Salmonella Found in Basil Grown in Mexico, FDA Says

July 11 (Bloomberg) -- A strain of salmonella, the bacteria that has sickened more than 1,000 Americans who ate tainted produce since April, has been found in Thai basil grown in Mexico.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration identified salmonella during random testing of basil imported by Lucky Green Trading Inc., a family-run company based in Garden Grove, California, the agency said today in a statement on its Web site. The product has been recalled from Southern California, Arizona and Nevada, where it was distributed directly and sold at retail stores.

FDA officials have boosted inspections of Mexican exports as they look for the origin of the salmonella Saintpaul outbreak that has spread to 42 states since mid-April. While the focus has been on certain types of tomatoes grown in Mexico and Florida, officials said this week that jalapenos caused some illnesses and that Serrano peppers and cilantro also are under investigation. The basil was found to have a different strain of salmonella than the salmonella Saintpaul traced to the current outbreak, said FDA spokesman Michael Herndon.

``Every importer from Mexico has to go through the inspection,'' said Tony Ton, whose family runs Lucky Green, in a phone interview today. ``That's a new thing. Every year, we used to have one or two occasions where FDA has to do a random inspection.''

No illnesses have been linked to Lucky Green's herbs. Their Thai basil comes from the town of Santa Rosa Tapachula in Nayarit, a state on the central-west coast of Mexico. The company doesn't sell any other products this time of the year, Ton said.

Three shipments of Thai basil from the same Mexican grower passed inspection last week, so Lucky Green is looking to see whether the latest batch may have been contaminated by another grower in the same area, Ton said.

Growing interest in food suppliers boosts agriculture consortiums

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2008/07/11/20080711biz-csafarms0711.html

Just off 16th Avenue in Phoenix, next to the roaring Interstate 17, sits a 40-acre parcel that helps feed thousands of people each week.

It's home to Crooked Sky Farms, one of a handful of community-supported agriculture programs, often called CSAs, offering metro Phoenix consumers a healthy - and oftentimes cheaper - alternative to grocery store produce.

The farms have grown in popularity during the past few years as more people seek organic products and become more discerning about where their food comes from and how it's processed, said Julie Murphree, spokeswoman for the Arizona Farm Bureau.

"It's a unique and very valuable way to access fresh and local produce," Murphree said.

Rising gas prices, which have hiked food processing and delivery costs, also may be contributing to the community-farming trend that is blossoming nationally. The trend probably won't go away, because the U.S. Department of Agriculture expects food prices to rise between 4.5 percent and 5.5 percent this year.

What's more, a recent survey by the National Gardening Association said that spending on vegetable plants jumped 21 percent and spending on herbs rose 45 percent as more consumers search for locally grown organic food.

"In the last couple of years, people are way more educated," said Kelly Saxer, owner of Desert Roots Farm in Queen Creek. "I think they're really becoming more involved and taking some ownership in what they eat."

Saxer, who started her community-supported program in 2003, said her membership doubled in the past three years. Her 25-acre farm now serves 225 families, and she recently leased additional land to help meet a growing demand for organic food.

"It's finally kind of caught on, and people are seeking us out," Saxer said. "People are definitely into supporting local agriculture and knowing where their money is going."

Frank Martin of Glendale, who has operated Crooked Sky Farms since 2002, said his members are also interested in supporting the local economy.

Also known as "Farmer Frank," Martin said his farm added 150 members since last summer. He serves about 800 members during the summer season, but will average closer to 1,200 during the fall and winter seasons, which produce a larger variety of crops, he said.

CSA members typically pay to become part of their farm communities at the start of each season. The farmer uses that money, usually between $20 and $25 a week from each member, to plant, grow and harvest the crops. Members then receive a share of the produce, which can be picked up or delivered, depending on the farm.

For some, the CSA experience goes beyond the benefits of eating healthy or saving money on food, said Shyrron Kolb, who started Whole Earth CSA in Waddell in 2006. Many of her members are residents new to the area looking for a sense of "community."

"The whole point of a CSA is to get the farmer and the people connected to one another," Kolb said. "People are moving from elsewhere where they had a connection with a farm, perhaps."

Kolb farms 2 acres of land and serves about 60 members. But she usually has more people wanting to join the CSA than she can feed, she said.

Still, farmers say CSAs aren't for everyone. The programs require understanding from members who receive the same type of produce weekly for 10 to 12 weeks.

"You really have to kind of commit to eating what's in season," Saxer said.

One of Saxer's members, Colleen Byron of Tempe, said it takes creativity to know what to do with so many radishes and eggplants each season. But she calls herself the CSA's biggest fan.

"If you allow your CSA to expand your horizons, the payoff is just huge," Byron said. "My life is so much better because Kelly is doing what she's doing."

Byron started her membership with Desert Roots Farm two years ago, and the produce makes up the bulk of the groceries used in her vegan diet.

Knowing her farmer well also brings peace of mind.

"I know she's not out there at midnight spraying pesticides on her crops to get a higher yield," Byron said. "I trust her completely."

