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News archives

Saturday, February 28, 2009

New Research Shows Hen Health and Mortality Better in Modern Cage Production
According to new research conducted by the National Veterinary Institute in Uppsala, Sweden, hens housed in modern cage systems are at a lesser risk of mortality, cannibalism and disease than hens housed in free-range and cage-free systems. The study was conducted to identify causes for the increase... Continued...

Digging their way out of recession; Victory Gardens
IN 1943 Eleanor Roosevelt encouraged a return to the "victory gardens" that had become popular during the first world war, when the country faced food shortages. Mrs Roosevelt planted a garden at the White House; some 20m Americans followed her lead, and by the end of the war grew 40% of the nation'... Continued...

A not so healthy sector
The outlook is not exactly healthy for the healthier food and drink category. Last year, there was an alarming drop in sales growth as consumers started to rein in their spending. Despite food inflation, the sector grew just 1.2% to £1.7bn - compared with 10.3% the year before - and volume sales wer... Continued...

Further tests find no fake eggs
Tests on a further 13 egg samples by the Centre for Food Safety have found no fakes, replicating the results of 19 earlier tests. The results of tests on a further three samples are still pending. The samples were collected after the centre received 25 complaints about suspected fake eggs bought fro... Continued...

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Comes a time to fight for farmers
WHEN Abraham Lincoln formed the US Department of Agriculture in 1862 he referred to it as the "People's Department" because it served the common interest of so many Americans. America's concerns about food and the economy were addressed and investments in cutting-edge research guaranteed the nation'... Continued...

Link found between Alzheimer's, mad cow protein
The latest in a recent flurry of clues on the workings of Alzheimer's disease comes from Yale University researchers who found a link between the disorder and the prion protein, which can cause mad cow disease and other maladies. The Yale team found that the prion protein, whose normal function ... Continued...

Congress Balks At Obama's Plan Cut Farm Subsidies
The Washington Times (2/26, Rowland, 83K) reports on resistance from members of both parties in Congress to "President Obama's plan to cut farm subsidies," quoting House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson and Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the ranking GOP member of the Senate Agricultu... Continued...

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Bouncy yolks not proof of fake eggs
Hard and bouncy yolks, like those associated with fake eggs made on the mainland, can also be found in real cooked eggs, Macau investigators say. They made their announcement on Monday as the Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety was investigating complaints about suspected fake eggs. Macau invest... Continued...

THE FIRES: Long-suffering farmers face enormous financial burden
THE Victorian bushfires have dealt a savage blow to farmers, destroying thousands of livestock, enormous lengths of fencing and tens of thousands of tonnes of hay and other feed. The financial toll from the fires on agriculture is yet to be quantified, but is likely to be at least in the tens of ... Continued...

China to set up central food safety body: state media
China will set up a central food safety commission to help cut down on the country's repeated scandals involving dangerous food products, state media said on Wednesday. The commission will come under the auspices of the State Council, or Cabinet, and will be set out under a new food safety law to... Continued...

Obama pledges to cut farm subsidies
US President Barack Obama pledged to curb direct payments to agricultural producers on Tuesday, addressing a key road block in stalled World Trade Organization talks. During his first address to a joint session of Congress since taking office in January, Obama vowed to "end direct payments to... Continued...

Salmonella outbreak strain also linked to TX plant
Tests have confirmed that peanut butter made from peanuts processed at a Texas plant contains the same strain of salmonella blamed for sickening hundreds in a national outbreak, federal officials said Tuesday. The test results offer new evidence that the outbreak attributed to a peanut plant in G... Continued...

China to set up central food safety body: state media
BEIJING (AFP) — China will set up a central food safety commission to help cut down on the country's repeated scandals involving dangerous food products, state media said on Wednesday. The commission will come under the auspices of the State Council, or Cabinet, and will be set out under a new fo... Continued...

Eating Local 2.0
If 2008 was the year of the locavore, 2009 is the year farmers and food buyers try to figure out how to turn the buzzword into reality. That was why more than 100 farmers, chefs and others packed a Byrncliff Resort banquet room Monday. Judging from consumer surveys, the demand for locally raised ... Continued...

Lawmakers seek new gov't agency for food safety
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers are pushing for a new government agency that would be responsible for food safety in the wake of a massive salmonella outbreak in peanuts. A bill sponsored by Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat, would divide the Food and Drug Administration in two, separating th... Continued...

Family Farmers Saw Lower On-Farm Income Despite High Prices
To listen to the last year of press reports, these have been boom times for U.S. farmers thanks to high crop prices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated net farm income of $89.3 billion in 2008, 50% above the average for the preceding 10 years. Cash receipts for the sector in 2008 were up... Continued...

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Merrigan To Be Nominated As Deputy Secretary Of Agriculture
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama today announced his intention to nominate Kathleen A. Merrigan to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. "We at the U.S. Department of Agriculture welcome the President's intention to nominate Dr. Merrigan," said Secretary Tom Vilsack. "She will bring to USDA exte... Continued...

Monday, February 23, 2009

NFU urges more disclosure on Lakeside deal
If Canada's Competition Bureau approves the sale of Alberta's Lakeside beef packing plant to XL Foods, it had better publicly cough up "voluminous and detailed justification" for such a decision, the National Farmers Union says. The NFU on Thursday wrote to the Competition Bureau regarding the s... Continued...

Sunday, February 22, 2009

U.S. FDA Reports Show Unapproved Chemicals Used by Largest Chilean Salmon Farms
The Pew Environment Group recently acquired documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealing that three Chilean salmon farming companies, including the two largest producers of farmed salmon, used a number of drugs not approved by the U.S. government. These chemicals include the ... Continued...

Friday, February 20, 2009

No Lunch Left Behind
THIS new era of government bailouts and widespread concern over wasteful spending offers an opportunity to take a hard look at the National School Lunch Program. Launched in 1946 as a public safety net, it has turned out to be a poor investment. It should be redesigned to make our children healthier... Continued...