There is no substantiated evidence of human health risk from genetically engineered crops, according to a new study by the National Academy of Sciences, nor did it find “conclusive cause-and-effect evidence” of environmental problems.
However, NAS called resistance to current GE characteristics in crops a major agricultural problem.
Nearly 900 studies were examined by researchers on the effects of GE maize, soybean and cotton, along with public meetings and webinars.
“The committee focused on listening carefully and responding thoughtfully to members of the public who have concerns about GE crops and foods, as well as those who feel that there are great benefits to be had from GE crops,” said Fred Gould, committee chair and University Distinguished Professor of Entomology and co-director of the Genetic Engineering and Society Center at North Carolina State University.
“Studies with animals and research on the chemical composition of GE foods currently on the market reveal no differences that would implicate a higher risk to human health and safety than from eating their non-GE counterparts,” the 420-page report found. “Though long-term epidemiological studies have not directly addressed GE food consumption, available epidemiological data do not show associations between any disease or chronic conditions and the consumption of GE foods.”
On the environmental impact, NAS found the use of insect-resistant or herbicide-resistant crops did not reduce the diversity of plant and insect life on farms, though the panel said the long-term environmental changes cannot be assessed at this time.
NAS did not find the effects of GE crops on agriculture as completely beneficial.
“Evidence shows that in locations where insect-resistant crops were planted but resistance-management strategies were not followed, damaging levels of resistance evolved in some target insects.” Also, data on the commodity crops show no evidence that GE crops increased yields.
On the issue of regulation, NAS said the committee did not believe mandatory labeling of GE foods was necessary based on human health concerns, but the issue may be influenced by “value choices,” such as social issues.
The new report comes as leaders on the Senate Agriculture Committee are feverishly working on compromise legislation to build a federal solution to GE food labeling as many food companies fear Vermont’s mandatory labeling law that went into effect in July.
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By Cargo Data
Industry leaders have been working with regulators to understand how enforcement will be approached. The following points will most likely characterize regulatory enforcement:
1) Enforcement for of the Sanitary Transportation requirements will begin 12 months from release of the Final Rule for large firms. This means enforcement will begin March 2017 for many large perishables handlers. Enforcement for smaller firms will begin March 2018.
2) Inspectors will not generally be interested in reviewing reams (or gigabytes!) of data related to in-transit temperatures, product accept/reject reports, or other detailed information. Instead:
3) Compliance will likely be considered satisfactory when subject firms can demonstrate they have developed and implemented systems which satisfy the requirements of FSMA.
For example: Since FSMA mandates that all authorized individuals in the supply chain (shippers, carriers, Receivers) must remove suspected adulterated or abused products from the supply chain, can each participant demonstrate its system supports such action?
Cargo Data recommends Lightning NFC as a vital element of your new FSMA compliance program. The Lightning NFC system is designed specifically to provide each participant in the cold chain with immediate temperature data review and automatically archives the data to the Cloud. Lightning NFC supports FSMA by making it easy to check cold chain integrity and to make informed decisions about product safety.
Lightning NFC temperature recorders can be ordered online.
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Associated Wholesale Grocers and Affiliated Foods Midwest Cooperative plan to merge their distribution businesses.
The transaction, which is subject to the approval of Affiliated Foods Midwest shareholders, is expected to close later this year, according to a news release.
“This exciting endeavor is exactly what we need to allow our retailers to compete, grow and be profitable,” Martin Arter, president and CEO of Affiliated Foods Midwest, said in the release.
Associated Wholesale Grocers currently supplies members that operate more than 3,000 stores in 30 states. Affiliated Foods Midwest supplies members that operate more than 800 stores in 15 states.
Barring any changes, members of both cooperatives will be members of Associated Wholesale Grocers when the deal is finalized.
“Expanding our collective distribution areas into several new adjoining states and adding over 800 new member stores will make our unified cooperatives stronger together, leveraging not only the additional scale and buying power but also employing and implementing the best practices of each that have been developed over the 80 to 90 years that our respective cooperatives have been in business,” David Smith, president and CEO of Associated Wholesale Grocers, said in the release.