Tainted food likely behind illness of 543 Galveston inmates

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5881832.html

GALVESTON — At least 543 prisoners, about half the Galveston County Jail population, have been stricken with an illness, many of them vomiting and experiencing diarrhea, the Sheriff's Office said Thursday.

Prisoners began complaining of stomach cramps and other symptoms about 5 p.m. Wednesday and county health officials were called to test food for contamination and help identify the cause, the Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

Food test results are expected Friday.

At one point Thursday, the stricken prisoners were complaining of nearly identical symptoms. One inmate was taken to an emergency room for treatment late Wednesday but has since been returned to the jail.

Jail staff suspected that the illness may have been caused by an earlier meal and quarantined numerous food items.

As of 4 p.m. Thursday more than 400 prisoners were still experiencing symptoms.

Sheriff's spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo declined to say it was food poisoning, but said the illness was likely food related.

Medical staff at the jail were closely monitoring stricken prisoners.

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From the Consumerist: Sysco "chicken breasts"

http://consumerist.com/tag/smartserve/?i=5023193&t=whole-chicken-breast-actually-chicken-part-composite



Why not try a SmartServe Chicken, brought to you by Sysco:

Our fully cooked Classic Brand SmartServe glazed chicken breast fillets have the appearance, taste and texture of a whole chicken breast at a much lower cost, plus they offer better portion control, consistent quality and easy preparation. Boneless, skinless, 100% chicken breast pieces shaped into natural breast fillets. Glazed flavoring. Unique 3-D technology gives you the look and texture of a solid muscle chicken breast, at a fraction of the cost.

Mmm...particle chicken! According to tipster Phil, it's a popular item among restaurants.

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E. coli Outbreak Leads to Massive Beef Recall

http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_E_coli_Outbreak_Leads_to_Massive_Beef_Recall_19917.html

Nebraska Beef Ltd decided to expand its voluntary recall to 5.3 million pounds, representing all the meat the company produced between May 16 and June 26, a statement released by the company on Thursday read.

Originally, the company recalled the beef sent to Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. On Thursday, it did not specify whether the beef now being recalled went to additional states.

The measure follows another major recall announced on June 25 by Kroger Co, the U.S. largest grocery chain, of ground beef sold in Michigan and central and northwestern Ohio.

The decision was taken after several cases of E. coli illnesses were reported in Ohio and Michigan. The supplier of the infected beef was Nebraska Beef.

According to the findings of an investigation led by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service at two processing plants which collaborated with Nebraska Beef, the E. coli outbreak happened because some production practices held under insanitary conditions. Apparently, the company’s efforts to ensure a properly clean production process were insufficient, at least against the E. coli bacteria, that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in severe cases kidney failure.

Some 41 people from Ohio and Michigan were infected with E. coli bacteria. The infection is more dangerous for people with weak immune systems, such as infants and the elderly.

However, after recalling the ground beef thought to be linked to the E. coli outbreak, Kroger wanted to reassure its customers that ground beef currently for sale in its stores is from other suppliers. Therefore, none of the ground beef involved in the Nebraska Beef recall is available in Kroger’s stores. People should not longer fear that the beef they buy is infested.

For more safety, however, people should follow the USDA’s advice, according to which, harmful bacteria are destroyed and the ground beef is safe to consume when ground beef is thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees.

Protests precede G8 summit

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2008/07/2008755522967115.html

Protesters have gathered in the Japanese city of Sapporo to demonstrate against rising food prices, ahead of a summit of the Group of Eight (G8) rich nations.

Thousands of people, including many farmers, are taking part in Saturday's protest.

About 21,000 police officers have been deployed near Toyako, the northern Japanese lakeside resort where G8 leaders will meet on Monday.

The demonstrators are calling for the G8 to pay more attention to food producers.

"We should have a more balanced food supply in the world," Eiichi Hayashizaki, a rice farmer at the protest, said.

"Japan imports the majority of its food from overseas, so we don't starve ourselves, but the government should stop controlling rice production in the country," he said.

Food rights

Oxfam International has said that soaring food prices and climate change are having a negative impact on world poverty.

"This isn't the time for a holiday, this is the time for sorting out problems," Lucy Brinicombe, an Oxfam International spokesperson, said.

"They shouldn't be distracted from finding solutions for the food crisis and climate change."

Earlier this week, Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank, called for G8 leaders to address rising food prices at their summit.

The crisis, which is limiting many poor peoples' access to staple foodstuffs, is a "man-made catastrophe" which is overwhelming the bank's resources, he said.

Global food prices have nearly doubled in three years, according to the World Bank.

There have been a string of protests in parts of the developing world over the sharp price increases.

Leaders of the eight major industrial powers - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States - are reportedly set to install a system of "food reserves" to help nations that have limited immediate access to food.

Activists said that Japanese immigration authorities barred the entry of more than two dozen South Koreans who planned to take part in Saturday's demonstration.

South Koreans have a reputation for being particularly impassioned on issues of global trade.

A farmer from South Korea stabbed himself to death in 2003 during a protest at global trade negotiations in Mexico.

