Chez Nous wins out over Chez Panisse

Admittedly, it's an unfair headline. Chez Panisse, Alice Waters' fabled restaurant and the birthplace of California's food renaissance, is probably weathering the economic storm quite nicely, thank you. But a story in Wednesday's Business section of the San Francisco Chronicle confirmed what many already suspected: grocery stores are faring better than restaurants in this recession.

Why? More people are cooking and eating at home, evidently. While grocery prices are rising, restaurants are raising their prices, too, just to keep their heads above water and an already expensive dining experience is only becoming even pricier. But even grocers are feeling the pinch. While discount retailers Costco and Wal-Mart are seeing strong sales, according to Chron reporter Victoria Colliver, high-end chains like Whole Foods are seeing troublesome declines in their bottom line.

Another mad-cow case in British Columbia

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, a federal government agency, has confirmed another case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a British Columbian dairy cow.

According to the CFIA, the 7-year-old cow's birth farm has been identified and officials have launched an investigation to trace not only the source of the BSE, but to identify the cow's herdmates at birth.

"The age and location of the infected animal are consistent with previous cases detected in Canada," according to a release from CFIA. The animal has not been introduced into either human or animal food supplies.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy incubates for several years and is most commonly identified in older animals. In Canada, cattle are typically slaughtered for food production between 18 and 30 months of age.

The Centers for Disease Control defines BSE as:

...a progressive neurological disorder of cattle that results from infection by an unusual transmissible agent called a prion. The nature of the transmissible agent is not well understood. Currently, the most accepted theory is that the agent is a modified form of a normal protein known as prion protein. For reasons that are not yet understood, the normal prion protein changes into a pathogenic (harmful) form that then damages the central nervous system of cattle.

This is the 19th case of BSE identified in North America. Sixteen cases have been identified in Canada and three in the United States. Of the American cases, one cow was born in Canada. Both nations have imposed rigorous surveillance procedures to identify any new cases. The Food and Drug Administration will begin enforcing new, more rigorous feed regulations in on April 2005 to bring US regulations more in line with those of Canada.

Organics taking a hit in recession economy

Formerly seen as a market stalwart, organic goods are taking a beating in the recession.

Foodnavigator-usa.com reports that sales of organic foods is slowing as shoppers begin turning their noses at higher-priced goods. Private labels, those brands produced by retailers, however, are expected to do better as the economy tanks.

"Rising food and gas prices, the credit crunch and economic uncertainty have deeply affected people's shopping habits," said Marcia Mogelonsky, senior analyst at Mintel, a London-based market research firm.

For the full story, go here.

FDA finally acts decisively on melamine scare

Months into the melamine crisis, the Food and Drug Administration is finally cracking down on certain categories of Chinese exports.

The FDA announced Thursday it has beefed up its import controls for Chinese dairy products as well as non-dairy proteins. This action follows its last major action when, on Oct. 10, the agency placed an import alert on specific products found to be contaminated with melamine and melamine-related compounds.

Since then, "FDA has collected additional information on the scope of the melamine contamination problem in China," the agency said in a press release, "and determined a countrywide import alert is warranted."

The FDA defines an import alert as "detention without physical examination." The alert has been applied to all milk products, all milk-derived ingredients, and finished food products containing milk. The alert also includes animal feeds: last month, Hong Kong officials reported finding traces of melamine in eggs, possibly as a result of tainted feed fed to chickens.

No reports of injuries as a result of melamine contamination have come to light in the United States, but more than 54,000 infants in China have reportedly suffered kidney and other ailments as a result of consuming contaminated infant formula. Four have died.

Recall Friday

The Food Safety and Inspection Service, a division of the United States Department of Agriculture, or the Food and Drug Administration, has issued the following recall(s) over the past week:

Nov. 8: R. L. Zeigler Co., Inc., a Selma, Ala., firm, is recalling approximately 28,610 pounds of hot dog products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This is a Class I recall, categorized as a high risk to health. (More information.)

Nov. 7: Barber Foods Company, a Portland, Maine, establishment, is recalling approximately 41,415 pounds of frozen stuffed chicken products that may contain foreign materials. This is a Class I recall, categorized as a high risk to health. (More information.)

