Mississippi Business Journal » food safety

Program rewards growers for safe food-handling practices

MBJ Staff — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:04:40 +0000

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce is currently offering a cost-share program to provide financial assistance to Mississippi fruit and vegetable farmers receiving Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) Certification. Eligible farmers will receive reimbursement for 75 percent of the certification costs up to a maximum of $500. [...]

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Airport’s food irradiation business could create new jobs

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:29:57 +0000

GULFPORT — A $5-million food-irradiation facility at the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport is expected to increase business by officials who say it increases food safety and extends shelf life of perishable foods. Airport executive director Clay Williams tells The Sun Herald the company is “very encouraged” by its investment in its $12 million cargo warehouse. The [...]

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Undersecretary: ‘I understand the frustration’ over catfish inspections

Associated Press — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:03:55 +0000

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) has received word that the U.S. Department of Agriculture could complete a final rule for implementing a catfish inspection program by this October, Cochran reports in a release. Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, USDA undersecretary for food safety, today told Cochran the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) is committed [...]

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Catfish farmers challenged by markets lost to imports

Associated Press — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:40:41 +0000

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Catfish farmers continue to address production challenges as the industry works to reclaim markets lost to imported fish. Jeremy Robbins, vice president of The Catfish Institute based in Jackson, said farmers have struggled in recent years with high feed prices, their No. 1 expense, while dealing with increased competition from imports. “There [...]

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Senator presses ag secretary again on fish inspections

MBJ Staff — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:23:20 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) has once again pressed the U.S. secretary of agriculture to explain why a catfish inspection program authorized five years ago has not been implemented. Cochran, who has been fighting to ensure a fair and level playing field for U.S. catfish producers, raised the issue again with Agriculture [...]

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Senator ‘encourages’ FDA administrator to start catfish inspections

MBJ Staff — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:07:03 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) has encouraged the head of the Food and Drug Administration to work with her federal counterparts to implement a catfish inspection program that ensures foreign imports are safe for consumers. Cochran addressed the catfish inspection issue, as well as impending menu nutrition labeling regulations, during a Senate [...]

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Grocer recalls apple juice for possible ‘patulin’

MBJ Staff — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:19:50 +0000

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Jacksonville, Fla.-based Winn-Dixie is voluntarily recalling 64 fluid ounce Winn-Dixie Organic 100% Apple Juice. The product is being recalled as a precaution because it could have levels of “patulin” that exceed FDA limits. Winn-Dixie has received no reports of any issues associated with Winn-Dixie Organic 100% Apple Juice consumption. Patulin is a mycotoxin, [...]

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Catfish group ‘stunned’ by report from GAO, White House

MBJ Staff — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:17:24 +0000

INDIANOLA — Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) are disputing a recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Obama Administration that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) catfish inspections are a “duplicative program” and should be eliminated. “Catfish Farmers of America is stunned by the misinformation recently distributed by the GAO and White House [...]

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Meat packer recalls product, could be contaminated

Associated Press — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:52:08 +0000

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — A Louisiana meat-packing company has recalled 20,166 pounds of potentially bacteria-tainted cooked roast beef deli meat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said Manda Packing Co., based in Baker, La., is recalling the meat that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Food contaminated with the bacterium can cause [...]

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Sentencing rescheduled for man in Russian poultry case

Associated Press — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:46:23 +0000

GULFPORT — A plea hearing has been rescheduled for a man indicted in an alleged conspiracy to falsify the temperatures of chicken exported from Mississippi to Russia. The Sun Herald reports U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. set a new plea date of May 20 for Terry White. White is one of three men indicted [...]

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