Inspectors to halt import of some food from Mexico

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/07/04/salmonella.outbreak/

Story Highlights
Starting Monday, authorities will intercept some food from Mexico at the border
Sources say salmonella inquiry expanding to cilantro, peppers and scallions
943 people in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Canada have become ill

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Starting Monday, health inspectors will halt the shipment of ingredients common to Mexican cuisine from Mexico to the United States, sources familiar with the salmonella poisoning investigation said.
Since April, more than 900 people have contracted the same strain of salmonella, but its source is unclear.

Since April, more than 900 people have contracted the same strain of salmonella, but its source is unclear.

The inquiry, which initially focused solely on tomatoes, has expanded to include cilantro, jalapeño peppers, Serrano peppers, scallions and bulb onions, said Tommy Thompson, former secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, who said he has been informed of the plan.

Thompson said the plan involves intercepting food samples at the border and sending them to laboratories to examine them for possible salmonella or E. coli.

A former director of the Food and Drug Administration's import operations said the expanded search raises a number of questions.

"Where's the contaminated product?" asked Carl Nielsen. "How would you know? And where along the supply chain did it happen? Was it at the retail level? Is somebody doing something to expose the product at the retailer? Is it at the wholesale? Is it at the grower? Is it at the processor? Is it in transport? Where is it? They don't know."

The source of the outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul remains unknown, but it has already had far-reaching implications.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday that 943 people in 40 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada have become ill. Map: Which states are affected? »

The person in the Canadian case became ill in Ontario on the day he returned from the United States, the CDC said.
Health Library

The rare form of bacteria also has cut about $450 million of tomato growers' income, said Thompson.
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"You don't even take into consideration the thousands of people that have been sick, and how much it's cost in drugs, loss of time and mental anguish for people who are sick," Nielsen said.

Last year during the same period, U.S. health authorities identified three people infected with the same strain.

Food banks struggle to feed influx of newcomers

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--foodbanks-economy0704jul04,0,6150151.story

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Donations to food banks, soup kitchens and other agencies have dropped just as scores of new visitors are seeking help to feed their families, according to directors of several local organizations.

"Some days, we don't have enough," said Lucretia Sanabria, a volunteer at the Inglesia Pentecostal El Olivar Food Pantry in Bridgeport. "If people are late, sometimes they'll leave with a little bag of rice."

At that food pantry and others, organizers say lines have grown and donations of food and money have dwindled in the past year. The agencies also face higher energy bills, gas prices and other expenses.

Carla Weston, a Salvation Army social worker who runs its Bridgeport food pantry, said the regular visitors are now joined by many new faces. About 80 people came to the facility last month for food, she said.

"That's unheard of for one month," Weston said. "Everybody is really having tough times right now."

Other agencies throughout greater Bridgeport say they also are seeing an influx in new customers.

United Way 211, which provides information about area services, gave 804 referrals to food pantries in the region during the first six months of 2008. During that period last year, there were 586 referrals.

The tight economy has blurred the line between who is needy and who isn't, said Nancy Carrington, executive director of the Connecticut Food Bank in East Haven. The bank provides food to more than 650 soup kitchens, shelters, food pantries and other programs throughout the state.

Carrington said many people were just getting by before gas and utility prices went up. Now, they cannot make ends meet, may be dealing with job losses and seek help anywhere it is available.

Many are people who never expected to need charity programs for help, she said. In one case, she said, a woman recently began using a food program to which she used to donate.

Donations from food manufacturers also have decreased as the industry has become more vigilant about preventing excess production, Carrington said.



___

Information from: Connecticut Post, http://www.connpost.com

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Salmonella signs point to peppers

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.salmonella04jul04,0,1339689.story

WASHINGTON - Investigators are seeing more signs that the salmonella outbreak blamed on tomatoes might have been caused by tainted jalapeno peppers and have begun collecting samples from restaurants and from the homes of those who have been sickened, according to health officials involved in the probe.

New interviews with those who became infected found that many had eaten jalapeno peppers, often in salsa served with Mexican food, according to two state health officials. So far, none of the jalapenos taken from restaurants and from the homes of those who became ill have tested positive for Salmonella saintpaul.

Echoing federal officials, who said this week that tomatoes remain the prime suspect, the health officials said that tomatoes cannot be ruled out as the cause of the outbreak. Investigators have been collecting samples of another possible suspect, cilantro, though the herb is less likely to be the source, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing.

The outbreak, which began 12 weeks ago, is believed to be the largest of its kind, and new cases continue to emerge. It has sickened more than 920 people across the country, up from 756 one week ago, and sent more than 110 to the hospital. In Maryland, 29 people have been confirmed to have the illness, which can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and, in severe cases, death.

In late May, investigators began focusing on tomatoes as the probable source of the outbreak. But they expanded their investigation last week, asking 100 labs around the country to help, because the number of new infections kept growing despite the short shelf life of tomatoes and warnings to avoid certain varieties.

Delays in pinpointing the cause of the outbreak have frustrated consumers, angered the produce industry and prompted members of Congress to call for food safety reforms.

"How sad is that? We can't even really figure out what it is," said Rep. Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat who has proposed food tracking and mandatory recall measures. "We've had the same problem with other products in past years, which shows us the food safety system in this country is outdated and underfunded."

