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GMO labeling debate erupts in the US
AAP via Yahoo Finance
U.S. voters are getting ready for a food fight. When Washington voters decide Initiative 522, they will do more than determine whether to label food that contains genetically engineered ingredients. They also will take sides in a national battle that has raged for two decades about the benefits and safety of manipulating the DNA of food — something many people view suspiciously but do not really understand.
Editor's Note: AFFI's 2013 Government Action Summit, set for Sept. 10-12, will feature an in-depth panel discussion by leading thought-leaders regarding GMO food package labeling. To register for the Summit, or for more information, please click here.
Related: Early editorials against GMO labeling in Washington (Food Safety News)
Food plants of the future: Not bigger, just smarter
Food Processing
Survival replaced sustainability as a top-of-mind concern in recent years, leading some to think sustainability was a passing fad in the food industry. Think again.
US sets record in frozen potato product exports
PotatoPro
U.S. potato and product exports have grown 133 percent in value and 79 percent in volume over the past 10 marketing years. This year, for the first time, U.S. exports of frozen potato products surpassed the $1 billion mark.
Conservative group plans new attack on McConnell
The Wall Street Journala
The standoff between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and a conservative group founded by former Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., boiled over Thursday when the group rolled out a new ad questioning McConnell's commitment to blocking the new health care law.
Related: Bevin, McConnell vie for support (The Cincinnati Enquirer via USA Today)
Montana candidate's past could be problem for Democrats
Politico
Dirk Adams is running for Senate as a cattle rancher, but that's not how the 62-year-old made his millions. The only Democrat currently running for an open seat in Montana is a career banking executive with a business record that could be problematic for his party if his bid gains steam.
Legislators in at least 23 states trying to do something about dark money
The Washington Post
It's been roughly three and a half years since the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, and states are still trying to improve transparency around campaign finances.
Report: Largest USDA overpayments go toward farm subsidies
The Washington Post
The Department of Agriculture doled out more than $20 million in excess financial assistance last year, with the largest overpayments coming in the form of farm subsidies for crop insurance, according to a report released this week.
FDA offers Systems Recognition FAQ to help foreign supplier verification
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FDA has published a "Frequently Asked Questions" document that describes a pilot project called Systems Recognition. While not a provision of FSMA, it is part of FDA's broader toolbox for import safety and is referenced in the recently-published proposed rule for foreign supplier verification programs under FSMA. FDA is accepting public comments on the Systems Recognition document.
Related: FDA Systems Recognition: Ensuring imported foods are safe (FDA Voice)
Coalition asks USDA, OSHA to formalize line speed standards
Food Chemical News (subscription required)
A coalition of 15 national and regional workers' rights organizations has petitioned USDA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to implement new standards for line speeds in meat and poultry plants, arguing the lack of such standards results in a threat to worker safety.
CFSAN's top priority for 2013-2014: Reducing foodborne illness
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition this week identified six key goals it will make its top priorities for the next two years. Reducing foodborne illness tops the list.
White House reviewing US 2014 biofuel targets
Reuters
The Environmental Protection Agency has sent its proposal for U.S. biofuel use targets for 2014 to the White House for review, as the agency races to avoid the delays that plagued the renewable fuel program this year.
Walberg: Menu labeling will be 'rigid, simplistic, expansive'
NACS
U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., pens an op-ed on how new menu labeling regulations will hinder growth in industries that serve food.
Opinion: FDA moving too slowly to promote private inspections
Food Safety News
Congress told the FDA to require importers, beginning no later than July 2012, to verify the safety of each shipment entering the U.S. The FDA has told a judge any rule is unlikely to be finalized until the summer of 2015.
Opinion: FSIS overrun with management problems
Food & Water Watch
This week's U.S. Government Accountability Office analysis is the latest of five stinging audit reports that have been written by federal government watchdog agencies about the poor management practices governing the inspection program at FSIS.
