FOOD INDUSTRY

Bills and resolutions

Agricultural Marketing Act: specify model for country-of-origin labeling requirements certification program for producers, ease verification of compliance with requirements, and impose schedule of penalties for violations (see H.R. 3083), H8216 [11SE]

Agriculture: allow modified bloc voting by dairy marketing cooperatives in the scheduled referendum on Federal milk marketing order reform (see S. 43), S36 [7JA]

———assist small farms with modernization to increase profitability and competitiveness in ways that provide environmental benefits (see H.R. 1293), H1901 [13MR]

———enhance ability of oilseed producers to use oilseed base acres for the production of fruits and vegetables (see H.R. 2181), H4527 [21MY]

———expand country of origin labeling requirements to additional agricultural commodities and implement requirements on certain covered commodities (see H.R. 2270), H4737 [22MY]

———increase competition and transparency among packers required to report information on the price and quantity of livestock purchased (see S. 325), S2051 [6FE]

———prohibit open-air cultivation or use of human food or animal feed as host plant and establish tracking system to regulate genetically engineered pharmaceutical and industrial crops (see H.R. 2921), H7782 [25JY]

———prohibit products containing dry ultra-filtered milk or casein from being labeled domestic natural cheese (see S. 40), S36 [7JA]

———provide protections for farmers and ranchers that may be harmed economically by genetically engineered seeds, plants, or animals and ensure fairness in dealings with certain biotech companies (see H.R. 2918), H7782 [25JY]

Aquaculture: develop a unified approach to strengthen and promote national policy (see H. Res. 301), H6263 [26JN] (see H. Res. 308), H6348 [8JY]

———unified approach to strengthen and promote national policy (see S. Res. 160), S7476 [5JN]

Children and youth: protect health by ensuring that chickens and chicken products purchased for national school nutrition programs have not been fed or administered fluoroquinolone antibiotics (see H.R. 3022), H8016 [5SE]

Courts: assign liability for injury caused by genetically engineered organisms (see H.R. 2919), H7782 [25JY]

———overrule U.S. v. Fior D'Italia, Inc. (see H.R. 118), H56 [7JA]

———prevent frivolous lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, or sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products that comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements (see H.R. 339), H169 [27JA]

———prohibit civil liability actions against the food industry for damages or injunctive relief for claims of injury resulting from a person's weight gain, obesity, or any related health conditions (see S. 1428), S9592 [17JY]

Dept. of Agriculture: establish a counter-cyclical income support program for dairy producers (see H.R. 1990), H3683 [6MY]

———establish and enforce performance standards and sanitation requirements for reduction of pathogens in meat and poultry (see S. 1103), S6977 [22MY] (see H.R. 2203), H4733 [22MY]

———implement certain price structures under Federal milk marketing orders and provide emergency market loss payments to certain dairy producers (see H.R. 455), H242 [29JA]

———improve safety of meat and poultry products through retrieval of history, use, and location of products using a recordkeeping and audit system or registered identification (see H.R. 3546), H11700 [20NO]

———organic food standards relative to livestock and dairy production (see S. 457), S2839 [26FE] (see H.R. 955), H1460 [27FE]

———recall of meat and poultry that is adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise unsafe (see H.R. 2273), H4737 [22MY]

———use of distance or transportation costs as a basis for pricing milk (see S. 42), S36 [7JA]

Dept. of HHS: develop health advisories to provide notice and education on effects of mercury exposure and require posting or availability at seafood businesses where the potential for mercury exposure exists (see S. 1939), S15812 [24NO]

FDA: establish a comprehensive program to ensure food safety (see H.R. 1496), H2471 [27MR]

———uniform food safety warning notification requirements (see H.R. 2699), H6602 [10JY]

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act: safeguard public health and provide food that is safe, unadulterated, and honestly presented (see H.R. 1495), H2471 [27MR]

Food: amend inspection laws to notify consumers of products produced from crops, livestock, or poultry raised on sewage sludge-treated land (see H.R. 186), H58 [7JA]

———ensure safety of genetically engineered foods (see H.R. 2917), H7782 [25JY]

———ensure that consumers receive information about the nutritional content of restaurant foods (see H.R. 3444), H10457 [5NO]

———ensure that efforts to address world hunger through the use of genetically engineered animals and crops actually help developing countries and peoples while protecting human health and the environment (see H.R. 2920), H7782 [25JY]

———include the imposition of civil monetary penalties for violations of meat and poultry inspection regulations (see H.R. 1003), H1463 [27FE]

