyone are just plain wrong. Origin labeling may not be a panacea, but it can provide valuable clues to public health officials trying to prevent or investigate outbreaks from tainted...