FOOD INDUSTRY

Amendments

Courts: prevent frivolous lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, or sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products that comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements (H.R. 339), H927, H928 [9MR], H947, H954, H955, H957, H959, H961, H964, H971, H973, H974, H976 [10MR]

Articles and editorials

Obesity Passing Smoking as Top Avoidable Cause of Death, H937 [10MR]

Quick Action Needed on Livestock IDs, E397 [17MR]

Restaurant a Testament to Vietnamese Family's Drive, S2989 [23MR]

Who Killed Cool?, S174 [22JA]

Bills and resolutions

Agriculture: establish a voluntary program for the provision of country of origin labeling information on certain agricultural commodities (see H.R. 4576), H4170 [15JN]

———establish regional dairy marketing areas to stabilize the price of milk and support the income of dairy producers (see S. 2525), S6881 [16JN] (see H.R. 4597), H4286 [16JN]

———expedite implementation of country of origin labeling requirements for certain agricultural commodities (see H.R. 3993), H1321 [18MR]

———repeal delay in implementation of country of origin labeling requirements for certain agricultural commodities (see H.R. 3732), H127 [27JA]

———restore the application date for country of origin labeling (see S. 2451), S5949 [20MY]

———support specialty crop producers and production and improve the program of value-added agricultural product market development grants by routing the grant funds through State departments of agriculture (see H.R. 4800), H5470 [9JY]

Animals: provide better protection against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) and other prion diseases (see S. 2007), S52 [20JA] (see H.R. 3714), H88 [21JA]

CCC: support development of a domestic casein and milk protein concentrate industry (see H.R. 4223), H2405 [27AP]

Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA): renegotiate provisions on access to U.S. sugar markets and prevent inclusion of sugar as an element of negotiations in free trade agreements (see S. Res. 289), S217 [23JA] (see H. Res. 510), H303 [3FE]

Courts: prevent frivolous lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, or sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products that comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements (H.R. 339), consideration (see H. Res. 552), H926 [9MR]

Dept. of Agriculture: establish an electronic nationwide livestock identification system (see S. 2008), S52 [20JA] (see H.R. 3822), H574 [24FE]

———establish an electronic nationwide livestock identification system, prevent unauthorized release of information collected under the system, and review responses to livestock disease outbreaks (see H.R. 3787), H433 [10FE]

———implement the U.S. Animal Identification Plan (see S. 2070), S1285 [12FE] (see H.R. 3961), H1071 [11MR]

———use the Agricultural Research Service to conduct research on the risks of the transfer of prions that cause transmissable spongiform encephalopathies between animal species (see H.R. 4001), H1322 [18MR]

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 H.R. 4762), H5195 [6JY]

FDA: ensure safety of imported foods by requiring that notices include vital information about the manufacturers and prevent automatic rejection solely on the basis of incomplete notices (see H.R. 4665), H4893 [23JN]

———require premarket review and oversight of all genetically engineered foods (see S. 2546), S6997 [17JN]

Federal Meat Inspection Act: help ensure a healthy food supply (see H.R. 4121), H2019 [1AP]

Food: enhance the safety of beef by requiring testing of cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) at the time of slaughter (see H.R. 3705), H35 [20JA]

———ensure consumers receive information about the nutritional content of restaurant food and vending machine food (see S. 2108), S1518 [24FE]

———promote food safety and protect the animal feed supply from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) (see S. 2051), S649 [5FE]

Food Safety Administration: establish (see S. 2910), S10702 [7OC] (see H.R. 5259), H8857 [7OC]

Interstate commerce: prohibit transport of horses for the purpose of slaughter or horse flesh for human consumption (see S. 2352), S4428 [27AP]

Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act: extend (see H.R. 5180), H7863 [29SE]

———modify termination date for mandatory price reporting (see S. 2965), S10846 [8OC]

National Farm Safety and Health Week: support goals and purposes (see H. Con. Res. 494), H7329 [21SE]

Packers and Stockyards Act: prohibit use of certain anti-competitive forward contracts (see H.R. 4006), H1322 [18MR]

U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement: ensure protection of the dairy industry in negotiations (see S. Res. 293), S321 [28JA]

———implementation (see S. 2610), S7580 [6JY]

U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement: implementation (see S. 2677), S8229 [15JY]

Court documents

Earline Cook v. Several Entities Involved in Selling Certain Dietary Supplements, H977-H979 [10MR]

Letters

Guest Services, Inc., decision not to pay food service workers for National Day of Mourning granted to Federal employees: several Members of Congress, E1293 [7JY]

National Dairy Equity Act: Dale Cole, Maine Dairy Industry Association, S7052 [18JN]

Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act: Michael F. Jacobson, Center for Science in the Public Interest, H939 [10MR]

———Representative Barton, Committee on the Judiciary (House), H947 [10MR]

———Representative Sensenbrenner, Committee on Energy and Commerce (House), H947 [10MR]

Messages

U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement: President Bush, S7576 [6JY], H5166 [6JY]

