Food Processing - September 2007 - (Page 17)

NEWS BITES IN THIS SECTION: • china spends $1 billion on safety • peter pan relaunched • non-corn ethanol • R E G U L AT O R Y• ASQ suggests ways to improve food safety American society for Quality submits statement to congressional subcommittee. The AmericAn SocieTy for QuAliTy (ASQ), milwaukee, last month submitted a statement for the record to a congressional subcommittee that is focusing on food quality and safety and the future of the fDA. The Subcommittee on oversight and investigations of the house of representatives’ committee on energy and commerce recently held hearings titled “Diminished capacity: can the fDA Assure the Safety and Security of the nation’s food Supply?” ASQ recommends focusing on: •System and process: “Today’s food safety challenges demand less focus on end-item testing and more push onto the process and as far back into the supply chain as possible,” ASQ said in its statement. •Supply chain management: “Although much of the existing inspection effort has been concentrated at particular points close to the ends of the food chain, specifically at import and processors, a focus on innovative methods of evaluating the hand-offs further down the chain may yield better food safety results.” •Joint agency activities: “As these subcommittee hearings have pointed out, federal food safety oversight is a fragmented undertaking, with multiple agencies playing a role. Joint agency activities in complementary fields would permit more thorough oversight with existing resources.” •Government/industry partnerships: “There will never be enough inspectors no matter what the design ends up being. What •MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS• is also necessary is for the agencies to focus on the weak areas.” •international data system for traceability: “food safety professionals are talking more and more about the extreme need to share data internationally in order to have true traceability.” •carbon monoxide: “Although seafood has always been labeled to indicate co treatment, this is not the case in meat and poultry. ASQ supports the concept of labeling to identify foods that have been treated with carbon monoxide.” •implement recommendations of iom: “The institute of medicine’s 2003 report, “Scientific criteria to ensure Safe food,” made numerous recommendations that would strengthen the food chain and reduce the incidence of foodborne illness. congress and the fDA should take steps to implement these recommendations.” •funding of fDA proposals: “in recent years certain fDA programs and legislative proposals that demonstrated innovative approaches to the agency’s food safety challenges have died due to either lack of funding or congressional or administration inaction. These prevention-oriented initiatives should be supported and funded by congress. funding should also promote better use of existing fee-for-service programs.” A downloadable special report from AsQ, “food safety – A Quality management systems Approach,” is available through www.readmore.us/?fp07-212. Campbell may sell Godiva Chocolatier to focus c A m pbe l l S ou p c o., camden, n.J., in August announced it will explore “strategic alternatives, including possible divestiture,” for its Godiva chocolatier business. The decision follows a review of campbell’s portfolio as part of the company’s ongoing strategic planning process. Godiva has annual sales of approximately $500 million. its products are sold through company-owned and franchised retail stores, specialty retailers and finer department stores and www.foodprocessing.com on the internet. “Godiva is one of the world’s most recognized luxury brands and the business has been a strong performer for campbell,” said Douglas conant, campbell’s president/ceo. Actually, Godiva hasn’t performed all that well of late for campbell. The Wall Street Journal reported operating earnings for the unit that includes Godiva and the company Away from home dropped 2 percent for the nine-month period ending April 29. campbell’s other three operating units were up: baking and snacks by 53 percent, u.S. soups, sauces and beverages by 11 percent and international soups and sauces by 8 percent. The Journal estimated the unit could sell for “$750 million to $1 billion or more.” sepTemBer 2007 food processing • 17 http://www.read-more.us/?fp07-212 http://www.read-more.us/?fp07-212 http://www.foodprocessing.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Food Processing - September 2007

Contents Editor's Plate Power Lunch NewsBites Regulatory Issues Rollout Food Biz Kids Product Spotlight Next-Generation Manufacturing Models Product Development Ingredients Packaging Show Previews New Product Profiles Toops Scoops

Food Processing - September 2007

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