The Smithfield deal On Wednesday, May 29, 2013, the Chinese meat products firm Shuanghui International announced its acquisition of Smithfield Foods. Smithfield controls 26 percent of US pork processing capacity and 15 percent of US pork production. Smithfield reports that “under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of…
A Rotten Bacon Behemoth If a Chinese company’s bid to acquire Smithfield goes through, consumers and farmers will suffer. By Wenonah Hauter American consumers may not even notice the change if a newly proposed takeover by China’s largest meat processor of our nation’s leading pork company goes through. But the $4.7 billion transaction would certainly…
Got this from a friend who teaches at a rural college. She didn’t want to ID the inspector, so I removed the names of the states. Bill I have a new grad student whose dad works as a meat inspector for the USDA. He’s worked for them about 24 years and is counting the days…
FSIS Proposes New Labeling Rules for Mechanically Tenderized Beef Products 06/06/2013 02:39 PM EDT The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing new requirements for labeling beef products that have been mechanically tenderized, including adding new cooking instructions, so that consumers can safely enjoy these products. Also see: Risks…
Connecticut makes history with the first in the nation GMO labeling bill – It’s time to TURN UP THE HEAT in all 50 states! Dear Mike What a difference a week makes! Last week Food Democracy Now! reported that efforts in Connecticut to label genetically engineered foods had hit a roadblock when the House passed…
Welfare for the Wealthy By MARK BITTMAN The Farm Bill is impenetrable, important and worthy of our outrage. The critically important Farm Bill [1] is impenetrably arcane, yet as it worms its way through Congress, Americans who care about justice, health or the environment can parse enough of it to become outraged. The legislation costs…
Monsanto sued over discovery of GM wheat sprouts Greg Henderson, Editor, Associate Publisher, Drovers CattleNetwork | Updated: 06/04/2013 A Kansas wheat farmer has filed a civil lawsuit against Monsanto alleging gross negligence and other causes of action following reports last week that unapproved genetically modified wheat was found growing in Oregon. Ernest Barnes, a farmer…