Overhauling Food Safety & Johanns Responds

Overhauling Food Safety & Johanns Responds plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

In an effort to respond to President Obama’s call to improve the nation’s food safety system, agency heads, along with lawmakers and advisors, revealed a plan Tuesday afternoon at the White House. Vice President Joe Biden says they are looking to move forward.

BIDEN: Our goal is to overhaul the system so that we can get better at both stopping food safety problems before they happen and almost as equally important, moving quickly, much more quickly to deal with them when they do.

Former Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns says farmers deserve answers on the costs of cap and trade. The Nebraska GOP Senator says farmers and ranchers across the country are concerned about how the House cap and trade bill will impact them. He says Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack should provide the Senate and America's farmers with an answer to one simple question - how much does USDA estimate America's ag producers will pay under the House bill? Johanns has called for a Senate Ag Committee hearing where Vilsack can provide the answer. Senator Johanns notes the administration has wholeheartedly endorsed the House bill - though farm group after farm group has opposed the legislation. Johanns questions how Vilsack is serving his primary mission of supporting U.S. agriculture if he doesn't know the impact of the bill on the producers he's taken an oath to serve.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

Who knew? I’ve always heard its not easy being green, but apparently it’s even worse if you’re a crooked cucumber! Unfortunate fruit and vegetables that had the misfortune to be misshapen in Europe have actually been banned from supermarkets over the last two decades. This highly unpopular law meant that oddly curved fruits or bulbous veggies would simply be discarded by vendors who wanted to avoid being fined. As food prices have continued to rise around the globe over the last several months it’s hard to believe the existence of such a pointless and wasteful law. It really makes no sense to “throw away” perfectly good produce because they aren’t “beautiful”. Well, no longer. The European Union has ended the ban on “ugly” produce as of July 1^st. At a time when most countries, the US included, are working to ensure food safety Europe’s antiquated ugly produce law was an embarrassment to say the least. Bravo Europe for finally embracing your homely produce. Now maybe you can focus on those highly subsidized agricultural products.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.