By former USDA Secretary John R. Block The U.S. Congress didn’t get much done this year until December. Agriculture had a long wish list that just sat on the table. But surprise! We came out better than I thought we would. First, the Congress passed a five-year, $305 billion dollar transportation bill. Our roads and bridges
John Block: What Did We Get Done In 2015? Read More »
America’s meat industry and our trading partners engaged in a collective sigh of relief on Friday. Prior to embarking on his annual Christmas retreat to Hawaii, President Obama signed the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act into law. Tucked into the 2,009-page bill was a measure that repeals USDA’s special country-of-origin labeling (COOL) requirements for fresh and
Beef and Pork are Now Un-COOL, and That’s a Good Thing Read More »
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block The World Trade Organization ruled this week that Canada and Mexico can impose retaliatory tariffs on our exports to their countries to the tune of more than 1 billion dollars per year. This is serious. It can cost pork producers, cattlemen, and our whole ag industry a lot of
John Block: Repeal COOL Read More »
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block On the one hand, it makes me smile, and on the other, it makes me scratch my head. A lot of people are not sure if this Congress will get their business done without shutting down the government. I think they will avoid a shut down, but the process
John Block: This & That – The Politics of the Day Read More »
By Marshall Matz, as published in Agri-Pulse Today’s transportation and communication systems were totally unimaginable when the Wright brothers traveled to Kitty Hawk or Alexander Bell invented the telephone. The same can be said for agriculture. Americans were 90% farmers during the Revolution and over 50% farmers when President Lincoln established the United States Department of Agriculture
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block Last week, six former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture released a letter urging the Congress to pass the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement. Support for passage is bipartisan and enthusiastic. Standing together, you have: Secretary Ed Schafer, Secretary Mike Johanns, Secretary Ann Veneman, Secretary Dan Glickman, Secretary Mike Espy, Secretary
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block USDA and HHS are close to issuing the 2015 version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Guidelines, issued every five years, must be based on “the preponderance of the scientific and medical knowledge current at the time the report is issued.” That is a pretty high standard and
John Block: 2015 Dietary Guidelines – Will They Be Credible? Read More »
As we detailed in an earlier blog post, the White House issued a July 2nd executive memorandum on “Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products.” The memo directs the relevant federal agencies – FDA, USDA, and EPA – to update the federal government’s Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology, which was created in 1986 and last
GMO Regulatory Reform: The Way Forward Read More »
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block The Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement is sitting in Congress now. It was not an easy process to get the deal this far. If we can find the votes to pass it, it will be a big win for the American farmer. Now, on the Atlantic side, we are
John Block: European Trade Deal Read More »
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block Pick up the paper, turn on the TV, and someone pretending to know what they are talking about will be telling us what to eat and what not to eat. I remember 30 years ago when I was Secretary of Agriculture and a number of food experts were waving
John Block: Meat – A Carcinogen Read More »
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block We read and hear so much about our weak economy. The stock market is going through a correction. Well, that is what is happening on the farm, too. Not just our farms, but European farms also. U.S. farmers are looking at a 36% plunge in net farm income –
John Block: Agriculture Today Read More »
All ready-to-eat processors, whether regulated by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will have the environment, food contact surfaces, and products sampled for Listeria monocytogenes. While many facilities dread this, there is no secret to being prepared for a regulatory sampling. Establishments should expect that the regulatory
Doom and Gloom: “Check the Room” Read More »
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block After six years of negotiations with 11 Pacific Rim nations, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement has been approved. Regulations will be harmonized and tariffs reduced. Trade will expand between the countries. The nations involved represent 40 percent of the global economy. That is huge. However, it’s not done
Previous blogs have addressed Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), what it is and its regulatory and public health uses. With use of WGS expanding at an amazing rate, an update is both appropriate and necessary. We recommend that everyone in the food industry keep an eye on this technology as it is now the method being
Whole Genome Sequencing Update Read More »
On behalf of the Agriculture practice group at OFW Law, following is a copy of our Fall 2015 newsletter. We hope you find it useful. To receive this periodic newsletter by e-mail, please contact Carrie Morgan.
