USDA

Doom and Gloom: “Check the Room”

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 »

John Block: TPP

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

John Block: TPP Read More »

John Block: Back to Illinois

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 »

John Block: Raw Milk

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 »

Inclusion in the TPP May Come at a Cost for Canada

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 »

John Block Reports: Let’s Keep A Strong Alcohol Section in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines

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 »

USDA Announces New Operating Margin Protection Crop Insurance Option

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 »

The White House Announces Plans to Update the U.S. Regulatory Framework for Biotechnology

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

The White House Announces Plans to Update the U.S. Regulatory Framework for Biotechnology Read More »

The California Raisin Show: Last Gasp for the New Deal’s Supply Controls?

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 »

Doom and Gloom: FSIS Provides Recommendations to Retailers on Listeria Control

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 »

John Block: Bird Flu

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 »

Mike’s Legacy

By Marshall L. Matz, as published in Agri-Pulse Michael B. Jandreau, the visionary leader of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe in South Dakota for almost 40 years, passed away last month at the age of 71.  Known to all as “Mike” he believed that Indian Tribes had to establish a private sector economy on the Reservations if

Mike’s Legacy Read More »

John Block: Raisins

By John R. Block The U.S. Supreme Court decides a lot of very serious, high-profile cases – gay marriage for example. However, recently, they heard one about raisins. Yes – raisins. The Raisin Program dates back to the Great Depression of the 1930s. President Roosevelt cut the production of many farm products to reduce surplus and

John Block: Raisins Read More »

Food Defense Plans

By Barbara J. Masters, D.V.M. One of the goals of the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s Strategic Plan is to “ensure that facilities implement safeguards and systems to protect food from contamination by people who might try to intentionally and maliciously harm consumers.”  The Agency has a FY 2015 target of 90% of all establishments having a

Food Defense Plans Read More »