American Pistachio Growers (APG) has secured more than $2.8 million in funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand international trade in overseas markets, confront unjustified trade retaliation and to enhance research on the healthful attributes of American-grown pistachios. This week, APG received news that it had secured $911,108 under USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP), completing a funding …

It’s not too late to register for the Olive Oil Commission of California’s second annual​ ​California Olive Oil Day to be held March 5, 2019 at the Robert J. Cabral Ag Center in Stockton. The event is free and open to all interested industry members. The day-long ​program​ will include a morning session from 8:30 a.m. to noon and an …

There has been a recent surge of efforts to drastically change dietary choices in the name of environmental protection. These efforts often share a flawed approach, citing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emission statistics, to create alarm and encourage decreased consumption of meat, dairy, and other livestock products. They falsely imply that raising livestock, no matter where or how it’s done, …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hosting a listening session for initial input on the 2018 Farm Bill. USDA is seeking public input on the changes to existing programs implemented by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency. Each agency will take into account stakeholder input when making discretionary decisions on program implementation. Deadline for …

FRESNO, CA – Yesterday, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) announced a 35% initial water allocation for south-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) agricultural water service contractors. Westlands appreciates that this initial allocation is higher than it otherwise would have been but for the diligent work by Reclamation staff to make the initial allocation as high as practicable. However, given the current …

By Laurie Fischer, CEO, American Dairy Coalition Mexico imports nearly a quarter of the U.S. dairy industry’s exports annually. It’s a critical $1.4 billion marketplace. And it’s one that President Trump continues to risk damaging permanently — and unnecessarily. Locked in a trade war since May, Mexican leaders are setting aside American business connections that took decades to build as our …

Trainings These trainings can be offered either as onsite programs or as public courses. If you would like to suggest a public training or request a quote for onsite training, contact our food safety team and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. These courses are accredited by the International HACCP Alliance as meeting the required standards for content and training for HACCP. Advanced HACCP …

One seemingly regular night, Frank Burgwin left the engine running on his locked Freightliner and rushed into a truck stop to grab a takeout hamburger in Arkansas. When he returned to his freightliner, his tractor and the flatbed with 48,000 pounds of aluminum had vanished. An off-duty Consolidated Freight Driver then helped Burgwin find the tractor near West Memphis, Arkansas, …

Detention; a word associated with childhood pranks, the principal’s office, guilt, and remorse. In a similar fashion, receiving notice from the United States (US) government that your facility’s products have been detained can also trigger those negative childhood emotions. FDA Detention Explained Detention occurs when products entering the US are refused entry; either by the US Food & Drug Administration …

In my role, I routinely work with facilities pursuing a third-party food safety certification audit for the first time. After four years of assisting and educating people about the audit process, I have noticed that you can recognize early on whether a company’s pursuit is focused more on obtaining the necessary certificate or in ensuring that their products are safe. …