Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Prevention

A large concern for the cattle industry is Mad cow disease which causes brain degeneration and death in cattle. This has been linked to the loss of almost 100 people in Great Britain who consumed meat from infected animals. BSE bovine spongiform encephalopathy has not been instituted in the United States because federal and state agencies started scrutiny for BSE in 1989. The cattle industry is the largest part of U.S. agriculture. The beef and dairy production were valued at $3 1 billion in 1999, and if BSE were found in U. S. cattle this would cause losses to the division from declining meat sales and exports, also mandatory group depopulation, could severely damage the economic health of US. Agriculture.

BSE disease was initially found in Great Britain in 1986. The cause is not fully known, but data suggests that a "proteinaccous infectious particle" or 'prion' is the causal agent. There is no treatment or vaccine to prevent the disease, currently. BSE is thought to be transmitted when proteins from a contaminated animal is fed to cattle. Transmission between animals has not been observed, but also might be transmitted mother to calf infection through gestation. Most cases of BSE-like diseases have incubation periods that span years to decades “average incubation for BSE symptoms is 2 to 8 years, all affected animals die.” (Jean)

BSE has not been established in the United States. Since federal and state agencies began surveillance in 1989, all evidence shows that U. S. cattle and beef goods are free of BSE.  BSE could emerge in the United States by imports of BSE infected feed, imports of infected cattle, or through spontaneous alteration of an indigenous TSE-causing agent into a BSE-causing agent.

In 1989, APHIS forced an import ban of live ruminants including cows, sheep, and goats from countries with BSE infections. Also in l99l, APHlS extended the ban to include meat and meat products from B SE-infected countries. Lastly, in 1997, APHIS banned the importation of live ruminants and the majority ruminant products from all of Europe. APHIS began a domestic BSE surveillance program in 1990. Initial efforts included locating 496 head of cattle that were imported from the United Kingdom (U.K.) between 1981 and 1989. The U.S. is taking extreme percousions to prevent BSE, from coming in to the United States.

Jean, R., & lejandro E., A. S. (2001, March 12). Mad Cow Disease: Agriculture Issues. Foreign Press Centers. Retrieved April 24, 2011, from http://fpc.state.gov/6121.htm

Trends in Produce industry

Vegetables are becoming more trendy. With all the new ways to consume vegetables without tasting them, has become a big trend. The USDA nutritionists, decided to called for a change to  5-9 servings of vegetables and fresh fruits a day, from  2-3 servings because an anti-cancer campaign by another government agency, the National Cancer Institute, forced the USDA to adopt the higher

With $12 billion in annual sales of pre-cut, pre-washed and packaged fruits and vegetables becoming the fastest growing segment in the produce sector. There is still has plenty of room for this sector to grow. “According to a new research report by the International Fresh-cut Produce Association Fresh-cut Produce Fuels an America On-the-go, is a comprehensive  state-of-the-industry report”(Fruit)

Packaged salads are the second-fastest selling item in U.S. grocery stores, with $2.6 billion in yearly retail sales, next are fresh-cut vegetables at $1.4 billion. The fresh cut fruit category, is moving up which reported $300 million in yearly retail sales, is likely to exceed the $1 billion mark over the next three years. The industry possesses $6 billion in yearly sales to the foodservice sector. Although the record breaking sales, of fresh-cut produce stands for only a 13% infiltration of the total fresh produce market. This is excellent news for processors and marketers of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. The challenges processors have to face are how to sustain growth over the next 15 years, including:

The nation’s continuing obesity epidemic is the reason people need to find easy ways to eat more fruits and vegetables. “A federal nutrition panel has recommended changes in the nation’s Food Pyramid that feature increased intake for fruits and vegetables.  Foodservice sales now top $429 billion a year, and almost half of all meals are consumed away from home.  Foodservice establishments including cafeterias, restaurants, and airlines are ever more relying on fresh-cut produce to lower labor costs and decrease food safety risks. Also Consumers persist on and demand convenient, high-quality foods that fit into their increasingly busy lifestyles. “Demand for convenience has been the big reason behind the incredible growth of pre-washed, pre-cut and packaged fruits and vegetables for the past 15 years, but convenience is now getting a big boost from growing concerns about obesity and health issues in general, according to IFPA President Jerry” (Fruit) The challenge the industry faces now is to forward the convenience to America’s home kitchens in healthier ways. The industry needs to keep up with an America on the go, because as many as 20 % of all meals are consumed in vehicles and half of all American’s meals are consumed away from home.