Chile peppers are largely grown in Mexico, Central America and warm weather U.S. states such as Florida. Food-safety specialists said jalapenos are not a common cause of bacterial outbreaks and counseled caution about rushing to judgment that the peppers are responsible for this one.

Contaminated green chile peppers in Colorado sickened 80 people in 1998 and 60 in 2001, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which tracks food-borne illnesses. Neither outbreak involved salmonella bacteria.

A likely source of jalepeno contamination is the water used to irrigate plants or wash peppers after they're picked, said Robert B. Gravani, a food science professor at Cornell University.

One health official involved in the investigation said "loose ends" are keeping tomatoes under suspicion, but the official said they could be accounted for easily. The official said evidence is "piling up" that indicates that jalapenos are to blame.

"There's certainly no shred of doubt in my mind," the official said.

Another health official was more cautious, saying that the evidence is pointing to peppers but that there is not yet enough information to rule out tomatoes. The official said the Food and Drug Administration is enlisting more labs in the investigation so it can test jalapenos, tomatoes and cilantro more quickly.

Both officials played down the likelihood that cilantro is to blame, saying the evidence for that is thin.

Health officials fear that an acknowledgment that the outbreak was not caused by tomatoes could undermine confidence in the public health system. Officials are especially worried that it could reduce support for using statistical analysis of interviews with infected people to justify warnings and recalls, despite many previous successes, because officials decided to issue the tomato warning without waiting to find one that was contaminated.

Tomato industry groups have criticized the use of statistical analysis and say that government health officials should wait until they find a contaminated product before taking serious actions such as recalls. But government officials say that delaying a warning could cause serious harm to public health, because more people could become sick without an early alert.

The tomato industry estimates that it has lost $100 million since the June 10 warning.

"What makes it so pathetic is there has been nothing found," said Bob Spencer, co-owner of West Coast Tomato, which was forced to stop harvesting its fields in Florida and let tomatoes rot in company warehouses.

Liberal interest groups, leading trade associations and congressional critics say the failure to find the outbreak's source, after seven weeks of trying, points up the need for better food tracking systems. They contend that better labeling could quickly lead investigators to a farm that harvested suspicious produce.

Some growers and suppliers have such tracking systems in place. Critics say the FDA should require the tracking systems, which provide detailed information about the source and distribution of produce.

"There is a lot of frustration that the FDA cannot tell us where the tomatoes are from or even whether tomatoes are the cause," said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

jonathan.rockoff@baltsun.com

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Canada finds first case linked to U.S. salmonella outbreak in returning traveller

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jg7z7p1ZgiyIkafZlp3rZ3cTIhjw

TORONTO — A Canadian who had recently travelled to the United States has tested positive for Salmonella Saintpaul, the strain of bacteria behind a massive food poisoning outbreak in the U.S., the Public Health Agency of Canada said Thursday.

The case is the first in this country linked to the U.S. outbreak, which has been ongoing since April.

As of Thursday, 922 cases have been confirmed in 40 states and the District of Columbia, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Testing showed the Canadian, from Ontario, was sickened by a strain of the bacteria with the same genetic fingerprint as the one responsible for the U.S. outbreak, agency spokesperson Andrea Ellis said in an interview.

"From the information that we have right now it looks like this person acquired their infection when they were travelling in the U.S," said Ellis, an epidemiologist with the agency's centre for foodborne, environmental and zoonotic diseases.

"Given the number of cases in the U.S. and the number of (Canadian) travellers to the U.S., we certainly would expect to see some cases like that."

The time of onset of the person's illness points away from infection occurring in this country, she said. "Certainly there continues to be no evidence that we have this pathogen originating here in Canada."

Ellis wouldn't reveal possibly identifying information such as the person's gender, location - beyond Ontario - or where in the U.S. he or she was thought to have contracted the illness.

She did say the agency has shared the information with the CDC and has been asking public health officials in this country to be on the lookout for illnesses caused by the salmonella strain.

Earlier in the outbreak investigation it was thought the bacteria were in certain types of tomatoes, but recently the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which share responsibility for the investigation, have admitted they have broadened their search.

While tomatoes haven't been ruled out, investigators are also looking at foods commonly eaten with tomatoes, and specifically the ingredients that go into fresh salsa.

Glen Nowak, the CDC's chief of media relations, said there have been about 30 clusters of cases involving people who got sick after eating at a restaurant. In many of the cases, the restaurants served Mexican food, and freshly prepared salsa came up repeatedly in interviews.

But there are a number of food items that go into salsa that can become contaminated with salmonella, further complicating the search for the source.

For now, the only food item U.S. authorities have urged people to forego are certain types of tomatoes.

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FDA must require tracking of produce: food groups

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN034807620080703?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=10216

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As more Americans get sick while health officials look for the cause of a salmonella outbreak sweeping the country, consumer groups said on Thursday the Food and Drug Administration must put emergency rules in place to track the movement of produce.

Food safety and consumer groups said traceability would make it easier for officials to track through the supply chain the origin of fruits and vegetables and identify the source of outbreaks of foodborne toxins, such as salmonella or E. coli, preventing more people from getting sick.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Consumer Federation of America told reporters an effective tracking plan must follow the produce from the farm to the table, and use a single system that can ensure proper record-keeping throughout the process.