———require certain ready-to-eat meat or poultry products to bear a label advising at-risk consumers of Dept. of Agriculture and FDA recommendations relative to listeria monocytogenes (see S. 1187), S7381 [4JN]

———require foods containing known allergens to bear labeling that states that fact and the names of the allergens (see H.R. 467), H243 [29JA] (see H.R. 3684), H12919 [8DE]

———require labels on food that contains, or is produced with, a genetically engineered material (see H.R. 2916), H7782 [25JY]

Foreign trade: provide for liquidation or reliquidation of certain entries of pasta (see H.R. 1456), H2401 [26MR]

Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council: restore balance to membership (see S. 781), S4823 [3AP]

Interstate commerce: prohibit transport of horses for the purpose of slaughter or horse flesh for human consumption (see H.R. 857), H704 [13FE]

Labeling: freshness dates on food (see H.R. 468), H243 [29JA]

Packers and Stockyards Act: limit the number of packer-owned swine that certain packers may slaughter in any calendar year (see S. 1644), S11832 [23SE]

———prohibit packers from owning, feeding, or controlling livestock intended for slaughter (see S. 27), S35 [7JA] (see H.R. 719), H460 [12FE]

———prohibit use of certain anti-competitive forward contracts (see S. 1044), S6070 [13MY]

Safety: improve public health and food safety through enhanced enforcement (see H.R. 3547), H11700 [20NO]

———improve safety of meat and poultry products (see S. 1202), S7476 [5JN]

Schools: ensure safety of meals served under the school lunch program and the school breakfast program (see S. 506), S3086 [4MR] (see H.R. 1551), H2586 [1AP]

Taxation: expand the expense treatment for small businesses and provide a shorter recovery period for depreciation of certain restaurant buildings (see H.R. 1126), H1679 [6MR]

———increase and modify the exclusion for qualified small business stock and reduce the depreciation recovery period for certain restaurant buildings (see S. 106), S132 [9JA]

———provide a shorter recovery period for the depreciation of certain restaurant buildings (see S. 973), S5650 [1MY] (see H.R. 571), H319 [5FE]

———treatment of charitable contributions of apparently wholesome food inventory (see H.R. 543), H318 [5FE]

———treatment of depreciation of potato storage facilities (see H.R. 1053), H1514 [4MR]

Factsheets

Family Farm and Ranch Innovation Act (H.R. 1293), E460 [13MR]

Letters

Dept. of Agriculture country of origin labeling requirements implementation: Bruce Bass and Gary Machan, IBP, Inc., S14114 [6NO]

———several organizations, S14112 [6NO]

Dept. of Agriculture country of origin labeling requirements implementation funding: Bob Stallman, American Farm Bureau Federation, H6643 [14JY]

Price supports for butter and nonfat dry milk: J.B. Penn, Dept. of Agriculture, S14137 [6NO]

———several Senators, S14136 [6NO]

Remarks in House

Agriculture: assist small farms with modernization to increase profitability and competitiveness in ways that provide environmental benefits (H.R. 1293), E459 [13MR]

———country of origin labeling requirements implementation funding, H6620, H6640-H6648 [14JY], H12837 [8DE], E1504 [17JY], E1536 [18JY]

Albuquerque, NM: anniversary of Dion's Pizza (business), E123 [4FE]

American Frozen Food Institute: anniversary, E164 [6FE]

Cambridge, MA: anniversary of Bisuteki Japanese Steakhouse, E962 [15MY]

Dept. of Agriculture: organic food standards relative to livestock and dairy production, H671 [13FE]

———prohibit approval of any nonambulatory livestock for human consumption, H6651-H6655 [14JY]

———recall of meat and poultry that is adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise unsafe (H.R. 2273), E1055 [22MY]

FDA: proposed rule for dietary supplement current good manufacturing practices, H7937 [4SE]

Foreign trade: treatment of orange juice, H11634 [19NO]

Foster, Max and Verda: California Poultry Federation Pioneer Award recipients, E1858 [23SE]

Hopkinsville, KY: tribute to Ferrell's Snappy Service restaurant, E982 [15MY]

———tribute to Owen's Delicatessen, E983 [15MY]

Lewiston, ME: tribute to Marois Restaurant, E1140 [5JN]

Longmont, CO: tribute to ConAgra Foods, Inc., facility, E2346 [20NO]

Los Angeles, CA: anniversary of Fugetsu-Do bakery, E1634 [25JY]

Monical Pizza Corp.: Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Program Restaurant Neighbor Award finalist, E2498 [8DE]

———Nation's Restaurant News (publication) and Coca-Cola North America People and Performance Award recipient, E2500 [8DE]

