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This newsletter is prepared for the Texas food processing industry by Al Wagner, Extension Food Technologist. It is sent to you as a service of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, an educational agency of The Texas A&M University System. Requests for additional information on topics addressed in this newsletter should be directed to:
Al B. Wagner
Extension Food Technologist
HFSB 225
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas 77843-2134
(409) 845-5341 FAX (409) 845-8906
The Texas Food Processors Association held their 23rd annual
meeting at the St. Anthony Hotel in downtown San Antonio.
The attendance was the best in three years.
The program was outstanding, the social events were great and the scholarship auction on Thursday night raised over $15,000.
After a brief business meeting, Dan Sowards, Director of the Manufactured Foods Division at the Texas Department of Health kicked off the program with an update on happenings with food and regulation at the state and national level. He presented information on the goals and objectives of the Texas Food Safety Task Force that is looking at uniform laws and regulations (duplication), communications and education. Customer service, status of Federal preemption legislation and partnership agreements with F.D.A. and low acid/acidified foods were topics of discussion.
Duncan McNaughton, Director of Grocery Procurement for H.E.B. Grocery Company gave a most enlightening presentation on their future growth of the grocery business including expansion into Mexico. H.E.B. has grown from $4.4 billion in sales in 1993 to $7.3 billion in 1999. They are the 12th largest food and drug chain in the United States. Their Central Market Stores do $2.5 million per week in sales. They have six stores operating in Mexico with five more to open this year and 40 more by 2004. Their success can be attributed to focusing on innovation, marketing to South Texas, strong consumer franchises and efficiency.
Mark McClellan, Director of the Institute of Food Science and Engineering gave a very interesting talk on the institute and how it can work with industry in problem solving and many exciting programs being implemented.
Violence in the workplace was addressed by Branch Walton of Vance International. Everyone in business is vulnerable and there are many forms of violence or revenge including threats, harassment, theft, vandalism, tampering and rumors. He stated that you should have a zero tolerance non-harassment study. Interestingly enough homicides in the workplace are not at an epidemic level, in fact they are down.
Rich Sweeney, President of Sweeney & Associates talked about tapping the potential of your employees. Your best results come from managing people properly and spending quality time with that employee. Coach for exceptional results and identify and mentor future leaders in your organization.
Jerry Parsons, Extension Horticulturist from San Antonio had the luncheon crowd highly entertained with his satirical look at the way people look at food and eating.
At the luncheon, Executive Director Al Wagner presented the associations Hall of Fame Award to Ron DeVoe, former operations manager for Ranchstyle Inc., of Fort Worth.
Also recognized were the scholarship winners from Texas Tech University and Texas A&M university. The five Texas Tech and eight Texas A&M Food Science students received a certificate presented by Anne Connally of Canyon Specialty Foods and Paul Klinksiek of Van De Walle Farms. The students received their scholarship money last December.
Consumers should be aware of safe handling and preparation practices
for fresh fruits and vegetables
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that the occurrence of foodborne disease increases during the summer months for all foods, including fresh produce.
Foodborne illness can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons with foodborne illness can experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Following are some steps that consumers can take to reduce the risk of foodborne illness from fresh produce:
Following these steps will help reduce the risk of foodborne illness from fresh produce.
A recent study at University of Maine finds that the risk of cross-pollination from GM Corn in plants in the field, whether produced by traditional breeding practices or by genetic engineering, is small for plants in close proximity to each other, and quickly drops to zero with increasing distance.
The study was conducted by John Jemison, an agronomist and water quality specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and Michael Vayda, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Biology.
Seeds from non-GM hybrid corn that had been grown near GM corn revealed about one percent cross-pollination in the first six rows within 100 feet of the GM corn. In the next six rows the cross-pollination levels dropped to 0.1 percent, and the last six rows contained only 0.03 percent. No cross pollination was found in corn 1,000 feet away, a common buffer distance. In addition, only plants immediately downwind from the GM corn exhibited any significant cross pollination.
The Associated press quoted Jemison as saying, "The conventional corn was grown only 100 feet away from the genetically engineered corn, plus it was downwind. We figured this was perfect example of the worst-case scenario."
The Clinton Administration announced in
early May a series of food and agricultural
biotechnology initiatives designed to strengthen science-based regulation and consumer access to information.
"These steps are intended to build consumer confidence, ensure that regulations keep pace with the latest scientific and market developments, and provide that voluntary product claims, such as labels, relating to biotechnology are truthful and not misleading," the Administration stated.
FDA will publish a proposed rule mandating that developers of bioengineered foods and animal feeds notify the agency when they intend to market such products, and provide the agency with specific information to help determine whether the products raise any potential safety, labeling, or adulteration issues.
Information submitted to the agency and the agency’s conclusions will be made available to the public through the FDA web site. FDA also will draft labeling guidance to assist manufacturers who wish to voluntarily label their foods made with or without the use of bioengineered ingredients.
