Poultry Times July 15, 2013 Edition

Poultry Times PERIODICALS

Since 1954, the nation’s only poultry industry newspaper

&

Processing

July 15, 2013

FOOD SAFETY

PRESERVE INTERNATIONAL proudly presents

SYNERGIZE ORANGE CLEANER-DISINFECTANT

Because Biosecurity Doesn’t Cost, It Pays!

✹ Provene effectivst again Avian a Influenz

PRESERVE I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Reno, Nevada 89511, USA

1-800-995-1607

Telephone: (209) 664-1607 • FAX: (209) 664-1728 www.preserveinternational.com

Poultry Times

July 15, 2013 Volume 60, Number 15 www.poultrytimes.net

Farmers worry about fate of immigration bills The Associated Press

ATWOOD, Mich. — For northern Michigan fruit grower Pat McGuire, the most potent symbol of the immigration debate isn’t grainy television footage showing people slipping furtively across the U.S.Mexican border. Instead, it’s plump red cherries and crisp apples rotting on the ground because there aren’t enough workers to pick them — a scenario that could become reality over the next couple of months.

Across the state’s orchard belt, cherry trees already sag under the weight of bright-red clusters, yet many trailers and wood-frame cottages that should be bustling with migrant families stand empty. McGuire is waiting to hear whether crews will show up to pick his crop in mid-July.

“We’re running out of time,” he said, pulling aside leafy branches to inspect his ripening fruit on gently

sloping hillsides a mile inland from Lake Michigan.

From Christmas tree growers in the Appalachians to Wisconsin dairy farmers and producers of California’s diverse abundance of fruits and vegetables, agricultural leaders are pleading with Congress for an immigration bill that includes more lenient and less complex rules for hiring farm workers.

A measure that recently cleared the Democratic-led Senate contained provisions that the farm lobby said were promising. The Republican-controlled House is expected to take up the issue shortly.

But with agriculture’s oncemighty political influence in decline as its workforce has fallen to 2 percent of the population, it’s uncertain how the industry will fare. Farmers’ complaints about a shrinking labor pool are being overshadowed by the ideologically charged issues of bor-

der security and giving legal status to people in the country illegally.

McGuire, 42, a self-described conservative who usually votes Republican, was among representatives of the American Farm Bureau Federation who made their case on Capitol Hill recently. His Michigan group went to the offices of eight lawmakers and to the Senate floor, buttonholing members or their staffers.

“Each office had their party speech,” McGuire said, recalling one member’s argument about border security. But the border must already be pretty secure, McGuire said, “because we don’t have the labor in this country that we used to have.”

Michigan farmers hire about 45,000 seasonal workers in the typical year, many of them immigrants.

See Immigration, Page 15

Bird flu strain ‘kills more than a third’ The Associated Press

LONDON — More than a third of patients infected with a new strain of avian influenza died after being admitted to the hospital earlier this year, Chinese researchers report in a new study.

Since the new H7N9 bird flu first broke out in China in late March, the strain has sickened more than 130 people and killed 37.

The World Health Organization has previously described H7N9 as “one of the most lethal influenza viruses” it has ever seen and said it appeared to spread faster than the last bird flu strain, H5N1, that

threatened to unleash a pandemic.

After making some adjustments for missing data, the Chinese scientists estimated the overall death rate to be 36 percent.

The outbreak was stopped after China closed many of its live animal markets — scientists had assumed the virus was infecting people through exposure to live birds.

That makes the new strain less deadly than H5N1, which kills about 70 percent of the people it infects.

Still, H7N9 is more lethal than the swine flu that caused a 2009 global epidemic. That had a death rate of less than 1 percent.

The results were released in two

papers on the H7N9 strain, published online recently in the journal Lancet.

“The good news is that numbers of (H7N9) cases have stalled,” Cecile Viboud and Lone Simonsen of the U.S. National Institutes of Health wrote in a commentary accompanying the article.

However, they warned that the threat of the virus still “persists” and predicted that the strain might return in the winter, when flu viruses are typically most active.

That assessment echoes the WHO, which in early June also warned of the virus adapting.

AP Photo/John Flesher

Immigration: In this June 28 photo Patrick McGuire of Atwood, Mich., examines sweet cherries growing in his orchard. McGuire says a labor shortage caused by the immigration controversy is making it difficult for him and other growers to harvest their crops.

Feinstein bill targets antibiotics in agriculture WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has introduced legislation which directs the Food & Drug Administration to prohibit the use of human antibiotics in the feed and water of healthy farm animals if they jeopardize human health.

The bill — The Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2013 — requires drug companies and agriculture producers to demonstrate that antibiotics are used to treat clinically diagnosable diseases — not just to fatten livestock.

The overuse of these antibiotics contributes to the development of so-called ’superbugs,’ or infections that cannot be treated with existing medicines, the senator said.

“Antibiotics are the closest thing to a ‘silver bullet’ in human medicine given their ability to wipe out a wide variety of bacterial infections, but we are in danger of losing this weapon in the fight against infectious diseases,” said Feinstein. “When antibiotics are fed in low doses to animals, only the strongest, most resistant bacteria are left behind to reproduce.

See Bill, Page 11

2

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

Boost for cars or bust? Ethanol debate heats up The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — It’s a dilemma for drivers: Do they choose a gasoline that’s cheaper and cleaner even if, as opponents say, it could damage older cars and motorcycles?

That’s the peril and promise of a high-ethanol blend of gasoline known as E15. The fuel contains 15 percent ethanol, well above the current 10 percent norm sold at most U.S. gas stations.

The higher ethanol blend is currently sold in fewer than two dozen stations in the Midwest, but could spread to other regions as the Obama administration considers whether to require more ethanol in gasoline.

As a result, there’s a feverish lobbying campaign by both oil and ethanol interests that has spread from

Congress to the White House and the Supreme Court.

On June 24, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge by the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry’s chief lobbying group, to block sales of E15. The justices left in place a federal appeals court ruling that dismissed challenges by the oil industry group and trade associations representing food producers, restaurants and others.

Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, an ethanol industry group, hailed the decision as victory for U.S. consumers, who will now have greater choice at the pump.

“Now that the final word has been issued, I hope that oil companies will begin to work with biofuel producers to help bring new blends into the marketplace that allow for

consumer choice and savings,” Buis said.

The API called the decision a loss for consumers, safety and the environment.

“EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) approved E15 before vehicle testing was complete, and we now know the fuel may cause significant mechanical problems in millions of cars on the road today,” said Harry Ng, API vice president and general counsel.

The ethanol industry called that a scare tactic and said there have been no documented cases of engine breakdowns caused by the highethanol blend since limited sales of E15 began last year.

“This is another example of oil companies unnecessarily scaring

people, and it’s just flat-out wrong,” said Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol industry group.

The dispute over E15 is the latest flashpoint in a long-standing battle over the Renewable Fuel Standard, approved by Congress in 2005 and amended in 2007. The law requires refiners to blend increasing amounts of ethanol into gasoline each year as a way to decrease reliance on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a 16.5 billion-gallon production requirement for ethanol and other gasoline alternatives this year, up from 15.2 billion gallons last year. By 2022,

the law calls for more than double that amount.

Biofuel advocates and supporters in Congress say the law has helped create more than 400,000 jobs, revitalized rural economies and helped lower foreign oil imports by more than 30 percent while reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

But the oil industry, refiners and some environmental groups say the standard imposes an unnecessary economic burden on consumers.

Using automotive fuel that comes from corn also has significant consequences for agriculture, putting upward pressure on food prices, critics say.

“The ever increasing ethanol

See Ethanol, Page 8

Groups urge Congress to repeal RFS WASHINGTON — Following an announcement by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mark Pryor (DArk.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that they have introduced the bipartisan Renewable Fuels Standard Repeal Act, (S. 1195) the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), National Chicken Council (NCC) and the National Turkey Federation (NTF) urge Congress to repeal the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).

“Chicken producers are already competing with the weather,” said NCC President Mike Brown. “Why must we also compete with an inflexible federal mandate that voluntarily places another strain on our limited resources? I commend Sens. Barrasso, Pryor and Toomey for taking an approach that would let the free market decide whether corn should go to food or to fuel.”

The RFS last year required 13.2 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol to be blended into gasoline; it mandates that 13.9 billion gallons be blended in 2013, an amount that will use about 4.9 billion bushels of

corn, or about 40 percent of the nation’s crop.

“RFS has been such a poorly managed mess, it’s time to drain the swamp,” said NTF President Joel Brandenberger. “The RFS needs a fresh start in order to put in place a smarter policy on the mix of fuel and feed.”

Livestock and poultry groups called on the administration last fall to waive the RFS, for the second time since 2008. And for the second time, in spite of the widespread drought and lowered harvest, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) refused to use the safety valve built into the biofuels mandate.

“Cattlemen and women are selfreliant, but in order to maintain that we cannot be asked to compete with federal mandates like the Renewable Fuels Standard for the limited supply of feed grains,” said NCBA Policy Vice Chairman Craig Uden, an Elwood, Neb., cattle feeder.

“When EPA is unable to provide even a temporary waiver of the RFS

during the worst drought in 50 years, it is apparent the RFS is broken and we appreciate the efforts of Senators Barrasso, Pryor and Toomey to fix this flawed program.”

NCBA, NCC and NTF are calling on Congress to repeal the RFS to ensure market stability certainty for rural American economies.

INDEX AEB Hotline...........................15 Business.............................6--7 Calendar.................................9 Classified..............................12 Markets................................14 Viewpoint................................4 A directory of Poultry Times advertisers appears on Page 15

To subscribe call 770-536-2476 or www.poultrytimes.net

3

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

Using ultraviolet light to inactivate campylobacter on poultry

By Christopher H. Sommers & Nereus W. Gunther IV Special to Poultry Times

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Campylobacter spp. are a major cause of foodborne illness in the United States, and poultry (e.g. chicken, turkey) are a major source of campylobacter in foods (Scallan et al 2011).

Thus, control of Campylobacter spp. during poultry processing has the potential to significantly reduce the incidence of foodborne illness.

There are many ways to inactivate foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria during and after processing including ionizing radiation, high pressure processing, and antimicrobial compounds. Ultraviolet light (254 nm,UV-C) is an U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved technology that can be used for decontamination of food and food contact surfaces (U.S. FDA 2000).

UV-C exerts its bactericidal effect by production of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and 6-4 photoadducts in the bacterial chromosome either killing the bacteria or rendering them unable to reproduce (Reardon and Sancar 2005). Application of UV-C is an environmentally friendly chemical and waterfree process.

While UV-C technology is used by many industries for decontamination of clean-rooms, medical facilities and water, it is under-utilized by the food processing industry.

Campylobacter spp. are particularly sensitive to UV-C due to the lack of DNA repair systems common in other bacteria. The purpose Christopher H. Sommers and Nereus W. Gunther IV are with the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pa. This article is drawn from a presentation given at the 2013 Midwest Poultry Federation Convention held in St. Paul, Minn.

of this study was to determine the ability of UV-C to inactivate Campylobacter jejuni on poultry skin (chicken and turkey), poultry breast meat and on food contact surfaces such as stainless steel and epoxy floor materials when suspended in poultry exudate.

Materials & methods yy Bacterial strains: Campylobacter jejuni RM1221, RM1464, RM1449, and RM1288 were provided by Dr. Robert Mandrell (USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center, Albany, Calif.).

Isolates were cultured from frozen stocks (minus 80 degrees C) onto Brucella Agar (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, Md.). Overnight cultures were grown in 5 mL Brucella Broth (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, Md.) using a microaerobic chamber (5 percent O2, 10 percent CO2, 85 percent N2, 42 degrees C), and then combined to form a multi-isolate cocktail. yy Poultry: Poultry breasts (with and without skin) were purchased from a local retailer, vacuum-sealed in polynylon bags (Uline Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.), and then frozen at minus 20 degrees C. They were then radiation sterilized (25 kGy) using a selfcontained Cs-137 gamma-irradiator (Lockheed-Georgia Co., Marietta, Ga.). The temperature during irradiation was maintained at minus 20 degrees C through the introduction of gas-phase from a liquid nitrogen source into the top of the sample chamber. yy Ultraviolet light (UV-C) irradiation: Chicken and turkey pieces were thawed in a refrigerator overnight.

