UPDATES: Food-origin labels welcomed
Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling went into effect in the United States 10 weeks ago, and a majority of consumers approve the measure and think their food supply is safer now, according to a survey conducted by Consumer Reports.
The COOL legislation became law in the 2002 Farm Bill, but implementation was delayed for several years. The mandated marketing program requires retailers to notify their customers of the country of origin covering muscle cuts and ground beef (including veal), goat meat, lamb, pork, perishable agricultural commodities (fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables), macadamia nuts, pecans, ginseng and peanuts. Fish and shellfish covered commodities were implemented in 2004, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Consumer Report survey of 500 adult men and 501 adult women in the third week of October found 95 percent of the respondents agree with COOL, but they were concerned about loopholes in the requirements.
Steve Meyer, president of Paragon Economics, said the rules are resulting in fewer Canadian hog imports and forcing beef packers to segregate plants and shifts to minimize labeling costs.
"Currently, there is a lot of interest on the part of U.S. finishers in securing sources of U.S.-born pigs," Meyer said. "That has understandably put negative pressure on prices of Canadian pigs."
There haven't been any significant numbers of live lambs imported to the U.S. since 2004, so there will likely be no impact on neighboring countries' sheep prices due to COOL, said Peter Orwick, executive director of the American Sheep Industry Association.
Rumor of BSE cases false
Reports of a recent case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, in Texas is a rumor and has caused unwarranted confusion, said Carla Everett, with the Austin-based Texas Animal Health Commission.
"We have received a number of calls regarding a reported case of sporadic CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease), but no statement from public health authorities regarding this case," Everett said. "There is no known link between sporadic CJD in humans and BSE in cattle."
Texas had 11 sporadically occurring cases of CJD in 2007 and five in 2006, she said. About 300 sporadic cases occur in the U.S. each year.
The last confirmed BSE case in Texas was in 2004. No part of the animal's carcass entered the human food chain or animal feed systems, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
When the first U.S. BSE case was discovered Dec. 23, 2003, the USDA began an aggressive surveillance and testing program. The Holstein cow from Canada was slaughtered in the state of Washington.
Wine Industry advisory board slated
The Texas Department of Agriculture is currently accepting new member applications for the Texas Wine Industry Advisory Committee for 2009.
Established in 2005 by the 79th Texas Legislature, the committee assists the Texas agriculture department in administering the Texas Wine Industry Development Fund.
Texas ranks fifth in the nation for wine production with 280 commercial vineyards planted on approximately 2,900 acres and more than 160 wineries. The industry provides a $1.35 billion economic impact to the state's economy.
The Texas Wine Industry Development Advisory Committee meets annually to address the status and needs of the Texas wine and grape growing industry. Board member applications are available at the TDA Web site, tda.state.tx.us, or by contacting Marca Ewers at (512) 475-1615. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 30.