10
—Lawctfr Fanning, Saturday, May 27,1978
COMMENTS
Foreman’s no nitrite proposal questioned
Editor’s Note:
The following article appeared as an editorial in the
May 15, 1978 edition of THE POULTRY TIMES. It is
reprinted here with permission from THE POULTRY
TIMES, published by Poultry and Egg News, Inc.,
Gainesville, Ga.
By JOHN F. YARBROUGH
There is never a dull moment for the poultry industry as
it attempts to cope with the proliferation of proposals,
plans and program changes emendating from the federal
agencies m Washington that seek to run the businesses
and lives of all Americans.
Most recently the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for
Food and Consumer Services, Carol Tucker Foreman, has
issued a new proposal for the manufacture and labeling of
bacon, ham, frankfurters, corned beef and similar
products that are manufactured with little or no nitrites or
nitrates.
This proposal raises several important questions. Does
this mean that FSQS is preparing the way for some final
ruling that would exclude the use of nitrites and nitrates,
or is this really a sincere effort to assist processors of red
meat and poultry who want to manufacture such
products? Ms. Foreman says the proposal is based on
response to consumer requests for nitrite-free products.
No processors we’ve talked with are aware that there is
any consumer demand for such products.
Another question of great significance, we think, in
PRESCRIPTION
FOR INSOMNIA
Lesson for May 28,1978
Background Scripture:
Acts 12.
Devotional Reading
2 Corinthians 4:7-18.
TO MOW WEEDS
Don’t be guilty of allowing
the weeds in your pasture
field,
to seed. Many permanent
pastures contain various
kinds of weeds that will
produce seed and be a
greater problem next
Summer.
Also, many of the grasses
are now shooting seedheads
and should be clipped. This
will encourage new growth
and a better pasture. The
clippings will dry and
livestock will eat them
readily. Owners of vacant
lots and fields should be good
citizens and prevent weed
seeds from blowing over the
community. If the area is
mowed in the next week or
Rural Route
Let’s get the picture of a
very tense situation.
Herod the King had begun
a violent persecution of
Christians in his kingdom.
James the brother of John
was killed outright. Simon
Peter, the chief Apostle, was
arrested and thrown into
prison under heavy guard
and it seemed likely that
Herod would have him killed
also in order to please the
Jewish trouble-makers who
were daily increasing their
complaints against the
church.
Behold an angel
If you had been Simon
Peter, how would you have
felt? It seemed everything
was crashing down about
so, and then mowed again in be needed on established gram on the farm should be cropping season. This same
late July or early August, alfalfa stands. getting the grain bins ready, thing might be true with
weeds will not have a chance Alfalfa is a very valuable It is best to clean out the dairy and livestock
In addition, the greatest
value will be better public
relations with your neigh
bors.
TO TOPDRESS
ALFALFA FIELDS
The first cutting of alfalfa
will soon be ready to harvest
in southeastern Penn
sylvania. As soon as this
crop is removed, it is
suggested that the field be
topdressed with a
phosphorus-potash fertilizer.
One such as a 0-20-20 or 0-15-
30 will provide the
phosphorus and potash
needed. No nitrogen should
terms of maintaining a safe food supply, relates to the
instructions required on the labels which FSQS would
require on these low nitrite or no nitrite and nitrate meat
products. For example, how many housewives know the
temperature in their refrigerators? We asked a half dozen
at random and none of them knew.
Is there any area in the average refrigerator, other than
in the frozen food compartment, where nitrite free
products of the types described above, can be properly
stored at 40 degrees or under?
Sometimes that which is designed to remove confusion
leads to confusion. The proposed regulations for low or no
nitrite products will lead to confusion and possibly to
tragic mistakes for consumers. We believe the average
housewife who is used to picking up some sliced or whole
ham, bacon, chicken franks or frankfurters, corned beef
and similar products is not going to stop and read the label
to see whether she has picked up bacon with low nitrite or
regular bacon. With one kid in the shopping basket and
another running up and down the aisles, or tugging at her
skirt, and with the other pressures and demands that
make her rush through her shopping, we believe she will
often and perhaps more often than not, pay absolutely no
attention to the proposed warnings - primarily because
they will never register on her ipind, IF she sees them.
Furthermore, is she going to treat these products dif
ferent when she is planning for or packing a picnic lunch
or preparing for a church supper, etc.? We think not, and
therein lies a new and increased hazzard, one much
him and he could hardly Luke’s assurance that
have forgotten how he had “earnest prayer for him was
denied his Master three made to God by the church”
times on a similar night of (11.5). There was comfort in
great crisis. So how do we knowing that he was' not
find him? Luke tells us; facing this ordeal alone, but
“The very night when was sharing it with his
Herold was about to bring friends and co-workers who
him out, Peter was helped to bear his burden
sleeping...”! with their earnest prayers.