"If (the FDA) had put a traceability plan in place two years ago, following the spinach outbreak, this current investigation may be moving more quickly," said Chris Waldrop, a director at the Consumer Federation of America.

"The latest outbreak clearly demonstrates the need for the federal government to be able to quickly and easily identify and trace an implicated food to its source," he added.

Currently, U.S. health officials are struggling to find the source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 869 people and hospitalized 107 in at least 36 states.

Tomatoes are the primary focus, but officials have expanded the investigation to include other produce eaten with tomatoes.

David Acheson, FDA's associate commissioner for food protection, said on Tuesday the process has been slow and admitted the agency needs to reexamine how it handles outbreaks.

This comes two years after an outbreak tied to tainted spinach. That E. coli outbreak killed three people and sickened more than 200. These incidents have prompted calls for change at the FDA.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Consumer Federation said tracking technologies are already being used by produce companies, but the approach is voluntary and businesses are using different systems and approaches.

They also called on the FDA to require growers and others handling produce to have food safety plans for their businesses.

Bob Brackett, a senior vice president at the Grocery Manufacturers Association, said high-risk produce associated with illnesses -- such as leafy greens, tomatoes and melons -- should be targeted for traceability first, before moving to other fruits and vegetables.

"The idea is good, but it needs to be implemented where it is going to do the most for public health," said Brackett.

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Does ethanol affect food prices?

http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/07/does-ethanol-af.html

Depends on who you ask, considering the competing ag interests. And it looks like Texas A&M may have had trouble making up its mind on the issue as politics intervened. This is according to an interesting story by the Houston Chronicle.

The story referenced one study released by A&M this spring, which said the effect of corn going to ethanol has had minimal effect on retail prices. It said, in part:

A number of news stories have been written that cite recent increases in the farm level prices of corn, grain sorghum, wheat, soybeans, and rice as causing significant increases in retail food prices. ... It is clear that while some of the increase in retail food prices is due to farm level price increases, there are likely a number of causes ...

One element to rising food prices that tends to be overlooked is the impact of higher fuel prices (oil and natural gas) have on retail food prices.

The Chronicle suggested that A&M's position then evolved, as the governor raised his voice in opposition to federal ethanol production mandates:

Perry pressed for the waiver despite an April 10 Texas A&M study that showed a waiver of federal mandates on ethanol production would have little or no effect in driving down the price of feed corn for poultry and livestock. The A&M study blamed rising corn prices on the cost of oil, global demands for corn and commodities speculation.

At Perry's request, A&M did a second study that was released in June. It found that if corn crops were short because of Midwestern flooding, a waiver would significantly lower corn prices.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture earlier this week reported that the corn harvest would be smaller than last year but only because fewer acres were planted.

When the waiver request was filed, Perry's staff orchestrated a show of support from cattle raisers, pork producers and poultry interests.

Perry's staff coordinated preparation of the waiver request with Pilgrim's Pride lobbyist Gaylor Hughey of Tyler and Cliff Angelo with Public Strategies, the firm handling a public relations campaign against ethanol for Pilgrim's Pride and a coalition of meat producers.

Oh, yeah. The Chronicle asserted a link between the governor's position and a big contribution Bo Pilgrim made to the GOP governors' group.

Our editorial voice has given the governor a salute for his stand, saying:

Fortunately, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison are connecting the dots between Washington and the grocery and feed stores.

The dots, it seems, can be moving targets.

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a way to combat the rising cost of food: food coops.

Motley Fool: Love Thy Neighbor, the Farmer

http://www.fool.com/investing/value/2008/07/02/love-thy-neighbor-the-farmer.aspx

Some consumers have long seen the benefits of buying locally grown produce, only to suffer the humiliation of having their peers arbitrarily and unfairly brand them as hippies. Now, many large companies are seeing the wisdom of the idea. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is the latest retailer to think that maybe produce should be a little bit closer to home.

Go American
The press-release headline read, "Wal-Mart Commits to America's Farmers as Produce Aisles Go Local." Now, naturally, there's a profit motive here, before you think Wal-Mart has decided to don the tie-dye and head off to Woodstock. After all, it's easy to see how the cost of energy to ship produce all over the country -- or the world, for that matter -- makes it much more cost-efficient to seek local produce.

So the move fits in nicely with Wal-Mart's low-price vows. The company says the initiative will help it keep the retail prices of fruits and veggies down, in part by reducing what it calls "food miles," or "the distance food travels from farm to fork." Produce in the U.S. travels an average of 1,500 miles to get to consumers' kitchens, and the company says that through "better logistics planning, better packing of trucks, and local sourcing, Wal-Mart expects to save millions of food miles each year" with its commitment to local fruits and veggies. This is a good example of how Wal-Mart can move the needle in major ways, when it sets its mind to it.

Although Wal-Mart has faced some criticism about its emphasis on Chinese products in recent years (Wal-Mart's "Made in America" theme from days of yore seems like a long time ago), the press release also touted its support of U.S. agriculture. The megaretailer points out that over the past two years, it has increased partnerships with local farmers by 50%, and it says it purchases more than 70% of its produce from U.S.-based suppliers. That makes it the biggest customer of American agriculture.

