News Update

News Update
Sept. 6, 2006

Grass-Fed Plan Meets Criticism

Critics are voicing their concern regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) proposal for grass-fed beef standards, according to an article from The Associated Press appearing in the Los Angeles Times earlier this week.

With a variety of grass-fed beef products laying claims in the marketplace, USDA is attempting to set standards defining “grass-fed” beef. According to the article, the agency has proposed that in order to be considered grass-fed, 99% of a cow’s diet come from grass forage; however, under USDA guidelines, that would include such broadly defined items as corn stalks, silage and other feedstuffs.

William Sessions, associate deputy administrator of USDA’s livestock and seed program, was referenced in the article as saying the USDA is reluctant to regulate a cow’s time spent grazing due to the risk of severe weather conditions that greatly affect pasture availability.

This isn’t the first time the proposed rule has drawn criticism. According to AP, USDA has tried to create such a rule before, proposing standards in 2002 and again this year. Prior to last month’s comment deadline, the department had received more than 17,000 responses to the proposal.

Confirmatory Avian Influenza Tests Being Conducted

USDA and the Department of Interior (DOI) are conducting confirmatory avian influenza tests on birds found in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Testing has ruled out the possibility of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain that has affected Asia, Europe and Africa. Test results on both sets of animals, however, indicate low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI), which poses no threat to human health.

The samples were taken under a cooperative agreement with USDA as part of an expanded wild bird monitoring program. USDA and DOI are working to sample wild birds throughout the U.S. for the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). As a result of this expanded testing program, USDA and DOI expect to identify additional cases of common strains of avian influenza in birds, which is not cause for concern.

For more information about USDA’s efforts and research related to avian influenza, go to www.usda.gov/birdflu. For information about the federal government’s overall efforts related to avian influenza and human pandemic preparations, go to www.avianflu.gov.

Five retailers to resume U.S. beef sales in Japan

A cooperative buying organization for Japanese supermarkets has indicated that five member companies will resume sales of U.S. beef as early as this week, according to Meatingplace.com.

Citing an article appearing in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Meatingplace.com reported the five retailers indicated they are responding to requests from customers.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.