About AWG
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) is a retailer-owned cooperative serving retail member stores with a complete assortment of grocery, fresh meat, fresh produce, specialty foods, health care, and general merchandise items. AWG has an extensive distribution network and nine distribution centers which serve retail outlets in over 26 states. AWG provides its retail members, many of them family-owned businesses, with assistance in establishing a strategic position in their marketplace that builds upon their unique strengths. Our procurement and marketing departments are positioned to assist members in developing plans to excel in virtually any effort, and resources are structured to provide support services that allow members the best opportunity to win at retail.
AWG has been distributing success since 1924 and sales have grown steadily since then. (Click the history tab below to learn more.) Once again, 2015 was a record year for AWG with sales reaching $8.94 billon.
About AFWC
The AFWC story began in 1931 when a group of independent grocers near Plainview, Nebraska, joined together to form a wholesale buying group. Its founders built a business model in the cooperative spirit and continues the same business practices today – focusing on the independent grocer.
Affiliated Foods Midwest is a retailers’ cooperative based in Norfolk, Nebraska and Elwood, Kansas and serving the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Michigan. Affiliated Foods Midwest built a new distribution center in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2009.
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Ever heard of jackfruit? Some are considering it America’s next big meat alternative.
Diners familiar with Indian kathal ki biryani, Vietnamese sinh to mit, or Filipino halo-halo may already be familiar with the jackfruit, that relative of the fig that can grow to an enormous size and smells either exquisitely perfumed or nauseating, depending on the person.
It has been used as an alternative in Asia for possible thousands of years as a meat alternative. according to Daniel Staackman of Upton’s Naturals, a vegan food company/cafe that sells pre-seasoned and pre-packaged jackfruit among its line of products.
The jackfruit tree that is easily grown and drought-resistant, with very nutritious fruit that happens to bear a striking resemblance to meat when cooked. Every part of this native Southeast Asian tree can be used. In fact, green jackfruit, aka the “meaty” part of the fruit usually only available canned in the United States, is actually the entire fruit — rind, flesh, and seed — before it has had a chance to mature (or grow to up to 100 pounds).
There are a number of companies selling the pre-cooked and seasoned fruit as a meat substitute, with a rapidly growing market across the U.S. By marketing the young fruit as healthful vegan food, brands have found a way to use the fruit at early stages, when it is much easier to preserve and ship. And many restaurants and brands have recently started marketing jackfruit as a “vegan pulled pork,” citing other vegan cooks and recipe developers as inspiration.
But while it might seem like this fruit — a far cry from slow smoked pig — came out of nowhere in the United States, its development as profitable product has been happening simultaneously in India, a country where (according to advocates and entrepreneurs) currently 80 percent of the jackfruit grown goes to waste. But how are groups in both countries — from agricultural experts to vegan chefs — developing the supply chain and market for this fruit? And could the jackfruit be key to fighting food insecurity worldwide?
The reason we weren’t already eating jackfruit all the time is that jackfruit is difficult to work with. “A whole jackfruit is a commitment. They can be the size of a toddler,” says cookbook author Andrea Nguyen, whose books Into the Vietnamese Kitchen and Asian Dumplings feature jackfruit recipes, albeit for the fully ripe fruit. The resin under the rind sticks to anything that isn’t oiled, and gloves must be worn to break it down. Its smell when fully ripe is also too close to that of the infamous durian for many people.
Jackfruit is grown in many countries, but India — with a vegetarian population in the hundreds of millions — is the only one with a history of using the young fruit as a stand-in for meat, most often in stir-fries, curries, and a popular rice dish called kathal ki biryani. The Bengal word for the fruit translates as “tree mutton” or “the meat which grows on a tree.” In northern India, it’s known as Brahmin’s meat, or “meat” for the revered portion of the Hindu population made of priests, teachers, and religious scholars.
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Lake City, Minn. – Members of the Next Big Thing Growers’ Cooperative recently released their estimates for the 2016 crop of SweeTango, the sweet, tangy, and remarkably crunchy apple that was developed by the University of Minnesota to feature the best characteristics of the Honeycrisp and Zestar! apple varieties.
