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May 2009 Edition
President's Message By Merle Jacobs Recently I was watching TV when a commercial came on; a space shuttle was orbiting in space, when the astronauts noticed they were quickly running out of power. In the nick of time, the Energizer Bunny appeared and re-powered the shuttle, saving everyone from a possible disaster. As I was thinking about this, it hit me! The Energizer brand and its bunny are much like the American Council for Food Safety and Quality (ACFSQ also known as DFA). The Association has been serving the dried fruit and nut industry since 1908, and is as strong as ever. As you will learn from our new E-Newsletters, our staff and services are here to serve you. read more A Prune Industry Update  By
Patrick Ferreira
The California Prune industry has faced many challenges in the past few years. The short supply of prunes, a down turn in the market, and adverse weather conditions have all played a part in the current state of the prune industry. read more Peanut Industry Challenges Headline ACFSQ Annual Meeting; Trade Council Plans for Fewer Available Ships By ACFSQ Staff The worldwide repercussions of a peanut product recall by a small U.S. peanut processor that faces sever economic challenges to its business and vigilant regulation by government agencies headlined the recent 101st annual meeting in late February. The American Council for Food Safety and Quality (ACFSQ) held the annual meeting in conjunction with its sister organization, the Specialty Crop Trade Council’s (SCTC) 84th annual meeting. The SCTC was formerly known as the California Dried Fruit Export Association. read more Speciality Crop Trade Council Annual Meeting By Erika Tarr This past February the Specialty Crop Trade Council (SCTC) held its 84th annual conference in Monterey, California. Held in conjunction with the ACFSQ annual meeting, more than 200 dried fruit and tree nut industry’s growers, processors, marketers and shippers attended. read more 2009 Safe and Efficient Inspection Guidelines By Gail Santana With recent food safety outbreaks, processors are starting to analyze how they can make their facility operate more efficiently while keeping safety a high priority. The American Council for Food Safety and Quality (ACFSQ) is here to serve you. read more Meet Your Staff Serving as the Food Safety and Quality Manger since  2007,
Randy Brooks brings more than 10 years of experience and passion to his position
with the American Council for Food Safety and Quality.
Randy began his education at California State University, Chico where he gained
his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology- Medical Technology, and minored in
Chemistry. Soon after graduating, he transferred to Regis University to continue
his graduate studies in Business Administration.
read more
Time to Reevaluate Food Safety Programs By Randy Brooks As microbiological contamination concerns are increasing in food handling and processing, this is an excellent time to reevaluate your food safety programs. Recently, nut products have been receiving intense media attention due to food recalls. With the increased scrutiny by regulators and the media, it is imperative that all processors, regardless of commodity, review and reassess all policies, procedures, and processes. read more ACFSQ’s District Dinner Recap By Mike Hurley It was a full house at the ACFSQ’s District Dinner at Manhattan’s on April 28, 2009. On the menu was good food, great company and speaker Linda J. Harris from UC Davis. Her presentation “Salmonella, Old Dog, New Tricks” kept everybody in their seat. She held the rooms’ attention as she covered a brief history of Salmonella and then began addressing common misconceptions about Salmonella. read more Got Kosher? By Jeff Emslie Is your company Kosher certified? Did you know that the American Council for Food Safety and Quality (ACFSQ) offers attractive, negotiated rates for Kosher certification with one of the most highly regarded certifying body, the Orthodox Union (OU)? For more than six years ACFSQ has offered Kosher certification with a flat, all-inclusive fee. read more The Dried Fruit Moisture Tester By Patrick Ferreira The Dried Fruit Moisture Tester (which has been around for more than 50 years) method of testing moisture in dried fruits is recognized world wide. The testing method is AOAC approved by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists International (AOACI). AOAC Official Method 972.20 Moisture in Prunes and Raisins: Moisture Meter Method. The first action approval for this method was in1972. The meter is widely used in the dried fruit industry for fast, accurate results. read more New Allergy Webinar to Assist with Food Safety Issues The University of Nebraska’s Department of Food Science and Technology, has recently launched a free training webinar for food processors and handlers entitled “Food Allergy and Safe Nut Processing.” The one-hour training program is geared toward food workers and provides an introduction to food allergy with special attention on tree nuts and the importance of allergen controls within food processing plants. It is intended to increase knowledge about the seriousness of tree nut allergy by discussing methods of allergen control that can prevent inadvertent exposure and reduce food safety hazards in the food supply. read more |
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Comments, questions or story ideas? Please contact newsletter editor Richard Cherrix at 916.561.5900 ext. 107 or richc@agfoodsafety.org  View Newsletter Archive Member Spotlight: Riverwest Processing, Inc. Nestled between the Sierra Nevada and Pacific Coast Ranges in California's fertile Sacramento River Valley, lies more than a half-million acres of the world's finest, and most productive almond orchards. Riverwest Processing, Inc., located in Glenn, California, was founded in 2004 by the Koehnen and Paiva families. Their mission was simple: to provide a first-class processing destination for their growers, and a complete supply solution for customers seeking high-quality, natural California-grown almonds. read more Carrier of the Year Award The Specialty Crop Trade Council would like to announce that APL has been awarded the “Carrier of the Year” award for 2008. The “Carrier of the Year” award is based on the total number of containers shipped by the carrier in the calendar year. AgTC: “Clean Truck” Program The Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) recently wrote to the Port of Seattle Commission summarizing its support for the Port’s approach to effort to reduce emissions and improve air quality. A full copy of AgTC’s comments can be read by clicking here. DFA Terms and Conditions Clarification In mid February, members received a letter regarding the misuse of the phrase “DFA Terms and Conditions.” We would like to remind you that in actuality, the terms and conditions referenced are actually a contract developed by the California Dried Fruit Export Association (CDFEA), which is now referred to as the Specialty Crop Trade Council (SCTC.) For more information regarding these terms and conditions, and the changes in some of the trade and contract requirements in particular industry segments, please read the full letter to our industry members, and the Export Contract Terms & Conditions at http://www.agfoodsafety.org/news-events-links.php WTO sees 9% global trade decline in 2009 as recession strikes The collapse in global demand brought on by the biggest economic downturn in decades will drive exports down by roughly 9% in volume terms in 2009, the biggest such contraction since the Second World War, WTO economists forecast today (25 March 2009). “Trade can be a potent tool in lifting the world from these economic doldrums. In London G20 leaders will have a unique opportunity to unite in moving from pledges to action and refrain from any further protectionist measure which will render global recovery efforts less effective,” said Director-General Pascal Lamy. read more A Great Beginning The American Council for Food Safety & Quality, formerly known as the Dried Fruit Association has an amazing history. Shortly after the turn of the twentieth century, Theodore Roosevelt occupied the White House and the country endured another so-called “money panic.” The year was 1907 and leaders of the dried fruit industry realized that some order was needed to replace the chaos that characterized the industry at the time. These forward thinking individuals knew that lack of quality standards, questionable business practices and suspect sanitation would impede the growth of the industry in California. The newly formed Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 also served to bring the industry together as government interference in their businesses was quickly becoming a reality. read more |
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