Signs remain clear that some sort of legislation directed at food safety and a general focus on food safety will be included in the activities in Washington in 2009.

- FDA/USDA NEWS -

FDA SETS FOOD LABELING COMPLIANCE DATE

FDA issued a final rule establishing January 2, 2012 as the uniform compliance date for food labeling regulations issued between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010, that require changes in labeling of food products. The existing requirements for compliance dates in final rules issued before January 1, 2009 remains unchanged. However, when labels are voluntarily changed, it is appropriate to incorporate any new requirements that have been published as final regulations up to that time. FDA is accepting comments on the final rule until February 23, 2009.

FDA ANNOUNCES REVISED
COMPLIANCE GUIDE FOR SEAFOOD

FDA announced the availability of revised Compliance Policy Guide for Processed and/or Blended Seafood Products (CPG 7108.16). The CPG provides guidance for FDA staff on FDA’s labeling requirements for processed and blended seafood products. It also contains information that may be useful to the regulated industry and to the public. Written comments may be submitted at any time. The CPG can be obtained at http://www.fda.gov/ora/compliance_ref/cpg/cpgfod/cpg540-700.html or by contacting AFI.

- TRADE NEWS -

CBP CONCLUDES SECOND ROUND
OF C-TPAT VALIDATIONS IN CHINA

U.S. Customs and Border Protection concluded a second round of joint supply chain security validation visits with China Customs. Fifteen companies participating in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program and their manufacturing facilities in China were validated by China Customs officials with the support of C-TPAT specialists.

Prior to commencing the joint validations, agency officials met with their China Customs counterparts to provide technical assistance regarding supply chain security procedures and to share experiences and best practices regarding supply chain security evaluations. Additional joint validations are anticipated in 2009.

U.S.-CHILE AMEND TRADE AGREEMENT:
SOME ARTICHOKES NOW DUTY-FREE

The U.S. and Chile amended the free trade agreement between the two countries to accelerate duty reductions of certain products.

A representative from the U.S. Trade Representative’s office told AFI the duty for processed artichokes from Chile (HTS# 2005.99.80 – artichokes, prepared or preserved otherwise than by vinegar or acetic acid, not frozen) will be eliminated as of Jan. 1, 2009.

The representative said there was no change to the duty reduction schedule to HTS# 2001.90.25.

- AFI NEWS -

AFI SUBMITS COMMENTS
ON BEEF HORMONE DISPUTE

AFI submitted comments and assisted some members in submitting comments regarding the beef hormone dispute. The USTR was seeking comments regarding the possibility of making changes to the list of products subject to 100 percent punitive duties.

It’s not known if or when the USTR will announce any changes or how long after any such announcement the changes will take effect.

START PLANNING
FOR 2009 AFI CONVENTION

The 2009 AFI Convention will be held April 30-May 3 at the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, Naples, Fla. The convention will kick off Thursday evening with a welcoming reception. Presentations and meetings will take place Friday and Saturday mornings, with sporting activities and evening receptions on Friday and Saturday and a dinner Saturday evening.

The convention committee is busy putting together the program. Details will be announced soon.

PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD:
ADVERTISE IN THE AFI ANNUAL

AFI is proud of its members and encourages them to put their best foot forward in the upcoming AFI Annual. Some members have advertised in every issue. It’s nice to know that their identification with AFI means a lot to them and to their business.

Each year, thousands of copies of the AFI Annual are distributed to supermarket buyers, foodservice buyers, overseas suppliers, brokers and trade offices. It’s a year-round resource used by companies here and abroad that want to do business with the marketers, importers and import agents in AFI and its sections. By advertising, you identify yourself in a high-profile way with your association. You assure your company of the recognition it deserves in the industry, here and abroad.

If you have never advertised before, AFI can make it painless for you, designing an ad especially for you.

Please reserve space by Jan. 15 to assure you are included in the 2009 edition. If you have any questions, please call the AFI office.

- PRODUCT NEWS -

PRIVATE LABEL PRODUCTS
GAINING GROUND

With the economy in a recession, private-label products are gaining ground on their name-brand counterparts and likely will continue increasing sales next year, reported The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

U.S. sales of private-label products have increased 10 percent so far this year in terms of dollar sales, compared to about 3.5 percent growth for name-brand products, according to Nielson Co. Even segments typically dominated by name brands, such as carbonated soft drinks, have lost ground to private labels as the year progressed.

Todd Hale, Nielsen’s senior vice president of consumer and shopper insights attributes the growth in private-labels products primarily to the economy. Private-label products had similar sales increases during the 2001 recession. “I think some will (go back to name brands),” Hale said. “But I think private label is going to stick in consumer mindsets a lot more strongly after we come out of this recession just because of how serious and deep this recession is going to be. It’s much different than 2001.”