Remarks in House

Arc-Diversified (nonprofit organization): Dept. of Agriculture Javits Wagner O'Day Contractor of the Year award recipient, E1166 [18JN]

Ballreich Bros., Inc.: tribute to inclusion in Guiness Book of World Records for largest bag of potato chips, E2065 [18NO]

Beulah, CO: tribute to Flag Mountain Grill, E310 [4MR]

BLM: allow wild horses and burros that are at least 10 years old, or have been put up for adoption, to be auctioned for slaughter, E2174 [7DE]

Blowing Rock, NC: anniversary of Sonny's Grill (restaurant), E2128 [20NO]

Butcher, Steve and Nancy: National Restaurant Association Restaurant Neighbor Award finalists, E1908 [11OC]

Cherry, Doris: Guest Services, Inc., Employee of the Year award recipient, E334 [9MR]

Children and youth: increase in childhood obesity, H938 [10MR]

Council of Economic Advisers: prohibit use of funds to produce the President's economic report that includes employment at a retail fast food restaurant in the definition of manufacturing employment, H7208 [15SE]

Courts: allow actions to be brought by, or on behalf of, certain young children against sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products that market specifically to such children, H971, H972 [10MR]

———allow civil action against food manufacturers or sellers who negligently violate Federal or State statues causing injury relative to a person's weight gain, obesity, or related health condition, H961-H964 [10MR]

———exclude actions brought in State courts from prevention of frivolous lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, or sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products, H957-H959 [10MR]

———exclude manufacturers or sellers of meat from downed animals from protection against frivolous lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, or sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products, H964-H968 [10MR]

———exempt actions brought under State consumer protection laws from the prevention of frivolous lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, or sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products, H955-H957 [10MR], E409 [18MR]

———permit civil actions alleging that products claiming to assist in weight loss caused heart disease or other complications, H974-H977 [10MR]

———prevent frivolous lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, or sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products that comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements (H.R. 339), H868 [4MR], H878 [9MR], H930, H946-H981 [10MR], H7080 [14SE], E352, E357 [11MR], E409 [18MR]

———prevent frivolous lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, or sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products that comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements (H.R. 339), consideration (H. Res. 552), H933-H942 [10MR]

———prohibit civil lawsuits by a food manufacturer, seller, or trade association against an individual, H973, H974 [10MR]

———require proper labeling of genetically altered food to qualify for immunity from frivolous lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, or sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products, H959-H961 [10MR]

Dept. of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Low Path Avian Influenza Program funding, E1398 [16JY]

———establish and enforce performance standards and sanitation requirements for reduction of pathogens in meat and poultry (H.R. 2203), H939 [10MR]

———exemption for organic products from promotion assessments, H5588, H5589 [13JY]

———implement the U.S. Animal Identification Plan, E397 [17MR]

———minimize contamination of non-genetically engineered seeds, protect organic farm production, and prevent contamination of food supply by pharmaceutical and industrial crops, H5565, H5566 [13JY]

———prohibit the purchase of chickens treated with fluoroquinolone for school nutrition programs, H5582, H5583 [13JY]

FDA: ensure safety of imported foods by requiring that notices include vital information about the manufacturers and prevent automatic rejection solely on the basis of incomplete notices (H.R. 4665), E1217 [23JN]

Food: enhance the safety of beef by requiring testing of cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) at the time of slaughter, H904 [9MR]

———ensure that consumers receive information about the nutritional content of restaurant foods (H.R. 3444), H936 [10MR]

———reassessment of labeling laws, E1926 [11OC]

———require foods containing known allergens to bear labeling that states that fact and the names of the allergens (H.R. 3684), E1496, E1507 [22JY]

Food industry: exempt actions brought under State consumer protection laws from the prevention of frivolous lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, or sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products, H955-H957 [10MR], E409 [18MR]

Guest Services, Inc.: decision not to pay food service workers for National Day of Mourning granted to Federal employees, E1293 [7JY]

House of Representatives: establishment of Sugar Reform Caucus, H8644 [7OC]

Humboldt Creamery Association: anniversary, E2060 [18NO]

Interstate commerce: prohibit transport of horses for the purpose of slaughter or horse flesh for human consumption (H.R. 857), H2544-H2546 [4MY], H3011-H3013 [13MY]

J.M. Smucker Co.: recognition by Fortune (publication) as one of the Top 100 Companies To Work for in America, E33 [21JA]

Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act: modify termination date for mandatory price reporting (S. 2965), H9869, H9870 [17NO]

National Farm Safety and Health Week: support goals and purposes (H. Con. Res. 494), H7390, H7391 [22SE]

National Franchisee Association: tribute, E470 [29MR]

Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act: retroactivity in application to pending court cases, H976-H981 [10MR]

Premium Standard Farms, Inc.: anniversary of Milan, MO, processing facility, E1694 [24SE]

Pueblo, CO: tribute to La Renaissance (restaurant), E1263 [25JN]