Nov. 7: Nestlé USA, of Glendale, Calif., is voluntarily recalling two production codes of Nestlé Nesquik Strawberry Powder 21.8 ounce that may contain small fragments of aluminum. (More information.)

Nov. 7: Amy's Kitchen Inc. of Santa Rosa, Calif., is voluntarily recalling Tofu Scramble in a Pocket Sandwich Lot 10 H148, because of the presence of milk in a product that is labeled non-dairy. The 4.0 oz net wt frozen product, sold in U.S. grocery stores, comes in a retail package labeled as Amy's Tofu Scramble in a Pocket Sandwich. (More information.)

Food processors dismayed by public distrust

Surprise! Americans don't trust big food processors.

Late last month, industry journal Meat and Poultry published a commentary expressing surprise and disappointment that public faith in the country's large meat processors was at a critical low.

"We're losing significant ground on food safety," Charlie Arnot, CEO of [Center for Food Integrity], which is supported by several universities as well as major industry trade associations including the National Pork Producers Council and American Farm Bureau Federation. "Ten years ago, consumers saw an outbreak or recall as a food-safety aberration, but now they believe these problems are the norm. Our survey shows that Americans are more concerned about food safety than they are about the war in Iraq." (Meat & Poultry, Oct. 24, 2008)

The Center for Food Integrity, based in Kansas City, Mo., conducted a survey last July of 2,000 American adults. The findings? After being asked to rate the statement "I am confident in the safety of the food I eat" people responded with a mean score of 5.70 out of a possible 10, with 0 being the lowest rating on the scale. Even worse, although hardly surprising given the disasters in food safety over the past couple of years, the mean score dropped even lower - to 4.68 - with the statement "Government food safety agencies are doing a good job ensuring the safety of the food we eat."

According to the survey, Americans are far more trusting of individuals - hence the rising popularity of the locavore movement and CSA farms - than they are of corporate entities.

For the complete article, and more telling statistics, click here (You'll need to register to read it, but registration is free).

Kosher consumers face shortages

Consumers who keep kosher may find themselves facing a serious shortage of kosher meats very soon.

Agriprocessors, the Postville, Iowa-based slaughterhouse specializing in kosher meat and poultry, is facing closure following its defaulting on a $35 million loan from a St. Louis bank, according to Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The company has also been reeling after United States Immigration and Naturalization Service arrested nearly half the company's workforce following what, at the time last May, was the largest such action by INS ever. At the end of October, a former top manager was arrested after the company was fined $10 million for labor violations. Agriprocessorshas also received a cut off notice from its power supplier.

The company has been mired in controversy for months. After the INS raids, the company was charged with 31 labor violations, and has been denying charges by the state of Iowa that it pollutes. A Nebraska-based plant owned by Agriprocessors has also closed down. In addition, production at another kosher processing plant, Minnesota's North Star Beef, has come to a halt following a fire at that plant.

According to studies quoted in the Boston Globe, July 30, 86 percent of Orthodox Jews keep kosher homes. That's in contrast to about 25 percent of Conservative Jewish households, and only 5 percent of Reform Jews. Kosher dietary laws cover all aspects of food, from what may be eaten and which foods may be combined with which, to how animals are slaughtered.

Freaky no more

You know the funky looking carrots with two legs that amused you so much as a child, or the rutabagas that bear a closer resemblance to, say, Mother Teresa than other rutabagas? Turns out, it's been illegal to sell them in markets of the European Union. Until now.

The New York Times reported today that EU lawmakers have waived standardization restrictions on a wide number of fruits and vegetables, meaning that misshapen produce can now be sold in stores. Even more bizarre is that several countries have opposed this easing of regulations.

What does California's Prop 2 mean for the future?

Almost a week after the election and the passage of California's Prop 2, pundits on both sides of the issue are debating what happened and what the longer term consequences will be both for farmers and consumers. Brownfield Ag News has this report, with comments from the Humane Society of the United States and Animal Agriculture Alliance.

Food industry execs approach Obama era with cautious optimism

Foodnavigator.com sat down with three executives in the food production industry to discuss their concerns about their industry under the presidency of Barak Obama. Besides expressing concern about a continued spiraling of corn prices under his proposals for more energy independence, the execs are optimistic about other possible changes in regulations.

