Regulation
Farm Bureaus Fight to Keep Chicken Grower’s Lawsuit Alive
March 19, 2013 12:12 pm | News | CommentsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants a judge to dismiss a West Virginia chicken grower's lawsuit over water-pollution orders the agency issued against her then withdrew in December, arguing the case is now moot. But court filings show Eight is Enough farm operator Lois Alt plans to join the West Virginia and American Farm Bureaus in trying to keep the case alive.
Laws Seek to End Animal Abuse Videos
March 19, 2013 9:32 am | by TRACIE CONE,Associated Press | News | CommentsIn a pushback led by the meat and poultry industries, state legislators across the U.S. are introducing laws making it harder for animal welfare advocates to investigate cruelty and food safety cases. Some bills make it illegal to take photographs at a farming operation. Others make it a crime for someone such as an animal welfare advocate to lie on an application to get a job at a plant.
Food Safety Update: Juice Processing
March 18, 2013 2:30 pm | by Krystal Gabert, Editor | Articles | CommentsThe Food Safety Update section of Food Manufacturing is designed to offer our readers insight into the state of food safety concerns across the industry. We received hundreds of responses to this month’s survey on juice processing.
AB InBev: Progress in Talks with U.S. on Deal
March 18, 2013 12:08 pm | News | CommentsBeer maker Anheuser-Busch InBev says there has been substantial progress toward a resolution of the U.S. Justice Department's legal challenge to the company's $20.1 billion deal to buy Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo. The companies and the government have asked a federal court to extend a halt to legal activity in the case from March 19 to April 9, giving the two sides more time to talk.
Kern’s Kitchen Sues over Pie Trademark
March 18, 2013 12:06 pm | by BRETT BARROUQUERE,Associated Press | News | CommentsThere's nothing like Derby Pie — and Kern's Kitchen is willing to fight in court to prove that. The Louisville-based company which makes the chocolate-nut pie sued Claudia Sanders Dinner Houses over the use of the name. The suit against the Shelbyville landmark seeks an order stopping the restaurant from using the term "Derby Pie" and more than $335,000 in damages.
Judge Awards $208K in Fees in Ky. Liquor Fight
March 18, 2013 9:36 am | News | CommentsA federal judge has awarded attorneys for a group of stores in Kentucky $208,000 in fees in an ongoing battle over the state's ban on grocery stores, gas stations and other retailers selling wine and liquor. U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II also granted attorneys for Maxwell's Pic-Pac, and the Food with Wine Coalition $11,000 in costs related to the litigation.
$1M Pilot Project Aims to Take Out Feral Pigs
March 18, 2013 9:35 am | by SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN,Associated Press | News | CommentsThe invasive porkers have made themselves at home across more than three quarters of the U.S. and are responsible for an estimated $1.5 billion in damages each year. Most worrisome is their ability to learn from each encounter with a frustrated human.
Ore. Bill Would Phase Out Chemicals Toxic to Kids
March 18, 2013 9:31 am | by JEFF BARNARD,AP Environmental Writer | News | CommentsA bill before the Legislature would set up a state database to track the use of 19 chemicals in manufactured products shown to be harmful to children, and work with manufacturers to phase out use of the chemicals over five years. The bi-partisan bill is patterned after a law in Washington state.
Photo of the Day: Ousting the Pigs
March 18, 2013 9:29 am | News | CommentsThe USDA has teamed up with the state of New Mexico and others as part of a $1 million pilot project to eradicate pigs from the state. Nationally, federal officials say the feral pig population has ballooned to an estimated 5 million.
Vilsack: Youth Obesity a National Security Issue
March 15, 2013 12:33 pm | by CLARKE CANFIELD,Associated Press | News | CommentsU.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Thursday that it's vitally important for America's youth to have healthy eating habits, calling it an issue of national security as well as educational accomplishment and health care. Obesity and hunger affect school achievement and health care in fairly obvious ways, Vilsack said, while speaking to a group at the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center.
Dole Will Appeal Price Fixing Fines
March 15, 2013 12:28 pm | News | CommentsDole Food Company Inc. said Thursday it will appeal a decision by a European court that fined the company €45.6 million ($59.3 million). The European Union fined Dole and several other produce companies in 2008, saying the companies were part of a cartel that fixed prices for bananas in eight EU countries roughly 10 years ago.
FDA: Baking Company Mislabeled Food
March 14, 2013 12:09 pm | News | CommentsA New Jersey maker of muffins and other baked goods has been accused of distributing mislabeled food, including products described as sugar-free but still containing sugar. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that Edison-based Butterfly Bakery has agreed under a consent decree to shut down until it can meet all regulations.