-A valued associate sen- Simon Peter had already
selessly slain, the church 'seen what prayer by these
under persecution, the faith people could accomplish,
endangered, himself likely although we suspect he was
to lose his life...and Peter looking, not so much for
was sleeping! release from jail, as help to
What was his secret come through this ordeal
prescription for finding sleep with his loyalty to Christ
on a night when any other intact. '
man would have become an
insomniac? Perhaps part of
the prescription is found in
feeding or for sale. Growers
are urged to make every
effort to get maximum
yields. The county average
of about 3.5 tons per acre of
alfalfa hay is not good
enough. Many of our crop
authorities feel this yield can
be greatly increased through
better management.
TO PREPARE
GRAIN BINS
In another month the
winter barley crop should be
about ready to harvest. The
winter wheat will soon follow
early in July. Growers who
are going to store their new
r»n V«1 f n< I »'t
Now I am sure
There had been another
new grain on top. After
bin is well cleaned it should
be treated with Malathion
(premium grade) or with
Methoxychlor to kill any
grain insects. This is a good
rainy day job prior to grain
harvest.
Details of this stored grain
and grain bin treatment can
be found in the 1978
Agronomy Guide. Protect
the new grain by storing it in
an insect-free bin.
TO KEEP
PESTICIDE RECORDS
Most farmers will be using
one or more sprays or
chemicals during the
By Tom Armstrong
greater than any suspicioned hazzard from nitrite treated
products.
We are not aware of any approved techniques that will
make the type products Ms. Foreman proposes feasable
to the food processor. We do not believe there is a demand
for such products and we can’t envision manufacturers
tooling up to produce these products, with the costly R&D
required, to say nothing’of the marketing costs and sales
and advertising expenditures that would be necessary to
successfully launch another line of products.
Maybe we can give the lady Assistant Secretary a plus
mark for what she must believe is a compromise. But we
believe the inherent dangers associated with her proposal
are too great to ignore.
We must return to the basic facts of meat preservation.
The method of using nitrites as a preservative and flavor
additive in many meat products is unquestionably the best
and the safest way of protecting the public from botulism.
Neither Ms. Foreman nor the producers of nitrite free
products - products that require very special handling at
the plant, in transportation, in storage at distribution
centers, in display cases in the supermarket and in the
hands of or the refrigerators of consumers, can afford to
take the risks of food poisoning which would be so greatly
increased by this proposal. On paper this proposal may
sound like a “good” idea. But we don’t know many
producers or retailers who will want to bear the risks thus
entailed.
night when Peter’s loyalty
had not fared so well. That
night, knowing his Master
was imprisoned and likely to
be executed, Peter had felt
frightened and alone. Yet,
after Christ had been
resurrected, Peter realized
that he had not been alone
that night and he need not
have feared. For when God’s
enemies had done their
worst, Christ was raised up
and vindicated.
So, as Peter sat in Herod’s
dungeon, he knew that he
was not alone, that even if he
was killed, the power of the
resurrected Christ would be
more than enough to vin
dicate him and save him
from extinction. Let Herod
records are kept of these
treatments, it might save a
lot of trouble and loss of
income in case there is some
question.
In many areas of food and
fiber marketing Food and
Drug representatives are
checking for pesticide
residues. They have been
Farm Calendar
Today, May 27
Four-wheel drive pull at
Rough and Tumble
Engineering grounds,
Kinzer,6p.m.
Monday, May 29
Have a happy Memorial
Day.
Tuesday, May 30
Public hearing reconvenes
for Southcentral Penn
sylvania Milk Marketing
Area, 10 a.m. in Room B
of the Farm Show
Building, Harrisburg.
Wednesday, May 31
Board of directors meeting
of the Berks County
Conservation District, 2
p.m. at the Ag Center,
west of Reading.
Strawberry growers’
meeting, Robert Martin
farm, Hanover, 7 p.m.
do his worst, it would not
matter.
That Peter was not really
anticipating escape is
evident in his assumption
that the appearance of the
angel is really a dream. He
knew that God would win in
this situation, but he did not
realize that God’s victory
would mean his escape from
Herod’s clutches. It didn’t
matter how God won his
victory to Peter,'for either
way Peter knew that he was
securely in God’s keeping.
This, then, was the
prescription of faith and
loyalty that allowed Peter to
sleep on a night that should
have kept him awake.
found in items where the
producer followed
regulations and every
recommended practice.
In all cases it is strongly
advised to make record of
the date, the material, the
rate, and all details. It might
save your “neck”.
Friday, Jane 2
Baltimore-Harford County
dairy princess pageant at
the Towson Plaza;
demonstrations and
displays at 4 p.m.,
pageant begins at 7:30
p.m.
Saturday, June 3
Loganville 4-H garden
project at Pleasant
Acres.
Performance tested ram
sale, Penn State
University, Meat Animal
Evaluation Center,
University Park, 2 p.m.
Lancaster 4-H County
Council car wash, at the
Farm and Home Center,
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Charolais breeders’ sale,
Carlisle Livestock
Auction Market, noon.