 Wal-Mart is varying its fresh produce, including more opportunity and local buys, rather than using a supplier-assigned, taking into account food miles but uncertain outlooks, private label focus. Other large supermarket retailers are continuing to strive for lower labor and capital costs, product differentiation, and improved consumer services in order to remain profitable in an increasingly competitive environment. Mass merchandise and warehouse club stores are rapidly expanding and capturing a significant percentage of retail food sales. As a result, there has been a trend toward consolidation of large retailers and distributors to reduce costs and streamline and improve supply-chain management practices. Innovations in procurement and distribution of produce, such as inventory mechanization, direct delivery by suppliers, use of specialty wholesalers, and fixed contracts with suppliers, help to reduce costs and increase efficiencies. This sector of the supply chain is comprised of business operations which in general do not transform a specific fresh product, but rather provide services related to the sale of this product. In contrast to the food retail/grocery sector, many establishments in the food service industry remain small- and medium-sized businesses, where purchasing is handled by local buyers or chefs. Still, chain restaurants have high volume requirements and need consistency in products across time and outlets. The dichotomy in size among away-from-home food outlets provides opportunities for a greater number of intermediaries to be active in the supply chain when compared with retail food sales. Results illustrate that changes in fresh produce distribution and management have created new forms of commercial relationships between suppliers and wholesalers. In some cases, these changes represent valuable opportunities for business, beyond the demand for additional marketing services from suppliers.  Part of the difficulty confronting smaller operations relates to market access. “Increasingly, fruit and vegetable growers with good entrepreneurial skills have established on-farm outlets or created niche markets with local independent wholesalers or retailers. Small-volume growers tend to have limited marketing personnel and post-harvest handling equipment, rely more on direct outlets, and sell to final retail consumers, whereas large-scale growers utilize volume-oriented outlets that encompass more involved and specialized marketing activities. Different states have pursued different types of market development to assist small growers and have achieved different degrees of success.” (Industry)

Fruit Growers News » Magazine » Article » Fresh-cut Remains Fastest Growing Trend in Produce Industry. (2010, November 15). Fruit Growers News . Retrieved April 21, 2011, from http://fruitgrowersnews.com/index.php/magazine/article/Fresh-cut-Remains-Fastest-Growing-Trend-in-Produce-Industry

Industry Statistics and Projected Growth - Organic Trade Association. (n.d.). Organic Trade Association. Retrieved April 21, 2011, from http://www.ota.com/organic

Water Issues

There are many aspects that affect agriculture that most people do not think of. Water is a significant resource for agriculture. The farming industries use enormous amounts of water. the protection of water may be one of the most significant environmental issues that is affecting agriculture. “Roughly 50% of all Americans and 95% of rural residents depend upon groundwater as their primary source of drinking water. That makes groundwater an extremely valuable resource which is often neglected and taken for granted.” (Focusing)

A growing concern of the public is contamination of groundwater through pesticide usage. The public worry about farmers' use of pesticides and how much is getting into the groundwater thus becoming a dangerous to the health of the public. Groundwater comes from precipitation seeping down into the earth. The amount of water that ends up as groundwater changes depending on the climate and soil conditions. Groundwater is continuously moving towards streams, lakes or wells. Some groundwater may travel only a few feet until it emerges at a point of discharge a few hours later. Some groundwater may percolate down to depths of 6,000 feet or more, travel hundreds of miles underground to a point of discharge, and emerge hundreds or thousands of years later.