Skin pieces (9 square centimeters) were prepared from the sterilized poultry. Drip (exudate) was collected in sterile test tubes for use in experiments as needed. Poultry skin and skinless breast pieces were inoculated with 0.1 mL of C. jejuni

cocktail, refrigerated for 30 min., and then exposed to UV-C at 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 J/square centimeters.

For experiments using stainless steel coupons, the C. jejuni cocktail was diluted 1/10 in sterile poultry drip and 0.1 mL placed on sterile stainless steel coupons which were then exposed to UV-C. UV-C exposures were conducted using a Reyco (Meridan, Idaho) UV-C conveyor (5 mW/square centimeters/sec).

For decontamination of epoxy floor surfaces, sanitized pieces of a dismantled food-grade processing room with an epoxy floor were autoclaved, inoculated, and then exposed to UV-C using a static lamp (Atlantic Ultraviolet, White Plains, N.Y.) in a refrigerator (10 degrees C) at an intensity of 10 ƒÝW/s/ square centimeters. The exposure was overnight for approximately 8 hours UV-C intensity for all experiments was performed using a calibrated UVX Radiometer (UVP, Inc, Upland, Calif.). yy Recovery of bacteria: Following UV-C exposure samples were then placed in sterile sample bags, manually rinsed with 50 ml sterile peptone water for 1 min, and 0.1 mL surface-plated onto duplicate Brucella Agar plates. The plates were then incubated as described above prior to enumeration for CFU/square centimeters, which was then used to calculate the log reduction. Each experiment was conducted independently three times.

Results & discussion Campylobacter spp. continues to cause poultry-associated foodborne illness. Currently there are technologies which can inactivate this foodborne pathogen following processing. Ionizing radiation is currently allowed in more than 60 countries worldwide. Patterson (1995) found the D10 of C. jejuni, C. lari, C. fetus, and C. coli ranged from 0.12 to 0.25 kGy. Campylobacter species are highly sensitive to ionizing radiation when

compared to other foodborne pathogens such as salmonella when suspended in minced poultry. Raw and processed poultry can be rendered virtually campylobacter free at relatively low ionizing radiation doses.

Another commercial technology which can be used to inactivate Campylobacter spp. on poultry is high pressure processing.

Solomon and Hoover (2004) found that pressures of 375-400 mPa for 10 min reduced C. jejuni in chicken puree to undetectable levels.

While both of these technologies are extremely effective, and can virtually eliminate Campylobacter spp. as a food safety threat in poultry meat, they are limited in their commercial usage due to their relatively high cost when considering capital

equipment and transportation to and from an irradiation or high pressure processing facility.

Other approaches include the use of antimicrobials. Oyarzabal (2005) described the utility of a number of antimicrobials which could be applied during poultry processing.

Gunther (2010) found that altering the composition of polyphosphates added during processing and controlling pH could reduce the survival of Campylobacter spp. in poultry exudate and broth.

However, a technology which is increasingly being adopts by the food processing industry is UV-C light. UV-C requires no chemicals or water and is therefore environmentally friendly. This technology is currently increasingly being ad-

See Ultraviolet, Page 8

When it comes to plastic...

We’re flexible!

• Single-source solution • 1, 3, & 7-layer films and bags • Institutional, Foodservice, and Retail Packaging • 30 years serving the poultry industry

1111 Industrial Park Dr. • Clinton, Mississippi 39056 email: shannon@mcneelyplastics.com 800.433.8407 • 601.926.1000 • FAX: 601.926.1010

4

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

Viewpoint Compiled by Barbara Olejnik, Associate Editor 770-718-3440 bolejnik@poultrytimes.net

State fairs help promote poultry

By Bill Mattos

Special to Poultry Times

MODESTO, Calif. — Fair season is upon us, and whether it’s your big State Fair or one of our large California County Fairs, thousands of visitors will flock through this agricultural venue.

Fairs are good places to Mattos showcase cattle, sheep and swine in California, but in recent years chickens and turkeys have

grown faster than all the rest among students of FFA and 4-H. It’s easier to raise a chicken, less expensive and with help from some of our company experts many 4-H and FFA members are taught the right way to raise birds, including biosecurity and all. When it comes time to sell the champion birds, these students must learn how to contact buyers and market their animals.

Our State Fair this year runs the same time as our Stanislaus County Fair, home of some of the largest poultry and egg producers in the West. Our fair added turkeys a few years ago, and these days the chicken, turkey and rabbit entries are soaring. We certainly won’t reach the sales figures that turkeys

and chickens bring at the major shows in Texas, but the good news is that interest in our birds is growing among youngsters who want to learn more about them.

Educate the public I write this not only to talk about how important it is to help our fairs show off these birds, but it provides an opportunity to explain biosecurity, food safety and other issues that come our way as we work to promote our industry every year. It’s important that all of us do what we can to help our 4-H and FFA members to learn more about chickens and turkeys and explain the challenges industry faces every year.

While they only grow these birds for a few weeks without much controversy, industry grows birds, markets them, solves consumer issues and works with the USDA to maintain a safe, healthy product as it leaves the processing facility.

Poultry groups shine But fairs also mean a lot to many poultry organizations. Some earn a big part of their poultry budget by selling poultry products at their state

order stopping EPA’s imminent release, AFBF hopes to stall disclosures of farmers’ and ranchers’ names, home addresses, GPS coordinates and personal contact information until a court can clarify EPA’s obligation to keep personal information about citizens private.

The National Pork Producers Council joined AFBF in the lawsuit.

“We are sticking up for the tens of thousands of farmers and ranchers whose personal information would end up in the public domain,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman.

“This lawsuit is about the government’s unjustified intrusion into

Bill Mattos

California Poultry Federation

fairs. In Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio, for example, I know thousands of dollars fill the coffers of these state poultry associations.

But it’s hard work, long hours and requires supreme organization by the state poultry executive and their staff. I admire my colleagues who put on such an amazing display of poultry food products each year

Bill Mattos is president of the California Poultry Federation with offices in Modesto, Calif.

citizens’ private lives.”

Earlier this year the farming and ranching community was shocked that EPA released personal information about thousands of livestock and poultry farmers and ranchers in 29 states in response to FOIA requests from three environmental organizations. The massive data release contained tens of thousands of lines in spreadsheets often including home phone numbers, home emails, employee contact information, home addresses and in some cases personal notes about the families.

See Privacy, Page 5

and the way they promote these products at their state fairs. Most of these state organizations work with their member companies for securing the product as well as finding volunteers to staff the operation.

This kind of cooperation develops

See Mattos, Page 5

Poultry Times www.poultrytimes.net

Corporate Headquarters

Poultry & Egg News Inc. P.O. Box 1338 Gainesville, Georgia 30503 Telephone: 770-536-2476; 770-718-3444 (after 5:30 p.m.)

Fax: 770-532-4894

General Manager

AFBF files suit to protect farmers’ privacy WASHINGTON — Protecting farmers’ and ranchers’ right to privacy is a top priority, said the American Farm Bureau Federation, which took legal action July 5 to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from publicly releasing personal information about thousands of farmers and ranchers and their families. EPA was expected to respond to several Freedom of Information Act requests, prompting AFBF to file a lawsuit and seek a temporary restraining order before the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.

By seeking an immediate court

“

‘Fairs . . . provide an opportunity to explain biosecurity, food safety and other issues that come our way.’

Cindy Wellborn 770-718-3443

cwellborn@poultrytimes.net

Editorial/Advertising Staff Editor David B. Strickland 770-718-3442 dstrickland@poultrytimes.net

Associate Editor Barbara L. Olejnik 770-718-3440

bolejnik@poultrytimes.net

Account Executive Stacy Louis 770-718-3445

slouis@poultrytimes.net

Account Executive Dinah Winfree 770-718-3438

dwinfree@poultrytimes.net

Poultry Times (USPS 217-480) ISSN 0885-3371 is published every other Monday, 345 Green Street, N.W., Gainesville, Georgia 30501. Telephone 770-536-2476; Fax 770-532-4894.

Postage paid at Gainesville, Georgia 30501.

Poultry Times assumes responsibliity for error in first run of an in-house designed ad only. Advertisers have ten (10) days from publication date to dispute such an advertisement. After ten (10) days, ad will be deemed correct and advertiser will be charged accordingly. Proofs approved by advertiser will always be regarded as correct.

Subscriptions: Surface mail in U.S., $18.00 for one year, $29 for two years and $40 for three years. Business or occupation information must accompany each subscription order.

Change of Address: Postmaster, report change of address to Poultry Times, P.O. Box 1338, Gainesville, GA 30503.

Companion Poultry Publications: A Guide to Poultry Associations; Poultry Resource Guide; Georgia Ag News.

The opinions expressed in this publication by authors other than Poultry Times staff are those of the respective author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Poultry Times.

Advertisement content is the sole responsibility of the advertiser. Poultry Times assumes no liability for any statements, claims or assertions appearing in any advertisement.

5

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

Reducing process wastewater loading by increasing bleed time

By Drs. Brian Kiepper & Casey Ritz Special to Poultry Times

ATHENS, Ga. — It is logical to assume that allowing birds to bleed out for a longer period of time during the slaughter process would result in greater blood recovery for rendering and less blood entering the scalder and other processing wastewater streams.

However the potential economic impact of increasing bleed times in poultry processing has not been established, until now.

Extension poultry scientists at the University of Georgia conducted an experiment to establish the impact that different bleed times can have on the subsequent organic load found in scalder wastewater in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and surcharge fees that can ensue.

On average, poultry processing plants bleed broiler carcasses for approximately 90 seconds. Industry bleed times can range from approximately 60 seconds (bleed times lower than 60 seconds raise the concern that birds might not exsanguinate prior to entering the scalder) to

approximately 120 seconds (longer bleed times tend to lead to feather picking difficultly due to increasing feather set post-exsanguination).

Bleed time experiment Twenty-four, 8-week old male commercial broilers with an average live weight of 9 pounds (4.1 kg) were randomly divided into two treatment groups, those bled for a period of 60 seconds and those bled for 120 seconds.

Each broiler was electrically stunned and exsanguinated, and the blood collected for the specified period of time and weighed.

Once bleed out was completed, any remaining blood draining from the carcass was allowed to enter an individual scalding tank containing 4.2 gallons (16 liters) of clean, heated water. Each carcass was then lowered into the tank and manually agitated for 2 minutes. The carcass was then removed and a sample of the scalder water was collected for COD analysis.

Results yy Blood volume recovered The weight of blood collected

from each broiler was first converted to a percentage of live body weight and the two bleed times were compared.

The results of this comparison show that carcasses bled for 120 seconds averaged a recovered blood volume of 2.5 percent of live body weight, which was significantly greater than the 2 percent found in carcasses bled for 60 seconds. Interestingly, the results also show a substantial difference in the variation of individual bleed out volumes between the two bleed out times.

The volume of blood from carcasses bled for 60 seconds ranged from 1 percent to 2.9 percent of live body weight, while carcasses bled for 120 seconds ranged from 2 percent to 2.8 percent.

Results yy COD load in scalder wastewater Because a known volume of water was used in each scalder (16 L), the COD concentration (mg/L) of each of the 24 scalder wastewater samples was converted to a load (in grams) by simply multiplying the COD mg/L concentration result by

•Privacy (Continued from page 4)

EPA had required state regulatory agencies to provide the agency with this information, which it then publicly released in its entirety. EPA has taken the position with AFBF and others that it has no legal obligation under FOIA to keep most of the information private. Now, in response to new FOIA requests, EPA intends to release additional personal information from farmers in Minnesota, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and Washington.