FDA compiles mythbusters for National Food Safety Month
Food Poisoning Bulletin
September is National Food Safety Month. To help educate children about food safety, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has complied some home food safety mythbusters.
FSIS spotlights objectives, history of E. coli testing program
Food Safety Magazine
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service called attention Thursday (via Twitter) to a page on its website that illuminates the history and objectives of its Microbiological Testing Program for E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
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Meat processors find solutions for keeping flavor, losing sodium and cost
Food Processing
Processors are finding ways to deliver processed meats, fresh meats, frozen meats and meat-based foods that are flavorful, not too costly, have greater shelf life and stability as well as a healthful nutritional profile.
Curl up on the sofa for National TV Dinner Day
FoodBeat
TV dinners are quite popular in North America — so much so that Sept. 10 has been deliciously dubbed "National TV Dinner Day" across the U.S. According to the American Frozen Food Institute, the average American consumes six frozen meals each month.
Related: Dinner phenomenon grew with television (Journal Review)
Salmonella in spice imports a problem for US
Food Quality News
Spice shipments into the U.S. had double the Salmonella contamination compared to other imported foods, according to a three-year FDA study that found nearly 7 percent of spices tested were tainted — double that of other FDA-regulated food shipments, including fresh produce and RTE products.
PepsiCo president: We misconstrued consumer needs
Bakery & Snacks
A better understanding on how consumers think, eat and drink has enabled improved, targeted innovation for Frito-Lay, the president of PepsiCo says. The company has used "literally millions" of consumption occasions and drivers to create a map detailing how consumers make decisions about what to buy against different demand spaces.
August payrolls miss expectations; jobless 7.3 percent
Bloomberg
Payrolls in the U.S. climbed less than projected in August after smaller gains the prior two months, indicating companies are being deliberate in their hiring as they wait for a pickup in demand. The unemployment rate unexpectedly fell as more people left the labor force.
Alaska officials lobby Wal-Mart on salmon-critical move
Reuters
Alaska officials lobbied Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Thursday to keep selling the state's wild-caught salmon, despite an Alaskan decision to drop an environmental certification label required by the world's largest retailer.
Fast food menus get a makeover
Supermarket Guru
At three of the nation's fast food giants — McDonald's, Wendy's and Taco Bell — menu changes reflect new thinking when it comes to food inventiveness and availability.
'Click-and-collect' grocery campaign ties online, brick-and-mortar retail
Reuters
European retailers have gone back to bricks and mortar in the hope of turning their online food businesses profitable — racing to build pick-up points to capitalize on shoppers' increasing demand for "click and collect" grocery options.
After years of decline, this food category is making a comeback
NewsUSA via Crawford County Avalanche
As fast food chains scurry to post nutritional information on menus and snack food manufacturers develop new, better-for-you options, one area of the grocery store is enjoying a comeback: frozen fruit juice concentrates.
Traceability fuels $2 billion machine vision market
Food Production Daily
With an eye on cost cutting and safety, processors are increasingly turning to firms like Microscan for high-tech inspection tools.
Kraft export market management firm streamlines logistics ops
Food Production Daily
Tudor Rose International, which works with The Jordan Ryvita Company, Kraft Foods, Unilever and The Burton Biscuit Company, will switch from paper-based processes to standardized, automated management of its logistics activities with AEB.
Materials for the future: Thermal isolation and PCM
Adolfo Benedito
Imagine smart materials prepared to react to temperature changes. Materials that absorb calorific energy or release it become the answer for cold or hot environments.
Market report: Global microwave packaging industry
PR Newswire via The Sacramento Bee
Reportlinker.com's newest report, "Global Microwave Packaging Industry," offers analysis and prediction for the worldwide market for microwave packaging through 2018, with a profile of 97 key companies in the sector.
Turkey slams Frito-Lay with $9 million fine for retail manipulation
Bakery & Snacks
Frito-Lay has received a hefty fine for acting to ensure Turkish retailers only stocked its salty snack brands and not rival products.
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