Direct Line Keeping Our Members Informed kpa@kspork.org • www.kspork.org
Volume XXVIII
2601 Farm Bureau Road • Manhattan, KS 66502 • (785) 776-0442
May 2009
Kansas Pork Association Hosts “Pork is Safe” Day at the Capitol “We have a bipartisan group of pork eaters,” stated Gov. Mark Parkinson lightheartedly as 500 legislators, staff and various media outlets enjoyed a freshly grilled slice of pork loin on a warm bun outside the Capitol on Wednesday, May 6. The Kansas Pork Association sponsored the “Pork is Safe” event in response to the recent negative press due to the H1N1 virus. Attendees heard remarks from the Governor, Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky, Senator Mark Taddiken, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Rep. Larry Powell, who leads the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Each commented on the safety of eating and handling pork. Polansky said the H1N1 had characteristics of a series of flu strains. It was misleading to tag it with the “swine” name, he said. And, he said, people should realize they can’t get sick from consuming pork products. “It’s absolutely not a food-borne illness,” Polansky said. Tim Stroda, chief executive officer of the Kansas Pork Association, said the market price for hogs has taken a hit as the flu moved from Mexico to the United States and elsewhere. That same negative press led to a temporary drop in supermarket sales
Governor Mark Parkinson addresses the attendees to the “Pork is Safe” Day at the Capitol.
Senator Mark Taddiken, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, helps reassure consumers that “Pork is Safe.”
of pork products and triggered an international pork scare that led to bans on importation of U.S. pork and the slaughter of swine herds overseas. “It’s a serious situation,” Stroda said. “Our industry is working hard to reassure consumers that pork is safe to eat and handle.” Kansas pork producers were on hand to help prepare and serve the pork. Materials provided to the attendees included recipes, Kansas swine industry facts and information about the H1N1 flu.
Kansas Pork Association members that worked to serve sandwiches included Josh Borhn, Sedgwick; Alan Haverkamp, Bern; Roy Henry, Longford; Jerry Morris, Sedgwick; Michael Springer, Sycamore; Pete Sherlock, Washington; Christy Springer, Sycamore; and Tim Stroda Kansas Pork Association CEO.