IKE 03D-07: Export Certification At 3rd-Party Exporters For Products Subject To An AMS Export Verification (EV) Program Available For Comment

FSIS has released the Interactive Knowledge Exchange (IKE) 03D-07 for comment until June 6, 2007. - Posted 5/31/07 by AHB

Tembec And Uniscope Voluntary Recall Feed Ingredients FDA Asks Feed Manufacturers To Avoid Ingredients Containing Melamine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting livestock and fish/shrimp feed manufacturers about a voluntary recall of products used in feed production because several have been found to contain melamine and related compounds. - Posted 5/31/07 by AHB

Texas Horse Slaughter Plants Denied In Attempt To Reopen

It appears the two horse slaughter plants in Texas will remain closed after they were denied reprieve by both state lawmakers and the U.S. Supreme Court. - Posted 5/24/07 by AHB

U.S. Receives 'Controlled Risk' BSE Classification From OIE

Members of the World Organization for Animal Health have officially classified the United States as a "controlled risk" region for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. - Posted 5/22/07 by AHB

FSIS has posted guidance material for small and very small meat and poultry establishments applying for a federal grant of inspection. - Posted 5/22/07 by AHB

Controlling Listeria monocytogenes In The RTE Processing Environment And On RTE Meat And Poultry Products - Workshop on June 12, 2007

Do you produce ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products? If so, you know your Listeria control plan is one of the most important parts of your business! This workshop will teach you the latest on controlling and eliminating Listeria monocytogenes including: Sanitation, Equipment, Process flow, Testing, Antimicrobials, Growth inhibitors, Regulatory information...and more. Specifically geared to small to medium sized RTE meat and poultry processors, this day-long workshop is part of the North American Meat Processors Association's (NAMP) and AAMP's effort to expand educational offerings to our members. - Posted 5/21/07 by AHB

USDA Clears Poultry For Processing

Testing confirms that meat from poultry fed rations supplemented with pet food scraps containing melamine and related compounds is safe for human consumption. - Posted 5/18/07 by AHB

Illinois Lawmakers Vote To Close Last U.S. Horse Slaughterhouse

The Illinois Senate has approved a measure that would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption, likely forcing the closure of Cavel International in DeKalb, IL. — the nation's last such plant. - Posted 5/17/07 by AHB

Mandatory Country-Of-Origin Labeling - Will It Benefit Consumers?

Demands for mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for some retail food products have sparked considerable controversy. - Posted 5/17/07 by AHB

APHIS Proposes Voluntary Trichinae Certification Program

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to establish a voluntary trichinae certification program for the U.S. pork industry. - Posted 5/16/07 by AHB

Interstate Shipment Bill Introduced in U.S. House of Representatives

H.R. 2315 was introduced by Representatives Pomeroy and Blunt to allow interstate sales of state-inspected meat and poultry. - Posted 5/16/07 by AHB

USDA Clears Swine For Processing

Testing has confirmed that meat from swine fed rations supplemented with pet food scraps containing melamine and related compounds is safe for human consumption, prompting the USDA to allow swine held on farms to be released and approved for processing. - Posted 5/15/07 by AHB

Trends Rule!

The Institute of Food Technologists looks ahead to see what new trends are evolving for the American palate. - Posted 5/11/07 by AHB

FDA Food Safety Czar On The Defensive, Says Agency Needs Overhaul

Dr. David Acheson recently tried to assure the U.S. House Agriculture Committee that the U.S. food supply is safe despite widespread contamination of chicken, hog and fish feed. - Posted 5/11/07 by AHB

Scientists Conclude Very Low Risk to Humans from Food Containing Melamine

There is very low risk to human health from consuming meat from hogs and chickens known to have been fed animal feed supplemented with pet food scraps that contained melamine and melamine-related compounds, according to an assessment conducted by scientists from five federal agencies. - Posted 5/7/07 by AHB

Melamine and Analogues Safety/Risk Assessment

A new fact sheet outlining the safety and risk associated with melamine and analogues was released by USDA. - Posted 5/7/07 by AHB

Animal Identification System Will Work

USDA's NAIS reports success in its pilot projects. - Posted 5/7/07 by AHB

USDA Names Members To National Advisory Committee On Meat and Poultry Inspection

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture recently named members to the NACMPI to serve a two-year term. - Posted 5/4/07 by AHB

Food Safety Amendment Introduced

Senator Edward Kennedy and colleagues introduce bipartisan food safety amendment. - Posted 5/4/07 by AHB

Canada Confirms New Case Of BSE

The Canada Beef Export Federation indicated that the recent confirmation of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in a mature dairy cow from British Columbia shouldn't affect beef exports to open markets. - Posted 5/3/07 by AHB

Scientists Support FDA's OK Of Food From Clones

More than 200 scientists have pledged support of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's preliminary approval of food from cloned animals. - Posted 5/3/07 by AHB

Food Safety 'Broken,' Former FDA Chief Testifies

Several former FDA chiefs recently testified that regulators simply don't have the resources to prevent pathogens and industrial chemicals from adulterating the nation's food supply. - Posted 5/2/07 by AHB

USDA, FDA Explain Decisions In Melamine Investigation

USDA and FDA officials have explained why they didn't issue a recall of poultry and pork processed from chickens and hogs believed to have eaten feed partially consisting of salvaged pet food containing melamine. - Posted 5/2/07 by AHB

No Need For Meat Recall, Feds Say

USDA and FDA said it's very unlikely that a person would become ill after eating pork from a hog fed melamine-contaminated feed, leading officials to conclude that a recall of meat products processed from these animals would not be necessary. - Posted 5/1/07 by AHB

Joint Update: FDA/USDA Trace Adulterated Animal Feed to Poultry

Byproducts from pet food manufactured with contaminated wheat gluten imported from China have been used in chicken feed on some farms in the state of Indiana. - Posted 5/1/07 by AHB