Wal-Mart is smart to trumpet such initiatives, but it's not the only one to make a recent announcement of this nature. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) (NYSE: CMG-B) has also recently announced that it will seek out more locally grown ingredients for its restaurants. That makes sense, given Chipotle's long-standing devotion to naturally raised meats -- not to mention its motto of "Food With Integrity."

Chipotle said it will purchase 25% of at least one type of produce from small- and mid-sized farms within 200 miles of its stores. An Associated Press article on the matter pointed out what's really interesting about the move: It's unheard of in the fast-food niche.

Mom, I'm not playing with my food! I'm contemplating it.
Proponents of food ethics, an idea that ties in with the organic movement, have long touted the benefits of buying from local farmers. Buying local produce reduces carbon footprints. It means eating food that's fresh and in season for one's own region. It's a very natural way of doing things. And, of course, there's a sense of accountability and community. If you can't grow a garden in your own backyard, it's good to support a close-by Farmer Jack or Old McDonald, as opposed to huge, faceless entities in agribusiness.

One company's been on the cutting edge of the philosophical elements of food, where it comes from, and what's in it. That's Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI). Two years ago, the organic retailer publicly pledged to support small farms.

If Wal-Mart's now talking about two years of progress on its initiative, I'd venture to guess that it got the idea from somebody else. That's among the reasons I'm still a long-term optimist on Whole Foods Market, despite the stock's downward spiral. The company has historically been way ahead of the curve on many important and exciting shifts in food philosophy. I think it's a mistake to underestimate the foresight of John Mackey and other Whole Foods leaders, in terms of their ability to innovate in the future of food.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Several years ago, the implications of decisions like these could easily be filed under "ethics" or "philosophy." Many people once pooh-poohed the idea of making conservationist, sustainable purchasing choices as just a bunch of granola-crunchy nonsense. Now, rising energy costs have redefined some of these issues as "getting back to basics" or "just plain common sense."

I recently wrote about the shifts in consumption of oil and water -- SUVs aren't so cool anymore, and many consumers are suddenly remembering that water comes from taps as well as bottles in the grocery store. The newfound mass appeal of local produce strikes me as a similar situation. The marketplace is in a correction mode, all right.

The playing field is shifting. Both consumers and corporations will have to innovate, reassess, and sometimes change their ways, and investors will have a lot to weigh in this transforming landscape. Such changes do yield opportunities for savvy investors, though. Bon appetit.

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Company recalls beef linked to E. coli

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/NEWS05/80701055/1007/NEWS

Nebraska Beef, Ltd., is recalling about 531,700 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with the E. coli suspected as the cause of at least 38 confirmed illnesses in Michigan and Ohio, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Legal counsel for the Omaha-based company and Kroger were not immediately available for comment today about the announcement, which was made late last night.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has labeled the Nebraska Beef recall a Class I Recall, which means the situation carries a high health risk.

The contaminated beef in Kroger stores in Michigan and Ohio had sell-by dates of May 21 to June 8. All the product on store shelves has been pulled by authorities are concerned about beef that may have been put in freezers. Anyone who has Kroger ground beef product with those sell-by dates should take it to their grocer for refund or at least dispose of the product immediately.

In addition to Michigan and Ohio, Nebraska Beef reported some of the contaminated products were distributed to Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania. Additional beef products were sent to Colorado and Texas for further processing. It was not immediately clear whether the beef with the suspected contamination was sold in other stores in these newly identified states.

More reported cases are expected to follow, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that for every reported E. coli incident, 20 go unreported.

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Feds grant $5M to RTI to study protection of food supply

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2008/06/30/daily16.html

RTI International has been awarded a five-year contract that could be worth more than $5 million to examine how to better protect the food supply.

The award from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration comes after a number of public food scares, from the ongoing salmonella outbreak to fears over tainted lettuce, green onions and spinach. The FDA has come under fire for its handling of some of those situations - including the ongoing salmonella outbreak in tomatoes, in which the FDA is yet to pinpoint the specific source of the contamination.

Under terms of its deal with the FDA, RTI will develop models for ranking food-related threats to public health. It also will help prioritize research and determine the best ways to minimize the health risks of eating fresh produce and shellfish, a statement says.

"The models that RTI develops will provide FDA with a new set of tools with which to conduct these evaluations," RTI's Amir Mokhtari, lead modeler for the project, said in a statement.

Lee-Ann Jaykus, a food safety researcher at North Carolina State University, will join the RTI team as part of a one-year sabbatical from NCSU. Jaykus has almost 20 years of experience working on food safety, RTI says.

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Slow Food Nation comes to San Francisco

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/30/MNNE11GCLI.DTL

(06-29) 16:10 PDT -- Pick up your forks and knives, and let the revolution start now.

That's the rallying cry of the organizers of Slow Food Nation, an event designed to change the way people eat.

Fifty thousand people, including some of the world's leading food authorities, health care experts, farmers and policymakers, are expected to attend the four-day exhibition in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend - what's being called the largest celebration of American food in history.

Their message: Americans need to fix the food system or risk destroying their health and the planet.