Md. Lawmakers Allot $300K To Help Sued Poultry Processor
March 14, 2013 12:05 pm | by BRIAN WITTE,Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Maryland House of Delegates amended the state budget on Wednesday to make up to $300,000 available to help a farm family pay its legal bills after it was sued unsuccessfully over alleged poultry pollution. The case, which was filed in federal court in 2010, prompted criticism from Gov. Martin O'Malley and state lawmakers in both parties.
Daily Sound Bite: Reporting Animal Abuse
March 14, 2013 10:24 am | News | CommentsAnimal rights activists are up in arms over a Nebraska bill that would require documentation of any incidents of animal abuse to be turned over within 24 hours. Meat processors hope the bill will curb the release of animal abuse videos taken undercover at slaughterhouses, but activists say the bill will cripple their ability to document patterns of abuse.
Activists Criticize Neb. Animal-Abuse Bill
March 14, 2013 9:55 am | by GRANT SCHULTE,Associated Press | News | CommentsAnimal rights advocates are urging Nebraska lawmakers to reject a measure backed by meat producers that would require incidents of animal abuse to be reported within 24 hours of taking place, saying it would cripple their ability to document patterns of abuse.
China Accuses Coca-Cola of Misusing GPS Equipment
March 14, 2013 9:50 am | by JOE McDONALD,AP Business Writer | News | CommentsChinese authorities are investigating whether Coca-Cola Co. employees improperly used location-finding technology in violation of restrictions on map-making. Coca-Cola said Thursday it was cooperating with investigators. It said trucks for some of its bottling plants use location technology that is widely available commercially in China to improve the efficiency of deliveries.
Consumers: What’s Really in This Food?
March 14, 2013 9:48 am | by GARANCE BURKE,Associated Press | News | CommentsFrom oil in Gatorade to the amount of caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks and the so-called "pink slime" found in beef, previously unnoticed ingredients are coming under scrutiny as health-conscious consumers demand more information about what they eat and drink, and sometimes go public via social networking and the Internet.
Horsemeat & Food Safety
March 13, 2013 10:30 am | Videos | CommentsRichard Seeber, the European People's Party Spokesperson on Food and Security, and Tonio Borg, the Eurpoean Commissioner for Health, respond to the recent horsemeat contamination scandal in Europe, with Borg saying that the scandal "is not a food safety issue."
FDA Head Says Menu Labeling 'Thorny' Issue
March 13, 2013 9:23 am | by MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press | News | CommentsDiners will have to wait a little longer to find calorie counts on most restaurant chain menus, in supermarkets and on vending machines. Writing a new menu labeling law "has gotten extremely thorny," says the head of the Food and Drug Administration, as the agency tries to figure out who should be covered by it.
To Mayor, NYC Soda Ruling Just 'Temporary Setback'
March 13, 2013 9:21 am | by JENNIFER PELTZ, Associated Press | News | CommentsDespite Mayor Michael Bloomberg's bullishness, political realities and legal questions make for an uncertain future for one of the premier pieces of his legacy: a now-blocked ban on supersized sugary drinks. The city lost no time Tuesday getting started on the next round of the fight after a judge nixed the first-of-its-kind regulation.
Daily Sound Bite: Drink 'Em If Ya Got 'Em
March 11, 2013 11:09 pm | News | CommentsLate Monday, New York State Supreme Court Justice Milton Tingling struck down New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's controversial legislation banning the sale of large sugary beverages in the city. The judge questioned the potential effectiveness of the restriction.
Judge Strikes Down NYC Big Soda Ban
March 11, 2013 10:49 pm | by JENNIFER PELTZ, Associated Press | News | CommentsA judge struck down New York City's pioneering ban on big sugary drinks Monday just hours before it was supposed to take effect, handing a defeat to health-minded Mayor Michael Bloomberg and creating confusion for restaurants that had already ordered smaller cups and changed their menus.
Wash. Rule Hurts Small Liquor Stores
March 11, 2013 11:37 am | by JERRY CORNFIELD,The Everett Herald | News | CommentsA Washington state rule requires that contract stores and buyers of state-owned stores charge a 17 percent fee on sales to bars and restaurants, and restaurateurs are switching to buy from distributors who are not required by law to impose the fee.
First Lady Pushes Food Industry
March 11, 2013 10:10 am | by MARY CLARE JALONICK,Associated Press | News | CommentsMichelle Obama praised the food industry on Friday for its efforts to market healthier foods but said more needs to be done. At a speech before a childhood obesity summit, the first lady encouraged the industry to put better labels on food, limit marketing of unhealthy foods, and do more to promote healthy foods.
NYC Businesses Prep for Sugary Drink Rule
March 11, 2013 9:38 am | by JENNIFER PELTZ,Associated Press | News | CommentsCoca-Cola has printed posters explaining the new rules, and a bowling lounge is squeezing carrot and beet juice as a potential substitute for pitchers of soda at family parties — all in preparation for the nation's first limit on the size of sugar-laden beverages, set to take effect Tuesday.
