Safety & Security: Page 284

Risk/Compliance

Opinion: GMO Label Debate Underscores Need For Better Rules

The question ought to be whether the labeling proposed is informing consumers of a significant fact about a product or, perhaps, an attempt to impose a pejorative label statement that misleads consumers, Bode notes.

John W Bode, president and CEO of the Corn Refiners Association.

FedEx Agrees to Pay Drivers $240 Million for Misclassifying Them as Contractors

The settlement, if approved, would be divided among 12,000 drivers, some of whom would receive tens of thousands of dollars.

Until 2011, FedEx contracted directly with independent contractors, allowing the Memphis, Tennessee-based company to save on taxes, fringe benefits, health care costs, pensions and other workers' costs.

Ocean Ports & Carriers

FMC Commissioner Calls on Ocean Carriers to Allow Terminals to Determine VGM Weights

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)

Chairman Mario Cordero said the time has come for ocean carriers to embrace the obvious solution to achieving compliance that marine terminal operators can offer.

'Using the weight taken at the terminal gate for the purposes of satisfying the need for a verified weight of a container is a simple and efficient solution for assuring the continued smooth flow of export cargoes,' according to Federal Maritime Commission chairman Mario Cordero.

Food Industry Urges Senate to Act on GMO Label Law

FMI - The Food Industry Association

Because the House of Representatives must also pass the Senate bill and is out of session the last week of June, only seven legislative days remain for Congress to act.

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Why Local Sourcing Complicates Restaurant Supply Chains

Even if you have a standard quality control procedure for all of your sources, you’re not going to be able to monitor them on-site at every location. You’re going to have to put your trust in the suppliers to live up to the expectations.

Local sourcing adds complexity, increases risk and fragments the supply chain, according to John Quelch of Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Ocean Ports & Carriers

Port of Los Angeles Posts Busiest May Ever; Long Beach also Gains

Port of Los Angeles

Cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles increased nearly 11 percent in May compared to the same period last year, marking the busiest May in the Port’s 109-year history.

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Spot Truckload Freight Jumps 36% for Week

DAT Freight & Analytics

The van load-to-truck ratio was 3.1 loads per truck, up 23%; the reefer ratio climbed 29 percent to 5.9; and the flatbed ratio was 20.3, a 10 percent increase compared to the previous week.

The van load-to-truck ratio was 3.1 loads per truck, up 23%; the reefer ratio climbed 29 percent to 5.9; and the flatbed ratio was 20.3, a 10 percent increase compared to the previous week.

Moran Transportation Corporation Acquires Mats Trucking

Moran Transportation Corporation has purchased the assets of Mats Trucking, a service-driven carrier within the forwarder and airline line haul/delivery network.

The company operates a network of terminals within the Midwest providing service between Chicago (ORD) and points serviced in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and parts of Iowa and Michigan.

FDA to Hold Public Workshops to Discuss Menu Labeling

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

The purpose of these workshops is to further the dialogue with industry about the implementation of the menu labeling final rule and provide additional clarity on the requirements.

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Transportation Secretary Says CSA Reforms Two Years Away

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

The FAST Act called for by Congress in 2015 required the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to pull CSA SMS rankings from public view, though much of the underlying violation data is still available publicly.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told a Senate panel last week that two years is the same timeline the industry can expect to see the so-called “CSA scores” — the percentile rankings in the CSA Safety Measurement System’s seven BASICs — return to public view.

FDA Warns Whole Foods Market Of Unsafe Food Facility

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

During five inspections between Feb. 10 and 26, inspectors found food products that were prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in a warning letter dated June 8 and posted on its website.

Local sourcing adds complexity, increases risk and fragments the supply chain, according to John Quelch of Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Rail And Intermodal Traffic Decline Sharply For Week Ending June 4

Association of American Railroads (AAR)

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 455,346 carloads and intermodal units, down 17.3 percent compared with the same week last year.

For the first 22 weeks of 2016, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 5,274,449 carloads, down 13.7 percent from the same point last year; and 5,648,851 intermodal units, down 2.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 22 weeks of 2016 was 10,923,300 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 8.1 percent compared to last year.

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