The projected crop yield is 450,000 standard 40-lb boxes, which is an 18% increase over last year’s crop of 380,000, and 9% larger than the 2014 harvest of 413,000 boxes.
Preliminary projections estimated a yield of 465,000 boxes for 2016, however severe storms on July 8 in Suttons Bay in northern Michigan produced hail up to 2” in diameter that caused extensive damage to the crop in that region, thereby reducing the overall estimate. Other growing regions across the U.S. and Canada have not been adversely affected by weather to date.
The timing of the harvest varies by growing region, as orchards are spread across differing climates in locations like Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and Nova Scotia, Canada. Washington will begin harvest first in early August, which means SweeTango will start appearing in the market around Labor Day.
As the SweeTango apple crop has continued to grow over the past decade, so does the length of the season. Once a hyper-seasonal fruit due to limited yields from a relatively small number of young orchards, SweeTango’s season is now expected to extend from early September to late December. This is great news for SweeTango’s enthusiastic and loyal consumer following.
Theron Kibbe, executive director of Next Big Thing Growers’ Cooperative noted, “We are looking forward to a good size SweeTango crop of excellent quality, with sizes that retailers are successful with. We have a robust marketing program in place that will drive shoppers to stores with SweeTango apples on their lists. We also will be partnering with retailers with in-store activities designed to increase trial and introduce new shoppers to SweeTango’s tangy-sweet flavor and exceptional crunch.”
NEXT BIG THING
Headquartered in Lake City, Minn., Next Big Thing, A Growers’ Cooperative is a 45-member cooperative of family growers, spread over five time zones from Nova Scotia to Washington State, that grows and markets managed varieties of apples, beginning with SweeTango. You can find more information on SweeTango at http://www.sweetango.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sweetango.
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By Frank Yiannas
Vice President, Food Safety – Walmart
With 795 million people in the world reportedly going hungry, food waste is an ugly problem to face. In the U.S. alone, it’s estimated that consumers throw away $29 billion worth of edible food each year in their homes. Walmart is especially concerned with reducing food waste – not only because we’re the world’s largest grocer, but as an integral part of our EDLC philosophy that provides you everyday low prices.
Two culprits of food wastage are confusion caused by food labels and the tossing of imperfect, but perfectly usable, fresh produce.
Consumers often mistake date labels as food safety indicators; however, most of the labels are created based on peak quality. Adding to the confusion is the different language used on labels, including “best by”, “use by” and “sell by”. That’s why, in the last year, we started requiring suppliers of nonperishable food products under our Great Value private label to use a standardized date label, “Best if used by”.
The switch will go into full effect this month and involves thousands of products.
What really got our attention was a report released in 2013 by the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic and the Natural Resources Defense Council, The Dating Game: How Confusing Food Date Labels Lead to Food Waste in America. My team has been working on a solution since then.
After surveying our customers about how they would choose a food label that indicated a change in quality but not safety, there was a clear winner: “Best if used by”. I expect the standard labels to have an even bigger impact on waste reduction since many of our suppliers sell products under their own labels outside of Walmart. This is significant, as the global economic impact of food wastage comes to about $750 billion each year.
Although food waste has been making headlines in recent months, including an in-depth article in the Guardian, Walmart has been doing its part for more than a decade to create a zero waste future by affecting change in the way we do business and throughout our supply chain, especially where fresh produce is concerned.
For years we’ve worked with farmers to repurpose fruits and vegetables that may be slightly blemished or oddly shaped. These items usually make up a very small part of a harvest and aren’t a major contributor to food waste; however, we know every bit counts. A customer may not take home a triangle-shaped apple from our produce bins, but that apple is just as tasty when made into apple juice.
Earlier this year we began selling Spuglies, Russet potatoes that were less than perfect on the outside thanks to rough weather in Texas. Working with our supplier, we found a way to offer these at a value price. Our wonky veg test at Asda in the UK was so popular, we now offer it year round when farmers have enough supply.