RESEARCH SHOWS OLIVE OIL
MAY FIGHT HUNGER

A fatty acid found in abundance in olive oil and other healthy unsaturated fats helps keep the body satisfied to prolong the time between meals, reported Medical News Today.

The new study published in the October Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press, shows that once oleic acid reaches the intestine, it is converted into a lipid hormone (oleoylethanolamide, or OEA) that wards off the next round of hunger pangs. Researchers say it may be the first description of an ingredient in food that directly provides the raw materials for a hormone’s production.

“In conclusion, our studies identify OEA as a key physiological signal that specifically links dietary fat ingestion to across-meal satiety,” the researchers wrote. “Nutritional and pharmacological strategies aimed at magnifying this lipid-sensing mechanism, such as inhibitors of OEA degradation, might be useful in the treatment of obesity and other eating disorders.”

STUDY SHOWS RAISINS MAY
BENEFIT ORAL HEALTH

Raisins might benefit oral health, according to a study conducted at the College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois-Chicago. The study shows raisins contain a variety of compounds that attack oral pathogens. These compounds fight cavity-causing bacteria as well as germs that lead to gingivitis in adults, reported California Farm Bureau.

While raisins are sticky, the data reflects raisins contain phenolics and other antioxidants that help prevent the production of acid by mouth bacteria. Dental professionals have commonly recommended that healthy choices, such as raisins and other dried fruit, be part of a meal rather than a between-meal snack because they were considered sticky. However, the new research shows they provide nutrients, energy, sweetness and a serving of fruit to nourish the whole body without promoting dental caries.

RESEARCH ON HEALTH PROPERTIES
OF NUTS AVAILABLE ONLINE

The Department of Nutrition at Loma Linda University, a leader in research on the health and nutritional properties of nuts, has amassed a collection of journal articles on the subject which is available at www.nutstudies.org. There is a link on the home page to nut articles which will bring up a search engine and a complete list of the articles. Access to the abstract and, in most cases, a direct link to the article on the publisher’s website is available.

STUDY SUGGESTS SELENIUM MAY
PREVENT HIGH-RISK BLADDER CANCER

A study published in the January issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests that selenium, a trace mineral found in grains, nuts and meats, may aid in the prevention of high-risk bladder cancer.

Researchers from Dartmouth Medical School compared selenium levels in 767 individuals newly diagnosed with bladder cancer to the levels of 1,108 individuals from the general population. Findings showed an inverse association between selenium and bladder cancer among women, some smokers and those with p53 positive bladder cancer.

While other studies have shown a similar association between selenium and bladder cancer among women, this study is one of the first to show an association between selenium and p53 positive bladder cancer.

IN-STORE DISPLAYS EFFECTIVE
IN ATTRACTING CONSUMERS

In-store displays are more effective than temporary price cuts, according to WPP Group shopper-marketing agency OgilvyAction. The agency’s report indicates far more impulse purchases are driven by tactics like low-tech cardboard displays, as 29 percent of U.S. shoppers impulsively buy from categories they did not plan to when they entered the store. Of that group, 24 percent stated they were influenced by secondary displays, 18 percent by in-store demonstrations and 17 percent by price promotion, reported Advertising Age.

VIRAL E-MAIL MISLEADS
CONSUMERS ON BARCODES

A viral e-mail sent across the U.S. is creating consumer confusion about the content of barcodes and potentially harming American businesses, according to GS1 US, the standards organization based here.

The e-mail incorrectly states “the first three digits” of a product’s barcode always indicate the product’s country of origin, and encourages consumers to make their buying decisions based on these numbers. GS1 US, as the administrator and sole source of Universal Product Code barcode prefixes in the United States, warns that consumers heeding this faulty advice are being misled and could unintentionally “boycott” businesses or products they would otherwise choose to support. “Although the first few digits of a barcode — what we call a company prefix — can indicate the country in which a barcode was issued, it tells you nothing about where the product was made,” said Bob Noe, chief customer officer for GS1 US, in a statement. “The claim is somewhat grounded in reality, but just enough to be dangerous, even if you’re reading it correctly, which is not a safe assumption.”

The viral e-mail claims that barcode prefixes on American-made products will start with a zero or one, but in fact they might begin with any digit for a number of reasons. A consumer following the advice of the viral e-mail to read barcodes and “buy American” could inadvertently avoid buying a product “as American as apple pie,” said GS1 US.

- AFI NEWS -

AFI MEMBERS TO RECEIVE
DISCOUNTS ON FEDEX SHIPMENTS