Snack World - August 2012 - (Page 10)

SFA Update Drought prompts petition for renewable fuels waiver On July 30, the Snack Food Association (SFA) joined the National Pork Producers Council and numerous other industry groups in urging the US Environmental Protection Agency to waive for one year the applicable volume of renewable fuel required by the Clean Air Act. The petition was submitted because of the devastating drought that has stricken the nation’s heartland, resulting in shortages of grain needed for food and livestock, which ultimately will translate into higher consumer prices. “The ongoing drought is taking an enormous toll on the nation’s corn crop,” stated the petition, noting that the current renewable fuels standard under the law of 15.2 billion gallons in 2012, coupled with the prospect of 16.55 billion gallons in 2013, will require the renewable fuels industry to use a major portion of the available corn supply. “The drought-induced reductions in corn supply means that the mandated utilization of corn for renewable fuels will so reduce the supply of corn and increase its price that livestock and poultry producers will be forced to reduce the size of their herds and flocks, causing some to go out of business and jobs to be lost,” the petition asserted. Potato research yields two promising varieties A four-year breeding initiative to develop new potato varieties that can help reduce acrylamide and would be commercially viable for potato chips yielded two new promising varieties, the SFA Potato Technology Committee revealed in late July. Led by chairman Jeff Thomas, procurement manager, Snyder’s-Lance, Inc., the panel reported to the SFA membership that the National Chip Processor Trials, coordinated by the US Potato Board and supported by SFA, have been under way during the past four years. Mr. Thomas noted that the new Waneta and Lamoka varieties, named after a pair of twin lakes in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, fare well in storage and produce a nice color when cut. Lamoka has a high level of starch, desirable for chipping, while Waneta has less starch but is less likely to bruise. “Both varieties are resistant to the same pathogens that attacks potato roots or cause pits in potatoes,” Mr. Thomas said. “This gives them a distinct advantage over Snowden potatoes, which are susceptible to both diseases.” Coalition challenges Hours of Service rule in court SFA and 15 other industry groups on July 31 filed a joint amici curiae brief in the Washington, DC, Circuit Court challenging the Federal Motor Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Hours of Service final rules for commercial truck drivers. According to the brief, portions of the rule will slow productivity, hurt jobs and have a negative impact on agriculture, manufacturers, retail supply chains and distribution operations. 10 Snack World August 2012 www.sfa.org The industry groups support the view that the specific rest periods of the 34-hour restart provision and the exclusion of all on-duty non-driving work during the break should be held unlawful on the grounds that the changes are arbitrary and capricious. According to Rick Schweitzer, counsel for the coalition, the 34-hour restart change will increase wait times for drivers to return to work and create a “rigid rest structure, without scientific basis that will place more trucks on the road during peak driving hours.” The brief argues that FMCSA failed to consider any costs on shippers, receivers or transportation intermediaries when evaluating changes to the rule. The brief also opposed a challenge lodged by Public Citizen and defended FMCSA’s decision to maintain the 14-hour driving window and the 11 -hour daily driving provision. http://www.sfa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snack World - August 2012

Snack World - August 2012
Table of Contents
Letter from SFA - Please Be Involved
Supplier's Corner - Opportunities Abound
SFA Update - Drought prompts petition for renewable fuels waiver
SFA Update - Potato research yields two promising varieties
SFA Update - Coalition challenges Hours of Service rule in court
Calendar of Events
75th Anniversary - Advocating for Snacks
Snacks for the New Millennium
75th Anniversary - Mega Merger
75th Anniversary - Turbulent Times
Saying farewell to Four Industry Icons
Government Affairs - Left in Limbo
Marketing - The Snack School
New Snacks
Products & Services
Ad Index

Snack World - August 2012