Think Outside the Barn

Consumer Protection Week - Food Safety Information Hub

The Missouri Department of Agriculture touches the life of nearly every Missourian every day by ensuring that the food, fuel and other products consumers buy for themselves and their families are sold in a fair, equitable marketplace.  This week, in honor of National Consumer Protection Week, we’re highlighting the work of some of the Department’s programs that directly impact consumers’ lives.

Ensuring the safety of Missouri’s agricultural products, from grains to milk to fresh produce to meat, is a top priority. Each of the Department’s five divisions works to ensure that consumers continue to enjoy a safe, wholesome and affordable food supply, as a healthy food system begins on the farm and ends with healthy communities. From the Animal Health Division to Plant Industries to Agriculture Business Development, the Missouri Department of Agriculture is focusing on the safety of our food, working to raise awareness and strengthen food safety efforts among producers, processors and consumers.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture uses many tools, from outreach and training to inspections and regulations, to ensure that food is safe and wholesome. To help consumers understand the steps in food safety efforts, like raising awareness and strengthening education of producers, processors and consumers, the Department put together a page of food safety resources on our website.

1. Dairy Programs – Missouri’s State Milk Board oversees more than 1500 milk producers and processors within its authority to promulgate rules, permit, license and certify milk and milk product handlers, test facilities, vehicles and products and to condemn illegal dairy products.
2. Farmers’ Market Handbook – Farmers’ market managers, vendors and visitors can use the Missouri Farmers’ Market Handbook to learn about local and state food handling, safety and sale regulations.
3. Feed and Seed Inspection Program – Through Missouri’s program, facilities producing livestock feed are inspected in accordance with FDA Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) guidelines. Facilities producing food for humans and livestock are also reviewed in accordance with Good Management Practices (GMP) inspection guidelines.
4. Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Program – Through the Department’s Plant Industries Division, producers and processors handling fresh produce can participate in voluntary USDA Good Handling Practices and Good Agricultural Practices (GHP/GAP) audits of their operations. To learn more about GHP/GAP, visit the program online at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/gapghp.
5. Missouri Egg Law – Under Missouri’s Egg Law, the Department provides rules for the proper packing, storing and labeling eggs, including temperature requirements for transportation. Missouri also adopts USDA standards for grading and selling eggs, ensuring that producers and consumers can count on consistent marketing and quality throughout the state.
6. Meat and Poultry Inspection Program – Missouri’s program provides inspections and compliance reviews at a level equivalent to USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service reviews of processing facilities selling meat products within the state. The Department also provides assistance for facilities and individuals developing Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans to improve their operations.
7. Poultry Health & Improvement Program – Missouri participates in the National Poultry Improvement Program, providing inspections and guidance for producers on biosecurity, animal health, sanitation and assisting with consumer education efforts ranging from properly handling poultry at home to preventing disease on the farm.
8. Training Opportunities – In cooperation with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the Food and Drug Administration, the Missouri Department of Agriculture is working to make more training opportunities related to identifying and responding to food safety risks available for producers, processors, inspectors and emergency responders.

Want to know more? Visit the Department online at mda.mo.gov. The Missouri Department of Agriculture works hard each day to protect all Missourians. Consumer Protection is a top priority for MDA, and our team takes pride in helping consumers continue to enjoy a safe, fair marketplace.

Consumer Protection Week - Product Labeling

The Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Division of Weights and Measures and Consumer Protection touches the life of nearly every Missourian every day by ensuring that the food, fuel and other products consumers buy for themselves and their families are sold in a fair, equitable marketplace.  This week, in honor of National Consumer Protection Week, we’re highlighting the work of some of the Department’s programs that directly impact consumers’ lives.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture’s emphasis on consumer protection doesn’t stop at fuel quality or the scales at your local grocery store. Products sold in Missouri must meet specific labeling guidelines, including providing adequate and accurate information so consumers can make appropriate price and quantity comparisons.

Two of the labeling requirements the Department checks for that benefit consumers are the primary display panel (PDP) and information panel—as explained by the graphic above. The PDP is the portion of a package that you will most likely see when you see a product on the shelf and it must identify the product and show the amount of product in the package. That information must be printed in font that is easily readable and in contrasting color to the remainder of the package. According to federal law, the information panel MUST be to the right of the PDP.  The information panel must contain information like nutrition facts, ingredients and identify who manufactured the product. 

Nearly all the packaged food products consumers purchase must meet those requirements.  Staff from the Department work to ensure that products offered for sale in Missouri are compliant by checking products at grocery stores and other locations.  The Department can also help Missouri business owners ensure that their product labels are compliant before they make products available for sale through the AgriMissouri program.

Want to know more? Visit the Department online at mda.mo.gov. The Missouri Department of Agriculture works hard each day to protect all Missourians. Consumer Protection is a top priority for MDA, and our team takes pride in helping consumers continue to enjoy a safe, fair marketplace.

Consumer Protection Week - Egg Candling & Grading

The Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Division of Weights and Measures and Consumer Protection touches the life of nearly every Missourian every day by ensuring that the food, fuel and other products consumers buy for themselves and their families are sold in a fair, equitable marketplace.  This week, in honor of National Consumer Protection Week, we’re highlighting the work of some of the Department’s programs that directly impact consumers’ lives.

In addition to inspecting fuel pumps and scales, the Department's staff also perform egg inspections. Eggs inspections help to ensure consumers expectations of high quality eggs are met during each and every purchase.

Eggs are quality checked before they hit grocery store shelves to confirm the grades you see—AA, A or B. Inspectors use a technique called “candling” where a special light is used to illuminate the insides of the egg to determine percentages of air, yolk and white.

