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Food Safety Costs for Farms Vary Across Commodities Due to Differences in Farm Size
Amber Waves, September 04, 2018An ERS study estimated farm-level costs to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act's Produce Rule by commodity, State, and farm size. Costs ranged from as little as 0.3 percent of annual produce sales for the largest farms and 6.8 percent for the smallest.
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Estimated Costs for Fruit and Vegetable Producers To Comply With the Food Safety Modernization Act's Produce Rule
EIB-195, August 08, 2018Implementation of the Produce Rule in 2018 will raise costs for farms supplying most fresh produce sold in the U.S. Costs are estimated to range from 0.3 percent of annual sales for the largest farms to 6.8 percent for the smallest.
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Before Implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act's Produce Rule: A Survey of U.S. Produce Growers
EIB-194, August 06, 2018Among produce growers, larger growers (measured by annual produce sales) had adopted food safety practices at higher rates than smaller growers in advance of the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Rule.
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New Survey Results Highlight Variation in Food Safety Practices Prior to the Produce Rule
Amber Waves, August 06, 2018The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 included a new Produce Rule that sets specific disease-preventive requirements for produce that is consumed raw in the United States. ERS researchers conducted a survey of produce growers prior to implementation of the Produce Rule to highlight variation in food safety practices.
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Trends in Food Recalls
Amber Waves, June 21, 2018A new ERS infographic categorizes the 4,900 U.S. food recalls issued from 2004 through 2013 by type of food, reason for the recall, and geographic distribution across States.
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Trends in Food Recalls: 2004-13
EIB-191, April 16, 2018ERS study finds food product recalls increased significantly from 2004 through 2013; recalls due to undeclared allergens nearly doubled.
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Beyond Nutrition and Organic Labels—30 Years of Experience With Intervening in Food Labels
ERR-239, November 17, 2017ERS researchers examine five food label case studies that show the economic effects and tradeoffs involved in setting product standards, verifying claims, and enforcing truthfulness.
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Although Small, Markets Have Been Expanding for GE Crops With Traits That Increase Nutrient Content or Improve Taste
Amber Waves, August 07, 2017Genetically engineered (GE) crops are plants with genetic material that has been altered to achieve one or more desirable features. Although small, markets have been recently expanding for GE crops with traits that increase nutrient content or improve the taste of certain foods for consumers.
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Food Safety Practices and Costs Under the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement
EIB-173, June 07, 2017Interviews with firms participating in an existing food safety program, California's Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, offer insights into what the recent FSMA Produce Rule will mean for the U.S. produce industry.
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The California Leafy Greens Industry Provides an Example of an Established Food Safety System
Amber Waves, June 07, 2017The California Leafy Greens Products Handler Marketing Agreement (LGMA) was established in 2007 to provide a minimum food safety standard for that industry. A recent ERS case study examined the 2012 food safety practices and costs of seven large LGMA participants.
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Regulation, Market Signals, and the Provision of Food Safety in Meat and Poultry
Amber Waves, May 26, 2017Public disclosure of information on food safety performance enables buyers to make more informed purchasing decisions regarding food safety, thereby signaling their demand for a higher level of food safety.
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Public Disclosure of Tests for Salmonella: The Effects on Food Safety Performance in Chicken Slaughter Establishments
ERR-231, May 26, 2017ERS analyzed the impact of a USDA regulatory initiative that identified commercial chicken slaughter establishments with poor or mediocre ratings on Salmonella tests – specifically, how this has affected the outcome of subsequent tests.
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Increased Consumer Sensitivity to Food Safety Raised Financial Costs of Ground Beef Recalls
Amber Waves, October 03, 2016During the 2 years following the December 2003 discovery of a BSE-positive cow in the United States, consumers’ purchases of ground beef fell by an average of 0.26 pounds per person following each of the 12 ground beef recalls issued by the Government.
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Americans' Eating Patterns and Time Spent on Food: The 2014 Eating & Health Module Data
EIB-158, July 28, 2016ERS analyzed food and food-related time use patterns by factors such as income level and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
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FDA Refusals of Imported Food Products by Country and Category, 2005-2013
EIB-151, March 28, 2016Of more than 140,000 FDA violations in food shipments for import in 2005-13, over half were for adulteration (safety, packaging integrity, or sanitation), and 41 percent for misbranding (e.g., misleading labels or those lacking English).
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Patterns in FDA Food Import Refusals Highlight Most Frequently Detected Problems
Amber Waves, March 28, 2016ERS research shows that problems with adulterated and misbranded food imports persist, despite FDA’s deterrence and detection efforts. Fishery/seafood products, vegetable/vegetable products, and fruit/fruit products were the industries with the most shipments refused in 2005-13 and also in 1998-2004.
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Consumers Behaved Rationally, If Belatedly, After Food Safety Recalls in 2011 and 2012
Amber Waves, February 01, 2016In response to two cantaloupe recalls, U.S. consumers reduced their purchases of cantaloupes when they thought the risk of eating cantaloupes might be fatal, but not when the threat was a less serious illness. This differentiated behavior indicates that—at least in these two food safety breaches—consumers treated bigger risks as bigger problems.
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Estimating the Effects of Selected Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Technical Barriers to Trade on U.S.-EU Agricultural Trade
ERR-199, November 10, 2015Non-tariff measures (e.g., sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade) were found to be significant impediments to agriculture trade in selected commodities between the United States and the European Union.
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Quantifying the Impacts of Foodborne Illnesses
Amber Waves, September 08, 2015ERS estimates that 15 foodborne pathogens cost the U.S. economy $15.5 billion each year, with just 5 pathogens accounting for 90 percent of this economic burden.
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How Much Does It Matter How Sick You Get? Consumers' Responses to Foodborne Disease Outbreaks of Different Severities
ERR-193, August 27, 2015A case study of pathogen-related recalls of cantaloupe in 2011 and 2012 suggests consumers' food purchase responses take into account the relative risk severity of specific pathogens. Information from news media apparently plays a role.