Obama expected to bring changes to FDA

Following two years of laissez-faire management, President-elect Barak Obama and the Democratic-dominated Congress are expected to significantly increase the Food and Drug Administration’s role in monitoring food and drug imports.

Seafoodsource.com reported Friday that the beleaguered agency may receive increased authority and oversight through efforts by Senate Democrats. The FDA has faced severe criticism from consumer groups for its lax handling of several food contamination incidents over the past couple of years, including poor responses to salmonella tainted spinach from California two years ago and a completely disorganized effort to track down the source of E.coli contaminated jalapeño peppers earlier this year.

Obama is also being encouraged to appoint a new commissioner to the agency; supposedly, more than half a dozen people are under consideration for the position. To read the full story, click here.

Consumers need permission to live as hypocrites

Following the success of Proposition 2 in California earlier this week, livestock farmers are wondering how to accommodate or simply to understand the demands of their customers.

Prop 2, which passed by more than 60 percent, requires livestock farmers to supply certain livestock with a minimum of space for movement. Most notably, the proposition was also directed toward poultry production, a first in the United States.

The increasing interest in animal welfare, including the welfare of agricultural livestock destined for slaughter, is not a passing fad, according to Dr. Wes Jamison, a researcher at the University of Florida specializing in agricultural politics. Jamison spoke with a reporter for Brownfield Ag News at a conference in Lincoln, Neb. Friday.

"The other side has figured out the language to sell these initiatives," Jamison said, and it's important that agriculturalists learn this language as well.

For urban consumers, animals have assumed an entirely new role and are widely regarded as members of the family, Jamison said. That viewpoint has been extended to agricultural animals, and farmers need to understand that and respond in kind. They must demonstrate to consumers its OK to love animals and to eat them.

You have to give them permission to live as hypocrites, Jamison said.

For the full story at Brownfield click here and here.

Consumer groups object to proposed organic standards for seafood

Pushing your cart through the grocery aisles, it's difficult not to notice the sheer number of organic products that have hit the shelves in the past decade. With more and more mainstream grocers and food producers hoping to cash in on the wide interest in organic food, the selection has probably never been so good: meats, dairy products, snack items, fruits and vegetables, and grains. You name it, and it's probably available in an organic version.

Well, almost.

Seafood is notable more for its absence than its strong presence in the organic foods section, but there are those who hope to change that. Increasingly, many US seafood producers are fighting to acquire the organic label, but the problem is that the United States Department of Agriculture has yet to actually produce any guidelines for organic seafood. If they did it for eggs, why can't they do it for crabs?

It isn't that easy. Do wild fish, which consume other wild fish, qualify as organic? If the fish they've eaten are exposed to mercury or other pollutants, doesn't that pose a few problems for organic labeling? It gets even more complex.

Many of the species of fish and other aquatic life processors are hoping to label organic are grown on fish farms, or open ocean net pens, which critics insist are unhealthy not only for the seafood in question, but for consumers. According to the organization Food and Water Watch, "Fish wastes, excess food, fish escapes, antibiotics, and various chemicals from fish farms can all result in water pollution and harm surrounding habitats by poisoning wildlife and causing other disturbances."

Farmed fish grown in crowded conditions are vulnerable to disease, and many growers – like their landlubber counterparts – dish out high levels of antibiotics to keep them "healthy" although use of antibiotics has decreased. Farmed fish are also particularly vulnerable to parasites such as sea lice; wild fish swimming through areas with heavy concentrations of farmed fish are then exposed themselves to disease, wastes, and parasites from the farms. Some producers have even suggested using old off shore oil rigs as anchors for fish farms. It sounds like a nice way to reuse rigs, but the fish are quite possibly exposed to mercury or other wastes from the rigs. Environmentalists object to the idea on additional grounds: such use of oil rigs could very well give oil companies a free ticket to avoid the responsibility of dismantling the rigs once they're no longer in service.

