Baking&Snack - March 2017 - 16

Food and ag groups support expanding trade
The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and 86 other
organizations and companies from the food and agriculture sector
sent a letter to President Donald Trump expressing eagerness to
work with the administration to expand access to markets in the
Asia-Pacific region.
"Reducing and eliminating tariffs and other restrictive agricultural policies in this region will help American workers in our sector compete, creating an opportunity to supply Asian markets with
high-quality food and agricultural goods," the letter stated, adding
that the food and agriculture sector supports more than 15 million
jobs in the US. The letter also noted that the US food and beverage
industry alone constitutes 12% of all manufacturing jobs, making
it the largest employer in the manufacturing sector.
The letter noted that more than 95% of the agricultural industry's current and potential customers live outside the country,
making increased access to international markets essential for
future success. While many agricultural companies and organizations strongly supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) ne-

gotiations, the letter emphasized that future agreements can build
upon the valuable aspects of the TPP agreement.
"America's food and agricultural sector is poised to grow internationally, building upon its well-deserved reputation for highquality products, trusted brands and constant innovation," the coalition stated. "Our ability to continue to create jobs and support
economic growth in rural America depends on maintaining and
increasing access to markets outside the US through existing and
future trade agreements.
"We hope your administration will create such opportunities
for our sector by deepening US economic engagement in this
critical region while responding to the Asia-only regional trade
agreements being negotiated by our foreign competitors. We welcome an opportunity to work with your administration to ensure
that America's farmers, ranchers, processors and food companies
do not fall behind our foreign peers in this vitally important economic region."
- Jay Sjerven, Food Business News

Incidence of food recalls climbs
Food and beverage recalls initiated by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) during the final quarter of 2016 rose
12% to 246, the highest mark since the first quarter
of 2010, according to Stericycle Expertsolutions'
Recall Index. While the number of recalls
climbed, the amount of product recalled fell
during the period.
"There was definitely an increase
in contamination recalls," said Mike
Good, vice-president of the consulting firm Stericycle Expertsolutions. "I
think it's important to note that does not
mean there was a rise in contamination. It

16 Baking & Snack March 2017 / www.bakingandsnack.com

means issues were pinpointed more often and more accurately."
Mr. Good said advancements in food testing are helping to
drive the pace of recalls.
"We live off the phrase: 'It's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when,' " he said.
"Much of it has to do with food testing
and the advancements being made."
During the quarter, 43.8% of FDA
recalls based on units were due to bacterial contamination. Undeclared allergens accounted for 27.6%, quality issues (16.2%),
foreign material (9.9%) and other (2.5%).
- Monica Watrous, Food Business News

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Baking&Snack - March 2017

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