For the fourth time in its history, the United Nations has elevated a health issue to crisis level.
The UN General Assembly held a high-level
meeting earlier this week (Sept. 21) to address how antibiotics have become less useful when treating human illnesses caused by bacteria. In its 70 year history the General Assembly has called similar meetings to discuss HIV, the rise of non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, and Ebola.
By pushing antibiotic resistance front-and-center as a global problem, the international body has acknowledged that some of the miracles of modern medicine—including the invention of penicillin and tetracyclines—are at risk of becoming ineffective. Already the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 23,000 people die in the US each year as a direct result of antibiotic resistance. Some of those deaths were from illnesses
once easily treated with the drugs, including MRSA and some E. coli infections.
At the core of the crisis sits animal agriculture, which includes the some 9 billion food animals slaughtered in the US each year. For years, food companies and farmers have used antibiotics not only to treat sick animals, but also to feed them a steady diet of the drugs to prevent illnesses.
Public health advocacy groups have pushed on the federal government to crack down on how farmers use drugs, but the government has been slow to act in a meaningful way. Food companies are not especially transparent about what drugs are being used on different species and how they are being used, and the government mandates little be made public.
Some of the biggest pressure on farm practice changes comes from corporate America, which has responded to consumer demand for foods from animals not treated with antibiotics. A
new report published this week (Sept. 20) by the Natural Resources Defense Council and a coalition of other advocacy groups shows that in just the last year, the number of US fast food chains that have adopted supply chain policies aimed at reducing the on-farm use of antibiotics for the meat products they sell has doubled.
The NRDC each year rates the 25 biggest fast food chains on their antibiotic policies and transparency. This year’s report shows several mammoth restaurant chains successfully implemented new policies to force their meat producers to change how they use on-farm drugs, including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway, and Chick-fil-A. It also highlights companies that continue to maintain abysmal records, including Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC, and Olive Garden—all three received “F” grades, the lowest. Some of the other findings in the report include:
- Subway, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell are on track to prohibit the routine use of antibiotics in their chicken supply. The NRDC said those companies have made real progress in implementing that policy.
- Perdue Farms, Tyson Foods, and Foster Farms have committed to eliminate routine antibiotics use across all of their chicken farms. Pilgrim’s Pride remains a straggler.
- KFC is a major chicken buyer but has yet to commit to a more responsible policy.
Currently there’s a global patchwork of antibiotic use enforcement, which means farm animal producers operate differently in different countries. That makes it difficult for restaurants such as
McDonald’s and others to commit to eliminating antibiotics from meat sources in places with poor antibiotic track records, such as China, the world’s second largest economy and a key area for growth.
There have been some signs of hope in China. In October 2015, the Chinese government instituted a strict
new food safety law, which included more oversight over production practices (though nothing specific to antibiotics has been discussed yet). And on Sept. 18, the country announced it would
spend $450 billion by 2020 to modernize its agricultural sector, according to Reuters.
The UN General Assembly’s 193 member states this week signed a declaration committing to the fight against resistance, though the details have yet to be hashed out.
Health advocates, including at the Pew Charitable Trusts, have said they expect many countries will look to the US to take the lead in determining how best to best tackle resistance. The progress made by US food chains is a start; the key will be applying those same standards to sources abroad.
“It can’t be the end of the discussion,” said Gail Hansen, a veterinarian and expert in antibiotic resistance, referring to the pressure put on the US supply chain by fast-food giants. “Companies should have the social responsibility to do what they can in other countries.”
Academy of Science has endorsed GMO ??
The Nigerian Academy of Science recently endorsed the country’s experimenting with Genetically Modified Organisms/Foods, generally known as GMO/GMF reports Greg Odogwu
According to him,it is sad that the GMO controversy found Nigeria in such a situation as we are today. There is now a thin line between fiction and reality. Truth is, both the proponents and opponents of GMO can splice the two and effectively deny Nigerians the opportunity of knowing the true situation of things. Note that I did not say “knowing the truth”; because in the issue of personal, and national, survival truth can be elusive.
Like I have always maintained, GMO is a new technology we must be extremely strategic in adopting as a country. Not only should we be environmentally conscious in its consideration, all parties involved must be very patriotic. At a closer observation, one can easily notice that both sides of the GMO divide are dancing to the drumbeats of an invisible player.
The proponents of GMO in Nigeria have alleged that the hue and cry against GMO adoption is articulated and sponsored by individuals and non-governmental organizations that are not well-versed in the application of science. That this group of activists over the last decade continually propagated messages calculated to instill fears in the minds of Nigerians using the media landscape to spread the unscientific rumours about GMOs.
The anti-GMO activists on the other hand, maintain that the progress of GMO approval in the country and its mainstreaming in the agricultural sector is orchestrated and bank-rolled by multinational giants from the Western world who are targeting the large market potential of the country.
Dec 08 2016
19 prisons to be closed down
The Netherlands is reported to be contemplating closing down up to 19 prisons because of the dearth of criminals. This should be attract global acclaim
This is one of the few non food related news that this site still believes is newsworthy
Can African countries please take steps so that they can also arrive at this point ?