Next week, the National Organics Standards Board is meeting to discuss standards for organic fish. Consumer groups are very concerned about the proposals which would allow the use of wild fish as food for farmed fish. As the recommendations from the NOSB Proposed Organic Aquaculture Standards suggests:

To ensure that diets are nutritionally complete at the inception of USDA certified organic aquaculture, the NOSB proposes that the carcasses, viscera, and trimmings from wildcaught fish be allowed to provide for fish meal and fish oil in a limited, prescribed fashion. This will allow the nascent USDA certified organic aquaculture industry the needed time to establish a critical mass of basic feed resources for itself. OFPA Section 2107(c)(1) supports this.

Consumers Union, the consumer watchdog group that publishes Consumer Reports, replied rather incredulously, "The board recommends that fish can be labeled 'organic' even if they've been fed wild fish, which come from polluted environments and are high in mercury and PCBs. Potentially toxic organic fish? That defeats the whole purpose."

Chickens win over gay rights

In one of the more odd moments in what has been nothing shy of an earth-shaking election, California's chickens have come out on top in a race that has left gay and lesbian Californian's feeling like second class citizens.

Voters in California have approved Proposition 2, or "Standards for Confining Farm Animals". Prop 2 would require “that calves raised for veal, egg-laying hens and pregnant pigs be confined only in ways that allow these animals to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely”.

Proposition 8 would require an amendment to California's constitution defining marriage as being between one man and one woman. As of this writing, Prop 2 had support from about 70 percent of voters (or a ratio of 3-2, according to the San Francisco Chronicle). Prop 8 also appears to have won, 52 to 48 percent.

The results of Prop 2 won't be fully implemented for more than six years. The lawsuits stemming from Prop 8 should begin just about any moment now.

Encouraging news for West Coast salmon

It's not an end to the disaster of this year's closure of the West Coast salmon fisheries, but it's an encouraging sign.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported today that a small, but healthy community of coho salmon have been found in the Garcia River watershed in Mendocino County, California. The coho, the core of the Alaskan salmon fishery, is endangered here in California although it was once enjoyed an abundant presence. Even more significant, however, is that the Garcia River watershed has been clear cut not once, but twice, and is now part of a cutting edge experiment by the Nature Conservancy and the Conservation Fund to find ways to promote natural development while permitting selective logging.

'Fingerprinting' Helps Make Great Grapes

ScienceDaily -- At about this time next year, nearly all of the 2,800 wild, rare and domesticated grapes in a unique northern California genebank will have had their "genetic profile" or "fingerprint" taken. (Full story here)

Hard Times Ahead for Whole Foods?

Seventy-four percent of US consumers say they purchase organic foods, but 79 percent say they've had to alter their buying habits because of inflation. What does that mean for organic retailers?

Whole Foods has been taking it hard lately. Between its recent recall of beef for e.coli contamination and the impact of inflation and rising fuel prices on just about everybody, the national natural and organic foods marketer is not only suffering hits to its bottom line, but has come under increased media scrutiny. Many are questioning whether the demand for organic goods can survive as if Whole Foods were the bellwether of the entire movement.

Earlier this month, Treehugger reported on the failure of the United States’ largest natural foods market to make much of a positive impression on Londoners with its highly touted entry into the British market. After a loss of more than $18 million in its first year, its ambitious plan to expand to 40 stores throughout the UK seems rather unlikely for the time being. AlterNet reported this week that middle class consumers in the United States are cutting back substantially on their purchases of organic and natural foods.

"Slowed growth in organics reflects not only cuts in spending by current organic consumers but also a slower rate of adoption by new organic consumers," AlterNet reported. "However, a May survey of 1,000 people by Information Resources found that 52 percent were buying fewer organics because of cost."

Profits at Whole Foods are down 13 percent, and the store is struggling to combat its image as a high-priced retailer geared toward high-end consumers. Whole Foods higher-ups, however, insist their market base is strong as consumer demand for natural and organic foods is still high. Earlier this month, the chain conducted a poll through Harris Interactive to gauge consumer interest in organic foods. They released their findings earlier this week, touting the results as good news for their market share.

“It is reassuring to see these results as they confirm we’re on the right track in highlighting our value offerings for our customers,” said A.C. Gallo, co-president and chief operating officer for Whole Foods Market, in a press release. “At Whole Foods Market, we’re reminding shoppers that they don’t have to trade down on quality to save money – they can continue to choose high-quality foods and stay within their grocery budgets.”