According to AFBF, the majority of farmers and ranchers, as well as their families, don’t just work on the farm — they live there, too. By

turning over farmers’ names and addresses for public consumption, EPA is inviting intrusion into the privacy of farmers and their families on a nationwide scale.

“We support transparency and frequently advocate for increased government transparency,” said Stallman. “But publicly sharing spreadsheet upon spreadsheet of tens of thousands of peoples’ names, addresses and other personal information is not transparency in the workings of government — it is an invasion of the personal privacy of citizens.

AFBF said it does not necessarily object to the collection of aggregated data of farm and ranch busi-

ness information for government use, but in the wrong hands personal location information could disrupt farm activity and lead to farm equipment theft or even sabotage or criminal mischief, especially for those farms that store fertilizer and chemicals or have large numbers of animals on the farm.

“In the scope of everything happening nationally with the exposure of citizens’ private information, it’s time to say enough is enough,” said Stallman. “Farm Bureau is not only standing up for farmers in this case, but we are also standing up for all citizens who shouldn’t have their personal information publicly disseminated by their government.”

the scalder water volume (i.e., 16 L).

The result was grams of COD loading in each scalder wastewater sample and the two different bleed times were again compared.

The results of this comparison that carcasses bled for only 60 seconds averaged a COD load of 9.85g, which was significantly greater that the average COD load of 6.49g found in carcasses bled for 120 seconds, an average difference per bird of 3.36g.

In other words, the carcasses bled for only 60 seconds contributed an increased average of 0.5 percent of live weight in unrecovered blood into the scalder resulting in a 34 percent increase in the COD load.

As with the recovered blood volume, the results also show a substantial difference in the variation of COD loading between the two bleed out times. The COD load for 60 seconds ranged from 3.97 to 14.13g, while carcasses bled for 120 seconds ranged from 5.02 to 7.94g.

Economic impact With results of this experiment showing a per bird decrease in 3.36g of COD load to wastewater through

a 60 second increase in bleed time, an economic impact based on reduced surcharge fees can be calculated. For a typical broiler slaughter plant processing 250,000 birds per day (bpd), 260 processing days per year, and paying 30 cents per pound of COD in surcharges: yy (250,000 bpd) (3.36g) = 840,000g/d or 840 kg/day; 840 kg/d = 1852 lbs./day. yy (1852 lbs/d) ($0.30/lb) = $ 555.60/day. yy ($555.60/d) (260 processing days/year) = $ 144,456.00/year.

The results of this experiment demonstrate that increasing bleed time has a direct impact on processing wastewater COD load.

Using these experimental data, an increase of bleed time from one to two minutes could potentially save a typical processing plant over $140,000 per year in reduced wastewater surcharges.

Dr. Brian Kiepper is an assistant professor and Extension poultry scientist; and Dr. Casey Ritz is an associate professor and Extension poultry scientist, both with the University of Georgia’s Department of Poultry Science in Athens, Ga.

•Mattos (Continued from page 4)

a strong bond between poultry organizations and their members, and the result is not only some extra money to promote their products but a loyalty from members and their families that goes a long way in state activities, political and professional.

Decision makers In California our elected officials from local, county, state and federal governments don’t miss

the chance to attend our fairs.

In Stanislaus County we entertain more than 250,000 visitors each year, and our electeds serve at both the Republican and Democratic booths, enjoy the entertainment venues throughout the fairgrounds and mingle with many of us who also lobby them on poultry issues.

State Fairs bring thousands more visitors!

At your fairs, you can spend quality time with our leaders while finding the opportunity to talk about specific issues as well.

6

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

Business Compiled by David B. Strickland, Editor 770-718-3442 dstrickland@poultrytimes.net

OSHA official to speak at poultry safety conf.

TUCKER, Ga. — Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), will speak at the National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry on Aug. 19.

Michaels will give the opening remarks at the conference via remote broadcast and address questions from attendees.

Appointed

by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Michaels Senate, Michaels became the 12th assistant secretary of labor for OSHA in December 2009.

As assistant secretary, he has worked to strengthen the agency’s enforcement in high risk industries, improve OSHA’s whistleblower protection program, promote common sense worker protection programs and standards, expand compliance assistance provided to small employers, and increase outreach to the vulnerable populations who are at greatest risk for workrelated injury and illness.

He has also increased OSHA’s

focus and capabilities in the areas of data analysis and program evaluation.

The 2013 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry is a three-day event designed specifically for poultry facility and corporate safety personnel.

The conference is sponsored by the Agriculture Technology Research Program at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the Georgia Poultry Federation, the National Chicken Council and the National Turkey Federation.

This year’s conference will be held Aug. 19-21, at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, Fla. Topics will include an OSHA Update; Continuous Improvement Processes; Modernization of Poultry Inspection: Overview and Safety Implications; Contractor Safety; DOT Update; Workplace Violence; Hazard Recognition; Illegal Drug Use in the Workplace: Financial Impact and Effective Testing Strategies and Management; Best Practices Shared by Safety Award Recipients; The David Wylie Insight Lecture Series; and related roundtable discussions.

Registration for the 2013 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry can be obtained at www.uspoultry.org/educationprograms.

www.poultrytimes.net

Other Business News Marel acquires part of Carnitech A/S GARDABAER, Iceland — Marel has reached an agreement with the administrator of the Carnitech A/S estate to acquire Carnitech’s mixing and grinding activities, following its bankruptcy on June 21. The amount of the transaction is approximately 1.5 million euro.

Marel notes that although the transaction is small in size, the acquired part of the Carnitech operations is a good strategic fit to Marel.

Prior to its bankruptcy, Carnitech was in the ownership of American Industrial Acquisition Corp.

(AIAC), a privately held industrial group who acquired it from Marel in 2010.

“The mixing and grinding activities fit well with Marel’s strategy of being the customer’s choice in the industries the company operates in — fish, meat, poultry and further processing,” said Sigsteinn Gretarsson, Marel chief operating officer.

“From our previous ownership of the company we know that there are good capabilities at Carnitech which will enable us to serve our customers even better and provide them with complete processing solutions.”

More information can be obtained from Marel at www.marel. com.

Wangerien named Norbest sales VP MORONI, Utah — Norbest, a leading foodservice and retail turkey processor recently named Robert Wangerien as vice president of sales and marketing for the company. The announcement was made

by Matt Cook, Norbest CEO. Wangerien brings with him more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience in the food industry including his most recent position as senior vice president of marketing at Foster Farms where he spent

more than 15 years. During his tenure at Foster Farms, he directed the company’s foodservice business, re-launched the fresh turkey product line and led the growth of the further processed business.

Prior to this time, Wangerien held numerous sales management and marketing positions with Butterball, Cargill and ConAgra.

Wangerien At Norbest, Wa n g e r i e n will be responsible for all sales and marketing activities to support the strategic direction and growth of Norbest’s Foodservice and Retail Divisions.

“We are confident that Bob’s leadership and vast industry experience will have a strong impact on the direction of Norbest,” Cook said. “He has a clear vision of the Norbest brand and its premium position in the marketplace.”

Wangerien has a bachelor of science degree from Clarkson University and an MBA from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Tilda, have 5 children.

Meyn delivers 100th jet stream scalder OOSTZAAN, Netherlands — Meyn has announced that, since its introduction three years ago, the 100th jet stream scalder has been delivered to German poultry processor Wiesenhof Holte (part of PHW Gruppe).

Wiesenhof is one of Meyn’s long established customers in Europe with 10 poultry processing facilities throughout Germany and Poland.

“We already ordered five jet stream scalders in the past for our other facilities and are very satisfied with the results so far,” said Dr.

Heinrich Paul Dröge, director of Wiesenhof. “The jet stream scalders provide us with a maximum scalding and plucking result, high quality and good hygiene in combination with a great reduction of energy used compared to conventional scalding systems.”

Commissioning of the machines took place in June in Holte, Germany. More information can be obtained from Meyn at www.meyn. com.

Negligence blamed for deadly fire The Associated Press

BEIJING — Chinese authorities have filed criminal charges against nearly a dozen public officials blamed for the high death toll in a fire last month that killed 121 people in a poultry plant in the northeast.

China’s top prosecuting agency has charged 11 public officials — including a township head, local building officials, a township police chief and several fire officials — with dereliction of duty, according to a report in the agency’s official publication, Jiancha Daily.

The June 3 fire was triggered by a short circuit, but investigators found that the Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Co. plant violated safety regulations, including having safety exits blocked at the time of the fire. China’s work safety agency has blamed the local government for negligence in oversight and inspection.

Jiancha Daily said local township officials, including those in charge of building quality, had failed to properly inspect the plant, which was rife with fire hazards such as substandard building materials. The report said police had not taken any action against the poultry plant despite its failure to hold fire drills, provide safety training or install sufficient fire-extinguishing equipment.

(Continued on next page)

CMYK

7

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013 (Continued from previous page)

The plant’s owners and managers have been detained, and its assets have been frozen.

The fire was China’s deadliest industrial accident in five years and highlighted the continuing gross neglect of worker safety, despite the growth and sophistication of the world’s second-largest economy.

Tyson acquires Circle Foods LLC SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Tyson Foods Inc. has announced the acquisition of the assets from Claridge Inc. of Circle Foods LLC, a producer of frozen and refrigerated handheld Mexican foods, uncooked tortillas and Indian flatbreads.

California-based Circle Foods has been in business for 25 years and is known for branded products that include NUEVO GRILLE® and TORTILLALAND® handheld Mexican products, TORTILLALAND® uncooked tortillas and ROTILAND® Indian flatbreads. The company, which operates a stateof-the-art plant in San Diego, also produces private label products for various customers.

Terms of the acquisition, which was completed June 1, were not disclosed. Tyson Foods does not plan any significant operational changes and intends to keep the existing Circle Foods management and production team in place to grow the business. The operation currently has approximately 600 full-time employees.

“Claridge and the Circle Foods team have developed an outstanding portfolio of products and customers,

with a fantastic plant and workforce, and will be an excellent fit within our branded consumer products group,” said Donnie Smith, president and CEO of Tyson Foods. “We believe Tyson’s robust sales structure, as well as our frozen and refrigerated foods distribution system, will enable this business to accelerate its growth.”

“We are delighted to see the transition of Circle Foods to Tyson Foods, who are committed to continue the growth of the business.

Right from the beginning when we met the Tyson people and organization we knew we had an excellent partner we could work with on this transaction,” said Stephen Bronfman, executive chairman of Claridge. “We are confident that Circle Foods will flourish under Tyson’s ownership.”

Circle Foods’ 159,000-squarefoot facility in San Diego was built in 2008 and has been recognized for its outstanding food safety management system, the company noted.

The plant produces burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos and tamales, as well as tortillas and Indian flat breads.

More information about Circle Foods can be obtained at www. circlefoods.com.

Pro View honored for global growth GAINESVILLE, Ga. — The Association for Corporate Growth (Atlanta chapter) recently presented Pro View Foods with an award as one of Georgia’s fastest growing companies.

The association has presented “Georgia Fast 40” awards since

To subscribe to Poultry Times call 770-536-2476

2008 to honor companies headquartered in the state achieving sustained growth. Pro View Foods ranked 10th in the upper-middle market honorees, encompassing companies with revenues exceeding $60 million.

Pro View Foods was founded in 2007 by B. Jan Cooley as a poultry provider for school nutrition, foodservice, institutional, private label and commodity exports. Gainesville and Braselton are home to its three production plants employing 560.

“We received approximately 100 applications, all with impressive growth,” said Greg Cinnamon, president of the Association for Corporate Growth’s Atlanta chapter. “The finalists collectively increased revenue from $1.4 to $3.3 billion and added 12,000 new jobs. We hope this is an indication of the overall health and recovery of the Georgia economy as a whole.”

“The honor goes to our company’s leadership team and all our associates involved in our growth and success,” Cooley said. “We’re humbled again to receive the recognition from the Association for Corporate Growth.”

