Talking about. . .Corn, COOL, SRM's

"They have high meat prices due to disease issues in their swine and poultry sectors. They want to keep corn prices moderate and supplies available for the livestock industry
(Source: Biofuels Journal, July 9, 2007)
Rick Tolman, CEO, National Corn Growers Association, talking about a possible link between the rising price of corn and higher prices for food…in China, at least.
>PS: Way back in January, Tolman told me “The farm level price of corn has very little impact on food prices. There has been virtually no correlation between price changes in corn and changes in the price of food at the retail level. The current value of corn in a $2.79 box of corn flakes is less than 7 cents. The cost of packaging, marketing, wages, energy, etc. have a much bigger impact on the price of food than do changes in the price of corn.”

"We do still have the best food inspections on those foods that are produced here. Imports have two problems. First is we don't know and can't verify the food safety inspections at foreign facilities, and second is that the inspections here on imported products are very limited."

(Source: USA TODAY, July 10, 2007)
Phil Lempert, Supermarket Industry observer, talking with a reporter during a store tour designed to find out how easy (or difficult) it is to determine country of origin on our food supply.
>PS: Want to know what the public thinks? Click on Lempert’s name to go to the full article and check the reader comments at the bottom or read Dr. Rangan’s comment below.

“I was definitely shocked at how high these numbers were (92% wanted country of origin labeling). It’s much like a nutrition label or an ingredient label in that it needs to be part of the general information coming in about imported foods.”
(Source: MSNBC/Reuters, July 11, 2007)
Dr. Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist and policy analyst at Consumers Union, the nonprofit organization that publishes Consumer Reports magazine, expressing amazement at the overwhelming results of their survey.
>PS: Reader comments on MSNBC about the story were even more overwhelming. 98% insisted on a ‘COOL’ like program.
>PPS: Can I say it? The party’s over. The fat lady has sung. It’s a walk off home run for the visiting team. Even the most assiduously bought-and-paid-for politico has to see the handwriting on the wall. Vote this one in or get voted out.

“If they take it down there and have it slaughtered and want to bring it back cut and wrapped (as meat), no problem, just as long as it comes back without the SRM."
(Source: Canada.com, July 11, 2007)
Freeman Libby, national director of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's feed ban task force, giving the OK for Canadian cattlemen to dodge stricter Canadian rules to control Mad Cow Disease by shipping cattle to the U.S.
>PS: Something about SRM’s can still be used in feed south of the border? See quote below.

"There is no estimated time frame on when a final rule (on banning SRM’s from feed) will be published. The agency is working to develop and issue a final rule as expeditiously as possible."
(Source: CIDRAP- Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, July 13, 2007)
Michael Herndon, FDA spokesman, talking with CIDRAP News about the timing for an SRM ruling from the feds.
>PS: Expeditious? The FDA proposal dates back to October, 2005 and the comment period has been open for a year.
>PPS: He said he couldn't give any explanation for the delay. I can: politics, as usual.