Regulatory Round-Up Newsletter, Fall 2015 Read More »
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block There is nothing more exciting, exhilarating, or rewarding than bringing in the harvest. After a whole year of planning, buying seed, plant protection chemicals, working the soil, applying fertilizer and planting the crops, then you pray for rain when needed and pray that rain stops before the river floods
John Block: Farm vs. D.C. Read More »
Yes, it is recognized that as part of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) verification, a responsible plant person is “reviewing records generated” as part of the HACCP program. In addition, the plant has someone that conducts pre-shipment review of records prior to product leaving the facility. However, the question remains – do you take
Dr. Doom: Do You Take Time to Review Records? Read More »
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block We have a long agenda of actions that need to be taken and not much time to do the job. The federal government’s fiscal year ends this month. The Congress needs to approve the level of spending for next year. They aren’t going to get that done – not
John Block: This and That Read More »
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block There they go again. The EPA has threatened to impose a fine of $37,500 per day on farmer Andy Johnson of Fort Bridger, Wyoming. Mr. Johnson’s offense is that he built a pond for his horses and cattle on his eight-acre property. Before building it, he obtained a permit from
John Block: EPA Overreach Read More »
By Marshall Matz and Bill Imbergamo, as published in Agri-Pulse It’s another hot, dry summer, and another several million acres of public forests are going up in flames. As the end of August approaches, over 7 million acres have burned – including almost a million acres of National Forests, and those losses should concern all
National Forests on the Brink Read More »
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block Last week, I flew to Illinois – drove down to Springfield to attend Ag Day at the Illinois State Fair. Governor Bruce Rauner, State Senator Darin LaHood, and State Representative Don Moffitt led a crowd of 1,000 people in celebrating Illinois’ number one industry – Agriculture. The ceremony featured
John Block: Back to Illinois Read More »
By John R. Block “Got raw milk? Well, don’t drink it! …Too many people are risking their health and the health of their children unnecessarily.” Those are the words of Dr. Richard Raymond, former U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for food safety. His opinion piece in Feedstuffs Magazine sounds the alarm. Turn back the clock
John Block: Raw Milk Read More »
In Part 1 of this blog series, I went back to Genetics 101 to provide a brief crash course on whole genome sequencing (WGS). Now that we better understand the technology, it is easier to understand how it can be utilized in the world of food safety. To begin with, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Food
Whole Genome Sequencing Part 2: Regulatory and Public Health Uses Read More »
In the last few years, we have seen the regulatory agencies begin to utilize a new detection method that will ultimately be a game changer – whole genome sequencing (WGS). Many of us may have heard of this technique related to cancer research and understanding inherited diseases. As the science has advanced, the complete DNA
Whole Genome Sequencing Part 1: What is It? Read More »
As President Obama signed Trade Promotion Authority into law, he removed a major stumbling block to completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiation when chief negotiators, and then Ministers, meet in Maui July 24-31. However, a sticking point for many of the countries in the negotiation may be Canada’s reluctance to nix their protectionist
Inclusion in the TPP May Come at a Cost for Canada Read More »
On behalf of the Agriculture practice group at OFW Law, following is a copy of our Summer newsletter. We hope you find it useful. To receive this periodic newsletter by e-mail, please contact Carrie Morgan at [email protected].
Regulatory Round-Up Newsletter, Summer 2015 Read More »
OFW Law founding principal Richard L. Frank fills in for former USDA Secretary John R. Block: Today’s Quiz: What has more alcohol – a 12 oz can of beer? A 5 oz glass of wine? Or, a mixed drink with 1.5 oz of spirits? Answer – they all have the same amount of alcohol. 0.6 fl oz. With
John Block Reports: Let’s Keep A Strong Alcohol Section in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Read More »
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced this week the availability of a new crop insurance coverage option that provides producers with coverage against an unexpected decrease in their operating margin. Starting in the 2016 crop year, the new Margin Protection plan will be available in addition to underlying crop insurance
USDA Announces New Operating Margin Protection Crop Insurance Option Read More »
On July 2nd, the White House issued an executive memorandum on “Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products.” The modernization effort will apply to “biotechnology products” defined as “products developed through genetic engineering or the targeted or in vitro manipulation of genetic information of organisms, including plants, animals, and microbes.” It will not affect regulation
By John G. Dillard and Jerry Chapin Do USDA’s mandatory supply controls violate the Fifth Amendment even if they are intended to prop up commodity prices? According to the Supreme Court, the answer is “yes.” On Monday June 22nd, all but one justice sided with California raisin growers and handlers, Marvin and Laura Horne in
The California Raisin Show: Last Gasp for the New Deal’s Supply Controls? Read More »
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has authority under the Federal Meat and Poultry Products Inspection Acts to ensure that products are not adulterated at retail and at all steps in the distribution chain. Retail operations are generally inspected by State or local authorities which have adopted some form of the model Food Code
Doom and Gloom: FSIS Provides Recommendations to Retailers on Listeria Control Read More »
USDA’s Risk Management Agency has issued a press release announcing an expansion of the crop insurance program to address losses due to severe weather. Among the changes, RMA has broadened the options for farmers who select the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) or the Actual Production History (APH) Yield Exclusion. SCO is a county-level policy endorsement
RMA Announces Expanded Crop Insurance Options Read More »
I am often asked whether or not the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) can request a recall for meat or poultry products merely because the products test positive for Salmonella. The answer to that question today is no. However, there are times FSIS can request a recall of raw meat and poultry products for
Salmonella in Raw Products – Can FSIS Request a Recall? Read More »
There is no industry more volatile or more uncertain than agriculture. The drought came and Texas and Oklahoma ranchers had to sell their cattle – not enough feed. Beef prices shot up. We still don’t have enough beef. The pork industry was hit with a swine disease. Thousands of baby pigs died. That resulted in
John Block: Bird Flu Read More »
By Marshall, as published in Agri-Pulse In a surprise upset, Dr. Akinwumi (Akin) Adesina was elected to be the next President of the African Development Bank (ADB), defeating seven rivals in six rounds of voting. Adesina holds a PhD in agriculture economics from Purdue and has been serving as the Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria since
Why Adesina’s Election is Important for Agriculture Read More »
