January VEAL BLOG
Promotions
The Beef Checkoff funded veal promotions will unveil a new recipe, how-to video and photography for their “VEAL FOR VALENTINE’S DAY” promotion. The recipe will be created in partnership with blogger, Souffle Bombay. The recipe, how-to video, photography and blog post will be shared with the blogger’s followers as well as pushed out through veal’s social media properties driving reach and engagement as well as shared with Industry partners. Veal for Valentine’s Day promotion content will include: A Valentine’s day recipe, how-to video, photography, press release and social media calendar that will be available in the resource section of the Veal Made Easy website.
Veal Quality Assurance
New Barn Signs Feature VQA Best Management Practices
The Veal Quality Assurance has a new series of barn signs available focusing on Best Management Practices for Calf Handling, Feed, Water and Nutrition, and Housing and Facilities. The new signs create additional awareness of important VQA practices for all those caring for calves on a daily basis. You can review and print these signs on the website at Veal Farm Certification Resources Veal farmers and industry professionals including SBC staff, feed representatives, procurement managers and veterinarians, can get more information on ordering signs for their growers by contacting DonnaM@LookEast.com
Regulatory Affairs
FSIS to Survey Small Meat Processing Plants on Available FSIS Resources.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to survey small and very small meat processing plants about a draft report concerning FSIS resources available to help them achieve and maintain regulatory compliance. FSIS has entered into a Cooperative Agreement with the College of Agriculture at Oregon State University, to conduct this review for small and very small establishments. Oregon State will develop a draft report based on multiple data sources. This draft report will then be distributed to a wider audience of key stakeholders that are small plant operators. Oregon State will ask those stakeholders to read the draft report and fill out a short survey to gather their feedback. The survey will be administered online and in person at three regional small plant stakeholder meetings being held in different locations in 2020. Comments are due Feb. 11, 2020. More information is available here.
Hahn Confirmed as FDA Commissioner.
On December 12th, the Senate voted 72-18 to confirm Dr. Stephen Hahn as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Hahn, 59, is a well-known radiation oncology expert and is the current chief medical executive of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he has been a professor of radiation oncology since January 2015.
International Affairs
United States-EU Beef Agreement Formally Enters into Force.
The European Union (EU) Council notified the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that its internal procedures are complete and the new beef agreement between the U.S. and EU entered into force last week. Under the agreement, the U.S. will be granted a country-specific share of the EU’s existing duty-free, high quality 45,000-ton beef quota. Specifically, the U.S. will be provided an initial 18,500 metric tons of the quota, which will grow to 35,000 metric tons over seven years. The EU will publish an implementing regulation that modifies the tariff-rate quota and creates the aforementioned country-specific allocation for the U.S. Based upon the agreement, it is estimated that U.S. beef producers will have the opportunity to double exports to Europe by 2025.
United States and China Reach Phase One Trade Agreement.
The United States and China have reached an enforceable agreement on a Phase One trade deal that requires structural reforms and other changes to China’s economic and trade regime in the areas of intellectual property, technology transfer, agriculture, financial services and currency and foreign exchange. The US has agreed not to proceed with 15 percent tariffs on US$160 billion worth of consumer goods scheduled to take effect Dec. 15 and will reduce the Sept. 1 tariffs on $120 billion of Chinese goods – halving it from 15 to 7.5 percent. However, the 25 percent tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese imports will maintain, and further reductions will be linked to progress in future trade negotiations. The Phase One agreement also includes a commitment by China that it will make substantial additional purchases of U.S. goods and services in the coming years. The agreement establishes a strong dispute resolution system that ensures prompt and effective implementation and enforcement. The U.S. has agreed to modify its Section 301 tariff actions in a significant way. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s full press release is available here.
Scientific Affairs
DGAC to Hold Fourth Public Meeting in January.
The 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) will hold its fourth meeting Jan. 23-24, 2020 in person at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Children’s Nutrition Research Center in Houston, TX. It will also be available via webcast. The meeting will include presentations by each subcommittee, deliberation by the full Committee, and planning for future Committee work. This meeting will also include an opportunity for members of the public to provide oral comments to the Committee. The Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, has been approved to provide oral comments to help demystify processed meats by detailing common processed meat products and ingredients; as well as nutrition benefits and public health implications. A greater understanding of the science on how processed meat products are prepared and the safety of the component ingredients will help demonstrate their role in healthy, balanced dietary patterns. Additional details on the meeting and registration is available here.
Summary Available for Workshop on Innovations in the Food System.
The National Academics of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine published a summary of a public workshop – “Innovations in the Food System: Exploring the Future of Food” – held in August. The workshop, held in Washington DC, aimed to review the status of current and emerging knowledge about innovations for modern food systems and the extent to which they are or could be designed to optimize environmental, health, social and economic outcomes. The 1.5-day workshop included an opening session that provided a broad look at food systems, case studies in food system evolution from the federal government and private sector, and a closing discussion. The rest of the workshop was organized into six additional sessions, which focused on “game-changing innovations” and their implications for food systems. Those six sessions include: food production and processing, alternative food production, food distribution, food marketing and food value chains, food data and analytics, and food access and affordability. The full publication can be read and downloaded here.
Two-Day Workshop Available on Science of Diet and Nutrition During Pregnancy.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will host a two-day public workshop on Jan. 29-30, 2020 that will explore the current state of the science on nutrients, dietary patterns, nutritional supplements and other nutrition-based topics relevant to pregnancy and lactation. The workshop topics will include discussion of equity in access to nutritional care for women of childbearing age. It will be held in the national Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, DC, and will also be accessible via webcast. The workshop agenda is available here. Registration can be completed here.
Meetings, Events and Education
Register Today for IPPE 2020.
Registration is now open for the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from Jan. 28 – 30, 2020. IPPE is the only exposition of its kind showcasing the latest solutions and technologies for the global animal food and protein industries. Attendees can experience, learn and connect with more than 32,000 animal food, meat and poultry industry professionals at this event. Workshops include Environmental Conference, Worker Safety Conference and more. The Meat Industry Hall of Fame Reception and Dinner will also take place during IPPE. This social event honors and celebrates an incredible group of leading top members of the meat, poultry and livestock industry. Click here to register now or learn more about IPPE here.
Exhibit Sales, Registration and Housing Open for 2020 Annual Meat Conference.
Exhibit sales, registration and housing are now open for the 2020 Annual Meat Conference (AMC), which will take place March 2 – 4, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. AMC offers a complete education and networking experience, featuring nearly five hours of exhibits showcasing the latest in new meat and poultry products and the products and services retailers need to increase their bottom line. Comprehensive education sessions include a variety of ways to explore the latest developments in meat retailing today. For more information on registration and housing, plus special offers, visit the AMC website here.
Exhibit space for AMC is now open as well. The AMC offers the premier opportunity to showcase meat and poultry products and technology to hundreds of meat buyers from national retail chains. AMC is the only industry event dedicated to getting meat and poultry retail buyers, suppliers and consumers in the same place for meaningful networking and interaction. For a floor plan and more details on who attends AMC, click here. Exhibit space can be purchased here.
