ABA Food Technical Regulatory Affairs Committee (FTRAC) and Commodity Agricultural Policy Committee (CAPC) Meeting Highlights

Feb. 8, 2011 - NAWG Members Join ABA Committees for Hill Visits    

As part of the ABA FTRAC and CAPC meetings, ABA members participated in a day of congressional visits including a meeting  with Senator John Boozman (AR-R) to discuss a variety of key issues, including: commodity volatility, sugar reform, USDA Agricultural Research Service wheat quality laboratory funding and Hours of Service.

Participants Emphasize Importance of Grain Products in Nutrition-Oriented Legislation

Members of the ABA Commodity & Agricultural Policy (CAPC) and Food Technical & Regulatory Affairs Committees (FTRAC) joined with members of the National Association of Wheat Growers on Feb. 8 in Washington, D.C. to discuss multiple issues critical to the grain chain with key members of Congress. Together, the bakers and wheat growers focused on addressing proper funding of wheat research programs and emphasized the importance of grain products in nutrition-oriented legislation.  

Feb. 8, 2011 - Joint Committee Dinner Features Rep. Kingston (R-GA)

ABA members in town for the joint visits also heard from long-time industry supporter Representative Jack Kingston (R-GA), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Agriculture Appropriations. Rep. Kingston discussed many of the budget cuts the GOP is looking to enact to reduce the deficit, including possible cuts to the Conservation Reserve Program and the corn-based ethanol program.    

Feb. 9, 2011 - CAPC Discusses Volatility, Farm Bill, Sugar, and Ethanol

CAPC members met on Feb. 9 to discuss solutions to key concerns to the baking industry including: continued volatility in the markets; what to expect in the upcoming farm bill; opportunities to reform the current U.S. sugar program; and corn-based ethanol's impact on wheat acreage. Sarah Dewey, legislative assistant for Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), spoke to the committee on efforts in the Senate to reform the U.S. sugar program, while Dave Berick, senior counsel to Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) discussed the STOP Act, a bill that seeks to reduce the impact of index funds in the wheat markets. In addition, USDA APHIS Administrator Cindy Smith spoke to CAPC members regarding the USDA's focus on current and potential biotech crops.  

For more information on CAPC issues, please contact ABA Senior Manager, Government Relations Cory Martin. 

Feb. 9, 2011 - FTRAC Focuses on Food Safety, Nutrition Issues 

John Phillips, Schwebel Baking Company asks a question during the FTRAC food safety discussion. Also pictured, from left, Brian Walker, Horizon Milling LLC; Glen Weaver, ConAgra Mills and Eleanor DiBias, DSM Food Specialties

At the Feb. 9th FTRAC meeting, more than 40 members spent a full day discussing key policy issues with a focus on food safety and nutrition policy. As part of the food safety dialogue, Jenny Scott, senior advisor, FDA's Office of Food Safety, provided an update on the agency's recent food safety activities including steps toward implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and an update on bakery specific items of interest from the first annual report on the Reportable Food Registry. Committee members discussed how the industry can best weigh in on bakery specific concerns as new guidance and proposals related to FSMA are developed. Dr. Brenda Stahl of AIB discussed proactively monitoring the baking environment. AIB President Jim Munyon and AIB Vice President, Technical and Audit Services Maureen Olewnik provided an update on AIB's Recent Customer Survey on key Global Food Safety Initiative concerns. ABA Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Public Affairs Lee Sanders and Miriam Guggenheim, Covington and Burling, led a strategy discussion on proactive plans to prioritizing key bakery food safety issues and comment opportunities to FDA.

FTRAC members also discussed a variety of nutrition issues for bakers including a review of the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines; the pending new Good Guide Pyramid; sodium reduction strategy; and implications of the child nutrition reauthorization passed late in 2010. The committee also received updates on Federal Trade Commission enforcement activities, the IOM Report on dietary reference intakes for calcium and Vitamin D and recent GAO Report on Food Labeling. Also, Lindsey Loving, senior director, The International Food Information Council, gave a presentation on IFIC's research findings on environment and consumer perspectives regarding processed foods and food ingredients.  

For more information on FTRAC issues, please contact ABA Senior Vice President, Government Relations & Public Affairs Lee Sanders.  

Feb. 9, 2011 - Joint FTRAC and CAPC Discuss Biotech Issues

Over 55 members participated in ABA's FTRAC and CAPC joint session to discuss biotech issues. The joint session included a dialogue with USDA APHIS Administrator Cindy Smith on the Agency's regulatory role in addressing and outreach efforts to stakeholders on a variety of biotech issues.

Additionally, the ABA FTRAC and CAPC committees met jointly midday to hear presentations from USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Administrator Cindy Williams regarding the agency's recent biotechnology activities. Joe Cornelius of Monsanto also spoke to the joint session on new healthier profile oil products that are being developed.