Narragansett, RI: Coast Guard House Restaurant recipient of National Restaurant Association Restaurant Neighbor Award, E1886 [24SE]

Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.: tribute to Henderson, NV, processing and distribution facility, E648 [2AP]

Providence, RI: PROV/Atomic Catering recipient of National Restaurant Association Restaurant Neighbor Award, E1886 [24SE]

Pueblo, CO: tribute to Gagliano's Italian Market, E1232 [11JN]

———tribute to Zoelsmann's Bakery, E2408 [22NO]

Sacramento, CA: anniversary of The Wienery (restaurant), E110 [29JA]

Schools: ensure safety of meals served under the school lunch program and the school breakfast program (H.R. 1551), E638 [1AP]

Splenda, Inc.: Alabama Technology Network and Business Council of Alabama Alabama Manufacturer of the Year Award Medium Manufacturer honoree, E683 [3AP]

Tucson, AZ: anniversary of El Charro Restaurant, E73 [27JA]

West Columbia, SC: anniversary of Sunset Restaurant, E641 [1AP]

Remarks in Senate

Agriculture: allow modified bloc voting by dairy marketing cooperatives in the scheduled referendum on Federal milk marketing order reform (S. 43), S48 [7JA]

———country of origin labeling requirements implementation funding, S14110-S14126, S14139 [6NO]

———increase competition and transparency among packers required to report information on the price and quantity of livestock purchased (S. 325), S2052 [6FE]

———price supports for butter and nonfat dry milk, S13997 [5NO], S14136, S14137 [6NO]

———prohibit products containing dry ultra-filtered milk or casein from being labeled domestic natural cheese (S. 40), S45 [7JA]

Aquaculture: unified approach to strengthen and promote national policy (S. Res. 160), S7497 [5JN]

Cabot Creamery Cooperative: tribute, S13906 [4NO]

Courts: prohibit civil liability actions against the food industry for damages or injunctive relief for claims of injury resulting from a person's weight gain, obesity, or any related health conditions (S. 1428), S9595 [17JY]

Dept. of Agriculture: establish and enforce performance standards and sanitation requirements for reduction of pathogens in meat and poultry (S. 1103), S6981-S6985 [22MY]

———National Organic Program funding, S11113 [4SE]

———organic food standards relative to livestock and dairy production, S2436 [13FE], S4806 [3AP]

———organic food standards relative to livestock and dairy production (S. 457), S2849 [26FE]

———prohibit the purchase of chickens treated with fluoroquinolone for school nutrition programs, S14144 [6NO]

———use of distance or transportation costs as a basis for pricing milk (S. 42), S47 [7JA]

FDA: review safety of dietary supplements containing ephedrine, S14002 [5NO]

Food: prohibit funding for process approving the human consumption of meat from downed animals, S13997 [5NO], S14150 [6NO]

Matterhorn Ice Cream, Inc.: anniversary, S9901 [24JY]

Packers and Stockyards Act: limit the number of packer-owned swine that certain packers may slaughter in any calendar year (S. 1644), S11834 [23SE]

———prohibit packers from owning, feeding, or controlling livestock intended for slaughter (S. 27), S42 [7JA]

———prohibit use of certain anti-competitive forward contracts (S. 1044), S6078-S6081 [13MY]

Schools: ensure safety of meals served under the school lunch program and the school breakfast program (S. 506), S3091 [4MR]

Taxation: provide a shorter recovery period for the depreciation of certain restaurant buildings (S. 973), S5665 [1MY]

———treatment of the depreciation of certain property in integrated hotel, restaurant, and casino businesses, S6459 [15MY]

Testimonies

Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies Programs Appropriations: Wenonah Hauter, Public Citizen (organization), H6621 [14JY]

Texts of

S. 27, prohibit meat packers from owning, feeding, or controlling livestock intended for slaughter, S42 [7JA]

S. 325, increase competition and transparency among packers required to report information on the price and quantity of livestock purchased, S2052 [6FE]

S. 506, Safe School Food Act, S3091-S3093 [4MR]

S. 1103, Meat and Poultry Pathogen Reduction and Enforcement Act, S6982-S6984 [22MY]

S. 1187, At-Risk Consumer Protection Through Food Safety Labeling Act, S7401 [4JN]

S. 1644, limit the number of packer-owned swine that certain packers may slaughter in any calendar year, S11834 [23SE]

S. Res. 160, unified approach to strengthen and promote national aquaculture policy, S7496 [5JN]

Tributes

Emerson Family, E1845 [18SE]