Austin Hosts Texas Food Safety Conference

Food safety is a critical issue for all of us, which is why I’m glad to be a part of the Texas Food Safety Conference in Austin, May 10-11.

Hosted by the state’s leading produce associations, farmers, regulators and experts, the conference will focus on enhancing produce safety and finding ways to identify and prevent foodborne illnesses before they become public health concerns.

Farmers, ranchers and others in the agriculture industry are often our first line of defense in the prevention of illnesses and food recalls. Events like the Texas Food Safety Conference can add another layer of consumer protection while ensuring we all continue to enjoy the safest, most abundant and most affordable food supply in the world.

For more information on the Texas Food Safety Conference, click here.

Protecting Our Ports Safeguards Our Food

Food safety generates big headlines and news reports, and consumers have rightfully gained a heightened sense of awareness regarding contamination and foodborne illnesses. While it’s understandable these stories cause concern, we must remember the reason they’re brought to light is because our country has rigid safeguards in place to intercept contamination and other problems before they become widespread public health concerns. Frankly, I’d be more concerned if these stories didn’t make the news.

When we discuss food safety, it’s important to remember the diligent work being done by both federal and state inspectors at our country’s ports of entry. These dedicated public servants protect consumers, taxpayers and our vital agriculture industry every day by detecting and deterring pests and diseases that threaten our domestic food supply. They also make it possible for Texas and the United States to play on the world stage by competing for export markets and the jobs they create.

This short story from UPI.com details how "one of the world's most destructive pests" was detected and quarantined before it could enter the United States through Galveston. News stories like this remind us that when food sources are jeopardized through human or natural contamination, our consumers and economic competitiveness are the ultimate victims. They also serve as reminders that America enjoys the world’s safest, most affordable and most abundant food supply in the world. I commend the United States’ port inspectors for their commitment to protecting our nation.

Use science? Go figure...

Guest Blogger: Drew DeBerry, Texas Deputy Agriculture Commissioner

Americans enjoy the safest food supply in the world. Unfortunately this reality has been undermined in recent weeks with opinions and comments about the recall of several hundred million eggs from Wright County Egg farm in Iowa.

Opinions are like noses - everybody has one - and I defend everyone's right to express theirs. While any illness resulting from certain eggs is a serious issue, it is important to remember some basic realities about our food production when voicing our opinions. The food our farmers and ranchers work so hard to provide is inspected at many levels before reaching the consumer. While the number of recalled eggs may sound alarming, we need to keep in perspective that these eggs only comprise 1 percent of the eggs produced in the nation.

Additionally, universities are doing exceptional work to enhance food safety. And it would be easy for me to reference some of the great work being done at my alma mater, Texas Tech University, or at Commissioner Staples' alma mater, Texas A&M University, to highlight scientifically-based facts and guidelines that are more than a headline reaction to this serious matter.

Instead, I thought I would go to a neutral corner and give both the Aggies and Red Raiders a break today. This article by Ohio State University food safety microbiologists brings to light some important facts we all should consider during this time when our health authorities track down the root cause of this outbreak and develop even better protocols to help ensure consumers are protected. When all else fails, maybe we should base our opinions on science...

Food for Thought ...Thoughts on Food

Texans do a terrific job of promoting food independence, producing affordable and safe food, and providing jobs in our economy because of our vast family farming and ranching operations. Thanks to this commitment and success, Americans spend less of their disposable income on food than any other country in the world.

This week, Feb. 21-27, marks Food Check-Out Week – the time of year when the average American’s cumulative income for the still freshly new year reaches a level to cover their food expenditure needs for the entire year. I can think of no better time to celebrate the abundance of affordable food Texans and Americans alike are able to enjoy thanks to the continuous diligence of our farmers and ranchers.

No matter how affordable our food continues to be, the fact remains that many consumers still struggle to provide for their families. In an effort to assist these families, the American Farm Bureau has created a list of tips for eating healthy on a tight budget.

As always, my thanks go out to our hard-working farmers and ranchers who work tirelessly to help Texans eat well.

Vaccines Tested to Combat E. coli in Beef

Beef is to Texas like lobster is to Maine – a valuable commodity that just happens to taste good, too (obviously beef is better, but you get my point.) So Texans have more reasons than most for ensuring that we maintain the proud statistic of having the safest food supply in the world.

According to a NY Times article published Dec. 3, researchers believe E. coli vaccines, like the ones mentioned as being tested in the article, can reduce the number of animals carrying the bacteria by 65 to 75 percent.

While the debate regarding who will pick up the tab for the vaccines is ongoing, the end result could be an end to E. coli related food borne illnesses. That is great news, since the bacteria causes illnesses in about 73,000 Americans each year.