DuPont: local solut. for food security WILMINGTON, Del. — At the recent AgriVision 2013 Conference, DuPont Pioneer President Paul E. Schicker spoke with food industry leaders about the urgent need for sustainable solutions to reduce world hunger.

“The agriculture, food and nutrition chain is incredibly complex. As such, science needs to be localized in order to deliver efficient sustainable solutions to food production and food security,” Schickler said.

“DuPont is committed to bringing market-driven science solutions that are economically, environmentally and culturally sustainable along the food value chain.”

Held in the Netherlands, DuPont was a sponsor of AgriVision 2013, which engages more than 400 leaders from the animal feed-to-food

Business industry to discuss the challenges to feed 9 billion people in 2050.

“As we move into the coming decades, we need to continue to push overall productivity even higher and continue to challenge the entire food value chain to be more effective,” said Schickler. “It will take critical efforts along the food value chain to ensure people everywhere have enough nutritious food to eat.”

To what extent food is available in the world, can be monitored via the Global Food Security Index. This Index, sponsored by DuPont, ranks the availability, safety, affordability and quality of food in more than 100 countries, the company noted.

A country like Mali, for example, ranks number 95, whereas the Netherlands ranks number 5.

More information can be obtained from DuPont at www.dupont.com.

Hollander new Motomco terr. mgr.

MADISON, Wis. — Aaron Hollander joined Motomco’s technical sales team in June as territory manager for the western United States, representing Motomco rodent control products to poultry and swine producers, as well as farm store chains, independent dealer stores and crop input suppliers in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Arizona.

Hollander works closely Hollander with dealer distributors and their sales representatives on increasing market share through new product development, promotional strategies, attendance at sales meetings and buyer shows and other

growth strategies. He provides technical support and education on the use/marketing of Motomco products to customers.

Hollander also advises integrators/producers, agricultural crop growers and pest control advisors on ways to control commensal rodents pertinent to their operations, the company noted. He conducts on-site visits and advises them on setting up comprehensive rodent control programs.

Hollander will also represent Motomco at national and state association meetings in his seven-state territory, as well.

Raised in Modesto, Calif., Hollander learned farming first hand, working on his aunt and uncle’s almond and walnut farm through his high school and college years.

While earning a bachelor of science degree in agricultural business from California State University-Fresno, he was a student assistant manager in the viticulture department working on the university’s 300-acre vineyard. Later he gained an internship with Kingsburg Orchards.

Upon college graduation in 2011, he moved into an accounts manager position with Kingsburg, selling fresh fruit to wholesale, retail and foodservice accounts throughout the U.S. “Aaron’s passion for sales, his strong agricultural background, and his ability to build and maintain customer relationships will serve Motomco customers well,” said Kent Gutzmer, Motomco’s vice president of sales.

Hollander is based in Fresno, Calif., and will initially meet accounts with his predecessor, Christian Bagocius, who managed the western states for Motomco for seven years before relocating to company headquarters in Madison, Wis., where he is manager of Motomco’s National Farm Store Chain Division.

CMYK

8

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

•Ethanol (Continued from page 2)

mandate has become unsustainable, causing a looming crisis for gasoline consumers,” said the API’s Greco.

“We’re at the point where refiners are being pressured to put unsafe levels of ethanol in gasoline, which could damage vehicles, harm consumers and wreak havoc on our economy.”

Along with the E15 court case, the API and refiners have swarmed Capitol Hill and the White House to try to have the current mandate waived or repealed.

Charles Drevna, president of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, which represents refineries, accused the EPA of putting politics ahead of science.

An EPA official told Congress earlier this month that the agency does not require use of E15, but believes it is safe for cars built since 2001.

“The government is not saying ‘go ahead’ and put E15 in all cars,” said Christopher Grundler, of the EPA’s director of the office of transportation and air quality. “The government is saying this is legal fuel to sell if the market demands it and

there are people who wish to sell it.”

Ethanol supporters say E15 is cheaper than conventional gasoline and offers similar mileage to E10, the version that is sold in most U.S. stations.

Scott Zaremba, who owns a chain of gas stations in Kansas, scoffs at claims that E15 would damage older cars. “In the real world I’ve had zero problems” with engine breakdowns, said Zaremba, whose station in Lawrence, Kan., was the first in the nation to offer E15 last year.

But Zaremba said he had to stop selling the fuel this spring after his gasoline supplier, Phillips 66, told him he could no longer sell the E15 fuel from his regular black fuel hoses. The company said the aim was to distinguish E15 from other gasoline with less ethanol, but Zaremba said the real goal was to discourage use of E15. New pumps cost more than $100,000.

The American Automobile Association, for now, sides with the oil industry. The motoring club says the government should halt sales of E15 until additional testing allows ethanol producers and automakers to agree on which vehicles can

safely use E15 while ensuring that consumers are adequately informed of risks.

A spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents 12 major car makers, said E15 gas is more corrosive and the EPA approved it before it could be fully tested.

Older cars were “never designed to use E15,” spokeswoman Gloria Bergquist said. Use of the fuel over time could create significant engine problems, she said.

The API cites engine problems discovered during a study it commissioned last year, but the Energy Department called the research flawed and said it included engines with known durability issues.

For now, E15 remains a regional anomaly. About 20 stations currently offer the fuel in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Dinneen and other ethanol advocates said the Supreme Court ruling may serve as a breakthrough for E15, after years of delay.

“With this decision, E15 can finally become a meaningful option for more Americans,” Dinneen said.

•Ultraviolet (Continued from page 3)

opted by the medical industry for decontamination of its facilities (Anonymous 2009; Rutala et al 2010; Nerandzic et al. 2010).

Following publication of recent studies (Sommers et al 2010; Sommers et al 2012) our research group has helped facilitate the adoption of UV-C by the food processing industry for decontamination of fresh and frozen produce.

In this study we found that UV-C had little minimal effect on campylobacter inoculated onto poultry skin, most likely due to the skin topology.

Inactivation of C. jejuni on skinless poultry breast was approximately one log.

This was consistent with the inactivation of other foodborne pathogens such as salmonella or Listeria spp. on meat and poultry in other studies (Sommers et al 2010).

However, UV-C was most effective against C. jejuni suspended in poultry exudate on stainless steel,

with an inactivation of >5 log at a mere 0.5 J/square centimeters.

We have also observed these reduction levels for Francisella. tularensis suspended in meat and poultry exudate in a previous study (Sommers et al 2012). UV-C reduced C. jejuni to below detection limit levels (> 6 log reduction) when the bacterium was inoculated onto epoxy floor sections, which were then exposed to UV-C overnight to simulate a processing room decontamination scenario.

Summary UV-C technology has been available for many years, however, the food processing industry has been relatively slow to adopt it.

This study demonstrates the utility of UV-C for control of C. jejuni on poultry, poultry exudate, and on working surfaces.

This study will assist the poultry industry determining the suitability of the technology for use in processing to improve product safety.

PACK EXPO planning education schedule to the show floor RESTON, Va. — PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, the owner and organizer of PACK EXPO, is making changes to the education program at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2013, to be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Sept. 23-25.

“We build PACK EXPO shows around the attendees — they’re our customers and they’re our exhibitors’ customers,” said Jim Pittas, PMMI vice president, trade shows.

“The whole customer-centric approach to PACK EXPO is based on meeting their needs. And among those needs are learning opportunities that fit their agendas.”

“Voice of the Attendee” (VOA),

an in-depth study of PACK EXPO attendees, showed that attendees value education at the expo — when presented in the right way. VOA revealed a need for PMMI to rethink not just the topics but the actual location of the learning opportunities at the show, Pittas said.

“VOA made it clear that education is as important to attendees as exploring potential purchases, yet they see any time off the show floor as a drawback,” he added.

“They learn from the experiences they have in the exhibit halls, such as watching technicians operate equipment or break it down. In fact, those two examples are among the top take-aways mentioned during

interviews.”

Accordingly, all PACK EXPO Las Vegas programming will move to the show floor, and all educational sessions will be included in the show registration fee. PMMI is also expanding the number of learning centers on the floor and including industry leaders in the effort.

“Bringing all of this knowledge to the show floor will add to the already dynamic PACK EXPO Las Vegas,” Pittas said.

Among the hot spots will include: yy Innovation Stage Non-stop action in 27 half-hour segments delivered by experts, including the Alliance for Innovation and Operational Excellence, and

covering today’s topics and technologies. yy The Center for Trends & Technology Improving Production through Innovation (CTT), sponsored by Rockwell Automation and its Partner Network. In addition to educational sessions from suppliers including Rockwell, Cisco, Microsoft and Motorola, attendees will see technology on display and have the chance to learn how it works with other equipment. yy Food Safety Summit Resource Center If you’re facing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), plan to spend some time at this center of FSMA compliance expertise.

yy Clemson University Packaging Emporium Design for the Future sponsored by EskoArt. Clemson returns to PACK EXPO with another interactive experience to explore and reveal the impact of packaging designs on consumers. yy Reusables Learning Center The Reusable Packaging Association will show the way to additional long-term, cost-saving benefits from reusable packaging. yy In-booth education Registration for the expo is $30 and includes all educational sessions. Registration increases to $60 after Sept. 9. More information and registration can be obtained at www. packexpo.com.

FLY

AWAY

FLIES

In addition to being a nuisance, houseflies transmit disease-causing organisms. Today, there’s a better way to control houseflies and other pests: Defense Sequence with StandGuard Premise and Elector PSP. Defense Sequence involves rotating chemical classes — or using different chemical classes at the same time. Channeling the strength of each class helps avoid resistance. And for flies, that translates to a one-way flight.

Visit Elanco.us for more information about Defense Sequence and parasiticides rotation.

The labels contain complete use information, including cautions and warnings. Always read, understand and follow the label and use directions.

Elanco , Defense Sequence , Elector PSP, StandGuard Premise and the diagonal bar are all trademarks owned or licensed by Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries or affiliates. © 2013 Elanco Animal Health. All rights reserved.

USPBUMUL00439

Creative:Clients:Elanco:2310-21881 2013 Parasiticides Portfolio Print Ad:2310-21881 2013 Parasiticides Portfolio Print Ad_PoultryTimes_v09.indd

March 20, 2013 10:58 AM

page 1

CHANCES ARE SOME OF THE BEST CHICKEN YOU’VE EATEN WAS OURS! That’s because grandmothers, delis, fast food stores, and restaurants everywhere choose fresh, plump, juicy Mar-Jac chicken. From our fully integrated operation in Gainesville, we produce, process and deliver over 2 million chickens weekly...coast to coast and overseas. Our 350 contract growers and 1200 employees are committed to producing the highest quality poultry in the world. We offer WOG’S, cut-up and further processed poultry products and ship ice pack, vacuum pack or frozen.

“Quality, A Family Tradition!” mAnuAl Repeel TAble RolleRS

40 Years of Expertise in Peeling Rollers

• Peeling and Skinning Rollers for Chicken and Turkey Processing • Replacement rollers for Old and New OEM Gizzard Harvestors • Breast Cleaning and Skinning Rollers • Neck Skinning Rollers • Heart & Liver Rollers • Specialized Rollers if Needed.

Greg Tench, Director of Marketing

Mar-Jac Poultry, Inc.

Tommy Francis, Sales Manager

Aviation Blvd. • P.O. Box 1017 Gainesville, GA 30503

Faye Hayes, Sales Rep Scarlett Wood, Sales Rep Kevin Grindle, Food Service Sales Rep

770-536-0561 1-800-226-0561

Nathan Vaughan, Sales Rep

AvAilAble in Tool STeel And STAinleSS STeel endblocks & bushings Available for All Rollers longeR life ThAn moST oem pARTS.

478-743-9134

FPM Inc. Poultry Moving Equipment Pullet Trailer Units Move over 12,000 birds economically per load.