"This impacts every single one us," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. "No matter where we live or how we've been raised, this is a profoundly important issue."

Workers will break ground Tuesday on a vegetable garden at San Francisco City Hall, where the public can take free tours and taste fresh produce. In addition, Slow Food Nation, held at both the Civic Center and Fort Mason, will include lectures, workshops, cooking demonstrations, tastings, films, concerts, hikes, a farmers' market and a "Slow on the Go" food court. Some of the programs are free; others require tickets that range in price from $5 to $65 (slowfoodnation.org) to help offset the $2 million cost.

One highlight will be the pavilions at Fort Mason, which will be divided by types of food - chocolate, cheese, bread, honey and the like - showcasing American varieties and artisan producers. At the Civic Center, speakers will include "Fast Food Nation" author Eric Schlosser; author, farmer and cultural critic Wendell Berry; and nutrition expert and "What to Eat" author Marion Nestle.

European influences

Slow Food Nation is the first such event to be held in the United States, although it's patterned after similar events in Europe.

Slow Food, a philosophy that food should be not only savored, but also produced with a social and environmental conscience, started as an Italian protest movement in 1986.

Furious that McDonald's had come to Rome, political activist Carlo Petrini organized a demonstration against the fast-food chain.

"Rather than take the French route - driving a tractor through the building - Petrini took a more Italian hedonistic tack," said Michael Pollan, a UC Berkeley professor and well-known food journalist and author who, like Petrini, is scheduled to speak on several panels. "Petrini set up trestle tables in front of the McDonald's, called upon Italy's grandmothers to make their favorite dishes and served them to passers-by."

Since then, Slow Food organizations have formed in 131 countries, working to preserve local cuisine and lobby for more sustainable and fair-wage farming practices.

Critics have denounced the movement, calling it elitist and accusing it of trying to stand in the way of farming and production methods that would make food cheaper. Proponents argue that eating local products grown and raised without chemicals, as opposed to nonorganic imported goods, will save the environment, lead to good health and save Americans money.

"Unless we squeeze the fossil fuel out of our dinner," Pollan said, we won't be able to maintain a viable food supply. "We no longer can catch salmon in Alaska, fillet it in China and serve it in New York."

Food as a language

Slow Food Nation founder Alice Waters, the Berkeley restaurateur who popularized the idea of serving food straight from local, organic farms to the table at her Chez Panisse restaurant, says the timing of the event, which kicks off on the eve of the presidential election, is no coincidence.

"We want people to vote with their forks," she said. "Food is our common language. The choices we make about what we eat not only affect our health, but affect our planet."

Pollan hopes the event will help galvanize the new administration to push for a better food agenda in this country.

"There's a real need for rethinking things," he said, adding that the world is in the midst of a food crisis, with people either starving or obese. There's something terribly wrong, says Pollan, when "it's cheaper to buy a double cheeseburger than a head of broccoli."

Countries like Haiti and the Philippines have become so reliant on imported rice that they've stopped growing their own, said Pollan, who blames globalization. Now their citizens are going hungry.

Back to basics

Newsom's worries are closer to home.

"In the Bayview, the only produce being sold is at a liquor store, and it's three days past its due date," he said. "Instead, I see a Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Taco Bell. Our fast-food culture is the primary contributor to the health care costs in this country."

Waters complains that people don't even know how to cook anymore.

"We used to know how," she said. "We just got disconnected from it. The globalization of food took us by surprise. People told us, 'It's too hard to cook. Let us do it for you.' "

She hopes that Slow Food Nation will motivate people to get back to the basics - "learn how to fry an egg or stir polenta." She's also optimistic that participants will be spurred to reject industrialized farming, persuaded to eat locally and inspired to fight for changes in food policy.

None of this is far-fetched, said Waters, who has seen a significant shift in the public's attitude in the last five years - especially in the 18-to-22-age group.

"All of a sudden, it's happening," she said. "There are all these people who want to live off the grid. They want to farm. I see young people with their kids buying food at the farmers' market."

She acknowledges that the Bay Area may be a bit ahead of the curve.

"Next year," she said, "we'll take it to Washington, D.C., then New Orleans, then the Midwest."

E-mail Stacy Finz at sfinz@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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Bovine Tuberculosis Herds Found in California

