Safety & Security: Page 337

Risk/Compliance

Poultry Companies Team With Government To Prevent Bird Flu’s Return

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, bracing for a return of the virus during autumn migration season, is hiring hundreds of veterinarians and other temporary workers to help respond to the threat.

The highly infectious H5N2 strain led to retail prices for eggs more than doubling and sent turkey prices to record highs earlier this year. It also has cost taxpayers nearly $1 billion in cleanup, preparation costs and indemnity payouts to farmers—much of it from emergency federal funds tapped by the USDA’s animal-and-plant health service.

Alibaba ‘Gateway To China’ Global Shopping Festival Hosts 39 Countries

Alibaba outlined its international strategy to serve as the “gateway to China” for brands worldwide in front of representatives from 39 countries, more than 40 partnering international brands, and nearly 30 fresh food associations from around the world.

Alibaba Group officially launched its 2015 11.11 Global Shopping Festival in a ceremony at its Hangzhou headquarters.

Haggen Stores Struggles With Acquisition After FTC Okays Abertsons/Safeway Merger

Albertsons Companies

Instead of becoming a regional powerhouse, Haggen is struggling to stay afloat after filing for bankruptcy-court protection last month and announcing the closing of 26 of its recently purchased stores.

The FTC allowed the small Pacific Northwest supermarket operator Haggen Holdings LLC to buy most of the stores following the Albertsons-Safeway merger, and Haggen quickly ballooned to 164 locations throughout the West from 18 in Washington and Oregon.

California Restricts Antibiotics For Livestock

Roughly 70 percent of antibiotics important for human medicine are sold in the U.S. for use in meat and dairy production, public health experts say.

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European Food Safety Officials Take Closer Look At Insects As Protein

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is getting involved by studying the potential risks from production, processing, and consumption of insect protein.

Earlier this year, Belgium’s Federal Agency for Safety of the Food Chain stated that insects for human consumption “appear to offer great potential” as an alternative protein source. The agency’s scientific committee went so far as to acknowledge that breeding and marketing insects is already being tolerated in some parts of the European Union without any formal regulations.

Storms Deliver $300 Million-Plus Crop Damage To Southeastern States

The estimate is early and conservative and viewing the devastation was the first step in the long process of assessing the damage to the state’s agriculture, according to a news release.

South Carolina Department of Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers toured the state by air Oct. 5 and 6 and witnessed how the massive rainfall submerged thousands of farm acres under water with farm buildings standing as islands in the water and washed away farm roads.

DHL: Asian and Indian Food Retailers Largely Unaware of Logistics Costs

Nearly 40 percent of Asian food retailers are unaware of logistics costs while six in 10 Indian food retailers are struggling to maintain adequate stocks, according to the "Hungry for Growth" report commissioned by DHL.

DHL and Compass Group U.K. & Ireland will partner on providing catering services to customers in the public sector, airline, rail and facilities management industries.

Natural Gas Prices Nears Three-Year Low

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Thermo King Acquires German-based Transport Refrigeration Maker Frigoblock

Thermo King Corporation

FRIGOBLOCK manufactures and designs transport refrigeration units for trucks and trailers in Europe, primarily sold in Northern Europe.

Executives from Ingersoll-Rand plc, which owns Thermo King,and FRIGOBLOCK pose for the announcement that Ingersoll-Rand has acquired FRIGOBLOCK, a manufacturer and designer of transport refrigeration units.

Consumer Watchdog Sues FDA Over Salt Reduction Delays

Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)

The nonprofit food safety and nutrition watchdog group says that the FDA’s failure to reduce the sodium in packaged and other foods is contributing to tens of thousands of premature deaths annually due to stroke, heart disease, and other health problems.

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USDA Recalls Pet Treats And Dog Food

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Two pet-treat products and a brand of frozen, raw dog food have been recalled in the past week, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Good ‘n’ Fun Beefhide Chicken Sticks, sold in Dollar General Stores and Dollar Tree Stores nationwide, was recalled because it could be contaminated with salmonella, the USDA says.

Hillary Clinton Opposes Trans Pacific Trade Pact

Clinton, who backed the developing trade pact when she was secretary of state during Obama's first term, said she was worried the agreement would not do enough to crack down on currency manipulation or protect consumers from excessively high drug prices.

'I don’t believe we can afford to keep giving new agreements the benefit of the doubt. The risks are too high that, despite our best efforts, they will end up doing more harm than good,' Clinton said in a statement issued during a campaign swing through Iowa.

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