USDA Food Safety

How Far Has Food Safety Come in 150 years?

Posted by Alexandra Tarrant, Public Affairs Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service, on May 3, 2012 at 1:06 PM

Throughout the year, and this month in particular, USDA celebrates 150 years of existence. The legislation that established USDA was signed on May 15, 1862, by President Abraham Lincoln. At that point, food safety wasn’t a major concern for the People’s Department.

The turning point for domestic meat inspection really came in 1905 and 1906, after Upton Sinclair published The Jungle. The details of the book described unsanitary working conditions in a Chicago meatpacking house, putting meat consumers at risk for disease. This led to the passing of legislation providing for meat inspection. Over the years, Congress passed the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and the Egg Products Inspection Act, which the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) enforces.

Inspection changed from a sight, smell, and touch approach to a more science-based method when Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) was implemented between January 1997 and January 2000. And science and technology improvements have allowed our inspection to evolve as well, with the implementation of new policies like testing ready to eat meat and poultry products forListeria monocytogenes, applying stricter Salmonella and new Campylobacter performance standards to raw poultry products, and declaring that six additional serogroups of pathogenic E. coli (in addition to E. coli O157:H7) are adulterants in non-intact raw beef.

FSIS is in the process of fully implementing a dynamic, comprehensive data analysis system called the Public Health Information System, or PHIS. This system will allow the agency to collect, consolidate and analyze data in a more efficient and effective way, ultimately leading to better protection of the public’s health and a more preventative approach toward inspection.

For more information about FSIS’ history over the years, visithttp://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/Agency_History/index.asp.

DOL: Grant Funding for Veterans Training

US Department of Labor announces availability of approximately $12 million in grants to provide job training services for more than 6,000 veterans

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $12 million in grants through the Veterans' Workforce Investment Program to provide job training and skills development services that will help approximately 6,000 veterans succeed in civilian careers.

"These men and women served our country, and now it is our turn to serve them and to support them. The grants announced today will help ensure our nation's veterans receive the assistance they need as they make the transition to civilian life," Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said.

Through funds provided by this program, veterans will receive skills assessments, individual job counseling, labor market information, classroom or on-the-job training, skills upgrades, placement assistance and crucial follow-up services. Veterans also may be eligible for services through other Workforce Investment Act programs for economically disadvantaged or dislocated workers.

The department will award at least 10 grants in 10 states on a competitive basis to state and local workforce investment boards, local public agencies and nonprofit — including faith-based and community —organizations. Grantees must be familiar with the areas and populations to be served, and have demonstrated that they can administer effective programs.

More information about the Department of Labor's unemployment and re-employment programs for veterans can be found at http://www.dol.gov/vets/.

The solicitation for grant applications is available at http://www.dol.gov/cgi-bin/leave-dol.asp?exiturl=http://www.grants.gov&exitTitle=www.grants.gov&fedpage=yes.

It also may be viewed at http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/vwip/main.htm. 

USA.GOV Social Media Will. Just in case!

http://blog.usa.gov/post/22261234875/how-and-why-you-should-write-a-social-media-will

How and Why You Should Write a Social Media Will

Social media is a part of daily life, but what happens to the online content that you created once you die?

If you have social media profiles set up online, you should create a statement of how you would like your online identity to be handled. Just like a traditional will helps your survivors handle your physical belongings, a social media will spells out how you want your online identity to be handled.

Like with a traditional will, you’ll need to appoint someone you trust as an online executor. This person will be responsible for closing your email addresses, social media profiles, and blogs after you are deceased. Take these steps to help you write a social media will:

• Review the privacy policies and the terms and conditions of each website where you have a presence.
• State how you would like your profiles to be handled. You may want to completely cancel your profile or keep it up for friends and family to visit. Some sites allow users to create a memorial profile where other users can still see your profile but can’t post anything new.
• Give the social media executor a document that lists all the websites where you have a profile, along with your usernames and passwords.
• Stipulate in your will that the online executor should have a copy of your death certificate. The online executor may need this as proof in order for websites to take any actions on your behalf.

Learn more about what else you should include in your will and how to create an effective estate plan.

USDA & USAID. 14th annual International Food Aid and Development Conference. Kansas City, Mo., May 7-9, 2012.

Media Advisory No. 5094.12

Contact:

Linda Habenstreit (202) 720-9442

Media Advisory: International Food Aid and Development Conference Scheduled for May 7-9, 2012, in Kansas City, Mo.

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2012–The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today that the 14th annual International Food Aid and Development Conference will be held in Kansas City, Mo., May 7-9, 2012. The theme of this year’s conference is “From Harvest to Basket: Weaving Together Agricultural Markets and Food Security.”

Special guest speakers include the Republic of Congo’s Minister of Education Rosalie Kama-Niamayoua, Angola’s Ministry of Education National School Feeding Coordinator Domingos Torres, USDA’s Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Michael Scuse, USAID’s Assistant Administrator Nancy Lindborg, Pioneer Hi-Bred President Paul Schickler, and Chicago Council on Global Affairs Senior Fellow and Professor Emeritus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Dr. Robert Thompson.

The International Food Aid and Development Conference provides a forum to address policy and operational issues related to food aid and development, as well as ways to improve communication and cooperation among government, non-profit charitable and non-governmental organizations, and agricultural and transportation industry representatives. The conference also gives participants an opportunity to network with one another and discuss food security, nutrition, public-private partnerships, sustainable school feeding, commodity management, storage, and quality control, and food aid operations, programming, collaboration, monitoring, and evaluation.

May 7-9, 2012

WHAT:          International Food Aid and Development Conference

WHO:             U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Agency for International Development

WHERE:       Westin Crown Center Hotel

                        1 East Pershing Road

                        Kansas City, Mo.

For more information about the conference, including details on registration, visit FSA’s website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/ifac. People with disabilities who need accommodations to attend or participate should contact Lance Simson at (816) 823-3202 or Lance.Simson@kcc.usda.gov.

Rescheduled: Ten Best Practices for Communication & Continuity During Mega-Disasters. Thursday, May 10, 2012. 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.EST

http://philaudmm.blogspot.com/2012/03/fwd-booz-allen-presents-ten-best.html

Ten Best Practices for Communication & Continuity  During Mega-Disasters By Tim Tinker and Tony Dorsey Sponsored by the Mission Assurance TFG and the RCCC  Thursday, May 10, 2012 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.EST 901 15th St. 10th Fl. 10005A and Lync Online Meeting w/ Audio Conference  To Register, email Una Hrnjak at hrnjak_una@bah.com Urgent and catastrophic events, whether man-made or naturally occurring, dramatically change the rules of communication for Booz Allen's government, commercial, and not-for-profit clients. Anything less than full anticipation, preparation, and practice can jeopardize their credibility with employees, the media, and the general public. Worse, it can result in disrupted operations, harm strategic relationships, and cause irreparable damage to reputations. Equipped with basic tools and techniques, however, Booz Allen helps clients across all markets effectively anticipate potential crises, and prepare and practice their system-wide communication responses. Attend this event to hear about a three-part strategy for assessing the threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences of high-stress, high-concern events and their implications for communications and continuity. This strategy can address public concerns, establish trust, and mitigate concern.  Session Agenda Communicating scientific & technical information Understanding the media's needs & frustrations Delivering messages that matter Scenario-based simulation Tim Tinker is located in Rockville, MD and can be reached at 301-444-4034 or tinker_timothy@bah.com.   Email Una Hrnjak at hrnjak_una@bah.com with any registration questions.