Ground water is generally slow moving and this is a significant factor in making groundwater contamination such a great problem. Animal Feedlots have the potential for groundwater pollution hazard, from intense agricultural activities such as nitrate pollution from feedlots. This is why the public is so worried about farms.  Although feedlots cover a relatively small area, they produce a huge volume of animal waste. Normally, the ground is able to absorb animal wastes without much threat to groundwater, but the intense concentration of these wastes in and around animal feedlots is too great for the earth to absorb without the risk of groundwater pollution. Also liquid runoff from these areas has also been responsible for the pollution of some surface water. Pesticides and fertilizers have long been assumed of being groundwater contaminates, but the proof is slow in coming. Although some of the chemicals in these products are toxic, most of them become adhered to subsurface rock. Thus, the potential pollutant is retained and does not enter groundwater in a dissolved state.

Also, the use of field tiles in heavily fertilized areas has proven to be a good way of interrupt the potential contaminates before they can pollute groundwater. Clay tiles are placed two or three feet below the surface to help drain the farmland. Then the runoff is directed to surface rivers and streams. Unfortunately, that while the groundwater are save from contamination, surface waters are not. After periods of heavy rain, the nitrate levels in lakes, rivers, and streams surrounding farmlands are often above recommended levels.

Another cause of groundwater contamination is the disposal of waste materials directly onto the land, in holding ponds and lagoons, and in sanitary landfills. In land disposal, potential pollutants such as manure, sludge, and industrial wastes may be heaped in mounds or spread directly over the ground. Any soluble products in the waste may be dissolved by precipitation and infiltrate into the subsurface soil and rock, eventually polluting the groundwater. Holding ponds and lagoons are shallow excavations anywhere from a few square feet to many acres in area. They are commonly used to hold oilfield seepage, municipal sewage, and a variety of other wastes, including industrial chemicals which generally contain a variety of toxic compounds. When the holding ponds or lagoons are unlined, the pollution hazard is especially great. But even some common liners such as clay, plastic, asphalt, and concrete have been found unreliable in certain cases. Sanitary landfills are made by placing wastes in excavations and covering them daily with a layer of soil. They are called "sanitary" to indicate that garbage is not left in the open air to produce odors and to attract vermin and insects. But even though a landfill is covered, precipitation will still seep through it and "leech" contaminants as it moves along, ultimately resulting in groundwater contamination. 

Focusing on Ag Issues - Issues - Environmental Examples. (n.d.). Career Account Web Pages. Retrieved     April 23, 2011, from http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~peters/HTML/issues/environmental-examples.html

Wine industry issues

The Agriculture industry in New York is a very divers industry.   The products range from   grapes, apples, a verity of vegetables, dairy, grains and livestock. New York has a number of small family farms to large production farms, totaling about 34,000 farms. There is a vast mix of agriculture in Western New York and Finger Lakes agriculture particularly important to the NY economy. The finger lake region is the largest supplier of grape wines in NY.

Preserving and improving the H2A program for seasonal workers is one issue that concern farmers in NY. The farms have to ensure that they have access to a seasonal workforce within the bounds of the law. The reason farms need foreign seasonal work is because they are more willing to do harder jobs that Americans would prefer not to do.

The Estate Tax is another issue that impacts farmers. Farms in 2009 were able to act later and kept the rate at 35%, as opposed to 55%. Farms were also exempt from the first $5 million when the tax automatically returned in 2011.

One of the best kept secrets of the Finger lakes Region is the excess of wineries surrounding the lakes. Nutrients in the soil give Catawba and other varies of grapes a distinctive flavor which local vintners turn into award-winning wines. Over 100,000 people visit the finger lake wineries between the months of  June to October. The average annual sales for the individual wineries were around $700,000 in 2010. Supporting local agriculture will help the New York State economy.

The Crisis in Japan

            On March 11 at 2:46pm JST a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake occurred near the northeastern coast of Japan, creating extremely destructive tsunami waves which hit Japan just minutes after the earthquake, and triggering evacuations and warnings across the Pacific Ocean. The earthquake and tsunami have caused extensive and severe damage in Northeastern Japan, leaving thousands of people confirmed dead, injured or missing, and millions more affected by lack of electricity, water and transportation.

