News Update

News Update
Oct. 5, 2007

FSIS Evaluating Protocol After Extensive Beef Recall

Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said they are reviewing data related to the recent massive ground beef recall — the fifth-largest recall in U.S. history — as well as its own protocols to determine how it can improve how it conducts recalls in the future.

During a teleconference with reporters yesterday, the agency admitted there is room for improvement.

“We know that we can do better, and we are actively engaging with our public health partners at the federal, state and local levels to determine what we can do better with our collaboration and coordination efforts to protect the public’s health,” Richard Raymond, FSIS undersecretary for food safety, told reporters.

The USDA and other government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been criticized for the manner in which the recall was issued — particularly, the 18-day delay between Sept. 7, when initial positive E. coli O157:H7 test results were received, and Sept. 25, when the recall was officially issued.

The Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, released a statement earlier this week calling for mandatory recall authority for both the USDA and FDA as well as a single food agency to oversee the safety of the nation’s food supply.

“The system is broken. Recalls and inspections have failed miserably,” said Jean Halloran, the organization’s director of food policy initiatives, referring to the more than 20 million pounds (lb.) of recalled beef that was supposed to be inspected daily.

Although FSIS doubled its nationwide E. coli sampling this summer, no positive results were found.

In this case, samples from affected households and the Elizabeth, N.J.-based Topps Meat Co., revealed differing preliminary test results, Raymond said. Further, and more time-intensive, testing later revealed E. coli-contaminated product that originated at the meat processing company.

FSIS officials said they are continuing their epidemiological and case investigation in coordination with eight states in recording illnesses and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Agency officials said they will provide updates as new information becomes available.

In related news, Topps announced today it is going out of business.

“In one week we have gone from the largest U.S. manufacturer of frozen hamburgers to a company that cannot overcome the economic reality of a recall this large,” a company representative told Reuters.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 30 cases of related E. coli O157:H7 infection had been identified as of noon yesterday. Ill persons reside in eight states, including: Connecticut (2), Florida (1), Indiana (1), Maine (1), New Jersey (7), New York (9), Ohio (1), and Pennsylvania (8).

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

Senate Committee Adds Funds to Farm Bill

The Senate Finance Committee yesterday added billions of dollars to the Farm Bill proposal, according to The Associated Press.

By tightening rules on tax shelters and taking other tax measures, the committee added the funds to the bill, generating approximately $16 billion over ten years, according to AP.

Almost $5 billion of the extra money would go toward a fund for weather-related ag disasters, and the rest would go toward tax credits for conservation, rural development and other programs.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) postponed yesterday’s anticipated consideration of the bill by the Senate Agriculture Committee, and a Harkin spokeswoman said the bill consideration will likely happen after the Senate’s Columbus Day recess next week, AP reported.

Grant Funds Available for Innovative Farm, Ranch Ideas

Innovative farmers and ranchers who want to implement a new, sustainable idea to improve their operation can attend a grant-writing workshop in Russell, Kan., Oct. 30 to learn more about the Farmer/Rancher Grant Program.

The sponsor of the grant program, the North Central Regional Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) Program, awards grants to farmers and ranchers for on-farm research, demonstrations, and educational projects.

Last year in Kansas, NCR-SARE awarded 52 grants totaling $400,037, which included five projects valued at $38,215, said Jana Beckman, Kansas State University (K-State) Research and Extension coordinator of the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops, which is facilitating the grant-writing session.

About $400,000 is expected to be available for grant funding this year, Beckman said.

While the grant program focuses on ag research and development, projects vary, she said. Previous projects have included on-farm research, demonstrations and educational projects on such topics as pest and disease management, soil conservation, local marketing, waste management, agri-tourism, crop diversity, and aquaculture.

Farmer/Rancher grants typically range from $6,000 per individual grant to up to $18,000 for grants awarded to groups of three or more, Beckman said.

Farmer/Rancher grant applications are evaluated on applicants’ ability to describe how their project will be sustainable in terms of having long-term profitability, being good for the environment, producing healthy foods, being socially responsible and/or supporting their community.

Grant writing need not be intimidating, said Beckman, who recommended outlining a project idea and seeking cost estimates before attending the grant-writing workshop.

She also recommends reviewing previous project reports, available on the national SARE web site at www.sare.org, and printing off a Call for Proposals (available on the NCR-SARE web site at http://ncr.sare.org/prod.htm) and penciling in project information.

More information on the grant-writing workshop is available on the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops web site, www.kansassustainableag.org.

Grant proposals are due in the NCR-SARE office by Dec. 3.

More information about the Farmer/Rancher grant program itself is available from Kansas SARE Coordinator Jana Beckman at 785-532-1440 or beckman@ksu.edu, and from NCR-SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant Program Coordinator Joan Benjamin at 402-472-0809 or ncrsare@umn.edu.

— Release provided by K-State Research & Extension.