Santa Fe, NM: anniversary of Bert's Burger Bowl (restaurant), E1573 [9SE]

United Food and Commercial Workers (organization): end of supermarket worker strike in California, H730 [2MR]

Wakefield, VA: anniversary of Virginia Diner, E892 [18MY]

Remarks in Senate

Agriculture: country of origin labeling requirements implementation funding, S18, S19 [20JA], S66-S69, S75 [21JA], S128, S129, S134, S138, S140, S155, S174 [22JA], S633, S634 [5FE]

———establish regional dairy marketing areas to stabilize the price of milk and support the income of dairy producers (S. 2525), S6888 [16JN], S7052 [18JN]

———repeal country of origin labeling requirements, S11454 [18NO], S11550 [19NO]

———restore the application date for country of origin labeling (S. 2451), S5951 [20MY], S6251 [21MY], S11418 [17NO]

Animals: investigation into discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) in the U.S., S776 [10FE]

———provide better protection against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) and other prion diseases (S. 2007), S54 [20JA]

Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA): renegotiate provisions on access to U.S. sugar markets and prevent inclusion of sugar as an element of negotiations in free trade agreements (S. Res. 289), S218 [23JA]

Courts: prevent frivolous lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, or sellers of food or non-alcoholic beverage products that comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements (H.R. 339), S3197 [25MR], S3217 [26MR]

———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), S3783 [6AP]

Dept. of Agriculture: establish an electronic nationwide livestock identification system (S. 2008), S55 [20JA]

———implement the U.S. Animal Identification Plan (S. 2070), S1289 [12FE]

———National Organic Program funding, S146 [22JA]

———prohibition on private testing of cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease), S4445 [28AP]

———use of current technology in developing animal identification methods, S106 [21JA]

FDA: establish guidelines and review safety of dietary supplements, S3545-S3548 [1AP]

———require premarket review and oversight of all genetically engineered foods (S. 2546), S7019 [17JN]

Food: ensure consumers receive information about the nutritional content of restaurant food and vending machine food (S. 2108), S1523 [24FE]

Food Safety Administration: establish (S. 2910), S10704 [7OC]

Foreign trade: country of origin labeling requirements implementation, S5053 [10MY]

Harry and David Co.: anniversary, S8676 [22JY]

Interstate commerce: prohibit transport of horses for the purpose of slaughter or horse flesh for human consumption (S. 2352), S4433 [27AP]

Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act: modify termination date for mandatory price reporting (S. 2965), S10879 [8OC]

Masterfoods USA (business): anniversary, S9438 [21SE]

U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement: ensure protection of the dairy industry in negotiations (S. Res. 293), S325 [28JA]

———implementation, S6795-S6797 [15JN], S7426 [24JN]

———implementation (S. 2610), S8093-S8095 [14JY], S8402 [16JY], S8846 [7SE]

U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement: implementation (S. 2677), S8460-S8463, S8465, S8467 [20JY], S8506-S8516, S8532 [21JY]

Reports filed

Consideration of H.R. 339, Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act: Committee on Rules (House) (H. Res. 552) (H. Rept. 108-435), H926 [9MR]

National Uniformity for Food Act: Committee on Energy and Commerce (House) (H.R. 2699) (H. Rept. 108-770), H9047 [8OC]

Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act: Committee on the Judiciary (House) (H.R. 339) (H. Rept. 108-432), H876 [8MR]

U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act: Committee on Finance (Senate) (S. 2610), S8118 [14JY]

———Committee on Finance (Senate) (S. 2610) (S. Rept. 108-316), S8860 [7SE]

U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act: Committee on Finance (Senate) (S. 2677), S8473 [20JY]

———Committee on Finance (Senate) (S. 2677) (S. Rept. 108-317), S8860 [7SE]

Testimonies

Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act: Gerard Musante, H941 [10MR]

Texts of

H. Con. Res. 494, support goals and purposes of National Farm Safety and Health Week, H7390 [22SE]

H. Res. 552, consideration of H.R. 339, Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act, H933 [10MR]

H.R. 339, Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act, H953 [10MR]

S. 2008, National Farm Animal Identification and Records Act, S55 [20JA]

S. 2051, Animal Feed Protection Act, S650 [5FE]

S. 2070, U.S. Animal Identification Plan Implementation Act, S1289 [12FE]

S. 2451, restore the application date for agricultural country of origin labeling, S5951 [20MY]

S. 2546, Genetically Engineered Foods Act, S7020-S7023 [17JN]

S. 2677, U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, S8510-S8516 [21JY]

S. 2965, modify Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act termination date for mandatory price reporting, H9869 [17NO]

S. 2965, modify termination date for mandatory price reporting under the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act, S10879 [8OC]

S. Res. 289, renegotiate Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) provisions on access to U.S. sugar markets and prevent inclusion of sugar as an element of negotiations in free trade agreements, S217 [23JA]

S. Res. 293, ensure protection of the dairy industry in U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement negotiations, S325 [28JA]