AnimalNet Dec. 22/03
South Korean
soldiers combat bird flu
GM straw
could increase livestock production
Experts
solve Christmas turkey teaser
Genetically
altered GloFish get dull reception in Houston
NPPC forms
new committee to address animal health, food security issues
Russia says
U.S. poultry row settled – agencies
West
Virginia proposes $84,000 fine for Pilgrim's Pride plant
Revision of
TSE testing in sheep and goats
Consultation:
The Commission publishes a reflection paper on control of residues of veterinary
medicinal products and Maximum Residue Limits
Consultation:
Veterinary controls on live animals and animal products from third countries in
the context of the enlarged European Union
Mandatory
country of origin labeling of beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable agricultural
commodities, and peanuts
how to subscribe
South
Korean soldiers combat bird flu
December 21, 2003
Associated Press/ Reuters
SEOUL, South Korea -- The South Korean government was cited as sending hundreds
of soldiers to farms Monday to help slaughter chickens and ducks in an effort to
contain a contagious bird flu spreading throughout the country.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry was cited as saying it confirmed new
infections of the H5N1 virus at farms up to 143 miles from the site in central
South Korea where the disease was first detected.
Since the first outbreak, which killed 20,000 chickens at a farm in Umsung,
about 40 miles south of Seoul, agriculture officials have culled 300,000 ducks
and chickens as a precaution.
GM
straw could increase livestock production
December 22, 2003
Crop Biotech Update
www.isaaa.org/kc
Jonathan Gressel, Professor of Plant Sciences of the Weizmann Institute of
Science in Rehovot, Israel, and colleagues observed that straw could increase
animal production, by at least one third, if its lignin content is decreased
through genetic modification. This process would make straw more digestible, and
also increase the carbohydrate available to ruminant animals.
Gressel stated that if straw can be converted into hay-quality material using a
combination of biotechnology, physical and chemical treatments, this roughage
could be given more ecological and economic importance. Ammonification, which
separates lignin and serve as a nitrogen source for ruminant bacteria, and
biotreatment with ligninolytic fungi are the technologies that can be used for
upgrading.
This technology, according to the researchers, could increase cattle, goat, and
sheep production by at least 25%. US and Europe could produce another 200
million cattle per year (35% increase); Asia 250 million more cattle (50%
increase); Africa 170 million more goats per year, or 500 million goats if its
current grain yields were tripled to match the global aver age; and Australia
could produce 30 million more sheep (25% increase).
For more information, email Jonathan Gressel at Jonathan.Gressel@weizmann .ac.il.
Experts
solve Christmas turkey teaser
December 21, 2003
University of Sheffield
Experts from the University of Sheffield have identified the genetic switch that
helps explain which parts of the Christmas turkey are white meat and which are
dark. Dr Philip Ingham and his colleagues have worked on fish muscle cells to
find a genetic switch that determines muscle fibre type in all vertebrates. The
full paper will be published online by Nature on 21 December.
It has long been known that dark meat is made up of slow twitch muscle fibres,
which is specialised for extended exertions, such as the long flight of ducks
and geese. White meat is made up fast muscle, which fuels quick bursts of effort
such as the short flights of turkeys and chickens.
Dr. Ingham, of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University
of Sheffield, has determined that Blimp-1 is the genetic switch that determines
muscle fibre type in the embryo. He explains, “We have seen Blimp-1 before, as
it is also used to determine the type of some white blood cells, but this is the
first time it has been linked to muscle development. The find is particularly
important because it is likely that the same switch is used in mammals, fish and
birds. From this we can conclude that Blimp-1 is a key regulator of slow twitch
muscle in all animals. This finding has implications for future research into
how muscle genes are switched on and off and could provide new ways of
manipulating the proportions of slow and fast twitch fibres in muscles.”
Notes to Editors
This three year project was funded by the Wellcome Trust, with support from the
Medical Research Council.
Genetically
altered GloFish get dull reception in Houston
December 22, 2003
Houston Chronicle
Dina Cappiello
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2313764
A fluorescent red fish that was hyped as the first genetically modified pet
available in the United States has arrived in Houston but, according to this
story, it isn't receiving glowing reviews.
The story adds that employees at Village Tropical Fish, a 26-year-old Montrose
aquarium shop that was among the first in the country to receive a shipment of
the GloFish -- a zebra fish that contains the gene of a sea anemone -- found it
dull, actually.
Don Scott, the manager, referring to the bright pictures of the fish dispersed
by Yorktown Technologies, the Austin company that genetically engineered it, was
quoted as saying, "Looking at the literature, and seeing the fish is quite
different." The story adds that the 50 or so 2-inch fish darting around a
marquis tank at the South Shepherd store last week had the fuzzy hue of an
orange highlighter, not the flashy red color the company said could be expected
under normal light. In many cases, the natural fish swimming in other tanks
nearby were brighter. Normal zebra fish -- natives of tropical Asia -- are
silver and black.
Scott was further quoted as saying, "They don't have phosphorescence. It's
going to be a flash in the pan ... and in the long run, people are going to be
disappointed."
Talley Summerlin, a spokesman for Yorktown Technologies was cited as saying
Friday that the fish were never supposed to glow unless under a black light,
adding, "These are not like those glow-in-the-dark light sticks. They
reflect light and appear to glow in the dark. There needs to be a light
source."
NPPC
forms new committee to address animal health, food security issues
December 18, 2003
National Pork Producers Council
http://www.nppc.org/news/releases/2003/031219Animal_Health_FINAL.html
WASHINGTON, D.C. —The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has established a
new Animal Health and Food Security Committee to consider science-based
approaches to these and emerging related issues facing the U.S. pork industry.
The committee is comprised of 17 members with expertise in a variety of swine
health, welfare and food security issues. Members include veterinarians,
scientists, pork producers and others engaged in the business of providing safe
and wholesome pork products to the marketplace.
“Since September 11, 2001, concerns have been raised about the potential for
terrorism aimed at the nation’s food supply,” said Joy Philippi, a pork
producer from Bruning, Nebraska and chair of NPPC’s Animal Health and Food
Security Committee. “Food safety is a high priority for all stakeholders in
the pork industry and we are all going to have to be increasingly vigilant about
enhancing security measures on the farm level,” she said.
Through the Committee, NPPC will continue to communicate our concerns and offer
science-based solutions to both Congress and government officials working
together to strengthen our efforts to ensure the continued good health and value
of the U.S. pork industry.”
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is one of the nation's largest
livestock commodity organizations. It has producer members in 44 affiliated
state associations and provides a unified voice for America's pork producers on
a wide range of industry and public policy issues. NPPC's website is at
www.nppc.org.
Russia
says U.S. poultry row settled – agencies
December 22, 2003
Reuters
MOSCOW - Local news agencies cited Russia's Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev
as saying on Monday the United States had finally agreed to all of Moscow's
veterinary rules in a long-standing poultry trade dispute with the U.S., adding,
"On Friday, there were final talks with the U.S. Agriculture Minister. All
issues are settled, the American side has fully acknowledged our rules and all
producers have been informed about them."
West
Virginia proposes ,000 fine for Pilgrim's Pride plant
December 22, 2003
Meatingplace.com
Joshua Lipsky
http://www.meatingplace.com/DailyNews/init.asp?clickthrough=true&ID=11626
Pilgrim's Pride's Hardy County (W.Va.) chicken processing plant could face more
than $80,000 in fines to settle more than four years of water pollution
violations, according to West Virginia's Department of Environmental Protection.
According to the DEP proposal, state regulators would fine the Pittsburg,
Texas-based processor $84,000, and the company would spend an additional $87,000
on a supplemental environmental project to be named later. Pilgrims Pride said
the company has already completed construction of a pollution control device
that stops illegal levels of bacteria from infiltrating the South Branch of the
Potomac River.
DEP said that the Moorefield processing plant has been under scrutiny for years
and added that unregulated runoff from the chicken farm has dumped more fecal
coliform into area streams than is considered safe.
Revision
of TSE testing in sheep and goats
December 19, 2003
EU Commission – Press Release
IP/03/1793
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/1793|0|RAPID&lg=EN
The Commission has adopted an amendment to the transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies (TSE) Regulation(1), easing the heightened level of testing for
TSEs in sheep and goats in the EU. TSEs are a family of diseases characterised
by a degeneration of brain tissue which include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle and scrapie in
sheep. Testing was introduced in 2002 to provide more information on the level
of TSEs in the EU sheep and goat population. This target has now been achieved
and future surveillance will be focused on specific target groups.
Active surveillance of TSEs in the Community's sheep and goat population was
first made an EU requirement on 1 January 2002. It was later decided to step up
this surveillance. From 1 April 2002 the minimum number of sheep and goats to be
tested annually for TSEs in Member States which slaughter a large number of
adult sheep was increased to 66,000 animals, made up of 60,000 healthy
slaughtered animals and 6,000 dead-on-farm animals over the age of 18 months.
Member States which slaughter lesser numbers were required to increase testing
to meet achievable targets.
The Commission proposed heightened surveillance in response to an Opinion
delivered by the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) on 18-19 October 2001 which
called for an urgent survey on the incidence of TSEs in the sheep and goat
population of the EU.
What has testing achieved?
Up to the end of October 2003, some 850,000 sheep and goats had been tested
across the Community as part of the new measures, giving rise to the
confirmation of scrapie in over 2,000 animals. This is in addition to over 1,000
cases of the disease picked up by vets and farmers in animals showing clinical
signs.
The surveillance has allowed some Member States who had little knowledge of the
scrapie status of their sheep and goat population to have an approximate idea of
the size of the problem. It also led to the confirmation of scrapie in one
Member State (Finland) for the first time.
What happens now?
As the previous set-up has achieved its initial target, the Commission today
adopted a new testing regime which will apply from 1 January 2004. From now on
separate sample sizes will be set for sheep and goats. In abattoirs, the number
of sheep to be tested is greatly reduced, while testing of goats will no longer
be compulsory.
Greater emphasis is given to the testing of dead-on-farm sheep and goats in all
Member States. The highest number of infected animals is usually found in this
category.
Details of the number of tests required under the new measures, as well as
figures for the adult sheep and goat population in the EU 15 and Acceding
Countries, are attached.
At the moment scrapie, a disease not thought to have any implications for human
health, is the only TSE that is known to occur naturally in these species.
However, concern has existed for some years that BSE may have entered into the
sheep and goat population at a low level. To date there is no evidence that BSE
is present in small ruminants under field conditions.
In 2004, €4.55 million will be available to co-finance testing for scrapie in
existing and certain future Member States. Another €15.67 million in EU
funding has been allocated for scrapie eradication measures.
Annex 1
Adult sheep and goat population in Member States and Acceding Countries
' Adult sheep(2) Adult goats(3)
BE Belgium 108,667(4) 18,760(5)
DK Denmark 73,000 10,000(6)
DE Germany 1,592,000 120,0004
GR Greece 6,692,000 3,898,000
ES Spain 17,665,141 2,330,953
FR France 7,012,395 1,026,475
IE Ireland 3,730,900 6,0004
IT Italy 7,290,000 821,000
LU Luxembourg 6,783 1,3704
NL Netherlands 975,000 201,0004
AT Austria 203,548 38,005
PT Portugal 2,279,272 390,510
FI Finland 48,500 3,800
SE Sweden 198,000 3,7504
UK United Kingdom 16,429,882 49,000
EU 15 64,305,088 8,918,623
' Adult sheep Adult goats
Cyprus 213,174 305,973
Czech Republic 40,000 8,000
Estonia 20,600 2,300
Hungary 854,000 55,000
Lithuania 8,400 15,100
Latvia 16,800 6,200
Malta 6,063(7) 1,9584
Poland 207,961 100,542(8)
Slovenia 75,896 16,744
Slovak Republic 256,963 37,712
10 ACs 1,699,857 549,529
Annex 2
Annual Testing Requirements in Sheep and Goats from 1 January 2004
Healthy Slaughter Sheep
Member State population of adult sheep Minimum sample size of healthy slaughter
sheep to be tested
750,000 10,000
750,000 0
Dead-on-farm Sheep
Member State population of adult sheep Minimum sample size of dead sheep to be
tested
750,000 10,000
100,000 750,000 1,500
40,000 100,000 500
40,000 100
Dead-on-farm Goats
Member State population adult goats Minimum sample size of dead goats to be
tested
750,000 5,000
250,000 750,000 1,500
40,000 250,000 500
40,000 50
(1) Regulation 999/2001/EC of the European Parliament and Council.
(2) Ewes and ewe lambs put to the ram (Eurostat 2002 figure).
(3) Goats which have already kidded and goats mated (Eurostat 2002 figure)/
(4) 2000 figure.
(5) Calculated as 75% of 2002 total goat figure.
(6) Info direct from Member State.
(7) Calculated as 75% of 2002 total sheep figure.
(8) 2001 figure.
Consultation:
The Commission publishes a reflection paper on control of residues of veterinary
medicinal products and Maximum Residue Limits
December 18, 2003
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/consultations/cons2_en.htm
DG Enterprise and DG Health and Consumer Protection have reflected on several
current issues connected to the Community legislation on residues of veterinary
medicinal products in food. This discussion paper presents points that need to
be considered and debated with a view to reassess and modify the legislation to
better serve the needs of all stakeholders. The goal is to determine new means
to balance consumer protection, animal health and welfare as well as trade
requirements concerning residues of pharmacologically active substances used in
veterinary medicinal products in food producing animals.
On the basis of the comments and suggestions received, the Commission will
present a proposal for new legislation both on the evaluation of residues of
pharmacologically active substances and their control in food.
Please provide your comments no later than 20 March 2004 to comments-mrl@cec.eu.int
or in writing to Mr. Philippe Brunet, Head of Unit DG Enterprise F2 and Mrs.
Patricia Brunko, Head of Unit D3, DG Health and Consumer Protection, European
Commission, Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049, Brussels, Belgium.
Consultation:
Veterinary controls on live animals and animal products from third countries in
the context of the enlarged European Union
December 18, 2003
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/consultations/cons1_en.htm
1. General
The internal market for live animals and animal products is based upon the
elimination of veterinary checks at the internal borders and the completion of
all checks for live animals and animal products coming from third countries in
specific locations situated at the external borders – border inspection posts.
Enlargement will have a considerable impact on this regime of veterinary checks,
due to the considerable extension of the European Union territory. This fact is
especially notable for the Eastern border of the European Union.
It is essential to guarantee the protection of both public health and animal
health in the European Union. In view of this aim all new border inspection
posts must be fully in conformity in terms of both the facilities and the
application of EU import rules. It is also clear that this new situation will
have a potential impact on trade especially for exports of certain third
countries to the EU and to certain other third countries
2. Development Strategy
With a view to establishing the new list of border inspection posts it is
foreseen to proceed as follows.
As a first step it is for the competent authority of each applicant country to
propose the location for all new border inspection posts. The Commission shall
subsequently list those posts which are completed to EU requirements both for
facilities and procedures and which will therefore be approved for accession.
Considerable preparatory work has already taken place to evaluate which border
inspection posts are likely to meet these requirements. The present document
sets down the list of these locations where the Commission services (Health and
Consumer Protection DG) are confident that the above criteria will be met for
accession. However, the list is not yet complete as the evaluation exercise is
underway.
First Part
This list is based upon criteria linked to the monitoring actions in the context
of enlargement.
• All sites have been visited by the Food and Veterinary Office.
• Sites have been the subject of a peer review.
• Facilities at September 2003 are either completed, or are in an advanced
stage of construction likely to be completed by the time of accession.
• There has been a clear commitment and guarantees given by the candidate
country to complete the facilities for accession, and to put in place the
necessary resources and inspection procedures.
Second Part
For reasons of clarity the second part covers the list of border inspection
posts in present Member States that will cease to function at accession.
View full list (First Part and Second Part)
3. Calendar and Comments
It must be underlined that this list is not a formal proposal of the Commission
but a first step to alert third countries and all different parties who have an
interest, including commercial and private operators. The presence of any
location on this list does not guarantee or prejudge the content of the final
list. The Commission services have the intention to submit to the Commission a
draft decision in December 2003 which will include any additional locations
completed up to that time.
Applicant countries have proposed more than thirty additional locations for
inclusion on the list for approval as border inspection posts, but at the
present time these facilities are still under development and cannot yet be
approved. Amendment and addition to this first draft list will therefore be
carried out before accession taking account of new developments, further
information received from applicants, and planned FVO missions, if the
additional locations are completed sufficiently before 1st May 2004.
The official list of border inspection posts is not closed however, and after
accession throughout 2004, or later, further additions in response to trade
developments and completion of new facilities will be made by the standard
procedure laid down in EU legislation, a process that is regularly carried out
by the Commission at the request of Member States.
All comments should be addressed to :
Alejandro Checchi Lang
Director
Directorate E
Health and Consumer Protection DG
European Commission
Bureau 7-58
Froissart 101
Brussels 1049
tel: +32 (02 296 56838
fax : +32 (02) 296 4286
e-mail : alejandro.checchi-lang@cec.eu.int
Mandatory
country of origin labeling of beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable agricultural
commodities, and peanuts
December 22, 2003
[Federal Register: (Volume 68, Number 245)]
[Page 71039-71040]
[DOCID:fr22de03-9]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
[Doc. No. LS-04-04]
RIN 0581-AC26
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period; correction.
SUMMARY: On October 30, 2003, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) published
a proposed rule (68 FR 61944) for the mandatory country of origin labeling
program as mandated by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Farm
Bill) and the 2002 Supplemental Appropriations Act (Appropriations Act), which
amended the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (Act) to require retailers to
notify their customers of the country of origin of covered commodities beginning
September 30, 2004. AMS is extending the comment period to February 27, 2004, at
the request of industry trade associations to provide interested parties with
additional time to file comments. In addition, AMS is making corrections to the
``Analysis of Benefits and Costs'' section of the preliminary cost-benefit
assessment of the proposed rule in order to correct minor transcription errors.
The estimated recordkeeping and implementation costs as well as the estimated
overall impact to the economy as a result of the proposed rule remain unchanged.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 27, 2004, to be assured
of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Country of Origin Labeling
Program, Room 2092-S, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), USDA, STOP
0249, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0249, or by facsimile
to 202-720-3499, or by e-mail to cool@usda.gov. Comments
received will be posted to the AMS Web site at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/cool/.
Comments sent to the above location that specifically pertain to the information
collection and recordkeeping requirements should also be sent to the Desk
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 725 17th Street,
NW., Room 725, Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Keeney, Deputy Administrator,
Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, by telephone on 202-720-4722, or via
e-mail at: robert.keeney@usda.gov; or William Sessions, Associate Deputy
Administrator, Livestock and Seed Program, AMS, USDA, by telephone on (202)
720-5705, or via e-mail at: william.sessions@usda.gov.
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