It shows good governance is in place in The Netherlands. All other countries of the world should be made to copy the country
11-2016
Elimination of GMO Crops Would Cause Hike in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
source=Meridian institute
Publishing procedures for your sucessfull highschool or college graduating
Publishing procedures for your sucessfull highschool or college graduating
But the overview paragraph may come along at the final result of your essay it mustn’t be practiced as the afterthought. Read more
MYCOTOXIN SOCIETY GETS NEW EXCO 2016-2018
The 11th Annual conference of the Mycotoxicology Society of Nigeria, MSN, was held at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger state from 25-28 Oct 2016.
A new Executive Committee(EXCO ) was elected to run its affairs for the next 2 years. Dr Mrs Folashade Oluwabamiwo of NAFDAC was elected the President while Dr Isaac Ogara of Nassarawa State University, Lafia was the secretary
The health impact of mycotoxins on crops, man and livestock was noted and the intervention strategies discussed.
The meeting invite multi sectoral and multidisciplinary approach to the control of mycotoxins just as the need to bring local farmers on board on any issue regarding pre and postharvest food safety
Other highlights included the conferment of FELLOWSHIP on Nigerians including the Secretary to the Kogi state Government Dr Mrs Folashade Ayoade , Prof Dele Fapohunda and MrsMargarett Eshiett
Nigeria bans genetically-modified food
In a step that suggests further more decisive action, the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to department stores in the Federal Capital Territory to withdraw all Genetically Modified (GM) food items from their shelves.
The Director General of the agency, Rufus Ebegba, gave the ultimatum in Abuja on Friday during a meeting with department store operators in the FCT.
Mr. Ebegba said the move was in line with the mandate of the agency to ensure safety of human health and the environment.
The director general said the agency would not hesitate to shut down or prosecute the management of any departmental store that failed to abide by the directive or contravened its Act.
He said the meeting was to intimate the operators on the provisions of the Act establishing the agency so that they would not feign ignorance of it.
“This is in line with the Act of the agency to refocus Nigeria in the area of modern biotechnology practice to ensure proper regulation for safety of human consumption and the environment.
According to him, no GMO should be in any of the supermarket stores, either labelled or not, until permits are obtained from the agency.
“We have segmented our meeting with stakeholders particularly those in the food and agriculture sector.
“This meeting is for them to understand that some of their products need to be properly ascertained before they are imported so that they will not run foul of the law.
“We are aware that some of these stores import foods from countries that are already consuming GMs.
“We understand the economic benefits of these stores to the Nigerian economy, especially in the areas of job creation and markets, but we must know that the law is not a respecter of persons.
“The idea that Nigerian laws are not being implemented by government agencies should be ruled out of this.
“NBMA will not make the mistake in the enforcement of this. We are very serious about this,’’ he said.
Mr. Ebegba said the agency was currently working with the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and National Agriculture Quarantine Service (NAQS) to ensure that permits were adequately issued.
Umar Yahaya, the Customer Service/Surveillance Manager of NEXT Cash and Carry Mall, appealed to the agency to provide guidelines for the permit to enable operators comply with the laws.
Mr. Yahaya, who declined further comments, said that appropriate measures would be taken by the management of the store.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that representatives from Shoprite, a South African-based chain stores operating across the country also attended the meeting.
(NAN)
MYCOTOXIN CONFERENCE HOLDS AT FUT MINNA
The Annual Conference of the Mycotoxicology Society of Nigeria(MSN) holds from Oct 25 through Oct 28, 2016 at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger state
Participants are expected fro the Universities, Research Institutes, Regulatory Agencies, farmers commodity traders and other stakeholders
See <www.ngmycotoxin.com>
ORGANIC receives a boost as US commits ($56 Million) for Food Projects, Organic Research
In conjunction with the funding announcements, Vilsack announced $48.1 million in available fiscal year 2017 funding through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) to support systems-based research and extension activities that accelerate science-based solutions and new technology for the specialty crop industry. Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture. The Specialty Crop Research Initiative was authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill to invest in long-term solutions that address problems in the overlapping systems of production, distribution and processing, and consumers and markets.
USDA is committed to helping organic agriculture grow and thrive. USDA strongly supports the organic sector through a wide variety of programs, including conservation grants, organic crop insurance, certification cost-share, organic market news, and simplified microloans. To learn more about USDA support for organic agriculture, visit the updated organic portal at www.usda.gov/organic.
29 Sept 2016
ALARM !!!=Antibiotics in food now on par with AIDS and Ebola ????
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Do you have news on production, processing and packaging of food and feed, devoid of contaminants? Do you have information on farmer –friendly interventions that will guarantee healthy consumption? .Are you current on information regarding effects of chemicals/ contaminants, organic food and Genetic modification in agriculture and nutrition? Can you promote entrepreneurship through the supply of low-income equipment in Agriculture and drive women and the youth along ?
Please send your information to sfoodfeedf@yahoo.com