“Foods from and near the center of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan last week had been found to contain high levels of nuclear radiation. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano confirmed in a press conference, on Saturday (March 19, 2011), that the milk produced by farm in Fukushima prefecture near nuclear installations which are destroyed, and spinach from Ibaraki prefecture had been found contaminated with nuclear radiation slightly above of the standards set by the government. However, Edano said that contaminated foods do not have a direct threat to human health. He stressed that people must remain calm. About the milk, he said, drinking it for a year would only expose consumers to nuclear radiation which is equivalent to a medical scanning ‘CT scan’.” (FDA)

The Japanese food only makes up about 4% of US’s Imports, but that still will have an impact on how we get foods from foreign countries. The FDA States they expect no risk to the U.S. food supply from radiation. Officials and health experts say the doses are low and not a threat to human health unless the contaminated products are consumed in unusually large quantities.

Trends in Dairy

            Dairy products are a very important part of the diet. Humans should consume three to four servings of dairy a day. Either those in yogurt, cheese, milk  etcetera.

Dairy has very many nutritional factors about it. Milk contains nine essential nutrients and vitamins, calcium, potassium, phosphorus ,including protein, vitamins A, D, and B12,  riboflavin, niacin, and zinc.  “Children who drink milk tend to have "superior" overall nutrient intakes compared with children who don't drink milk, according to a study released last year by researchers at Environ International Corp., the University of Vermont, and the National Dairy Council.(Hannon) “The AAP advises parents to not give up on feeding dairy products to lactose-intolerant children and teens. The reason: The calcium in these foods is important for bone health, and dairy products also contain other nutrients important for growth. Roughly 20 percent of U.S. children have some degree of intolerance to lactose, the sugar naturally found in milk. Yet lactose intolerance is often mild enough that affected kids can consume at least some milk and dairy products. Also, yogurt and cheese contain less lactose per serving than milk.” (Hannon)

Over the years from 1987 to the year 2006 there has been an overall increase in the dairy consumption in the US list on the USDA website. The total dairy consumption level increase from 56,834 million lbs in year 1987, to 62,133 million lbs year 2006.  In 2006, the United States dairy industry produced over 20 billion gallons of milk. The milk is pasteurized and sold, or prepared into cheese, butter, cream and ice cream for customers in the U.S. and around the world. This has a lot to do with the rise in technology in the 19th century, dairy manufacturing was able to increase past local dairy consumption to a nationwide industry.

The country with the biggest appetite for dairy, is India, because many of the people are vegetarians. This is because of their beliefs in that animals are sacred and must not eat them.  India’s dairy consumption grew at a steady annual rate of about three percent between 2005 and 2008. (Einhorn) The countries listed in order with the highest dairy production with the numbers in metric tons are as follows: European Union 134.4g million, United States 86.8 million, India 45.1 million, China 38.6 million, Russia 32.8 million. The countries with the highest consumption for dairy products with the numbers in metric tons are India 45 million, European Union 33.6 million, United States 28.2 million, China 16 million, Russia 12.2 million. The countries that import the most nonfay dry milk n metric tons areIndonesia 172,000, Mexico 165,000, Philippines 95,000, Algeria 90,000, China 65,000. (Eirnhorn) The counrties that export nonfat dry milk in order of metric tons are the United States 350,000, New Zealand 288,000, European Union 200,000, Australia 123,000, India 38,000. Butter production and consumption in the countries are in order first in metric tons  India 4.1 million, European Union 2.1 million, United States 740,000, New Zealand 405,000, Russia 310,000. Countries that produce and consume cheese in metric tons European Union 6.9 million, United States 4.6 million, Brazil 660,000, Argentina 550,000, Russia 435,000. The countries that export the most cheese to other countries in order by metric tons are European Union 510,000, New Zealand 325,000, Australia 206,000, United States 101,000, Argentina 56,000. Im porting of cheese in metric tons Russia 280,000, Japan 210,000, United States 160,000, Mexico 90,000, European Union 85,000. (Einhorn) As you can see from the numbers that there is a rising demand for dairy products.

