Terry Etherton’s Blog on Hormones, Biotechnology, and Food Safety

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, PORTLAND, Ore., GOTHENBURG, Sweden, November 23, 2009 – Popular thinking about how to improve food systems for the better often misses the point, according to the results of a three-year global study of salmon production systems. Rather than pushing for organic or land-based production, or worrying about simple metrics such as “food miles,” the study finds that the world can achieve greater environmental benefits by focusing on improvements to key aspects of production and distribution. Read the rest of this entry »

Terry D. Etherton

Much has been written about the “Food System” and how we should go about feeding the world.  To put “much” into context, I ran a Google search using the phrases “food systems” or food system; got 906,000 returns for the former and 759,000 returns for the latter phrase.

Why the keen interest in the food system?  One reason is that many scientists (including me) believe we need to apply science to make new discoveries in the food system that will help meet the food needs of the growing World population.  Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Laureate, who passed away on September 12, 2009, and who is credited for launching the “Green Revolution” to feed the World was clear about this.  He passionately believed that science should be the most important tool to solve world hunger. Read the rest of this entry »

Terry D. Etherton

A recent Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Media Release about the detection of A/H1N1 virus in pigs in Canada is presented below.  The release also was distributed by ProMED.

As a point of interest, ProMED is one of the largest publicly available emerging disease and outbreak reporting systems in the World.  Currently, ProMED posts are read by over 50,000 subscribers in over 187 countries. Read the rest of this entry »

Terry D. Etherton

As readers of my blog have observed, I have not posted a blog for a few months.  About all that could be written about the battle over application of rbST in the dairy industry in the United States, and defending the freedom of dairy farmers to use safe and effective technologies has been discussed.  The stories currently being written by opponents of this biotechnology are simply a rehash of a rehash…nothing new.  This all has been chronicled in Terry Etherton Blog on Biotechnology. Read the rest of this entry »

Washington, D.C. – An International Food Information Council (IFIC) report released Thursday, October 23 concludes that 84% of Americans have favorable or neutral impressions of agricultural plant biotechnology, while less than 16% hold an unfavorable impression. Read the rest of this entry »

Terry D. Etherton

Not long ago, I got an invitation to speak at the annual 2009 Dairy Forum sponsored by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).  It was tempting to say “yes”… the meeting is being held at a dandy upscale hotel on the Disney World property in Florida, and in January, 2009!  I, however, had a schedule conflict and couldn’t accept the invitation.

Good thing, however, given the title of the session I was invited to speak at was entitled “Labeling – War of Words”. Read the rest of this entry »

Administration Proposes Much-Anticipated Guidance on How to Regulate GE Animals

Washington, D.C. (September 18, 2008) – The multiple benefits of animal biotechnologies are closer to being realized thanks to efforts today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The FDA announced today the long-awaited draft guidance describing a regulatory framework for governing genetically engineered (GE) animals. In addition, USDA is seeking comment on their coordinated role in the regulatory process. Read the rest of this entry »

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Science
Issue Date:  September 5, 2008 | Volume 321 | Page 1279

BEIJING—Confronted with land degradation, chronic water shortages, and a growing population that already numbers 1.3 billion, China is looking to a transgenic green revolution to secure its food supply. Later this month, the government is expected to roll out a $3.5 billion research and development (R&D) initiative on genetically modified (GM) plants. “The new initiative will spur commercialization of GM varieties,” says Xue Dayuan, chief scientist on biodiversity at the Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. Read the rest of this entry »

Terry D. Etherton

Because of my commitment to defend science, scientists, and technological innovation in agriculture, I encounter folks and groups on the “other side” who use all sorts of interesting — even bizarre, and dysfunctional — tactics to scare consumers about science, food safety, and the need for technological innovation in agriculture. Read the rest of this entry »

Henry Miller

The Washington Times
Published on Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Milk occupies a special place in our lives and language. It has been dubbed “Nature’s most perfect food,” and we speak sentimentally of the “land of milk and honey” and the “milk of human kindness.” Dairy products represent important nutrient sources in much of the world, containing calcium and high-quality protein. Read the rest of this entry »