Air quality board to consider another relaxation of diesel rules
The United States and California air quality officials are again moving to relax tough rules to clean up aging diesel trucks that are among the state's worst remaining sources of air pollution. The changes being considered this week by the state Air Resources Board come in response to pressure from small trucking firms and owner-operators, required to install costly diesel particulate filters or upgrade to cleaner models for the first time this year, who have pleaded for more time to comply. "We're all struggling," said Allen Forsyth of Los Angeles, who operates a three-truck fleet that hauls local freight near LAX. "I used everything I had to buy a 2012 truck. But I'm absolutely broke now." Read More
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Poultry Processor Workshop to focus on management techniques for increased plant efficiencies
Plant managers are constantly seeking efficient ways to achieve the most productivity from their plants. The 2014 Poultry Processor Workshop will provide the necessary tools to help them do just that by providing information about the New USDA Inspection Rule and Impact on Poultry Processing, Water Conservation, Energy Alternatives and Raw Parts Interventions for Reducing Contamination. Sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, this year's conference will be held May 14-15, at the Embassy Suites Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Ga. Read More
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Sugar-vinegar mix improves chicken meat quality
A commercial marinade seasoning and a natural blend of cultured sugar and vinegar on reduced Campylobacter and Salmonella counts and improved the texture of chicken breasts in a recently published study. A natural blend of cultured sugar and vinegar can be used as antimicrobial and texture-modifying agents for poultry meat and poultry products, concluded Na Yoon Park and colleagues at Kyung Hee University from the results of an experiment published in Poultry Science. They explain in their paper that marination using various ingredients has been widely used to improve microbial safety and quality of chicken products at retail markets. Read More
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Mexico's economy recovering
The outlook for Mexico's economic recovery is mostly positive, but the country's agribusiness sector will face challenges, according to a new Rabobank report.
Headwinds for the country's agribusiness sector include animal disease in hogs and poultry and stifled corn production. Rabobank reported that grain production in Mexico recovered from extreme weather events that occurred over the last two years, but corn production remains low. Read More
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California lawmakers face hundreds of bills, special session
Lawmakers return from their spring recess this week focusing on hundreds of bills that have to pass from one house to the other by the end of May, but the most contentious issues will come later. Among the bills under consideration are several that try to protect health or the environment by banning cigarette sales online, microbeads in cosmetics, mislabeled seafood and unprotected sex in adult films. Bills shaping up as potentially divisive include SB1000 by Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel, which would require warning labels on sodas and other sugary drinks, and SB1132 by Democratic Sens. Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles and Mark Leno of San Francisco, which would place a moratorium on fracking for oil and natural gas. Read More
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Consumers confused about protein consumption
Despite saying they want to get more protein into their diets, a majority of consumers are unsure about how much they should be consuming on a daily basis, according to The NPD Group. In a new report titled "Protein perceptions and needs," The NPD Group found that 71 percent of the 2,211 primary grocery shoppers surveyed could not identify the recommended daily amount of protein. It is 46 grams for adult females and 56 grams for adult males, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Read More
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Important Dates!
Summer Board Meeting
June 9 & 10, 2014
The Cliffs Resort, Shell Beach, CA
Golf Tournament June 9
Reception and Dinner June 9
Board Meeting June 10
Annual Meeting and Conference
September 18 & 19, 2014
Monterey Plaza Hotel, Monterey, CA
Conference and Banquet September 18
Board Meeting September 19
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