http://californiafarmer.com/index.aspx?ascxid=fpStory&fpsid=34556&fpstid=2

The California Department of Food and Agriculture and the USDA have confirmed the detection of bovine tuberculosis in two more dairy herds in Fresno County. A single cow in each of these two additional herds was confirmed positive, bringing the current total number of herds affected to three. USDA is beginning the process to officially downgrade California's bovine tuberculosis status from "Accredited Free" to "Modified Accredited Advanced." CDFA and USDA personnel continue to spearhead the effort to eradicate bovine tuberculosis from California's cattle. CDFA and USDA veterinarians and animal health professionals from across the State and nation are helping with the effort. Since bovine tuberculosis was first detected in January 2008, more than 105 herds and over 150,000 cattle have been tested as part of the investigation. The drop in status is required by the USDA's Code of Federal Regulations following the detection of two affected herds within 48 months. It will impose additional testing requirements on California's cattle industry when shipping animals out of state. CDFA animal disease control experts are working with USDA to evaluate dividing California so that part of the state could return to a "TB Free" status while intensive disease eradication efforts continue in the affected area of California. California regained its Bovine Tuberculosis Accredited-Free status on April 15, 2005 two years after losing its status due to an outbreak in Kings and Tulare counties. Following the detection of bovine tuberculosis in 2003, over 876,000 cattle from 688 herds were tested in California to make sure the disease had not spread beyond the three detected dairy herds. New rules were also put in place requiring that dairy breeding cattle entering California be tested to help prevent reintroduction of the disease - this rule remains in effect. Bovine tuberculosis does not threaten the quality and safety of milk and meat products produced in California. Almost all milk sold in California is pasteurized, which destroys organisms that could be harmful to humans, including tuberculosis organisms. The state's two raw milk dairies are regularly tested for tuberculosis. All cattle processed for meat are inspected for signs of tuberculosis infection and rejected for consumption if they show signs of the disease. The best way for cattle producers to prevent bovine tuberculosis is to maintain a closed herd or isolate and test purchased additions and cattle re-entering the herd, maintain accurate records of animal identification and movements, prevent contact with cattle of unknown tuberculosis status, arrange professional diagnostic workup of sick animals, and establish a tuberculosis testing policy for employees.

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HSUS uncovers more downer cattle abuse

Beef dispute confronts Rice on Korean visit

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080629/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_skorea_beef

By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer Sat Jun 28, 10:53 PM ET

SEOUL, South Korea - Beef bested bombs.
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America's chief diplomat found herself vouching for the purity of U.S. cattle Saturday, wading into a bitter trade dispute that for South Koreans has eclipsed the long-running drama over North Korea's nuclear activity and threatened the government of President Lee Myung-bak.

Just one day after the communist North demolished the most visible symbol of its nuclear programs, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice faced a barrage of questions about the safety of American steaks, chops and burgers. She had told reporters she hoped this issue would not distract from other matters.

"I want to assure everyone that American beef is safe," she told a news conference with South Korea's foreign minister, Yu Myung-hwan. "We will continue to work with you to have consumer confidence in that matter. We want there to be consumer confidence in American beef."

But Yu said the beef issue probably would not go away quickly.

"It will take time for that risk to be erased from the minds of the Korean public," he said.

For many South Koreans, who have lived with threats from their neighbor for five decades, the nuclear issue is of less concern than is Seoul's agreement to lift a ban on American beef imports in April as a way to restore strained ties with Washington.

Activists have staged daily rallies on the streets of the capital to voice fears about possible health risks such as mad cow disease. As officials began inspecting U.S. beef on Friday before it can reach markets, hundreds of labor activists blocked customs storage facilities.

A small but loud and angry group of about 15 sign-carrying protesters gathered outside the South Korean Foreign Ministry, where Rice met with Yu.

"Rice go home," they chanted. Placards said, "Stop Rice and Mad Cow," and "We Don't Need U.S. Troops. We Don't Need Mad Cows."

Later Saturday, about 15,000 people staged another street rally in Seoul, clashing with riot police who stopped them from marching into the presidential Blue House, according to police. Protesters wielded steel pipes and threw stones at riot police who used water cannons and fire extinguishers to repel them, police said.

Police said they arrested more than 50 protesters on charges of beating riot police and illegally occupying streets. Hundreds of riot police and protesters were injured during the rally that continued until early Sunday morning, according to media reports.

U.S. beef was banned for most of the past 4 1/2 years, since the first case of mad cow disease in the U.S. was discovered in late 2003. In the wake of public outrage over plans to resume shipments of American beef, the South Korean Cabinet has offered to resign and the president has reshuffled top advisers.

Seoul agreed to resume U.S. beef imports only after American producers said they would limit shipments to meat from cattle younger than 30 months. These animals are believed less susceptible to mad cow disease. The restriction was considered a transitional step that will be lifted when conditions change in South Korea.

Traveling to Seoul after meetings in Japan, where North Korea dominated the agenda, Rice expressed hope that South Koreans would accept official assurances there are no health issues with American beef.

"We hope that in time the South Korean people will listen to that and will be willing to listen to what their government is saying and what we're saying," she told reporters on her plane. "The U.S. believes strongly in the safety of its product."

In Seoul, Rice did manage, briefly, to address the North Korea developments. She said Friday's destruction of the cooling tower at the North's main nuclear facility was significant, but that far more had to be done.

The demolition followed moves this past week by the U.S. to end penalties North Korea in response to the country's submission of a long-delayed declaration of its nuclear programs.

"I expect that the North will live up to the obligations that it's undertaken, to take those concerns seriously and to address them," Rice said. There are suspicions that information was left out of the declaration, such as Pyongyang's alleged uranium enrichment and nuclear proliferation.

"At the end of this, we have to have the abandonment of all programs, weapons and materials," she said.

After seeing Yu, Rice met with Lee and briefed him on recent progress on the nuclear issue. Lee told her that the two countries should work closely to get North Korea to give up all nuclear weapons and programs, a statement from the presidential Blue House said.