FOODCRAFT FRONT HALF CUTTING SYSTEM

Rhino Rail Lift Gate 2000# Capacity

Poultry Moving Carts Galvanized Finish

Depopulation MAK Carts Meet UEP Standards

Move your birds the right way!

FPM Inc. Fairbury NE 402-729-2264 www.fpmne.com

Works on ALL overhead line systems Increase Yield. $$Eliminate Breast Cuttings$$ www.foodcraft.net

sales@foodcraft.net

THE PROVEN PROBIOTIC CHOICE A source of viable, naturally occurring Bacillus subtilis.

Enviva PRO ®

• Improves economic returns • Supports natural gut balance • Positive effects on production environment Learn more at www.animalnutrition.dupont.com or email info.animalnutrition@dupont.com

Copyright© 2013 DuPont or its affiliates. All rights reserved. The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™ and all products denoted with ® or ™ are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.

Danisco Animal Nutrition

Joe Nichols, an award winning country music artist, from Rogers, Arkansas, has released eight studio albums. His albums have produced fourteen Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart including: Number One Singles: “Brokenheartsville,” “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” and “Gimmie That Girl”. Top Ten Hits: “The Impossible,” “If Nobody Believed in You,” “What’s a Guy Gotta Do,” “Size Matters (Someday)” and “I’ll Wait for You”.

Top 25 Hits: “She Only Smokes When She Drinks,” “Cool to Be a Fool,” “Another Side of You,” “Take It Off,” “It Ain’t No Crime, “ “The Shape I’m In” and “It’s All Good”.

The Album “Man with a Memory” earned Nichols a Top New Male Vocalist award from the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association’s Horizon Award as well as three Grammy Award nominations and platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Following a recent concert stop in Georgia, Joe said, “I love Georgia. The crowd is always great and they love country music. I kind of fit in down here.”

Georgia Poultry Federation ~ An Investment For Georgia’s Poultry Future

Receipts in Thousands ~ Results in Millions For more information, contact a member of the Poultry Leaders Round Table or the Georgia Poultry Federation at 770-532-0473.

The patented industry leading electronic indicator for harsh washdown environments

Bench Scales

The WeighTech line of bench scales offers processors the best of both worlds: functionality and durability.

Our bench scales feature our industry leading MicroWeigh indicator, and is available in many sizes to fit your processing needs.

In today’s fast paced processing world, efficient, reliable and rugged scale systems and equipment are crucial.

1-800-457-3720

www.weightechinc.com

1649 Country Elite Drive, Waldron, AR 72958

Phone: 479-637-4182 Fax: 479-637-4183

Controlling Salmonella enteritidiS – from floCk to food The U.S. poultry industry loses $330 million annually due to Salmonella enteritidis contamination in egg and meat products. During a S. enteritidis outbreak, poultry producers undergo severe financial losses due to product recalls, production losses, legal settlements, and brand-tarnishing1.

While most foodborne illnesses have shown a decrease in occurrences since 2008, Salmonella has increased; it’s the most common infection for people (1.2 million U.S. illnesses annually)2.

Given potential health threats, operators are keenly aware of how vital it is to have a strong, FDA-compliant S. enteritidis control program in place,” says Charles Broussard, D.V.M, MAM, Merck Animal Health. “Vaccinating with SE Guard™ protects flock health while protecting producers’ operations, profitability and future.”

leSSened floCk and human riSk.

“Because it’s anticipated being easy on the bird, our customers are excited about this product,” explains Dr. Broussard. “The emulsification process we use to make the vaccine produces a product undemanding on birds. We’ve seen this in Bron-Newcavac™-SE and expect the same result in SE Guard.”

Convenient vaCCination adminiStration.

With flexible administration timing options, SE Guard is easily incorporated into any comprehensive S. enteritidis protection program. Maternal antibodies protect pullets with a single vaccination beginning at 10 weeks of age. A second vaccination is recommended at least 6 weeks following initial vaccination. to learn more about Se guard and S. enteritidis poultry vaccination visit www.merck-animal-health-usa.com or contact a merck animal health representative by calling 800-211-3573.

Fink et al. FNR Is a Global Regulator of Virulence and Anaerobic Metabolism in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium. J.Bacteriology, 2007.

1

2

“Trends in Foodborne Illness in the United States”-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2011.

www.poultrytimes.net Online version of Poultry Times, markets and our daily poultry news feature:

P.O. Box 1338 • 345 Green St., N.W. • Gainesville, GA 30503 Ph: 770-536-2476 • Fax: 770-532-4894 www.poultrytimes.net

Better digestion to support optimal performance Add the power of Phytogenics to your diet:

• A unique blend of herbs, essential oils and functional flavors • Proven in science and practice • Tailored to the animal’s needs

digestarom.biomin.net Naturally ahead

H.J. Baker’s Triple A Formulation Process delivers protein concentrates with accurately measured amino acid availability.

Formulate your feed with confidence:

Triple A

FORMULATION PROCESS

• Accurately measured available Amino Acid values • University live-bird research • Ongoing compilation of data • Efficient nutrient absorption for lower feed costs

www.bakerbro.com

Don't Miss!

July 29 Product Guide Don't miss this opportunity to showcase products available to the poultry industry.

Space is limited Only offering full and half pages Call for information 770-536-2476 .

R&D Marketing, LLC t “In touch with currenall times” market conditions at Combined experience of over

50 Years!

ortation • Handle our own transp excellent • Fully staffed to provide customer service • Competitive pricing • Integrity is a must! ed to sell!”

• We “Buy what you ne

R&D Marketing is a poultry trader specializing in poultry, beef, pork...and eggs!

R&DMarketing,

LLC

P.O. Box 3352, Tupelo, MS 38803 Phone: 662-620-2828 chkn4sale@aol.com

9

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

Calendar Compiled by Barbara Olejnik, Associate Editor 770-718-3440 bolejnik@poultrytimes.net

JUL 16-17 — INFORMATION SYSTEMS SMNR., Doubletree Hotel, Nashville, Tenn. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770493-9401, seminar@uspoultry.org, www.uspoultry.org/edu_index.cfm JUL 18-20 — AAMP CONV., Charleston Area Convention Center, North Charleston, S.C. Contact: American Association of Meat Processors, 1 Meating Place, Elizabethtown, Pa. 17022. Ph: 717-367-1168; aamp@ aamp.com; www.aamp.com.

JUL 21-23 — NCC & NPFDA CHICKEN MARKETING SMNR., Coeur d’Alene Resort, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Contact: National Chicken Council, 1015 15th St., N.W., Suite 930, Washington, D.C. 20005, 202-296-2622, www.nationalchickencouncil.com, www.eatchicken.com; or National Poultry & Food Distributors Association, 2014 Osborne Road, St. Marys, Ga. 31558, 770-535-

9901, kkm@npfda.org, www.npfda.org.

JUL 21-25 — PSA ANNUAL CONV., Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, Calif. Contact: Poultry Science Association, 1800 S. Oak St., Suite 100,, Champaign, Ill. 61820. Ph: 217-356-5285; pas@ assochq.org; www.poultryscience.org.

JUL 22-23 — AP&EA ANNUAL MTNG., Destin, Fla. Contact: Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, P.O. Box 240, Montgomery, Ala. 36101. Ph: 334265-2732; www.alabamapoultry.org.

8-9 — NCPF-NCEA ANNUAL AUG CONF., Greensboro, N.C. Contact: North Carolina Poultry Federation, 4020 Barrett Drive, Suite 102, Raleigh, N.C. 27609, 919-783-8218, rlford@ncpoultry.org, www.ncpoultry.org; or Jan Kelly, North Carolina Egg Association, 1939 High House Road, No. 102, Cary, N.C. 27519, 919-319-1195,

egglady@ncegg.org, www.ncegg.org.

AUG 16-17 — TPA ANNUAL MTNG. / SUMMER GETAWAY, Doubletree Hotel Downtown, Nashville, Tenn.

Contact: Tennessee Poultry Association, P.O. Box 1525, Shelbyville, Tenn.

37162-1525. Ph: 931-225-1123; dbarnett@tnpoultry.org; www.tnpoultry.org.

AUG 19-21 — NATIONAL SAFETY CONF. FOR THE POULTRY INDUSTRY, Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Amelia Island, Fla. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770-493-9401, seminar@uspoultry. org, www.uspoultry.org/edu_index.cfm 19-29 — UEP AREA MTNGS., AUG TBA. Contact: United Egg Producers, 1720 Windward Concourse, Suite 230, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005. Ph: 770360-9220; www.unitedegg.com.

AUG 22-23 — WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP CONF., Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Amelia Island, Fla. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770493-9401, seminar@uspoultry.org, www.uspoultry.org/edu_index.cfm AUG 24 — GPF NIGHT OF KNIGHTS, Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta, Ga. Contact: Georgia Poultry Federation, P.O. Box 763, Gainesville, Ga. 30503. Ph: 770-532-0473; bev-

erly@gapf.org;

www.gapf.org.

AUG 26 — INTER’L. BIOTECHNOLOGY SYMPM., Hilton Garden Inn, Champaign. Ill. Contact: Hosted by Illinois Soybean Association, 1605 Commerce Pkwy., Bloomington, Ill. 61704. Ph: 309-663-7692. www.ilsoy. org, www.biotechnologysymposium.com.

SEP 10-11 — POULTRY PROCESSING & SAFETY WKSHP., Athens, Ga. Contact: Poultry Processing & Safety Workshop, Extension Food Science Outreach, University of Georgia, 240A Food Science Bldg., Athens, Ga. 30602-2610. Ph: 706-542-2574; http://EFonline.uga.edu; EFS!uga.edu.

SEP 12-15 — MPA ANNUAL CONV., Hilton Sandestin Resort & Spa, Destin, Fla. Contact: Becky Beard, Mississippi Poultry Association, 110 Airport Road, Suite C, Pearl, Miss. 39208. Ph: 601932-7560; beard@mspoultry.org.

SEP 10-12 — AFIA LIQUID FEED SYMPM., Union Station Marriott, St. Louis, Mo. Contact: American Feed Industry Association, 2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 916. Arlington, Va. 22201. Ph: 703524-0810; afia@afia.org; www.afia.org.

SEP 17-18 — POULTLRY PRODUCTION & HEALTH SMNR., Marriott Downtown, Memphis, Tenn. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge

Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770-493-9401, seminar@uspoultry. org, www.uspoultry.org/edu_index.cfm SEP 17-28 — PRODUCTION & HEALTH SMNR., Marriott Downtown, Memphis, Tenn. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770493-9401, seminar@uspoultry.org, www.uspoultry.org/edu_index.cfm SEP 19-20— CPF ANNUAL MTNG. & CONF., Monterey Plaza Hotel, Monterey, Calif. Contact: California Poultry Federation, 4640 Spyres Way, Suite 4, Modesto, Calif. 95356.

Ph: 209-576-6355; www.cpif.org.

SEP 24-25 — GEORGIA POULTRY CONF., Classic Center, Athens, Ga. Contact: JoAnn Mosko, Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, 222 Poultry Science Bldg., Athens, Ga. 30602-4356, Ph: 706-542-1325, jmosko@uga.edu; or Georgia Poultry Federation, P.O. Box 763, Gainesville, Ga. 30503. Ph: 770-532-0473.

30-Oct. 2 — NATIONAL SEP MTNG. POULTRY HEALTH & PROCESSING, Ocean City, Md. Contact: Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., 16686 County Seat Hwy., Georgetown, Del. 19947-4881; dpi@ dpichicken.com; www.dpichicken.com

10

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

USDA: tips to keep food safe through severe weather WASHINGTON — The USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing recommendations to help minimize the potential for foodborne illnesses as severe storms and tornadoes have left thousands without power this year.

Destruction and power outages caused by severe weather can compromise food storage, especially for frozen and refrigerated foods, and FSIS wants those affected to be aware of resources and measures that can keep food safe to eat longer, the department noted.

