Milling & Baking News - November 2, 2010 - 14

Industry Activities 

Millers' readying for tougher
regulatory environment ahead
DEL MAR, CALIF. - An increasingly
difficult regulatory environment is
likely in the coming year, requiring
vigilance and action from the milling
industry, said Mary K. Waters, the
president of the North American Millers' Association.
Ms. Waters, who assumed her new
position April 5, spoke with Milling &
Baking News Oct. 14 during the NAMA
annual meeting at the L'Auberge Del
Mar in Del Mar.
"A year ago, there was talk about
change, but we hadn't seen many
Obama administration appointments
or much action," Ms. Waters said. "A
year later, we've seen officials put in
place, and we've started to see developments in the regulatory approach."
Reflecting the industry's heightened
concern, NAMA held board and executive committee meetings that were
longer than usual, Ms. Waters said.
"We are trying to initiate and lead
on some issues in addition to maintaining a strong defensive position
on others with a principal objective of
helping members operate their plants
efficiently," Ms. Waters said. "There
are new regulatory provisions we can
help provide guidance and expertise
on and help the millers figure out how
to best respond. Our budget reflects
this, and speakers at the annual meeting helped illustrate it. We want to be
sure we have the right committee and
staff structure to succeed."
Ms. Waters said emphasis on regulatory matters and also on product
promotion impact are an outcome of
visits she made to a number of member companies since joining NAMA.
The ability to travel during her first
months atop NAMA was invaluable, she said, giving great credit to
the organization's leadership in the
thought given to helping her succeed
in her new position.
"NAMA had a plan, a well thought
out plan, to do an overlap for the
transition so Betsy (Faga) and I were
on staff at the same time, for a seamless transition," she said. "That was
very helpful. That gave me the opportunity to get out and visit member companies and tour their plants,
see them in their locations and talk
to them about their vision and expectations for the organization.
"One of the most common questions I was asked when I came on
board, was 'What's your vision for
14 / November 2, 2010 Milling & Baking News

the organization?'" she said. "I felt it
was a little premature to answer the
question. I had to get out, and talk to
members and listen to them. It's their
organization. I needed to distill what I
heard and turn that into a vision.
"Those experiences, visiting mills,
and the meetings have led to a desire
to have a strong regulatory defense
for the organization, but also trying to
be more proactive and go on offense

Waters

when it comes to having the organization help member companies build
a better product and build more demand for that product."
The latter objectives will require
careful thought and action, if genuine progress is to be made, Ms. Waters said.
"I do find if you don't focus on your
strategic objectives, you'll just do defense," she said.
One area of regulatory interest to
NAMA was the August 2009 creation
of an Office of Foods at the Food and
Drug Administration, Ms. Waters said.
"They are gearing up to implement the new food safety bill that's
in the Senate," Ms. Waters said. "Michael Taylor is a political appointee.
He served at F.D.A. in the past and at
U.S.D.A. in the 1990s, heading their
food safety program. He was on the
faculty at George Washington University. He has a lot of experience in the
field. We want to be sure we're well
equipped to respond."
According to the F.D.A., its Foods
Program features three operating
units - the Center for Food Safety

and Applied Nutrition, the Center for
Veterinary Medicine, and the foods-related activities of the Office of Regulatory Affairs. It draws on the resources
of F.D.A.'s National Center for Toxicological Research. The Office of Foods
is charged with:
* Ensuring the safety of foods for
humans, including dietary supplements.
* Ensuring the safety of animal feed
and the safety and effectiveness of animal drugs.
* Setting science-based standards
for preventing foodborne illness and
ensuring compliance with these standards.
* Protecting the food and feed supply from intentional contamination.
* Ensuring that food labels contain
reliable information consumers may
use to choose healthy diets.
As an example of NAMA action,
Ms. Waters said the group submitted
comments on Sanitary Transportation
of Foods regulation this summer, and
the Reportable Foods Registry regulation issued in July.
Additionally, she said the group is
continuing to work through collaborations and coalitions, including the
Wheat Industry Biotech Committee.
Expanding on issues related to
biotechnology, Ms. Waters said
NAMA was pleased by a consumer
survey released by the International
Food Information Council showing
high approval ratings linking biotechnology with sustainability. She
said that data, together with a collaborative relationship with growers, provide key information that
may be proactively disseminated
and emphasized.
On the other hand, Ms. Waters expressed concern about certain aspects
of biotechnology - the regulation of
output traits.
"The U.S.D.A. has petitions for approval of biotech products," she said.
"We have been meeting with the
U.S.D.A. and technology providers
to get information on what the ramifications might be on processed food
products. That's an area we will continue to monitor."
Among other projects for the period
ahead, Ms. Waters is optimistic about
steps NAMA will take to build its relationship with the Department of Grain
Science and Industry at Kansas State
University.
"I had visited K.S.U., and as part of
our board meeting, we set aside funds
in our budget to pursue creating a position for an instructor in grain milling
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Milling & Baking News - November 2, 2010

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