Breaking News ...
Updated as of October 6, 2008
Associations Welcome 2008-2009 Officers, New Board Members
During their fall board meetings in Charleston, S.C., late last month, IDFA and its constituent organizations — the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA) — elected new officers and voted on new board members. Leading the associations for the next year will be: IDFA Chair Paul Kruse, CEO and president, Blue Bell Creameries, L.P.; IDFA Vice Chair and NCI Chair Gary Vanic, president and CEO, Great Lakes Cheese Co., Inc.; IDFA Secretary and MIF Chair Paul Bikowitz, president, Heartland Farms; and IDFA Treasurer and IICA Chair Tim Kahn, president and CEO, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Inc.
IDFA, Members Called on Congress to Pass Financial Rescue Plan
IDFA was one of the many voices urging the U.S. House of Representatives last Friday to accept the Senate’s version of the $700 billion rescue plan for U.S. financial markets. The House passed the revised version, which was signed into law the same day by President George W. Bush. According to the Washington Post and The New York Times, many lawmakers decided to vote for the bill after receiving thousands of emails and phone calls from a wide variety of constituents, businesses, associations and organizations. IDFA joined 55 other member organizations in sending a joint letter to Congress, asking representatives and senators to act immediately to bring stability to credit markets. IDFA also urged members to contact their representatives to encourage them to support the plan.
Economy Tops Agenda for IDFA’s Dairy Forum 2009
With unprecedented activity in our financial markets, skyrocketing production costs and increasing global demand for dairy products, what is waiting around the corner for the dairy industry? The economy and related issues are front and center on the agenda for IDFA’s Dairy Forum 2009, January 11-14 at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort in Orlando, Fla. In the first general session, Bruce Scherr, CEO of Informa Economics, will discuss the industry’s economic future and the factors that will have a direct influence on local, national and global dairy markets. Two additional general sessions will feature dairy leaders from national and global companies who will explain how they are navigating the rough economic waters and the changing dairy environment. The full agenda is now available online.
FDA Issues Melamine Risk Assessment; Senators Introduce Related Labeling Bill
Prompted by reports of melamine contamination in infant formula and dairy products manufactured in China, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last Friday issued an interim safety and risk assessment of melamine in food. Although Grade A products from China are not allowed in the United States, the agency discovered traces of melamine in Chinese candy on the shelves of two stores in Connecticut and acted quickly to determine the level of melamine in food that would not raise public health concerns. In related news, two senators last week introduced legislation calling for mandatory country of origin labeling for dairy products.
IDFA Hotline Helps Members to Tout New Vitamin D, Calcium Health Claim
IDFA has created a Hotline announcement that details how members can now use health claims to tout the role that calcium and vitamin D together play in reducing the risk of osteoporosis. The new rule, announced last week by the Food and Drug Administration, will allow fat-free and lowfat milk, reduced-fat milk with 2% milk fat, and other eligible dairy products to display a health claim that states, "Physical activity and adequate calcium and vitamin D throughout life, as part of a well-balanced diet, may reduce the risk of osteoporosis," or "may build and maintain good bone health." Hotline: FDA Announces Final Rule Allowing New Vitamin D, Calcium Health Claims (members only).
State News: California Governor Says No to Raw Milk Bill
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last week vetoed a state Senate bill that would have allowed California’s raw milk processors to bypass the bacteria standards held for pasteurized milk. The governor said he couldn’t support the bill because it would have weakened safety standards in the state. IDFA is opposed to the sale of raw milk and commends the governor’s action.
ABA and IDFA Collaborate on InterBev 2008 and Worldwide Food Expo 2009
The American Beverage Association and IDFA are continuing to take an active role in each other’s trade shows. IDFA and Worldwide Food Expo are endorsing the ABA-sponsored InterBev 2008 this fall in Las Vegas, and ABA is endorsing IDFA’s Worldwide Food Expo 2009 in Chicago. InterBev will be held October 20-23, 2008, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, with educational sessions covering trends, sustainability, operations and management, and technical and regulatory issues. One session that may be of particular interest to IDFA members is “Reducing Energy Costs and CO2 Emissions.” For more information and to register, visit www.interbev.com.
For more news on regulatory, legislative, international and marketing issues or on membership and educational opportunities, visit IDFA's News Center.