Anyone with questions about the safety of their food as a result of weather damage and power outages is encouraged to call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (888674-6854), available in English and Spanish from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

(EDT) weekdays.

Ask Karen — www.foodsafety. gov/experts/askkaren/index.html — FSIS’s virtual food safety expert, is available in English and Spanish 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with answers to nearly 1,500 food safety questions.

The Mobile Ask Karen app also can be downloaded for free for iOS and Android devices. Users can email, chat with a live representative, or call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline directly from the app. To use these features from Mobile Ask Karen, simply choose “Contact Us” from the menu. The live chat option is available during the Meat and Poultry Hotline’s hours of operation.

The publication “Preparing for a Weather Emergency” can be downloaded and printed for reference during a power outage. FSIS’ YouTube video “Food Safety During Power Outages” also has instructions for keeping frozen and refrigerated food safe. FSIS will provide relevant food safety information as the storm progresses from its Twitter feed @USDAFoodSafety.

Steps to follow Steps to follow to prepare for a possible weather emergency: yy Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer to help determine if food is safe during power outages. The refrigerator temperature should be 40 degrees F or lower and the freezer should be zero degrees F or lower. yy Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding. yy Group food together in the freezer — this helps the food stay cold longer. yy Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately — this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer. yy Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold if the power will be out for more than four hours. yy Purchase or make ice and store in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler. Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers. yy Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.

During power outages Steps to follow if the power goes out: yy Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. yy A refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if you keep the door closed. yy A full freezer will keep its temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if half-full). yy If the power is out for an extended period of time, buy dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator as cold as possible. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep a fully-stocked 18-cubic-feet freezer cold for two days.

Joseph O’Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

Storm damage: Severe weather has the potential to cause great damage to property. However, for food safety during and after extreme weather, USDA offers several tips on keeping food safe.

After emergencies Steps to follow after a weather emergency: yy Check the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer. If the thermometer reads 40 degrees F or below, the food is safe. yy If no thermometer was used in the freezer, check each package.

If food still contains ice crystals or is at 40 degrees F or below when checked with a food thermometer, it may be safely refrozen. yy Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items) that have been kept in a refrigerator or freezer above 40 degrees F for two hours or more. yy Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. Containers that are not waterproof include those with

screw-caps, snap lids, pull tops, and crimped caps. Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers. yy Thoroughly wash all metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils that came in contact with flood water with hot soapy water and sanitize by boiling them in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water. yy Undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and retort pouches (for example, flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches) can be saved. yy Use bottled water that has not been exposed to flood waters. If bottled water is not available, tap water can be boiled for safety. yy Never taste food to determine

its safety. yy When in doubt, throw it out!

An FSIS Public Service Announcement (PSA) illustrating practical food safety recommendations for handling and consuming foods stored in refrigerators and freezers during and after a power outage is available in 30- and 60-second versions at www.fsis.usda.gov/news/ Food_Safety_PSA. Videos about food safety during power outages are available in English, Spanish and American Sign Language on FSIS’ YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/USDAFoodSafety.

Podcasts regarding food safety during severe weather, power outages and flooding are available in English and Spanish on FSIS’ website at www.fsis.usda.gov/ News_&_Events/Food_Safety_at_ Home_Podcasts.

11

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

•Bill (Continued from page 1)

By the time these resistant pathogens make their way from the animals into our communities, the infections can be costly to treat or untreatable all together.”

“The irresponsible use of antibiotics is dangerous, and tens of thousands of people in the U.S. die each year from antibiotic resistant infections,” Feinstein added. “We must preserve the efficacy of these lifesaving drugs by carefully restricting their overuse in our agriculture products.”

The Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2013: yy Directs the Food & Drug Administration to prohibit the use of antibiotics in ways that accelerate antibiotic resistance; yy Requires drug companies and producers to demonstrate they are using antibiotics to treat clinically diagnosable diseases — not just to fatten their livestock; yy Applies restrictions to only the limited number of antibiotics that are critical to human health. Any drug not used in human medicine is left untouched by this legislation; yy Preserves the ability of farmers to use all available antibiotics to treat sick animals. If a veterinarian identifies a sick animal, or a herd of animals that are likely to become sick, there are no restrictions on what drugs can be used.

For the current

TOUGH ON SALMONELLA EASY ON YOUR FLOCK

The most effective defense against Salmonella enteritidis in broiler and layer flocks starts with new SE Guard™ from Merck Animal Health. SE Guard is easy on birds, promoting better lifetime production and improved flock uniformity.

In addition, you get the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re protected from the threat of costly production line setbacks. Play it safe: talk to a Merck Animal Health representative or call technical services at 800-211-3573.

Markets see page 14

THE SCIENCE OF HEALTHIER ANIMALS. Copyright © 2013 Intervet Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. 1320168 POUT

12

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

Rising Mississippi River threatening towns The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS — Mississippi River communities scrambling on June 4 to fend off the rain-engorged waterway got discouraging news: More rains looming across much of the nation’s midsection threatened to slow the potential retreat of the renegade river.

Such an outlook may not be welcomed in the northeast Missouri town of West Alton, where a makeshift levee’s breach on June 3 fanned worries that the 570-resident town — which was mostly swept away by a flood in 1993 — would be inundated again.

A voluntary evacuation advisory before the breach was fixed was heeded by just 15 percent of the town’s residents, but “everyone else is ready to go at a moment’s no-

tice” if the hastily shored-up barrier shows signs of giving away Fire Chief Rick Pender said.

For now, he said, “everything is stable,” with much of the flooding corralled in a railroad bed acting as a town-protecting channel.

“There are some spots not looking pretty (as defenses), but they’re still holding the water back,” Pender told the Associated Press by telephone.

“Everyone is just monitoring the sandbags and barriers, waiting for this water to come down.”

But more rain from St. Louis north to Minnesota and westward across some of the Great Plains, stood to drop another inch of precipitation here and there, adding more water to the Missouri River and the Mississippi River into which it feeds, National Weather Service hydrolo-

gist Mark Fuchs said.

“We’re not talking about huge amounts, but any amount when the soil already is wet is going to slow the rivers’ retreat,” Fuchs said from his St. Louis-area office. “If you take that into account, there’s not going to be a big drop in the river levels any time soon.”

Across the river in Illinois, in the 28,000-resident town of Alton, north of St. Louis, floodwaters already forced the closure of the local casino and the scenic “Great River Road” leading out of it to the north.

By late on June 3, floodwaters had swamped some of the Clark Bridge linking the city to West Alton, halting traffic from making it into Missouri.

The worst was yet to come south of St. Louis near Cape Girardeau,

Mo., where the river raced past the 32-foot flood stage and as of June 4 was at 41.95 feet, two days ahead of an expected crest of 45 feet.

That rapid rise has produced a feverish sandbagging effort in nearby Dutchtown, where the river threatened to send water into about a third of the homes in the tiny town of about 100 people.

It also was threatening to make another nearby community — Allenville, population 117 — an island. In Dutchtown, dozens of prison inmates bussed in were

working shoulder to shoulder with other volunteers on June 4, working to bolster the makeshift barrier.

“So far, the levees are doing fine,” Dutchtown Alderwoman Shirley Moss said. “We still have a lot of water coming this way, and we’re still all out here working. It’s very treacherous, and you just don’t know how much you need to do to prevent this water from coming into town.

“We’re doing all we can, with all the help we can get.”

For more poultry industry news visit www.poultrytimes.net

Classifieds

For classified advertising information 770-536-2476 All Star Packaging

For Sale: egg Cartons - pulp or foam, 30 dozen egg cases, 5x6 or 4x5 filler flats, 2 1/2 dozen egg sleeves and plastic 5x6 filler flats. 954-781-9066. or www.eggboxes.com.

Insect Control Specialists, Disease Control Specialists Foggers + Formulations Electric FLYPOP’R Mite Control Applications Beneficial Insects Water Purification Aerosol Disinfecting

Insect Guard of Virginia

800-367-3597 www.InsectGuardinc.com

The Egg Carton Store

All Star Packaging

WANTS: To buy Used pulp and plastic egg flats - used 15 dozen wire or plastic baskets - overruns or misprint egg cartons foam or pulp - egg carts 240 or 360 dozen.

954-781-9066. or www.eggboxes.com.

WANTED

Chick Master Incubators Model 66, 99, 102 and Generators Also 42 and 48 CM Egg Flats

Buying and selling used Incubators, Farm Racks, Egg Trays, Hatch Baskets, Incubator Parts and more.

800-252-4295

www.hatcheryequipment.com

FLY PROBLEMS? Poultry Equipment Got Manure? We have the cure!

Entomologist on Staff.

Free Phone Consultation.

Joe Lawing PH 828-738-4427

www.incubators.com Email joe@incubators.com

WHOLESALE PRICES: On cartons, flats, trays, nests, marketing items, poultry supplies and more!

866.333.1132 or www.eggcartonstore.com

1-800-832-1113

www.kunafin.com

FPM Inc. CO2 Modified Atmosphere Killing cart Approved for the disposal of spent fowl.

FPM Fairbury, NE 402-729-2264

www.fpmne.com

FOR SALE 2000 Ford F-650 31’ Chandler Spreader Body

706-652-2095

FOR SALE West Kentucky Poultry Farm 4 Poultry Houses with Automatic Generator Litter Shed, Large L.P. Tank 4 Bedroom/4 Bath Home with Full Basement 2 Large Buildings: • 2880 sq. ft. Shop with 1000 sq. ft.

Office & a 1800 sq. ft. lean-to attached • 1536 sq. ft. building

49+ Acres

866-674-6001

13

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

New study aims to enhance food safety in retail delis WASHINGTON — To help minimize the public health burden of listeriosis, USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have conducted a major study to better understand the risk of foodborne illness associated with eating certain foods prepared in retail delicatessens and developed recommendations for changes in current practices that may improve the safety of those products.

The study, a quantitative risk assessment, provides a scientific evaluation of the risk of listeriosis associated with consumption of meats, cheeses and other ready-toeat foods prepared in retail delis.

It also examines interventions that limit the survival, growth or transmission of Listeria monocytogenes (LM), the bacteria that causes listeriosis.

Control of LM has long been an objective of the public health community. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that infections with LM causes about 1,600 illnesses, 1,500 hospitalizations and 260 deaths in the United States each year.

Listeriosis is rare, but its fatality rate is very high (i.e., about 16 percent, compared with 0.5 percent for either salmonella or E. coli O157:H7). It primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune

systems.

“The risk assessment will be a tremendous asset in our efforts to reduce the 1,600 illnesses and 260 deaths attributed to this pathogen annually,” USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety Dr. Elisabeth Hagen said. “Essential information has been gained from these findings, including the fact that once LM enters a retail environment, it has the potential to spread due to cross contamination. This assessment highlights the importance of our work to prevent LM from entering the retail environment in the first place, and provides a significant tool towards this effort to protect consumers and prevent foodborne illness.”

The U.S.-focused study is the first of its kind, the groups noted. It quantitatively links retail deli practices to predicted public health outcomes, which has never been done before.

The study is based on observations of deli employees’ work routines; concentrations of LM on incoming products and in the deli environment; simulations of the bacteria’s transmission, such as from slicer to food; and dose-response modeling.

The study was designed to apply to a range of deli establishments, from small independent operations to the deli departments in large supermarkets.

The study also reinforces the importance of FDA’s Food Code rec-

ommendations to operators of retail delis, the department added. State, local and tribal jurisdictions can do their part to reduce listeriosis by enforcing all relevant provisions of the Food Code as part of their own food safety requirements.

No single intervention will put an end to LM in food sold at retail delis, the study found.

Instead, there are many steps that retail deli operators and their suppliers can take to help reduce listeriosis.

The study’s key findings include: yy Storage temperature If all refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods are stored at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below, as the FDA Food Code recommends, at least nine of every 100 cases of listeriosis caused by contaminated deli products could be prevented. yy Growth inhibitors If all deli products that support LM growth were reformulated to include growth inhibitor, 96 of every 100 cases of listeriosis caused by contaminated deli products could be prevented.

