November/December 2007 AFI Newsletter
U.S. Officials to Inspect Chinese Factories; ITC Dismisses Investigation Request on Orange Juice from Brazil; FDA Issues ANPR on Nutrition Labeling; AMS Seeks Comments on California Pistachio Interim Final Rule; APHIS Adopts Final Rule on ISPM 15; USDA Proposes Revision to US Grade Standards on Frozen Okra; Start Planning for 2008 AFI Convention; Advertise in the AFI Annual; Spanish Olive Oil Output to Rise 20 Percent; Database Lists Antioxidante Levels; and more.
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Wednesday, December 26, 2007
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U.S. OFFICIALS TO INSPECT
CHINESE FOOD FACTORIES
The U.S. and China signed an agreement calling for a greater American role in certifying and inspecting Chinese food products, including an increased presence of American officials at Chinese production plants.
The agreement, part of several aimed at easing economic tensions with China on a number of divisive subjects, would impose new registration and inspection requirements by Chinese food exporters with the U.S. government maintaining a public list of the exporters’ records. American officials said the agreement did not cover all the food products sought for tighter inspections, but that it could be expanded. The agreement covers some preserved foods – canned mushrooms, olives and various vegetables – pet food ingredients and farm-raised fish, all products that the U.S. has said were tainted.
Michael Leavitt, secretary of health and human services, said he expected FDA officials would eventually be embedded in China’s food safety bureaucracy to help train Chinese officials and keep records on their inspections.
Andrew C. von Eschenbach, FDA. commissioner, said agency officials were already allowed to inspect Chinese facilities under limited conditions, but that the new agreement would expand that role and possibly set a model for similar agreements in other parts of the world. ITC DISMISSES INVESTIGATION REQUEST
ON ORANGE JUICE FROM BRAZIL
The International Trade Commission (ITC) dismissed a request to institute an investigation concerning the ITC’s affirmative determination in investigation 731-TA-1089 on orange juice from Brazil. The ITC said Tropicana did not provide adequate evidentiary support for its allegations that sufficient changed circumstances and “good cause” exist in order for the ITC to institute a review.
— PRESIDENT’S REPORT — Thankfully, things remain quiet on the food safety legislation front; quiet on stage but still a lot of activity going on behind the scenes. As long as no food safety mishap takes place, it may take quite some time for legislation to make its way through Congress. That’s of great benefit to AFI members because it will allow AFI to weigh in and continue to protect the interests of the food import industry.
While AFI continues to work behind the scenes, members should also continue to work to refine their food safety oversight. Having an effective food safety assurance program in place will help a company comply with any new regulations that may be passed and will, obviously, help to avoid any food safety issues.
We thank members for their support throughout 2007 – whether it was in the form of writing legislators on key issues, placing an ad in the AFI Annual, serving on a committee or a corporate sponsorship.
2008 promises to be another year filled with many challenges and opportunities. The AFI staff stands ready to serve and encourages all members to fully participate and get the maximum benefit from their AFI membership.
Best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2008! FDA ISSUES ANPR ON
NUTRITION LABELING
FDA issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to request comments on what new reference values the agency should use to calculate the percent daily value (DV) in the Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts labels and what factors FDA should consider in establishing such new reference values. FDA is also requesting comments on whether it should require that certain nutrients be added or removed from the labels. Comments may be submitted by January 31 to http://www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments.
AMS SEEKS COMMENTS ON CALIFORNIA
PISTACHIO INTERIM FINAL RULE USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) suspended the minimum quality requirements, including maximum defects and minimum sizes, for California pistachios. AMS says the rule, effective Dec. 10, will reduce handler costs and provide handlers more flexibility in meeting customer needs. Comments may be submitted by Feb. 5 on http://www.regulations.gov. APHIS ADOPTS FINAL RULE
ON ISPM 15
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) adopted as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the export certification regulations to clarify that an International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15) quality/treatment mark is an industry-issued certificate and thus may be issued only when the organization applying the mark has entered into an agreement with APHIS. The interim rule also removed all references to a certificate of heat treatment from the regulations because such certificates have been replaced by the ISPM 15 mark.
USDA PROPOSES REVISION TO
US GRADE STANDARDS
ON FROZEN OKRA
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is soliciting comments on the proposed revision to the U.S. Standards for Grades of Frozen Okra. The proposed revision is available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv or by contacting AFI. Comments must be submitted by Feb. 11. START PLANNING
FOR 2008 AFI CONVENTION
It’s time to begin making travel arrangements for the upcoming AFI Convention. The convention is scheduled for March 27-30 at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort in Clearwater Beach, Fla. The Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort is nestled on 10 acres along the Gulf of Mexico’s shimmering coastline. The discounted room rate is $219. Reservations can be made by calling 800-753-3954 or by registering online at www.hiltonclearwaterbeachresort.com with the group code AFIGN. Members traveling with their families are encouraged to make reservations as soon as possible.