Among their findings*:

·

• 74 percent of adults buy natural and/or organic foods.
• 20 percent of those polled said more than 25 percent of their grocery purchases are natural and/or organic.
• 70 percent of adults said they continue to purchase the same amount of natural/organic foods as they always have.
• 67 percent prefer to buy natural/organic foods over conventional foods if prices are comparable.
• 66 percent of adults said they want to find ways to fit natural/organic foods into their grocery budgets.
• 79 percent of those polled said they have had to alter their spending habits because of rising prices.
• 43 percent of adults said they now cook more meals at home and 40 percent are using more coupons.
• 37 percent said they are going out of their way to find less expensive grocery items.
  

Le Less encouraging is that the numbers indicate more about what consumers would like to do than what they are actually doing. If only 20 percent of consumers say 25 percent of their total grocery purchases are organic, and 70 percent of consumers are not going to change their organic/natural food purchasing habits, it’s still a low number.

If 79 percent of those polled said they have had to alter their spending habits because of rising prices, that would seem to entrench an already small market share even further. That 66 percent of consumers would like to fit organic/natural foods into their budgets isn’t the same thing as saying 66 percent of consumers are indeed buying organic/natural foods.

More encouraging, perhaps, is the figure that says more people are cooking at home, more often.

* The Food and the Economy survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Whole Foods Market, Inc. between Aug. 6 and Aug. 8, 2008 among 2,209 adults ages 18 or older. Data were weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population.

More Strawberries, More Antioxidant Absorption

ScienceDaily (2008-08-26) -- Scientists have assessed the human body's capacity for absorbing certain antioxidant compounds in strawberries, and have found that the absorption of one key beneficial plant chemical was not "maxed out" as volunteers ate more of this popular fruit. Foods high in antioxidants may be excellent sources of healthful compounds, and researchers are striving to learn more about their ability to be absorbed and utilized within the human body.

(Full story)

Legal Actions Being Pursued in Bee Deaths

Lawsuits are being filed against the manufacturer of a pesticide believed to be behind the enormous die-off of countless bees world wide, and against the United States Environmental Protection Agency for refusing to open files litigants believe hold information related to the crisis.

On Monday, Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren - a German organization targeting the massive German pharmaceutical company Bayer - brought charges against Werner Wenning, chairman of the Bayer Board of Management, with the public prosecutor in Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg. The group accuses Bayer of marketing dangerous pesticides responsible for kill-offs of countless bees throughout the world. The coalition introduced the charge in cooperation with German beekeepers who lost thousands of hives after alleged poisoning by the pesticide clothianidin in May this year (Read the full story). The same month, German authorities banned the use of eight related pesticides, citing their presumed role in the large-scale deaths of German honey bees.

Tests on dead bees showed that 99% of those examined had a build-up of clothianidin. The chemical, produced by Bayer CropScience, a subsidiary of the German chemical giant Bayer, is sold in Europe under the trade name Poncho. It was applied to the seeds of sweetcorn planted along the Rhine this spring. The seeds are treated in advance of being planted or are sprayed while in the field (Full story here).

Similar actions have taken place in France which has also suffered large-scale bee colony die-offs. Here in the US, however, the EPA has been slow - some would even say reluctant - to follow suit. A story in the San Francisco Chronicle stated the EPA has refused to open its records about the suspected pesticides, sparking a lawsuit by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

A report issued by the EPA in February, 2008 cites the effects of clothianidin on various test populations, including rats and humans, and while it discusses the impact and mode of operation on insects, it does not mention bees specifically. The report sets the acceptable tolerances for clothianidin in the studied populations.

There is, however, no mention of the lawsuit filed by the NRDC on the EPA's web site.

New Biopesticide May Aid In Organic Food Boom

Japanese invader possibly provides better alternative to synthetic pesticides

(ScienceNews) - With the boom in consumption of organic foods creating a pressing need for natural insecticides and herbicides that can be used on crops certified as "organic," biopesticide pioneer Pam G. Marrone is reporting development of a new "green" pesticide obtained from an extract of the giant knotweed. The announcement was made today at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Philadelphia.