The Weekly Grind – January 3, 2014

NAMA NEWS

USDA PERMANENTLY ELIMINATES GRAIN MAXIMUMS IN SCHOOL MEALS PROGRAM 

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) updated its guidance on grains in the school meals programs in December 2012, suspending daily and weekly maximum quantities for grains for school year 2012/2013.  In May 2013, NAMA sent a letter to USDA urging permanent removal of daily and weekly maximums of grains to allow for greater flexibility.  In today’s Federal Register, USDA announced FNS will be making permanent the elimination of daily and weekly maximums on grains.

To view the rule, go to https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2013-31433.pdf.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

GENERAL MILLS STARTS MAKING SOME CHEERIOS GMO-FREE 

In a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article published today, it is reported that General Mills has started producing  Cheerios free of genetically modified content.  The change will only affect original Cheerios and the company expects the product to be available “shortly.”

To view the full WSJ article, go to http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303370904579297211874270146.

USDA – ERS RELEASES REPORT ON RECENT CONVERGENCE PERFORMANCE OF FUTURES AND CASH PRICES FOR CORN, SOYBEANS, AND WHEAT

USDA’s Economic Research Service released a report which examines whether changes made to contract specifications have facilitated convergence of expiring futures and cash prices and finds the reasons for non-convergence to be associated with contract design and market conditions.

To view the entire report, go to http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/fds-feed-outlook/fds13l-01.aspx – .UsbVnTlkCQI.

ARTICLE CRITICIZES DR. DAVID PERLMUTTER’S GRAIN BRAIN

In a December 31, 2013 Huffington Post article, “Worried About Gluten? This is Your Brain on Journalism,” Dr. David Katz, a leader in the field of integrative and preventative medicine and the founding director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, voices his concerns about the bestselling book, Grain Brain: The surprising truth about wheat, carbs, and sugar; your brain’s silent killers, by Dr. David Perlmutter and an interview Dr. Perlmutter gave in The Atlantic titled, “This is Your Brain on Gluten.”

To view the full Huffington Post article, go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leo-brown/this-is-your-brain-on-jou_b_4516701.html.

To view the article written in The Atlantic, go to: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/this-is-your-brain-on-gluten/282550/ – comments.

USDA – ERS RELEASED LATEST UPDATE TO ITS ECONOMIC WHEAT DATA

The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) released the latest update in December 2013 to its economic wheat data, with information on five classes of wheat: hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, white, and durum and rye.

To view the update, go to http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/wheat-data.aspx – .UsbKMTlkCQI.

 

Edited by Lyndsey Valentine