Airfare: A travel discount has been negotiated with Continental Airlines. Continental offers discounts off published fares of 2 percent to 15 percent or zone fares. Call your travel professional or Continental Meeting Works at 800-468-7022 for reservations. When booking your reservation, please refer to Z-Code ZCXS and Agreement Code ASPBZS. Or save an additional 3 percent by booking your own reservation at http://www.continental.com/specials/group/meetingworks/reservations.asp by entering both the Z-code and Agreement Code without a space (ZCXSASPBZS) in the Offer Code Box.
Booking online avoids the $10 service fee collected per ticket through MeetingWorks reservations or any Continental Airlines ticketing facility. Car Rental: A discount has been arranged with Dollar. Call 1-800-800-4000 or visit www.dollar.com and refer to Corporate Discount # CC1040. Program: 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. Watch your mail for complete program details. Sponsorships: Sponsorships are going fast. Contact AFI for complete details on sponsorship opportunities.
Register by Jan. 15 and save! Look for details in the mail and on this site. 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 2008 edition. If you have any questions, please call the AFI office. New MembersThe following companies were approved for membership in AFI by the Board of Directors at its September 24 meeting.
Regular Gold Harbor Ingredients, Inc., Seattle, WA - importer of dried fruits, nuts, rice crackers, dehydrated vegetables, popcorn, edible seeds, canned fruits, fresh fruits and vegetables.
International Nut Alliance, Ramsey, N.J. – importer/processor of Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts, peanuts and dried fruit.
Associate Dan Strongin, Edible Solutions, Green Bay, WI - food, dairy and food service consultant Helios Ingredients Ltd., Northolt, United Kingdom - supplier of edible nuts and dried fruits
La Morella Nuts, Reus, Spain - supplier of nuts and nut-derived products
Madama Oliva SRL, Carsoli (AQ), Italy - processor and packager of table olives, olive tapenades, vegetables in oil, pesto
M/s. Nut Trading Corporation, Kollam, India - commodity broker handling cashew kernels and other agricultural products
Olintra Food Industry and Trading Ltd., Istanbul, Turkey - supplier of olives, pickles, peppers in brine, sun dried tomatoes
PT. Goagro Indonesia, Pasuruan, Indonesia - supplier of cashew kernels
Tasty Nut Industries, Kollam, India - manufacturer and export of cashew kernels
Zhejiang H&P Foods Limited, Zhejiang, China - manufacturer of canned seafood and seafood in pouches
The following companies were approved for membership in AFI by the Board of Directors at its November 16 meeting.
Overseas ARI Group SRL, Tortona, Italy – supplier of specialty foods
Caravan Trading Co., Montreal, Quebec, Canada – trader and wholesaler of coffee
Med-Mar Pazarlama Danismanlik Hizmetleri Ithalat Ihracat Ticaret Ltd. Sti., Izmir, Turkey – sales agency/broker for olive oil, roasted peppers, pepper strips, pepperoncini, capers, sun dried tomatoes, pickles
Ortofruits 85, Pontecagnano, Italy – manufacturer of canned tomato and tomato products
SFY Tarim Urunleri Tic. San. Ltd. Sti., Izmir, Turkey – processor, packer and exporter of dried fruits, dried vegetables and edible seeds SPANISH OLIVE OIL OUTPUT
TO RISE 20 PERCENT
Olive oil production in Spain is set to reach 1.3 million tons in 2007/08, almost 20 percent higher than last year, according to ASOLIVA, which represents about 90 percent of Spain’s olive farmers. Jose Pont, president of ASOLIVA, said between 625,000 and 645,000 tons would be exported, breaking current records.
The crop, which is now being harvested, is expected to swell to 1.25-1.30 million tons vs. 1.1 million tons in 2006-07, making it the biggest since 2003/04. Plentiful rain in the spring and early summer and a dry autumn have contributed to the growth. DATABASE LISTS
ANTIOXIDANT LEVELS Measures of the antioxidant capacities of 277 selected foods were released in an online database by the Agricultural Research Service.
Many of the fruits, nuts, vegetables and spices listed were analyzed for their Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, known as ORAC. The new release expands upon the 2004 data release by ARS on estimates of the antioxidant capacity of 171 foods. To access the new database, go to: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata/ORAC The Annual Meeting of the National Honey Packers and Dealers Association will take place January 9 at the Doubletree Hotel in Sacramento, Cal.
The Mid-Year Meeting of the North American Olive Oil Association will take place January 11 at the Doubletree Hotel San Diego Downtown in San Diego, Cal.
AFI will host a reception at SIAL Montreal on Thursday, April 24.
The 2008 AFI Convention will take place March 27-30 at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort in Clearwater Beach, Fla.
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