The Chinese company Shuanghui International Holdings is buying Smithfield Foods, one of the largest producers of pork products in the U.S. Food & Water Watch has released a statement about this purchase. Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch said, “the purchase of Smithfield by Chinese company Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd. is bad … Read more
The Japanese government decided yesterday to ease restrictions it has placed on U.S. beef imports. Restrictions put in place in 2006 that partially opened the markets did not allow the import of beef from cattle older than 20 months; the industry standard is 30 months. The agreement, dated January 25, 2013, requires that the U.S. … Read more
Food & Water Watch has sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about the equivalency status of Australia’s privatized meat inspection program and the USDA program. Last year, the USDA decided to make the two programs equivalent, despite discoveries of contaminated meat imported from Australia. Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, … Read more
A bipartisan group including Congresswoman Rose DeLauro (D-CT), Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC) asked the Obama Administration to ensure public health is protected as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement is negotiated. Two countries involved in this agreement, Vietnam and Malaysia, are seafood exporters and have raised red flags. The group … Read more
Food and Water Watch has written a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, asking him to look into the status of the equivalency determination with Canada regarding importation of beef products. The organization is also concerned with the privatized inspection system in some of Canada’s beef slaughter facilities that has “apparently received no formal recognition … Read more
Despite our growing demand for information about where the seafood we eat comes from, Americans seldom get answers when it comes to imported fish and seafood. That’s why a group of more than 500 chefs and restaurant owners are calling on government leaders to require that all seafood in U.S. markets can be traced. Improving … Read more