The dairy market continues to grow this is because of the ever rising demand for dairy products. The world’s newest dairy market is China. No. 4 worldwide, “China grew at 10.6% over the three years, even though the Chinese traditionally are not big milk drinkers, and the country experienced a frightening scandal last year involving tainted-milk that hospitalized thousands of children and killed several. For more on all things dairy, including which countries consume the most milk, produce the most milk, import and export the most milk as well as butter and cheese, read on.”(Einhorn)

The milk consumption has dropped radically in the past few years, because of the scare about the increase use of hormones in the cows. But the overall consumption of dairy products are up and this is going to the consumption of cheese and frozen dairy items has increased greatly. In 2001, Americans consumed 8 times more cheese than they did in 1909 and twice as much as in 1975. As a nation, we've gone from eating almost no frozen dairy products at the beginning of last century, to eating around 25 pounds per person per year in 2000.”(Peterson) Mustafa Dogan is Chobani’s Master Yogurt Maker in playing a big part in increasing the sales of dairy products by selling his artisan yougrts. This unique straining process is what makes Chobani Greek Yogurt “Greek” and full of flavor and health benefits:
·      All natural. No preservatives. No artificial flavors.
·      Free of synthetic growth hormones: No rBST-treated milk.
·      Includes 5 live & active cultures, including 3 probiotics.
·      Made with real fruit.
·      Twice the protein of regular yogurts.
·      A good source of bone-building calcium.
·      Gluten-Free and Kosher-Certified.
·      Safe for people with corn, nut and soy allergies.

Works Cited

Chobani Yogurt - About Us. (n.d.). Chobani Yogurt - nothing but good.. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from http://www.chobani.com/about

Einhorn, B. (n.d.). Who Drinks the Most Milk?: The Dairy Industry Worldwide - BusinessWeek. BusinessWeek Slide Shows and Multimedia. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from http://images.businessweek.com

Hannon, K. (2009, March 20). 5 Nutrition Facts About Milk and Healthy Kids - US News and World Report. Health News Articles - US News Health. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/childrens-health/articles/2009/03/20/5-nutrition-facts-about-milk-and-healthy-kids

Peterson, J. (n.d.). Dairy - Featured Article - Sustainable Table. Sustainabletable. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from http://www.sustainabletable.org

Tainted Food

Today in class we had a presentation about how food is grow in other countries and is imported in to the U.S.  Only 1.3 % of food that comes in the U.S. is inspected which means that ONLY 850 container with food were tested for E.coli, Salmonella, Hepatitis A, Shigella and Norovirus.  90% of the  Strawberries, cherries, and  Apples that are inspected are contaminated with one or more of the Big 5 food borne illness causers. And these are the ones that are actually inspected. Can you just imagine that 90% food that we eat everyday is potentially contaminated, because it is not inspected? This makes me not want to eat anything that is imported.

Our teacher today asked the class how we prevent this food coming in to our homes and on to our plates. This has a simple answer do not buy anything that is imported right. Well this is harder than you might think. I went to the local super market to get dinner for myself. I decided to make Spaghetti and meatballs. As I was looking around for the ingredients I need I decided that I would try to get only food from the U.S. I’m very picky on what I eat anyways. So I picked up my favorite sauce, Prego with mushrooms and looked at the back to see where it was made or where the ingredients came from and all it said was packaged in NJ, but it does not state anything else on where the origination came from. You ask why does it not state where the ingredients came from? This is because processed food does not have to state the origin of where the ingredients to make the product come from, it just has to state where it was packaged. Then I picked out the hamburger, it stated about it that the ground beef comes from U.S.A, Canada and Mexico. So I decided would ask where the meat that I was buy came from. I asked the butcher and they stated that is comes in on mix containers from their shipping company and you cannot tell whether the beef came from U.S, Canada or Mexico. So did I buy tainted meat one can only wonder? Then I was looking at the spaghetti and I looked at all of the brands and found one that state Product of the U.S.A, made and processed, here in the U.S. So that was one out of the three products that I got came from the U.S.

