Food Processing - July 2008 - (Page 8) reader tidbits Our May Editor’s Plate “Time to End the Ethanol Experiment” generated lots of reader feedback. ethanol Is the Food industry I want to thank you for your continued contributions in producing Food Processing. I do however; want to challenge you on some of your reported facts in your editorial in the May issue. The ethanol industry IS the food industry! Re-reporting unsubstantiated facts is not conducive to an open dialogue and exchange of ideas. Ending the experiment as you stated would place 140+ biorefineries, their employees and the capital investments at risk. Corn is not the only solution, but it is a viable solution to a domestic source of renewable energy. Consider: • In 2007, 22.9 percent of the U.S corn crop went to ethanol production – not consumed as is commonly reported, but having the starch removed to be converted into ethanol and the balance of the grain being sold as feed. • We will soon produce 10 percent (14 billion gallons/year) of the gasoline/ethanol utilized in this country by biomass conversion, thereby reducing our dependence on foreign oil as stated in Financial Times. • Very few ethanol biorefineries utilize coal to fire their boilers and many are converting to biomass boilers to reduce or eliminate dependence on hydrocarbon-based fuels – carbon neutral. As you know fuel or transportation costs impact the rising cost of food production and distribution at a much higher percentage than does the cost per bushel of a grain. ron P. Pagel Baisch engineering, Kaukauna Wis. that would give similar or better fuel economy. They are not designing an engine that takes advantage of 105-octane E-85 fuel. Sweden got it right with E-85, and we didn’t. When E-85 is made there is a by product called DDGs. It is fed to cattle, pigs and poultry and it costs less than corn. The protein portion of the grain is intact in DDGs and only the starch is used for making E-85. You need to go to www.ncga.com (National Corn Growers Assn.) and investigate both sides. You bring up some good points but ethanol is not the major problem; it’s the growing middle class in China and India that want to eat meat. This is causing strong demand for corn and soybeans worldwide. They are also using more oil. Our company is in the seed business and we expect with future technologies using biotech we can double the yields of corn by 2025. These new corn products will use less water and fertilizer than current corn hybrids. How do you feel about biotech? Please look at both sides before writing off this technology too, because it can help solve our food and energy issues. The American farmer can solve both issues if given a chance and a profit. Joe merschman, President/ceo merschman seeds, West Point, iA ethanol Attacks unfair In an op/ed published in the Washington Times (May 23), former U.S. Rep. Thomas W. Ewing of Illinois opines, “The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory predicts that, as next-generation ethanol technologies mature, the U.S. will be able to produce the fuel for less than $1 per gallon. This has the potential to displace more than one-third of the nation’s gasoline in a relatively short time.” Because of these policies and the development of flex fuel vehicles and E-85 technology by the auto industry, individual consumers are being empowered to make a measurable difference. Yet in recent months “ethanol has become an easy target for a variety of opponents wishing to raise doubts among consumers and policy-makers. Most notably, ethanol has been attacked overtly by the food industry with claims that increased food prices are a result of ethanol production. In short, the recent campaign against ethanol is largely based on conjecture, misperception and politics rather than fact.” Even more disturbing is the fact that in October 2007, Business Week reported “the oil industry – despite record profits – is actively engaged in an ‘anti-ethanol information campaign’ that leverages academia, industry-funded studies and cooperative third parties to further perpetuate misleading ethanol myths.” On some level, those efforts have been successful as evidenced by [Texas legislators’ efforts to cut fuel mandates in half and] freeze further biofuel development. With all due respect, both of these proposals take our country in the wrong energy direction. Larger food companies that process corn utilize every bit of the kernel, and most of what becomes waste is made into ethanol. The time has come to loosen the grip of Big Oil. Ethanol is not the final answer but is a step in the future of renewable fuels. name Withheld our Automakers got it Wrong I don’t think you clearly see both sides of the issue. There are a lot of hot issues involved in your article. If you are getting your facts from the GMA [Grocery Manufacturers Assn.] you could be getting one-sided information. First of all read a current article from Seed Today magazine on global warming – doesn’t seem to agree with your article. About your E-85 car: You would not be getting less mileage if the car had a turbo charger or if it had higher compression pistons in it. The compression ratio of your car does not take advantage of the high-octane fuel that you are burning. It’s a low-compression engine designed for low-octane (87) fuel. A computer-controlled turbo charger like Saab uses with their vehicles in Sweden can boost the compression when E-85 ethanol is used and lower the boost when regular unleaded is used. This is a true flex fuel vehicle. With this technology, E-85 fuel would provide a boost in horsepower (up to 25 percent) and similar fuel economy as a normal engine. The main reason Ford and other automakers make flex fuel vehicles is the credit they get to meet fuel mileage standards set by the government. Too bad our government didn’t get it right by putting incentives in place for manufacturers to make an engine 8 • Food Processing July 2008 FoodProcessing.com http://www.ncga.com http://foodprocessing.com
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