While this finding is significant, the actual benefit may be smaller in part because growth inhibitor may be used in concentrations not effective throughout the shelf life of a food, and it can affect the flavor. yy Cross contamination The predicted risk of listeriosis dramatically increases in retail delis

as a result of cross contamination, with slicers remaining a particular challenge. Cross contamination is particularly difficult to eliminate, but the study shows proper cleaning and personal hygiene makes a difference. yy Contamination of incoming product If current levels of LM in readyto-eat foods received by the retail deli from processing establishments were reduced by half, 22 of every 100 cases of listeriosis caused by contaminated deli products could be prevented.

This finding suggests that continued efforts to prevent low levels of LM contamination during processing, even on products that do not support growth of the pathogen, reduces the risk from these products and other ready-to-eat foods that can be subsequently cross contaminated in the retail delicatessens.

FDA and FSIS have taken many steps to enhance retail food safety in an effort to reduce listeriosis and other foodborne illnesses, the departments noted.

For instance, since its initial release in 1993, the FDA Food Code has been revised to target LM prevention, including more stringent temperature controls for refrigerated foods and limits on how long such foods can be retained after opening or preparation.

In addition, FDA has created edu-

cational materials in recent years to support foodservice operators, including guidance on how to keep deli slicers properly cleaned and sanitized, a handbook on employee health and personal hygiene, foodsafety posters in nine languages and video testimonials designed as training aids.

FSIS is planning to provide outreach materials to retailers where ready-to-eat meat and poultry products are sliced, prepared, or packaged for consumption in the home.

These materials will highlight risky practices based on the results of the interagency risk assessment and help retail establishments to adopt best practices that could decrease the potential for LM growth or cross contamination.

Consumers, too, have a role to play in reducing listeriosis. For advice on keeping refrigerated foods cold, cleaning one’s refrigerator regularly and cleaning hands and kitchen surfaces often, visit www. foodsafety.gov.

To further minimize any risk of listeriosis, FDA and FSIS recommend that older adults, pregnant women and adults with weakened immune systems reheat hot dogs and lunch meats until steaming hot.

The study was published on May 10 and can be read in its entirety on either the FDA or FSIS websites.

Follow FSIS on Twitter at twitter. com/usdafoodsafety.

National Chicken Council: Keep choice in school cafeterias WASHINGTON — “The San Diego Unified School District’s misguided decision to remove meat and poultry from public school menus takes away one thing, but serves up another — a tainted lesson to children that the agenda of the few is more important than the freedom of choice for the many,” wrote National Chicken Council President Mike Brown in a recent op ed that appeared in the U-T San Diego.

Brown was joined by California Poultry Federation Bill Mattos and Pacific Egg and Poultry Association President Debbie Murdock in signing the op ed.

The op ed was in response to the school district’s recent decision to implement “Meatless Mondays” in San Diego public elementary schools.

The poultry groups noted that obesity is the result of consuming

more calories than one burns, not any one particular food, and that childhood obesity would be better addressed by choosing lean, affordable proteins like poultry more often.

“For many children throughout California, the meat and poultry included in the school lunch program might be the only significant source of protein consumed during the entire day, since about 50 percent of

the children in San Diego Unified School District qualify for free and reduced breakfasts and lunches,” they wrote. “We suggest that children and parents have the ability to choose school meals based on their nutrition needs and dietary preferences.”

The op ed noted that a vegetarian option is already offered every day at San Diego public elementary schools and is selected by 22 percent

of students. “The 78 percent of students who regularly choose a meat or poultry option throughout the week have no choice on ‘Meatless Monday.’ Is that the way schoolchildren are to believe a democracy is supposed to work?”

The op ed can be read in its entirety on the U-T San Diego website at www.utsandiego.com/ news/2013/Jun/08/meatless-mondays-schools/.

14

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

Markets Compiled by David B. Strickland, Editor 770-718-3442 dstrickland@poultrytimes.net

Nat’l. Broiler Market: (Jul. 8): Whole broiler/fryer prices were steady to weak in the Midwest, steady in the East and West. Offerings of all sizes range

light to moderate for current trade needs. Retail demand was light to good, mostly light to moderate as dealers assessed market conditions following the July 4 holiday weekend. Foodservice demand was light to mostly moderate. Floor stocks

were light to moderate in response to continued trucking issues in some areas. Market activity was slow to moderate. In the parts structure, movement was light to moderate for early week business. Prices were steady to firm for wings and tenders, steady to weak for the balance of parts. Offerings were light to moderate with good movement.

Breast cuts, tenders and most dark meat items were generally steady.

Market activity for parts was slow and moderate. In production areas, live supplies were moderate at mixed but mostly desirable weights.

F owl: Jul. 5: Live spent heavy fowl

Final prices at Farm Buyer Loading (per pound): range 10-22¢

P arts: Georgia:

The f.o.b. dock quoted prices on ice-pack parts based on truckload and pool truckload lots for the week of Jul. 8: line run tenders $2.11; skinless/boneless breasts $2.11½; whole breasts $1.28½; boneless/skinless thigh meat $1.49; thighs 75¢; drumsticks 76¢; leg quarters 54½¢; wings $1.40½.

N ational Slaughter: Broiler: Estimated slaughter

for week ending Jul. 3 is 138,815,000.

Actual slaughter for the week ending Jun. 29 was 160,355,000.

Heavy-type hen: Estimated slaughter for the week ending Jul. 3 is 1,016,000.

Actual slaughter for the week end-

The following chart provides an annual high and a comparison of recent activity of major poultry company stocks.

USDA Shell Eggs AMS weekly combined region shell egg prices Average prices on sales to volume buyers, Grade A or better, White eggs in cartons, delivered warehouse, cents per dozen.

Jul. 5

Company Annual High Jun. 25 Jul. 9

Cal-Maine 49.84 46.20 49.71 Campbell Soup 48.83 43.93 45.34 36.31 33.27 35.56 ConAgra Hormel 43.17 38.10 39.77 Pilgrim’s Pride 15.79 12.90 15.39 Sanderson Farms 70.82 65.45 70.57 Seaboard 2934.00 2697.00 2760.28 Tyson 26.73 25.04 26.32

Extra Large Regions: Northeast 109.50 Southeast 112.50 Midwest 104.50 South Central 114.50 Combined 110.43

Large

Medium

107.00 88.00 110.50 85.00 102.50 80.50 113.50 84.50 108.61 84.45

Computed from simple weekly averages weighted by regional area populations

Grain Prices OHIO COUNTRY ELEV. Jun. 27 Jul. 2 Jul. 9 No. 2 Yellow Corn/bu. $6.59 $6.17 $6.18 Soybeans/bu. $15.00 $15.21 $15.41 (Courtesy: Prospect Farmers Exchange, Prospect, Ohio)

(Courtesy: A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc.)

Broiler Eggs Set/Chicks Placed in 19 States EGGS SET (Thousands)

CHICKS PLACED (Thousands)

Jun. 8

Jun. 15

Jun. 22

Jun. 29

Jun. 8

Jun. 15

Jun. 22

Jun. 29

Del Fla Ga Ky La Md Miss Mo. N.C. Okla Pa S.C. Tex Va Other states

28,387 21,897 10,784 3,691 1,223 33,742 7,776 3,501 7,706 18,102 8,361 20,545 6,884 4,170 5,334 14,372 6,560 8,130

28,022 21,904 11,140 3,677 1,223 33,515 7,865 3,501 7,811 17,201 8,440 20,372 7,034 4,240 5,305 14,872 6,545 8,184

28,449 21,080 10,251 3,691 1,222 33,994 7,829 3,577 7,657 17,890 8,079 20,312 6,745 4,109 5,255 15,044 6,556 7,899

28,317 21,396 10,101 3,691 1,222 33,316 7,605 3,546 7,659 17,318 8,261 20,114 6,887 4,147 5,607 14,375 6,486 8,032

21,017 20,950 10,288 4,255 1,265 28,206 6,081 3,118 6,567 15,349 6,138 16,168 3,551 3,040 4,269 12,612 5,247 6,094

21,409 20,593 10,146 4,378 1,274 27,232 6,519 3,124 5,504 15,350 6,092 15,869 4,108 3,057 5,004 12,643 5,556 6,006

20,830 19,067 10,737 4,439 1,560 27,358 6,757 3,169 5,868 15,295 5,856 15,993 5,750 3,396 4,447 12,636 4,836 5,949

21,897 21,568 10,340 4,133 1,417 26,199 6,054 3,123 6,369 15,350 5,209 16,648 4,097 3,305 5,399 11,840 5,435 5,908

19 States Total

203,035

202,667

201,740

200,048

168,121

167,858

167,994

168,383

% Prev. yr.

102

103

103

102

100

100

100

101

Ala Ark

Ca,Tn,Wv

1/Current week as percent of same week last year.

Estimates: The estimated number of broiler/ fryers available for slaughter the week ending Jul. 6 were 155.4 million head, compared to 144.4 million head slaughtered the same week last year. The estimated slaughter for the week of Jul. 6 was 139.1 million head or 16.3 million less than estimated. For the week of Jul. 13 the estimated available is 154.8 million head, notes USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service Poultry Programs.

Broiler/Fryer Report

Industry Stock Report

ing Jun. 29 was 1,710,000.

Light-type hen: Estimated slaughter for the week ending Jul. 3 is 758,000. Actual slaughter for the week ending Jun. 29 was 1,309,000.

Total: Week of Jul. 3: 140,589,000.

Week of Jun. 29: 163,374,000.

USDA National Composite Weighted Average For week of: Jul. 5 For week of: Jun. 28

103.68¢ 105.10¢

Jul. 5 Majority (whole body) Eastern Region: $1.02--$1.09 New York: $1.04--$1.09 Central Region: 93¢--$1.03 Chicago: 93¢--$1.03 Western Region: $1.02--$1.07 Los Angeles: $1.02--$1.06 Negotiated prices in trucklot and less-than-trucklot quantities of ready-to-cook whole body broiler/fryers delivered to first receivers; prices in cents per pound.

Turkey Markets Weighted avg. prices for frozen whole young turkeys Weighted average (cents/lb.) F.O.B. shipper dock National

Week ending Jul. 5 Last year Hens (8-16 lbs.)

99.86 106.50 Toms (16-24 lbs.)

98.62 108.00 Week ending Jun. 28 Hens (8-16 lbs.)

Toms (16-24 lbs.)

97.91 97.95

June avg.

98.18 97.11

Egg Markets USDA quotations New York cartoned del. store-door: Jun. 25 Jul. 9 Extra large, up 6¢ $1.09--$1.13 $1.15--$1.19 Large, up 6¢ $1.07--$1.11 $1.13--$1.17 Medium, down 3¢ 94¢--98¢ 91¢--95¢ Southeast Regional del. warehouse: Jun. 25 Jul. 9 Extra large, up 20¢ 93½¢--$1.16 $1.13½--$1.30 Large, up 21½¢ 89½¢--$1.07 $1.11--$1.29 Medium, up 6½¢ 76¢--93¢ 82½¢--$1.00

15

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

AMERICAN EGG BOARD HOTLINE AEB Hotline appears regularly in Poultry Times and provides an update on programs and services provided for egg producers by the American Egg Board. Details on any item mentioned may be obtained by contacting AEB at 1460 Renaissance Dr., Park Ridge, Ill. 60068.

Phone: 847-296-7043. yy AEB’s Breakfast Beat newsletter, available in print and digital, underwent a facelift, and readership continues to grow. More than 30,000 readers received the April issue. In fact, one reader — the corporate chef from the only bagel bakery chain in the country that freshly bakes New York style bagels in each of its 300 locations in 26 states — recently called AEB for additional information after reading Breakfast Beat. This publication helps cement AEB’s position as THE breakfast expert. yy Tabasco developed a first quarter promotion titled Red & Eggs devoted to recipes that feature eggs and Tabasco sauce that prominently displays AEB branding. The promotion generated more than 1.4 million impressions in foodservice publications, Restaurant Business, Restaurant Hospitality and Nation’s Restaurant News.