Because customers around the world shop very differently, our team here in the U.S. has been working for months on our first spec for this type of produce. We’re exploring the ways to make these items available while providing value to our customers and supporting farmers.
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The booming U.S. organic industry posted new records in 2015, with total organic product sales hitting a new benchmark of $43.3 billion, up 11 percent from the previous year’s record level and far outstripping the overall food market’s growth rate of 3 percent, according to the Organic Trade Association’s 2016 Organic Industry Survey.
The industry saw its largest annual dollar gain ever in 2015, adding $4.2 billion in sales, up from the $3.9 billion in new sales recorded in 2014. Of the $43.3 billion in total organic sales, $39.7 billion were organic food sales, up 11 percent from the previous year, and non-food organic products accounted for $3.6 billion, up 13 percent. Nearly 5 percent of all food sold in the U.S. is organic.
U.S. organic sales and growth over time
2015 was a year of significant growth for the industry despite the continued struggle to meet the consumer demand for organic. Supply issues persisted to dominate the industry, as organic production in the U.S. lagged behind consumption. In response, the organic industry came together in creative and proactive ways to address the supply challenge, to improve and develop infrastructure, and to advocate for policy to advance the sector.
“The industry joined in collaborative ways to invest in infrastructure and education, and individual companies invested in their own supply chains to ensure a dependable stream of organic products for the consumer. Despite all the challenges, the organic industry saw its largest dollar growth ever,” said OTA’s CEO and Executive Director Laura Batcha.
Produce the gateway to organic
Organic produce retained its longstanding spot as the largest of all the organic categories with sales of $14.4 billion, up 10.6 percent. Produce has always been and continues to be a gateway to organic. It’s easy for shoppers to make the connection between agricultural practices used in the field and the fresh fruit or vegetables they bite into. Almost 13 percent of the produce sold in this country is now organic.
The demand for fresh organic was most evident in the continued growth of “fresh juices and drinks,” which saw explosive growth of 33.5 percent in 2015, making it the fastest-growing of all the organic subcategories. The fastest-growing of the eight major organic categories was condiments, which crossed the $1 billion mark in sales for the first time in 2015, on 18.5 percent growth.
More accessible, but challenges persist in supply chain
Increased consumer demand for organic products in 2015 could also be attributed to greater access to these products from mainstream retailers. As supermarkets, big box stores, membership warehouse clubs, and other outlets continued to up their organic offerings, organic options have become more available than ever before.
Despite strategic challenges, OTA’s Batcha is confident about the industry’s future prospects. “Organic is a bright spot in agriculture and the economy of America. Our success will continue to be built on a solid foundation of stakeholder engagement, transparency and meaningful organic standards that consumers trust in.”
OTA’s 2016 Organic Industry Survey was conducted and produced on behalf of OTA by Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ). The survey was conducted from January 7, 2016, through March 25, 2016. More than 200 companies responded to the survey.
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Between 2009 and 2014, per capita sweet potato consumption grew 60 percent in the United States to 7.5 pounds, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
North Carolina easily leads sweet potato shipments, where about half of all domestic sweet potatoes are grown.
Sweet potato popularity has taken off with a 400 percent increase in sales since 2009 and a 30 percent increase in 2015 alone. Already this year the dollar value of shipments is tracking 30 percent ahead of 2015’s record year, which exceeded $100 million for the first time. The United Kingdom receives over half of all exports from North Carolina, followed by the Netherlands and Canada. Belgium and Germany have seen big bumps in recent years and new markets like Norway are taking off. The Tar Heel State has also been investing to develop export markets, particularly in Europe, where sweet potatoes are not a traditional part of the diet.
North Carolina sweet potatoes are an unfamiliar food for many Europeans, but their sweet flavor, healthy profile and versatility are quickly winning over new consumers. The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission has partnered with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ International Trade Office to run education and promotion campaigns to introduce sweet potatoes to Europeans and show how to prepare and enjoy them. Current NCSPC Executive Director Kelly McIver came from NDACS’ marketing division and managed those programs.
