[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2676]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  TESTING FOR DEOXYNIVALENOL IN BARLEY

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I believe the Senator from Indiana, the 
chairman of the Agriculture Committee, is aware that barley growers are 
concerned about the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Grain Inspection, 
Packers and Stockyards Administration testing of deoxynivalenol, or 
DON, levels in malting barley. Is that correct?
  Mr. LUGAR. The Senator from North Dakota is correct. Identifying the 
presence of DON in malting barley is important because the presence of 
DON reduces the price producers receive for their barley. Malting 
barley purchasers are affected because DON can affect the 
characteristics of the products they make with that barley.
  Mr. CONRAD. Many malting barley growers believe that current GIPSA 
measurement standards are unacceptable. When the Congress reauthorized 
the Grain Standards Act late last year, the Senator and I discussed 
these measurement standards. The Senate suggests that the Federal Grain 
Inspection Program Grain Standards division of GIPSA consider new 
technology that would allow for the more accurate measurement of DON in 
barley.
  Mr. LUGAR. We also suggest that GIPSA consider ceasing the use of the 
``Optional Procedure,'' under which they measure to the tenth of one 
part per million, and use only the ``Standard Procedure,'' where 
measurements are rounded to the nearest whole number.

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