Of course I didn’t look for a different sauce because I was not in the mood to make dinner come to find out that I didn’t like the sauce, and not have the spaghetti for dinner. On another note I love shrimp. Today in class we also found out that the U.S imported $376 million dollars of shrimp last year. They also showed us that Thailand has not updated their pesticide regulations, so this means that problem all of the shrimp that I consumed last year was full of pesticides, that can cause cancers and birth defects in children.

The moral of this stories is that we should all care where are food comes from and what harmful things that are in them. But we cant all just stop eating we need to let the public know what’s at stake when they eat tainted food and have them choose for themselves.

Food, Fuel and future: the war between Food and Fuel

Food, Fuel and future: The War Between Food and Fuel

            As the world becomes more developed and populated, there is a concern for the usage of natural resources and food, to sustain the growing population.  This pose the question will we be able to produce enough food and fuel for the future. There has been and introduction of Bio fuel based corn ethanol being the main resource to produce the bio fuel. This purposes the question if we use the land to grow fuel instead of food will there be enough in the future. This paper will discuss the pros and cons of producing bio fuels instead of food.

Ethanol fuel is ethanol (ethyl alcohol), the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. It can be used as a transport fuel, mainly as a bio fuel additive for gasoline.  There are many pros of producing bio fuels such as corn based ethanol. First the production of ethanol will help reduce the dependence on petroleum based fuel. There is use of 10% ethanol gasoline and has been mandated in some U.S. states and cities, that there must be a blend of 10% ethanol. Ethanol is a renewable energy. Ethanol can be made from crops such as potatoes, sugar cane, manioc and corn. Corn is the most widely use because it is easy to grow most anywhere. "Fossil fuel-based gasoline is the largest source of man-made carcinogens and the number one source of toxic emissions, according to the U.S. EPA. Ethanol is a renewable, environmentally friendly fuel that is inherently cleaner than gasoline. Ethanol reduces harmful tailpipe emissions of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen, and other ozone-forming pollutants.”

Growing for fuels vs. food is not the way to go. Food should be the moist important because there is going to be an estimated increase in the population to go to 9 billion in 2050. If the land is being used to produce corps for ethanol rather than food then, how are we going to feed such a large population? The cons especially when it is made from corn because growing corn requires expending energy - plowing, fertilizing, planting, and harvesting all require machinery that burns fossil fuel. Modern agriculture depends on large quantities of fertilizer and pesticides; these are produced by methods that use fossil fuels. Then there is the cost of transporting the corn to an ethanol plant. Where the corn must be fermentation and distillation before it can be used. The first is price, ethanol prices fluctuate on a different cycle than gasoline, meaning that ethanol is sometimes cheaper but sometimes more expensive. This is bad news for consumers because even if the price of gas at the pump is cheaper than gasoline, using ethanol may not be less expensive in the end. At present, fertile cropland, is being lost at an alarming rate, nearly one-third of the world's cropland (1.5 billion acres) has been abandoned during the past 40 years because erosion has made it unproductive (Pimentel et al., 1995). There are about 2 billion humans in the U.S. that are now malnourished, indicating a combination of insufficient food, low incomes, and inadequate distribution of food. This is the largest number of hungry humans ever recorded in history. China about 80 million are now malnourished and hungry, by using the land to produce fuel instead of food is going to cause the number of malnourished people to increase. The food prices are increase because of using the corn for ethanol instead of food. The corn to produce one tank of ethanol based fuel, can feed a human male for one year.

So should corn base ethanol still be produce, not at the current state because it is costing more to produce it than it is worth.  There are other alternatives to use in corn like algae base gases that are more efficient and should be looked into.                                                          

Works cited

Trucks., (n.d.). Ethanol: Is it the best solution? Get to know the pros and cons | PennLive.com. Read your favorite Central Pennsylvania blogs - PennLive.com. Retrieved February 21, 2011, from http://blog.pennlive.com/naturalliving

Alternatives to Corn-Based Ethanol are Coming - BusinessWeek. (n.d.). BusinessWeek - Business News, Stock Market & Financial Advice. Retrieved February 21, 2011, from http://www.businessweek.com/investing/green_business/archives/2008/05/alternatives_to_corn-based_ethanol_are_coming.html