“Introducing sweet potatoes to Europe gave us an opportunity to build our story for this ‘exotic’ vegetable,” McIver said in a press release. “We executed an integrated campaign that reached the trade, media and consumers to make N.C. sweet potatoes part of their diet.”
Europeans have adopted sweet potatoes in meal preparation throughout the year. While popular for holiday tables, sweet potatoes are also being grilled or added to salads in the summer, while being roasted or added to soups and stews in colder months. Their extensive nutrition benefits, delicious taste, and versatility are making sweet potatoes a regular part of meals at home and in restaurants.
Sweet potato shipments from the Benson, NC area to Miami, FL – grossing about $2000;$1500 to Philadelphia; and $1000 to Atlanta.
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Here’s a smorgasbord of produce loading opportunities from around the nation ranging from Michigan to Missouri, the east coast, Idaho and the southwest.
Michigan Produce Shipments
There is light to moderate shipments of summer vegetables coming out of Michigan, primarily in the western half of the state. Cucumbers are one of the heavier volume items, but it is still only about 200 truck loads per week. Other items range from squash to celery. Blueberry shipments continue to increase in volume, while sweet corn is just getting started. Peach loadings will be down significantly this season.
Michigan blueberries and vegetables – grossing about $850 to Chicago.
Midwest Produce Shipments
Watermelon shipments are your best bet here. In the boot heel of Southeastern Missouri, about a 1,000 truckloads of watermelons were loaded last week, and volume is still increasing….Meanwhile, southwestern Indiana and southeastern Illinois watermelon shipments are very light and it will be another two weeks before substantial volume is available.
Missouri watermelons – grossing about $1500 to Chicago.
Eastern Produce Shipments
In New Jersey, peach loadings are just getting underway, while the blueberry season is coming to an end….New York state is starting to wake up with items ranging from Hudson Valley sweet corn to cucumbers picking up in August….Watermelon loadings should be moving into decent volume in a couple of weeks from Delaware, Maryland and the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Idaho Potato Shipments
Idaho continues to ship potatoes from the 2015-16 crop. The state is moving nearly 1,900 truckload equivalents weekly. Potato loadings are relatively light by comparison from other states.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $5000 to New York City.
New Mexico Onion Shipments
Onion shipments are available from the southern part of the state and averaging around 750 truckloads per week….Across the state line in the Hereford, Tx area, potato shipments are moving into good volume with the new crop. Shippers are still trying to sell some of the old crop, which increases your chances of quality problems at destination.
New Mexico onions – grossing about $3400 to Atlanta.
Now wasn’t this a smorgasbord?
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Within a few weeks PortFresh Logistics, a Georgia-based company, plans to open a 100,000 square-foot cold treatment facility dedicated to perishable cargoes. These items will be imported through the Port of Savannah. The facility will strengthen Savannah in its role as a new entry point for South American produce.
Brian Kastick, CEO of PortFresh Logistics, said the company has been working for more than two years to meet the need for additional chilled cargo infrastructure in Savannah.
“Currently, more than 90 percent of imported fruits and vegetables entering the U.S. East Coast arrive via Northeast ports,” Kastick said. “That means cargo headed to the Southeast must be trucked down, adding time and expense to the logistics supply chain.”
Thanks to a new U.S. Department of Agriculture program allowing South American citrus fruit, grapes, blueberries and other produce items to enter via the Port of Savannah, substantial cost savings are now available to customers across the Southeast and beyond.
“Using the Port of Savannah offers significant time and money savings per container for areas throughout the Southeast region,” Kastick said.
PortFresh’s state-of-the-art cold storage facility, on 20 acres of a 182-acre site, is specifically designed to allow multiple climate zones. Engineered to maintain cold chain integrity, the facility will ensure delivery of the freshest and safest produce from the port to the customer.
Chris Logan, GPA senior director of Trade Development for beneficial cargo owner sales said “Citrus, avocados, blueberries and other products are already moving through the Port of Savannah, and we hope to grow that portfolio.”
The facility will handle both import and export cargo.
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