The promotion was so popular that it is being scheduled for the second quarter of 2014. Best of all, because of the importance of eggs, AEB paid nothing for this opportunity. yy The archive views of AEB’s 2013 Virtual Field Trip with Discovery continues to

draw viewers’ eyes to AEB’s online Education Station that is hosted by Discovery. By chapter, views total: The Egg From Farm-to-Table: 2,237; Welcome and Henhouse: 269; Aviary: 262; Egg Processing: 313; & Further Processing: 188. yy As part of a Sysco Focus Workshop, the Virginia Egg Council (VEC) presented to foodservice professionals from across the state on food safety; nutrition/wellness and protein cost analysis showing eggs as the most affordable source of highquality protein. Ideas to bring egg-ucation into the cafeteria were presented. The VEC also presented its Wake up to Eggs School Foodservice Contest.

Contest rules and information were then sent across the state through the foodservice managers’ listserve. The objectives of the contest included: encourage service of egg entrees for lunch (served once a week for a month; tap students’ creativity and egg knowledge by having them create posters, including any or all of these points: Breakfast is important for learning; protein for breakfast is important; eggs are an incredible protein food; eEncourage students to eat eggs for breakfast by hanging student created posters in the cafeteria; and create an egg environment in the cafeteria, with four displays, changed weekly, about egg knowledge; nutrition; and fun facts including hand-outs, games and more.

•Immigration (Continued from page 1)

Some of the asparagus crop was left in the field this spring because too few pickers were available.

In neighboring Wisconsin, immigrant workers make up more than 40 percent of the hired labor force at increasingly large dairy operations, according to a 2008 University of Wisconsin study. Kevin Krentz, who milks 500 cows near Berlin, said finding enough help locally is a constant struggle.

“It’s not a job that’s 9-to-5,” Krentz said. “It’s a job that’s done when the cows are fed, when the cows are milked, when the crops are harvested.”

The situation poses a test for the House GOP, said Tom Nassif, president of Western Growers, a trade organization that represents the fresh produce industry in California and Arizona. A Republican who held several positions in the Reagan administration, Nassif said some in the party are so concerned about illegal immigration that they’re trying to sabotage any chance for reform.

But if the House doesn’t find something it can pass, he said, vot-

ers “are going to lose complete faith in the party’s ability to legislate.

All the national statistics show the American people believe in immigration reform.”

The industry insists its chronic labor shortage isn’t a matter of low pay, but too few Americans willing to deal with the long hours, hot weather and other hardships of farm labor.

“The truth is, not even farm workers are raising their children to be farm workers,” Nassif said.

The Senate bill would enable experienced farm workers to obtain “blue cards” making them eligible for year-round residency. Applicants who entered the U.S. illegally would have to pay a fine, catch up on taxes and pass a background check.

Another new program would allow farmers to hire foreign “guest workers” who would be issued three-year visas.

But such policies might be a hard sell with House conservatives who deride the idea as “amnesty.”

Rep. Justin Amash, whose western Michigan district includes the city of Grand Rapids and outlying farm country, is typical of Repub-

licans feeling pressure from both sides.

Home-state farmers visited his Washington, D.C., office twice during the first week of July. Mark Youngquist, an apple grower from Amash’s district, later gave one of his aides an orchard tour. During a town-hall meeting the same day, the second-term Republican described the farm labor shortage as “a problem we should deal with” and called for compromise on immigration.

But Amash’s comment that deportation wasn’t a realistic way to deal with all 11 million people believed to be in the country illegally drew angry shouts. “They’re criminals,” one man protested.

Youngquist, 53, another staunch Republican, said he wished his fellow conservatives were more sympathetic toward immigrants who fill jobs that no one else will take.

The more intense border enforcement appears to be taking its toll, he said. His migrant labor housing that is usually half-full for the approaching apple harvest is now “at zero,” he said. “We’re sitting on a beautiful crop of apples. Unless things change, none of it is going to get picked.”

Index of Advertisers Agrifan, 2........................................................................................................................................................ 800-236-7080; www.envirofan.com American Proteins, Alabama, Cover III.............................................................................................................................................800-903-2955 Biomin, 8K............................................................................................................................................................210-342-9555; www.biomin.net Coast Packaging, 8A..............................................................................................................................951-681-0666; www.coastpackaging.com Danisco, 8C.....................................................................................................................314-771-7766; www.danisco.com/animalnutrition.com Delong’s Gizzard, 8B........................................................................................................................................ 478-743-9134; www.delongs.com Elanco, 8A........................................................................................................................................................... 800-428-4441; www.elanco.com FoodCraft, 8B.....................................................................................................................................................................................800-344-2413 FPM, 8B................................................................................................................................................................402-729-2264; www.fpmne.com Grassworx, 9................................................................................................................................................................................. grassworxllc.com H.J. Baker & Bro. Inc., 8K........................................................................................................................................ 501-664-4870; bakerbro.com Mar-Jac, 8B........................................................................................................................................................................................800-226-0561 Meyhen International, Cover IV..................................................................................................................... 732-363-2333; meyhenfingers.com McNeeley Plastics, 3..........................................................................................................................................................................800-433-8407 Merck Animal Health, 8J, 11................................................................................................................................................. www.ihc-poultry.com Motomco, 8I................................................................................................................................................... 800-237-6843; www.motomco.com Mike’s Loading, 8J ...................................................................................................................... 956-292-2700; www.mikesloadingservice.com Preserve, Cover II...............................................................................................................................................................................800-995-1607 R&D Marketing, 8L...........................................................................................................................................................................662-620-2828 Star Labs, 8L.....................................................................................................................................................800-894-5396; www.primalac.com Weigh Tech, 8J.......................................................................................................................................... 800-457-3720; www.weightechinc.com

16

POULTRY TIMES, July 15, 2013

Great Lakes region pins economic hopes on water The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE — A century ago, the seven-story brick building a few blocks from downtown was a factory — a symbol of an era when Milwaukee and other cities ringing the Great Lakes were industrial powerhouses churning out steel, automobiles and appliances.

Eventually the region’s manufacturing core crumbled, and the structure became an all-but-forgotten warehouse.

Now it’s getting a makeover and a new mission. It will reopen this summer as a hive of business experimentation swarming with scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs.

They’ll share a lab where new technologies can be tested. Office suites will host startup companies, including one devising a system for cultivating algae as biofuel, another producing a type of pavement that lets rainwater seep into the ground instead of flooding sewers.

To regain prosperity The center is part of a broader effort unfolding across the Great Lakes region to regain lost prosperity by developing a “blue economy” — a network of industries that develop products and services related to water, from pump and valve manufacturers to resorts offering vacations along redeveloped lakeshores.

As growing water scarcity casts a shadow over the economic boom in warmer states, many in the longscorned northlands are hoping they can finally make their abundance of freshwater a magnet for businesses and jobs that are now going elsewhere.

The idea is either a perfect nexus of opportunity and timing, or — as

some in the Sun Belt believe — just another longshot attempt by a cold and downtrodden region to reverse history.

In the eight Great Lakes states, organizations devoted to the venture are springing up, with headquarters, government grants and binders full of Power Points and five-year plans. Universities are establishing freshwater science and engineering programs.

Businesses are developing products such as advanced filtration systems for sale in countries where water isn’t just scarce, but also polluted.

Milwaukee has taken a pivotal role from its perch beside Lake Michigan, with $83.5 million in public and private money budgeted over the next year to support waterrelated businesses and research.

“We all recognize that water has become more and more of a precious commodity,” said Tom Barrett, mayor of Milwaukee. “We have to do a much better job of promoting it.”

1/5 of the fresh water The Great Lakes — Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario — hold nearly one-fifth of the freshwater on the Earth’s surface.

But in one of the nation’s most vivid anomalies, some of the saddest, most bedraggled urban wastelands sit on the shores of the vast inland seas.

After the collapse of heavy manufacturing unleashed an exodus of jobs to the South and West, one proposal after another for turning things around fell short.

But drought has gripped the Sun Belt in recent years, and federal scientists predict recurrent periods

similar to the 1930s Dust Bowl if climate change models prove accurate.

Worried leaders there are floating increasingly radical proposals, from billion-dollar pipelines traversing hundreds of miles to creating artificial lakes.

“I don’t like to get into an us-versus-them situation, but the drought in these other locations is going to get worse and worse and what we have to offer is going to get more and more attractive,” said David Ullrich, executive director of an organization representing the Great Lakes region’s mayors.

Sun Belt leaders, while acknowledging the problem, scoff at the idea of companies choosing the Midwest instead.

They say they’re already working on solutions. Texas voters in 2011 authorized a $6 billion bond issue for water infrastructure, including building more than two dozen reservoirs in coming decades.

Economic opportunities Besides just warm weather, “We provide economic opportunity,” said Tom Hayden, mayor of the Flower Mound, Texas, a Dallas suburb of 70,000 where the population has tripled in the past two decades.

“We help businesses grow instead of seeing how much we can squeeze them with taxes.”

Water availability is just one factor that influences where businesses locate, said Jason Morrison of the Pacific Institute, author of a report on likely economic fallout from a drier climate.

Still, he acknowledged, the outlook is disconcerting.

“It’s pretty certain that water-related risk for business will increase

over the long haul in more places,” he said.

Al Henes, who runs a brewery and pub in Flagstaff, Ariz., has waterless urinals and reuses water in his beermaking operation, but worries about the future as housing developments and golf courses keep springing up.

Even so, he said, he’s not ready to forsake his beloved canyon country’s stunning scenery and outdoorsy lifestyle.

“You guys get a little colder up there,” Henes said dryly. Recalling childhood winter visits with his grandmother in Michigan, he added: “Some of my words would just freeze in my mouth and fall on the ground and shatter.”

Milwaukee reflects the grandeur of the lake region’s past, as well as its decline and the quest to rebuild.

A downtown statue of “The Fonz” evokes wistful memories of “Happy Days” prosperity, when more than half of the adult workforce had factory jobs with manufacturers like Allis-Chalmers, now defunct.

Some warehouses and storefronts still sit empty, and the remnants of beer giants Schlitz, Pabst and Blatz have been turned to other uses.

Water technologies Though brewing is a shadow of its former self here, local leaders are newly mindful that the industry, which used huge volumes of water, attracted other businesses that still remain vibrant.

Worldwide, water technology — pumps, valves and more — generates $500 billion a year and is growing rapidly, said John Austin, director of the Brookings Institution’s Great Lakes Economic Initiative.

The Milwaukee-based Water

Council, a research and networking organization, now has more than 100 members, including the brewer MillerCoors.

The technology center is expected to host a half-dozen startups at a time, with frequent turnover as companies grow and move to bigger locations.

John Gurda, a local historian, said it’s about time Milwaukee gave up chasing the same high tech medicine and computer software companies sought by every other city.

“The strength of this (water-oriented) strategy is that it’s playing to Milwaukee’s natural and historical strengths.”

Making more of a draw But Austin, the Brookings analyst, said economic revival also depends on doing more to make the region’s 10,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and many rivers and inland lakes a draw for tourists and for service companies that want a beautiful setting.

During the first half of the 20th century, the steel plants, paper mills and auto factories that employed millions along the lakes also left behind blight.

The Lake Michigan city of Gary, Ind., is riddled with the hulks of abandoned buildings and the Grand Calumet River bottom is caked with a 20-foot-deep layer of gunk including toxic PCBs. An Obama administration initiative has pumped more than $1 billion into Great Lakes environmental cleanup, and a regional partnership has raised hundreds of millions to beautify Gary’s industrial waterfront.

“People will pay more for an office with a water view,” Austin said.

“But not if it’s a cesspool.”

Randall Smith