USDA will work with farmers and industry to create reliable testing procedures and quality-assurance programs for differentiating non-bioengineered commodities to meet the needs of the market. The agency also will provide farmers with both better market information to inform their planting decisions and best-farming practices for new crop varieties. USDA will work closely with the State Department to collect and disseminate timely information about international markets.
The Administration plans several interagency efforts as well. The Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Science and Technology Policy will conduct a six-month interagency assessment of federal environmental regulations pertaining to agricultural biotechnology. USDA, FDA, EPA, and the State Department will enhance both domestic and foreign public-education and outreach activities, to improve understanding of the nature and strength of our regulatory process. Using a variety of outreach mechanisms, the agencies will proactively engage the public on how their foods are regulated and why these regulations protect the environment and human health.
Additional research also plays a role in the Administration’s plans. USDA, FDA, and EPA will support an expanded program of competitively-awarded, peer-reviewed research focusing on current and future safety issues. The agencies will coordinate their research programs related to risk assessment of agricultural biotechnology, expanding the programs based on available resources.
Information about the Administration’s plans is available at the web site:
The farm-level impact of genetically engineered crops with traits for pest management varies with the crop and genetic modification examined, but use of some genetically engineered crops has produced significant decreases in the application of herbicides and insecticides, according to a new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service.
Adoption of herbicide-tolerant soybeans resulted in significant decreases in herbicide use, while producing a small but significant decreases in herbicide use, while producing a small but significant increase in yields and no changes in insecticides. Use of Bt cotton in the southeast increased yields and net return while reducing use of insecticides. Although use of herbicide -tolerant cotton did not significantly change herbicide use, it increased yields and net returns, according to the report.
Genetically Engineered Crops for Pest Management in U.S. Agriculture is available from ERS at:
Despite the overall decline, the number of people sickened by Salmonella increased between 1998 and 1999, climbing to the highest level since the government started keeping track four years ago. Salmonella infections rose from 12.3 per 1000,000 people in 1998 to 14.8 per 100,000 in 1999. Researchers blamed the increase on large outbreaks of salmonellosis linked to unpasteurized orange juice, imported mangoes, and raw sprouts. "So we think we have not made as much progress in decreasing the contamination of fruits and vegetables," commented Griffin. Notably, the variety of the pathogen found commonly in poultry and egg products, Salmonella enteritidis, declined 7 percent from 1998 to 1999.
Detailed profiles for 2,350 food processors include products processed at each plant according to process; plant and headquarter personnel; divisions and parent companies; brands owned; custom packers, production volume, number of plant employees, and private label indicators; phone and fax numbers; and SIC codes.
Of the 3,282 food processing plants listed, 1,625 plants have freezing capacity; 654 are canning; 587 are glass packing; 380 are drying or dehydrating; 116 pack aseptic products; and 740 plants produce refrigerated foods. Companies merged, or subject to acquisition, since the last edition are cross-referenced to the surviving company. The extensive cross-referencing and depth-of-market information contained in The Directory of the Canning, Freezing, Preserving Industries is not available from any other source.
THE DIRECTORY is published in a Standard Edition, Special DELUXE Edition and an Electronic Version bundled with custom-designed, WindowsTM-based search and retrieval software.
To order contact: Edward E. Judge & Sons, Inc., P.0. Box 866, Westminster, MD 21158, USA. Phone 800-729-5517 or 410-876- 2052; fax 410-848-2034; See sample pages at
One facet of the new regulations to be proposed is systematic testing for Listeria at food-processing plants. The President also called on Congress to fully fund the $68 million increase he has requested for the President’s Food Safety Initiative, after Congressional committees voted to block the funding. The increase would, in part, fund the administration’s new activities to address Salmonella contamination in eggs.
A copy of the radio address and the announcement are available from the FDA web site at:
The new edition of the report adds consumption of alcoholic beverages as a 'known human carcinogen' for its causal relationship to cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. The risk is most pronounced among smokers, and at the highest levels of consumption. The report also states that there is evidence that suggests a link between alcoholic beverage consumption and cancer of the liver an breast.
A press release about the new edition is available from:
"Opportunities for new ideas in the food business are enormous," says Gary Wilhelmi of Frito-Lay, Inc., one of the conference sponsors. "This event gives investors and companies alike an invitation to see food-related concepts and innovations up-close, and meet the people behind them." Other early sponsors or steering committee members include representatives from Stonegate Food and Agribusiness Partners, Texas A&M University, and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
Up to 20 entrepreneurs and start-up companies will be selected to make presentations to potential investors, according to Mark Perrin of McCormick, the event's manager. Presentations should include everything from packaged food products to restaurant items to fast-food concepts. "We expect to screen upwards of 100 people or small companies with new products or concepts, and then select the top 20 for presentation at the conference. Undoubtedly, we'll uncover ideas with tremendous financial possibilities," Perrin said. A committee of sponsor executives, business leaders, and educators will review all presentation applicants, and select the finalists, Perrin added.
FoodVentures 2000 will be held at the Wyndham Hotel in Arlington. Interested presenters or conference attendees can receive more information at: