FDA Finds Violations in Iowa Egg Recall Case
An outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) that has sickened hundreds of people across the country has led to a recall of shell eggs. On August 13, Wright County Egg voluntarily conducted a nationwide recall of shell eggs on 3 of its 5 farms. Further epidemiologic and traceback information led to Wright County Egg expanding its recall on August 18 to cover all 5 farms and 380 million eggs (according to company figures). The FDA is monitoring the recall, including conducting audit checks at retail stores, wholesalers, and distributors to make sure the recalled shell eggs are being removed from the market. The FDA is in ongoing communications with Wright County Egg to ensure that appropriate preventive measures are put in place to reduce the risk of recurrence.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration, 9/2

Temple Grandin Movie Wins 7 Emmy Awards
The very talented cast and crew of the HBO film Temple Grandin received most of the major awards in their catagory! It won for Best Made-for-Television Movie, Best Director, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Music Composition, and Best Camera Editing at the 62nd Emmy Awards on Sunday August 29, 2010.  

At the podium, the cast members humbly redirected the spotlight to Dr. Grandin herself, who attended the award ceremony with her mother, Eustacia Cutler.  The movie’s director, Mick Jackson, said of Dr. Grandin, "She was an inspiration to all … and a hero to everyone in the autism world."   Claire Danes, who portrayed Temple in the movie, said, “It was an honor to portray the life of this brilliant woman." 
TempleGrandin.com, 9/2

Dairy Checkoff Partners with Newsweek
A partnership between dairy producers, through the checkoff-funded National Dairy Council and Newsweek, has led to the distribution of more than 1 million copies of the “How to Build a Healthy Kid” back-to-school guidebook.

Multiple copies of the guidebook, developed and produced by Newsweek at no additional cost to dairy producers, will be included in information being distributed to more than 60,000 schools participating in NDC’s Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP60) program this fall. FUTP60 is a collaborative in-school effort with the National Football League that encourages the consumption and availability of nutrient-rich foods, including low-fat and fat-free dairy, along with 60 minutes of daily physical activity.
Dairy Herd, 9/2

Gotta Hand It To 'Em
 If you live in the West, you’ve probably heard their ads. Even if you live back East, you’ve undoubtedly sampled their product. “They” are the members of the California Avocado Commission, and their latest radio, print and online campaign provides a well-designed template for how to promote agricultural products in a positive yet consumer-friendly style.
 
Even with all their advantages, though, it still takes some skill to strike the right tone and push the right buttons in any advertising campaign. The California avocado growers have done just that, especially with their radio ads. Each 30-second spot manages to connect in four key areas: (1) They’re personalized; (2) They’re historic; (3) They’re delicious; and (4) They’re responsible. To learn more about the California Avocado Commission’s marketing approach, log onto http://www.avocado.org
Ag Network, 9/2

What Does Discovery Of Bovine Tuberculosis In A Herd In Ohio Mean For Ohio Livestock Farmers?
The July 7, 2010, press release from the Ohio Department of Agriculture announcing that a dairy herd had recently been detected with bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and subsequently depopulated was perhaps a surprise to some people, but to those who have been observing similar kinds of discoveries in other states, it was not. In fact in an article in the Ohio BEEF Cattle Letter that appeared just before the ODA press release, we briefly discussed biosecurity and the concern of introducing diseases, like tuberculosis and others characterized by "silent" infections, into herds and flocks. In the short term, the impact of this discovery on Ohio farmers will be rather minimal and limited to the herd affected, the herds in which animals from this herd were traced, and the regulatory agencies charged with the tracing and testing activity (of course they are supported with our tax dollars). Should additional herds be discovered in the next two years, the possibility of loss of our "free" status with respect to bTB exists. This could have a profound impact on Ohio farmers.
CattleNetwork, 9/1

Call Made for Continued Use of Antibiotics
A public policy think tank, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, has submitted comments on an FDA proposal to limit the use of certain antibiotics in livestock, warning that a ban could unintentionally increase the threat of foodborne illness in the United States. The FDA draft guidance would prohibit the use of "medically important" antibiotics for growth promotion in food-producing animals such as cows, pigs, and chickens, and would require veterinary oversight for remaining uses.

Gregory Conko, CEI’s Director of Food and Drug Policy, says - whether you're talking about human or animal use, banning beneficial uses today can have negative impacts on human and animal health just as surely as a lack of long-term drug efficacy can. Instead, according to Conko, - we need to balance the current benefits of antimicrobial use against the inevitable development of resistance, and this can include using antibiotics for livestock growth promotion purposes.
Hoosier Ag Today, 8/31

FDA Seeks Court Order Against Michigan Dairy
The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has filed a complaint for permanent injunction against Scenic View Dairy of Hamilton, Mich., its president, and three of its managers alleging that they sold dairy cows for human consumption that contained illegal drug residues in edible tissues.

The complaint, filed Aug. 31, 2010, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, also alleges that the defendants, despite numerous warnings, sold for slaughter dairy cows that were treated with drugs contrary to the drugs’ FDA-approved labeling and without a valid veterinary prescription authorizing such use.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration, 8/31

Animal Advocates Urge Butterball to Change Turkey Processing
Butterball is under increasing pressure to change the way it kills millions of turkeys every year. Workers at the Garner, N.C., company's factories shock turkeys, cut their throats and immerse them in a tank of scalding water, sometimes while they're still conscious, the Humane Society reports. The advocacy group is asking Smithfield Foods, which owns 49 percent of Butterball, to recommend that Butterball phase in a new method of gassing turkeys. The group will present its proposal at Smithfield's annual shareholder meeting in Williamsburg, Va., on Wednesday afternoon.
Bellingham Herald, 8/31

Ohio Animal Welfare Agreement Back in News
Ohio agriculture director Robert Boggs tells the Columbus Dispatch that he considers the agreement brokered by Ohio ag interests and The Humane Society of the United States to be “non-binding”.  And Boggs says it’s still up to the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board to decide if it wants to follow the deal or not. 

Meanwhile, HSUS head Wayne Pacelle has reminded members of the Livestock Care Standards Board that HSUS could still proceed with an animal welfare ballot initiative in Ohio.  He says that will depend on what the board does as it works through tough policy issues related to confinement of swine and poultry.
Brownfield Network, 8/30

Poultry Association, Humane Society Battle for Public Opinion After Iowa Egg Recall
The voluntary recall of more than half a billion Iowa eggs has advocacy groups on both sides of the issue ready to make their case in the court of public sentiment. The Iowa Poultry Association and the Humane Society of the United States have not been on the same side of any issue for quite some time. In fact, of the five press releases generated by the Iowa Poultry Association since April, three have been in response to HSUS allegations. The massive recall of Iowa eggs tainted with Salmonella, however, have both sides flexing their marketing arms in appeals to the public.
Iowa Independent, 8/30

Organizations Generate 180,000 Letters Protesting Use of Livestock Antibiotics
Last Friday, a broad coalition of organizations hand-delivered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more than 180,000 letters responding to the agency's request for comments on rules governing the use of antibiotics on industrial farms. By the tens of thousands, American citizens have sent the FDA a clear message: antibiotics are a vital foundation of public health in the United States; overuse and misuse has created a threatening crisis of antibiotic resistance; and it is time for the federal government to ensure strict veterinary oversight and force the food animal industry to curtail the routine use of antibiotics.

The letters were collected by a coalition of organizations committed to saving antibiotics as pillars of public health in the United States. The groups include: Center for Food Safety; Center for Science in the Public Interest; CREDO Action; FamilyFarmed.org; Farm Aid; Food & Water Watch; Food Democracy Now!; The Humane Society of the United States; Organic Consumers Association; and Union of Concerned Scientists.
Ag Marketing, 8/30

ASI Scheduled for RFD-TV Live on Sept. 13
Mark your calendars! The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) will be highlighted on the RFD-TV LIVE show on Monday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. Central time. ASI will be promoting the sheep industry and encouraging more production.

Although there are 82,000 sheep producers across the country, sheep production is not top of mind with other producers in agriculture when looking to create a solid business opportunity. With a strong, steady market for lambs since 2002, and now with record prices for feeder and market lambs and the strongest wool market since the 1980s, the sheep industry should be on every farmer/rancher's mind when looking to enhance or diversify his or her agricultural operation.
American Sheep Industry Assn., 8/27