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Objective: To estimate the costs of satisfying MyPyramid fruit and vegetable guidelines, with a focus on whether low-income households can bear these costs. Design: Descriptive analysis of the 2008 National Consumer Panel with information on the food purchases of 64,440 households across the contiguous United States was used to analyze the cost of fruits and vegetables. Costs per MyPyramid cup-equivalents were calculated by accounting for cooking yields and the portion of a food item's retail weight that is inedible. Variables Measured: Costs per cup-equivalent for less expensive fruits and vegetables by MyPyramid subgroup including whole and cut fruit, fruit juice, dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, starchy vegetables, other vegetables, and legumes. Results: In 2008, a variety of fruits and vegetables was available for an average cost of $0.40 to $0.50 per cup-equivalent. MyPyramid fruit and vegetable recommendations could be satisfied at this cost level. Conclusions and Implications: Low-income Americans facing national average food prices can satisfy MyPyramid fruit and vegetable guidelines with a budget equal to the Thrifty Food Plan allocation to fruits and vegetables. However, many low-income households spend too much money on food that is low in fruit and vegetable content. Some money should be reallocated to fruits and vegetables.

A nationwide survey of 504 county agricultural agents received 468 replies indicating that agents understand farmers' risk management strategies but feel least qualified to teach about futures markets, crop insurance, hedging, and options. (JOW)

Abstract: Beef trim, the primary component of ground beef, is tested by both the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and meat packers for Escherichia coli O157:H7 under a zero tolerance standard. We compare and contrast the process control and filtering roles of this testing on costs and food safety outcomes. Both of these roles of testing have been alternatively emphasized in recent legislative proposals and policy statements on beef trim testing. In the process control role, test design – including the decisions to increase sample sizes, re-test lots, and change tolerance thresholds – only affects the cost of implementing a targeted food safety standard, but does not directly affect health outcomes. In contrast, in the filtering role, test design influences the likelihood of errors and directly affects health outcomes. Neither role eliminates all risk from this pathogen. More broadly, we discuss the incentives food producers face to increase their frequency of testing and improve food safety processes in response to positive test findings as the process control role emphasizes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses a study by on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) refusals of food imports during the period between 1998 and 2004 due to FDA law violations. The FDA rules cover issues including product adulteration and misbranding. The research is aimed at examining food import growth in the country and the relationship between import refusals and economic development of exporting countries.

Explores the reasons for and against using foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination and discusses the policy dilemma countries face when new outbreaks occur. Epidemiology of the disease; Consequences of FMD; Problem with emergency vaccination; Possible effects of an outbreak in the United States.

Estimates the impacts of banning a postharvest pesticide from being used in the fresh grapefruit industry using marketing margin theory and Gardner's six equation model. Impact on farm and retail price and use of agricultural inputs for fresh grapefruit; Significance of postharvest technology.

The present study is the first to examine the relative importance of macroeconomic and yearling-specific variables on the price of thoroughbred yearlings. Regression results indicated that it is the yearling-specific variables that are more influential in explaining yearling price, yet both types of variables are important. The main explanatory variables are the stud fee of the yearling's sire, and the annual gross total dollar purchases of thoroughbred yearlings by foreign investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on the U.S. food supply--that is, amounts of food available for consumption--have been maintained by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) since 1909. These data are used to measure time trends in per-capita food availability, estimate nutrient content of the food supply, and compare American diets to recommendations. USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) annually updates food supply data; the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion uses the data to estimate nutrient availability. Additionally, ERS calculates per capita food servings, as defined by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and USDA's MyPyramid. These food serving data most closely approximate actual intake because they adjust for plate waste and other food losses. However, many of the conversion factors used to account for amounts of food wasted or lost at the farm, retail, institutional, or consumer level are in need of updating and validating. Plans for improvement are underway to refine and restructure the data to more closely estimate actual per capita consumption. Cooperative agreements and grants are in place to refine the conversion factors estimates. These data series are available on the ERS website, which is being restructured to increase usability, via switching to more flexible software and expanding the capability of the custom query options to make a wider array graphs and tables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]