X
(All Fields are required)
Opinion

''The benefit of working together for next farm bill''


  • Oct 11, 2010
  • The Packer
  • Steffanie Smith, Jim Lemke and Reggie Griffin
  • Project: Food Safety
  • Contact: Colin Finan, Tel: 202-552-2272

"If you’ve been in this industry long enough, you can sense it — the feeling that we are at a tipping point, and that we’ve got tremendous potential for making big things happen for our businesses.
 
That kind of anticipation and energy was shared by more than 500 industry leaders attending United’s Washington Public Policy Conference last month. Sure, we’ve got significant challenges to tackle, but it was gratifying to see so many industry leaders, from every part of the industry, who are eager to roll up their sleeves and make a real difference.
 
As elected leaders of United Fresh, our three companies (River Point Farms, C.H. Robinson Worldwide and Kroger) span the supply chain from grower through retailer. We each have our own perspective on the issues and opportunities our respective companies face, including food safety, Produce Traceability Initiative, immigration reform and more.
 
We also know that solutions won’t be realized by working alone. We’ve got to collectively strive for solutions that bridge market segments and bring benefits to everyone..."

Full Article 
Date added:
Oct 11, 2010
Contact:
ColinFinan
Project:
Food Safety
Topic:
Food Safety

Related Resources

''U.S. House Farm Bill Would Delay Food Safety Law''

Media Coverage

''The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that could significantly delay implementation of sweeping new food safety legislation designed to reduce food-borne illnesses.''

More

Multistate Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

Data Visualization

In January 2011, President Barack Obama signed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) into law, signaling the first major update to our nation’s food safety oversight framework since the Great Depression. Despite widespread support for the legislation and its implementation, the Obama administration still has not issued all of the proposed rules under FSMA.

More

Pew Commends Sen. Mikulski on Food Safety Funding, Grants for School Kitchen Improvements

Press Release

The Pew Charitable Trusts applauds Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) for her efforts to strengthen food safety protections under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, and provide grant funding to help school cafeterias across the nation upgrade their equipment to serve healthy, appealing meals to millions of school children. Funding for both programs was included in a larger bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

More

''Congress Shouldn't Weaken Food Safety Laws''

Opinion

"Being a Minnesotan, Jeff Almer searched for a polite term to describe how he feels about a congressional push to roll back the new food safety laws his family fought for when his elderly mother died after eating ­salmonella-laced peanut butter in late 2008."

More

Pew Commends Rep. Latham on New Food Safety Funding

Press Release

The Pew Charitable Trusts commends Representative Tom Latham (R-IA) for his leadership in securing approximately $27 million for food safety in the House appropriations bill funding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. The new money would help the FDA protect millions of Americans from the dangers of foodborne illnesses and strengthen consumer confidence in the food supply.

More

''For Our Kids' Sake, Food Safety Must Be a Priority''

Opinion

As a pediatrician, my No. 1 concern is to keep children safe and healthy. Inside the walls of my office, I can provide services and counseling to help do just that, whether by giving an infant her first childhood vaccine, providing a mental health screening to an adolescent patient or counseling parents about how to keep their homes as safe as possible. Unfortunately, there are some threats to children's health that are beyond my control, including the food they consume.

More

Pregnant Women & Listeria: CDC Data Show High Rate of Infections for Expectant Moms

Other Resource

CDC Data Show Alarmingly High Rate of Listeria Infections for Expectant MomsFrom 2004 2009, 29 percent of cases during pregnancy ended in miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death Data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Foodborne

More

Vibrio Infections in the U.S. Increased Significantly in Recent Years

Other Resource

During a 15-year span beginning in the mid-1990s, infections in the United States from the pathogen vibrio have increased threefold, according to data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC.

More

''Budget Cuts Won't Reduce Food Safety Inspections''

Media Coverage

"The Food and Drug Administration will not reduce food inspections because of budget cuts, despite warning earlier that it could be forced to eliminate thousands of inspections by Sept. 30."

More

''Pew Report Shows Flaw in Tracing Food-Safety Lapses

Opinion

"Twenty-two weeks. That’s how long it took federal health officials to determine the contaminated food source after the first person was infected in a 2011 outbreak of salmonella that swept across 34 states, sickened 136 people and led to one of the largest national recalls of ground turkey."

More

Slow Government Response Likely Contributed to More Illnesses in 2011 Salmonella Outbreak in Ground Turkey, Pew Report Finds

Press Release

An examination of a Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak linked to ground turkey illustrates that health authorities must be more aggressive in their efforts to detect and respond to foodborne illnesses, according to a new report by The Pew Charitable Trusts, titled “Too Slow: An Analysis of the 2011 Salmonella Ground Turkey Outbreak and Recommendations for Improving Detection and Response.” In all, the contaminated food sickened a reported 136 people in the United States, hospitalized 37 and killed one, according to government data.

More

Too Slow

Report

A multistate outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections linked to ground turkey in 2011 sickened 136 people, causing 37 hospitalizations and one death. The Pew Charitable Trusts' analysis of the outbreak found numerous inadequacies in the foodborne illness surveillance system that, if addressed, could help to prevent illnesses and, in some cases, deaths.

More

National Public Health Week

Other Resource
This year's celebration of National Public Health Week (NPHW) focuses on the theme, "Public Health is ROI: Save Lives, Save Money." Join us in recognizing the work of Pew's Health Initiatives. More

''Citizens Push For FDA To Prevent Food Poisoning Outbreaks''

Media Coverage

"Six years ago, Bend resident Chrissy Christoferson's ten-month-old son suffered a ten-day struggle with what first appeared to be a touch of the flu."

More

''FDA Gathers Guidance On New Food Safety Law''

Media Coverage

"Portlander Joe Day tearfully recalled the year his family spent Thanksgiving in a hospital cafeteria, as his sister, suffering from e coli, fought for her life several floors above."

More