The US government did not break trade law during the recent mad cow crisis, but applied international rules creatively to minimize trade distortions to the cross-border beef and cattle industry, according to "Mad Cow: A Case Study in Canadian-American Relations," a new report from The Fraser Institute.
Did you know that once a consumer picks up a product from a store shelf, there's an 87 percent chance that he or she will buy it? Packaging that is more appealing, functional and easier to stack on store shelves catches the consumer's eye, according to a report from IPL Packaging.
The federal government is funneling an additional $63 million in agricultural aid into the Gulf Coast region, still struggling to overcome last summer's devastating hurricanes. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced that Emergency Conservation Program (EPC) funds will be available to assist agricultural producers in counties that were declared disaster areas.
Dr. Nancy Rachman has been named senior director, safety evaluation and scientific affairs for the Food Products Association. In this position, she will focus on scientific, regulatory and public policy development associated with food safety.
Construction of an 85,000-sq.-ft. expansion began at Snyders of Hanover's Goodyear, AZ-based pretzel bakery. When it is complete in Fall 2006, 60 new jobs will be added.
Heinz, HP Foods to Merge
The UK's Competition Commission has provisionally cleared the acquisition by HJ Heinz Company of the HP Foods Group. Both Heinz and HP produce ketchup, brown sauce and barbecue sauce. Heinz also produces baked beans and canned pasta products, while HP branded baked beans and pasta products are currently produced by Premier Foods plc, under a license from HP.
Leprino Foods Co. began construction on an $83 million cheese plant expansion in Allendale Township, MI. The expansion will add 10 million pounds of cheese production to the existing 70 million produced annually.
New World Pasta Co. appointed Scott Greenwood as CEO. Prior to joining this company, Greenwood was US president of Puratos Corp., a supplier to bakery and patisserie companies.
Alien Technology Corporation opened a new facility last month focused on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, discovery, innovation and implementation. Located in Dayton, OH and comprising 23,000 sq. ft. of educational, R&D and real-world implementation resources, the RFID Solutions Center will work to capture the benefits of RFID applications such as improved asset visibility within supply chains, enhanced consumer safety and security and greater operating efficiencies for private and public sector organizations.
Slaughterhouse operators can expect closer scrutiny from the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in the months ahead. In a critical report, USDA's Inspector General warns federal beef inspectors aren't strictly following cattle screening rules, thereby increasing the risk of mad cow disease in the nation's meat supply. The report said it found cases where rules covering the slaughter of cattle are sometimes ignored.
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