May 17, 2019Foundation Shares Summaries on Status of Beef Checkoff Research Projects
The Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education (Foundation) summarized ongoing and completed Foundation-funded research projects. These projects focus on fresh meat and poultry safety, ready-to-eat meat and poultry safety and nutrition sciences. Several projects are funded in part by...
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May 16, 2019San Diego Approves Waiver for Meat Trays from Plastic Reduction Ordinance
The city of San Diego approved a waiver for meat trays from the Single Use Plastic Reduction Ordinance through May 23, 2021. The ordinance, which went into effect in February 2019, prevents San Diego establishments from purchasing or acquiring food service ware made from polystyrene foam. The...
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May 16, 2019Foundational and Applied Science Program Supports Grants in Six AFRI Priority Areas
The AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program supports grants in six AFRI priority areas to advance knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. The six priority areas are: Plant Health and Production and Plant Products; Animal Health and Production and Animal...
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May 16, 2019Meat Institute Details Benefits of Beef vs. Plant-based Burgers for AP
The Meat Institute responded to a request from the Associated Press comparing the nutrition and environmental impact of beef burgers vs. new plant-based options. The final story highlighted the difference in number of ingredients between the products with the Meat Institute noting that beef...
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May 15, 2019FAS Clarifies Steps Exporters Should Take to Obtain Official Radiation Letters.
The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), in communications with Meat Institute staff, clarified procedures exporters should follow to obtain radiation letters. Radiation letter requests should include the U.S. company name, U.S. address, U.S. phone number and U.S. point of contact name.
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May 15, 2019Trade Data for March 2019 Now Available
The latest Trade and Market Statistics Report released by USDA and compiled by the Meat Institute presenting data through March 31, 2019, is now available. Beef and pork export volumes both were down slightly from January through March of 2018, and beef and pork value each decreased over the same...
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May 15, 2019NACMCF Responds to Questions About Escherichia coli (STEC)
The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) responded to questions posed by the FDA about Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). The committee reported on (i) what is currently known about virulence and pathogenicity of STEC and how they cause illness in...
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May 14, 2019U.S., Chinese Negotiators Hold Talks Amid Tariff Hike
U.S. and Chinese negotiators met last week in Washington, as tensions escalated in the ongoing trade dispute between both countries. The Trump Administration, on Friday, May 10, increased tariffs from 10 to 25% on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to the U.S., after China reportedly reneged...
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May 14, 2019New National Weekly Comprehensive Pork Report Launches Today
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) launched a new National Weekly Comprehensive Pork Report under the Livestock Mandatory Reporting program, a 1999 law aimed at providing greater marketplace and price transparency. Drawing on data from the National Weekly Negotiated, Formula, Forward,...
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May 14, 2019Senate Committee to Vote on Three USDA Nominees
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry will meet Tuesday, May 14 to consider three USDA nominees: Mindy Brashears for food safety undersecretary, Naomi Earp for civil rights assistant secretary, and Scott Hutchins for research, education and economics undersecretary.
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May 9, 2019USDA Amends National List for Organic Livestock and Handling
Last week, USDA published a final rule in the Federal Register amending the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances based on public input and November 2017 National Organic Standards Board recommendations for livestock and handling.
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May 9, 2019EU-U.S. Trade Talks Expected to Begin This Week
Negotiators from the European Union (EU) are in Washington this week to begin technical trade talks with the U.S., although both sides have not yet agreed to the scope of the discussions. This week's talks will mostly focus on regulatory cooperation ahead of a meeting between U.S. Trade...
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May 8, 2019FSIS Announces Fee for Electronic Export Certificate Applications
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that, effective June 1, 2019, it will assess a fee to exporters that apply for export certificates electronically through the export component of the agency's Public Health Information System (PHIS).
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May 8, 2019DOL Says Gig Economy Workers are Independent Contractors, Not Employees
Service providers working for a virtual marketplace company (VMC) operating in the "on-demand," "sharing" or "gig" economy are independent contractors, not employees, according to an opinion letter issued last week by the Department of Labor's (DOL) Wage and Hour Division. The distinction is...
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May 7, 2019Industry Leaders Gather for First Forum on ASF
The Meat Institute joined industry leaders at the first Forum on African Swine Fever (ASF) was held on April 30 and May 1, 2019 in Ottawa, Quebec, Canada. A report on the forum can be found here . ASF is a serious viral disease of pigs and causes very high mortality rates in domestic pigs.
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May 6, 2019NAMI To Submit Comments on FSIS’s Guideline to Customer Complaints.
The Meat Institute is submitting comments to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), recommending changes to the agency’s Guideline for Industry Response to Customer Complaints. “The guideline aptly clarifies several key regulatory requirements; however, some requirements and...
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May 6, 2019Mexico Passes Labor Law Marking Key Step in USMCA Process
The Mexican Senate last week approved a major labor reform law, as required by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The law will overhaul Mexico's existing labor structure by ensuring workers can organize independent unions and have secret votes when selecting representation, among other...
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Apr 25, 2019U.S. Beef and Poultry Exports Gain Access to Tunisian Market
U.S. beef and poultry products are now eligible for export to Tunisia. The agreement reached between the two countries allows for all U.S. bovine meat and bovine-based meat products, including all parts of domestic cattle that are suitable for human consumption, to be exported to Tunisia.
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Apr 25, 2019CDC Investigating Listeria Outbreak Linked to Deli-Sliced Meats and Cheeses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating a multistate outbreak of Listeria infections linked to deli-sliced meats and cheeses. Eight people have reportedly been infected and hospitalized across four states (Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania) and one...
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Apr 25, 2019Study Links Red and Processed Meat with Colorectal Cancer
The International Journal of Epidemiology published a study last week focusing on diet and colorectal cancer. Researchers concluded that high consumption of red and processed meat is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. The study's participants who reported consuming an average...
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Apr 24, 2019FDA Delays Intentional Adulteration Inspections Until March 2020
The FDA announced that routine inspections will begin in March 2020 to verify compliance with the Intentional Adulteration rule . The rule was created to prevent intentional adulteration from acts meant to cause wide-scale harm to public health, including acts of terrorism targeting the food supply.
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Apr 24, 2019U.S., Japan Hold Trade Talks
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi last week held the first round of U.S.-Japan bilateral trade talks in Washington. The two-day meeting was a result of President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's September 2018 joint...
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Apr 23, 2019FSIS Proposes Rescission of Dual Labeling Requirements for Certain Packages of Meat and Poultry.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend its labeling regulations to remove provisions that require packages of meat or poultry products that contain at least one pound or one pint, but less than four pounds or one gallon, to express the net weight or net contents in...
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Apr 23, 2019ITC Releases Report on USMCA
On Thursday, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) released its report assessing the likely economic impact of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The Commission's report estimates that the USMCA would raise U.S. real GDP by $68.3 billion, or 0.35 percent, by the sixth year after it...
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Apr 23, 2019Hyde-Smith Proposes Cell-Based Meat Legislation
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) introduced legislation to clarify oversight and jurisdiction for the regulation, inspection, and labeling of cell-based meat and poultry. The legislation would codify a previous agreement between USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug...
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