Food Traceability Report articles from October 2009

Food Traceability Report archives from October 2009

Court overturns USDA deregulation of biotech sugar beets.(REGULATORY WATCH)
October 1, 2009... A federal court decision in San Francisco, Calif., last month could lead to a ban on further planting of Roundup Ready sugar beets. In a Sept. 21 opinion, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White says USDA failed to adequately assess the...

EU environment official outlines new biotech cultivation strategy.(REGULATORY WATCH)
October 1, 2009... Karl Falkenberg, head of the European Commission's Directorate General for the Environment, has outlined how the commission would give member-states the final say over whether to grow biotech crops on their territory. "The commission will...

Know your food.(ADVENTITIOUS TRACES)(agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack )(deputy secretary Kathleen Merrigan )(Brief article)
October 1, 2009... KNOW YOUR FOOD: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan have announced a new local agriculture initiative from USDA called "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food," which will promote consumption of locally raised...

Shunning U.S. Soy.(ADVENTITIOUS TRACES)(Brief article)
October 1, 2009... SHUNNING U.S. SOY: The European Commission has confirmed findings by Spanish authorities in August of traces of unapproved transgenic material in soy shipments from the United States (see FTR September, Page 10). Although the unapproved corn...

Australian Canola okay.(ADVENTITIOUS TRACES)
October 1, 2009... AUSTRALIAN CANOLA OKAY: Claims that Australian canola exports are in jeopardy due to the new Japanese government's position on biotech food are being dismissed by the industry group Agrifood Awareness. Greenpeace says the recent change of...

Change they can't believe in.(ADVENTITIOUS TRACES)
October 1, 2009... CHANGE THEY CAN'T BELIEVE IN: Brazilian cattle producers are balking at recent changes in the nation's National Cattle Traceability System (Sisbov), including a provision stipulating that producers are no longer responsible for removing...

EU farm ministers told to adopt GE imports to avert feed crisis.(GRAINS)
October 1, 2009... European Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel told member-state farm ministers at an Agriculture Council meeting last month that they must stop blocking genetically engineered import authorizations in order to secure their animal feed...

UK poultry firms withdraw biotech-free soy guarantee.(FOOD QUALITY REPORT)
October 1, 2009... The British poultry industry has warned retailers that it can no longer maintain its biotech-free stance on feed ingredients for rearing chicken for meat. Beginning next May, United Kingdom-based poultry companies will cease guaranteeing that...

Canada faces European allegations over biotech flax.(FOOD QUALITY REPORT)
October 1, 2009... The European Commission has issued a Rapid Alert notification that says unauthorized genetically engineered seeds have been found in some Canadian flax shipments. Since Sept. 8, when the notice was published, orders for Canadian flax have...

NAIS survives in conference report, but with smaller budget.(MEAT, POULTRY & FISH)(National Animal Identification System)
October 1, 2009... USDA's National Animal Identification System (NAIS) will be funded again in fiscal 2010, albeit with a much smaller budget, according to an agreement reached by House and Senate appropriations committee conferees Sept. 30. NAIS will receive...

Global Aquaculture Alliance publishes draft standards for feed mills.(FOOD QUALITY REPORT)
October 1, 2009... The Global Aquaculture Alliance has published drafts of new Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) standards for certification of aquaculture feed mills. Comments on the draft standards are due by Oct. 31. The two draft...

Canadian cattle ID agency reminds producers of tag changes.(FOOD QUALITY REPORT)
October 1, 2009... The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) is reminding producers that, as of Jan. 1, all cattle must be tagged with approved CCIA radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. "It is important that we implement RFID technology across the...

USDA tries once again to clarify "natural" labeling.(LABELING)(United States. Department of Agriculture)
October 1, 2009... USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) on conditions for use of a "natural" claim on labels of meat and poultry products. But don't expect clarity on the term anytime soon, warns...

Researchers move closer to "tattoo" labels on produce.(LABELING)
October 1, 2009... The next time consumers pick up a piece of fruit or a vegetable from their local grocery store, the small adhesive label they're used to seeing might be replaced with a tattoo. Technology invented by Greg Drouillard in 2005 is being...

European Commission challenges Swedish "Buy Local" campaign.(FOOD TRACEABILITY REPORT)
October 1, 2009... Swedish plans to launch a "buy local" campaign as part of its Climate Smart Food program fall afoul of EU free trade laws, according to the European Commission. The commission says that any message to "buy local" food products contradicts EU...

Buyers tell produce suppliers to meet upcoming traceability deadlines.(REGULATORY WATCH)
October 1, 2009... Walmart, Sysco, Kroger and seven other mega buyers have instructed fresh produce suppliers in a letter that they're expected to meet three major milestones this year as part of the industry's Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI). Nine...

Brazilian fruit traceability gains broad based support.(REGULATORY WATCH)
October 1, 2009... Faced with a need to overcome image problems related to chemical residues, strawberry producers in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais are combining forces with the Minas Agricultural Institute (IMA) to implement a traceability system that...

IFT turns in two traceability reports.(FOOD TRACEABILITY REPORT)(Institute of Food Technologists )(Brief article)
October 1, 2009... The Institute of Food Technologists last month sent FDA two long-awaited reports that are likely to play key roles in the agency's drafting of proposed traceability guidelines for the food industry. FDA asked IFT to examine traceability...

McEvoy tapped to head upgraded National Organic Program.(ORGANICS)
October 1, 2009... Miles McEvoy, leader of Washington State's organic food program for more than two decades, has been tapped to head USDA's National Organic Program (NOP), effective Oct. 1. His official title will be deputy administrator of the Agricultural...

USDA disavows report touting "organic biotech" benefits.(ORGANICS)
October 1, 2009... USDA has withdrawn from its web site a report by its Foreign Agricultural Service touting the potential benefits of genetically engineered crops to organic agriculture. Headlined "The Unexplored Potential of Organic-Biotech Production," the...

Enterprise resource planning.(PRODUCTS & SERVICES)
October 1, 2009... Enterprise resource planning. ProducePak, based in Australia, is offering a unique ERP system comprised of five modules pertaining to the farming and packing industry, namely: Farming Management System, Packhouse Management System, Food...

Scalable software solutions.(PRODUCTS & SERVICES)
October 1, 2009... Scalable software solutions. KPG Solutions, based in Altamonte Springs, Fla., offers consulting services and scalable software solutions to companies with a few employees, to those with a few thousand. KPG says it assembles key people from its...

Cattle health, source and age records.(PRODUCTS & SERVICES)
October 1, 2009... Cattle health, source and age records. Igenity, based in Duluth, Ga., and Global Animal Management (GAM) have joined forces to provide producers with an option to combine information from a comprehensive DNA profile with health, source and age...

Thermal mobile printers.(PRODUCTS & SERVICES)
October 1, 2009... Thermal mobile printers. Zebra Technologies Corporation, based in Lincolnshire, Ill., is offering the QL 420 Plus direct thermal mobile printer, which delivers print widths up to 4.09" (103.9 mm). In addition to offering the rugged construction,...

Fresh vegetable traceability.(PRODUCTS & SERVICES)
October 1, 2009... Fresh vegetable traceability. Growers Express, based in Salinas, Calif., has selected the TrueTrac traceability system for its fresh vegetable operations. TrueTrac is fully compliant with the Produce Traceability Initiative and geared toward...

Don't overlook small farms in the traceability debate.(OPINION)
October 1, 2009... Traceability has become a staple of recent food safety debates, and the small farm and sustainable food community is plenty concerned. The prospect that mandatory traceability might harm the sustainable, organic, and local food sectors caused...