But wait…what about “Jumbo” eggs compared to their “Large” counterparts? It’s all in what they weigh: “Jumbo” eggs sitting on refrigerator shelves must weigh 30 ounces per dozen and the grades continue down the scale until you reach the smallest egg classification—peewee weighing in at only 15 ounces per dozen.

Grade	Shell	Air Pockets	Yolk	White
AA	Normal	< 3/8 inch	Slightly Defined	Firm
A	Normal	< 3/8 inch	Well-Defined	Reasonably Firm
B	Abnormal	> 3/8 inch	Plainly Visible	Weak & Watery

Want to know more? Visit the Department online at mda.mo.gov. The Missouri Department of Agriculture works hard each day to protect all Missourians. Consumer Protection is a top priority for MDA, and our team takes pride in helping consumers continue to enjoy a safe, fair marketplace.

Consumer Protection - At the Grocery Store

The Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Division of Weights and Measures and Consumer Protection touches the life of nearly every Missourian every day by ensuring that the food, fuel and other products consumers buy for themselves and their families are sold in a fair, equitable marketplace.  This week, in honor of National Consumer Protection Week, we’re highlighting the work of some of the Department’s programs that directly impact consumers’ lives.

During a trip to the grocery store, consumers can expect to see the work of the Department’s inspectors in many places, from the dairy case to the produce aisle, at the deli counter and in the checkout lane.  Inspectors from the Missouri Department of Agriculture test scales throughout the store to ensure consumers receive each pound of produce, meat and cheese, and that those products are labeled clearly.  Consumers purchasing fresh and frozen seafood benefit from those inspections as well, as Department staff ensure only the weight of the fish, shrimp or shellfish – not that of the ice around it - is used to determine the price of those purchases.

Department staff also regularly sample food packages to compare the weight on the package with the weight of product inside. So, when consumers pick up packages of lunch meat, cheese or other foods, they can be sure they are getting the full amount promised on the products’ labels.

Want to know more? Visit the Department online at mda.mo.gov. The Missouri Department of Agriculture works hard each day to protect all Missourians. Consumer Protection is a top priority for MDA, and our team takes pride in helping consumers continue to enjoy a safe, fair marketplace.

Consumer Protection - Fuel Quality

The Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Division of Weights and Measures and Consumer Protection touches the life of nearly every Missourian every day by ensuring that the food, fuel and other products consumers buy for themselves and their families are sold in a fair, equitable marketplace.  This week, in honor of National Consumer Protection Week, we’re highlighting the work of some of the Department’s programs that directly impact consumers’ lives.

When consumers make a trip to fill their vehicle’s tank, they can trust that the pump has been inspected and approved.  Inspectors check each pump to ensure that the quantity of fuel dispensed, whether gasoline, diesel or ethanol, is accurate and reliable – meaning that consumers get every gallon they paid for during that fill-up.  Inspectors also check each pump’s safety equipment, including shut-off valves and “break away” fuel nozzles, to ensure those required devices are in place and function, as required by law. Consumers can also count on receiving the quality of fuel they expect during a trip to the pump, as the Department’s inspectors also check station’s fuel to ensure that it meets the posted octane level, whether that’s 87, 89 or 91, and is free from water, sediment and other contaminants.

Department staff members inspect more than 77,000 fuel pumps every six months, and test thousands of samples at the State’s Fuel Quality Laboratory every month.  In addition to routine inspections, those staff members also follow up on consumer concerns about fuel they’ve purchased.  In many cases, those tips are addressed within 24 hours. 

Need to report a fuel problem? Consumers can call (573) 751-2922 to report problems during business hours, or complete the Consumer Inquiry/Complaint Form anytime it is convenient for them. 

Want to know more? Visit the Department online at mda.mo.gov. The Missouri Department of Agriculture works hard each day to protect all Missourians. Consumer Protection is a top priority for MDA, and our team takes pride in helping consumers continue to enjoy a safe, fair marketplace.

Fuel Program Ensures Motorists Get Their Gallons

The Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Division of Weights and Measures and Consumer Protection reaches more Missourians on a daily basis than many other state programs.  Not only does the program inspect scales, from those at grain elevators to those at your local supermarket, but it also ensures the accuracy of meters, such as those in taxicabs.  The program is also responsible for ensuring that Missouri drivers get every gallon shown, and paid for, during a trip to the pump.

The Department’s fuel safety device inspectors visit fuel stations throughout Missouri, testing stations’ equipment to ensure that the full gallon of gasoline, diesel or ethanol shown on the pump makes its way into the tank of your car or truck.  During their visits, inspectors measure the fuel dispensed, ensuring that pumps are properly calibrated to be both reliable and accurate.  Following a successful inspection, pumps are marked with a label from the Missouri Department of Agriculture indicating that the pump is “Tested and Approved.”  The labels are marked with the month of the last inspection and change colors each year – gold for 2011, white for 2010.

When you see the gold sticker this year, know that the Department is working for you, throughout Missouri.

Guest writer Michelle Greenwell contributed to this post.

National Weights and Measures Week: March 1-7, 2011

The Missouri Department of Agriculture's Weights and Measures and Consumer Protection Division is responsible for overseeing commercial measuring devices throughout the state.  Those responsibilities include ensuring proper calibration of taxicab meters, fuel pumps and the meat and produce scales at your local grocery store. 

Missouri has celebrated National Weights and Measures Week for three decades, raising awareness of the program and thanking staff for their efforts to protect consumers and businesses. Watch for additional information about inspection and quality-control programs this week!

Check out this photo from the Gubernatorial proclamation of Weights and Measures Week with Department of Agriculture employees in the early 1980s:

From left: Ron Hayes, Carolyn Kempker, Mary Jane Mitchell, Jake Greiner, Gov. Christopher Bond, Margie Crocker, Bob Whittenberger, Don Varney and Ruby Shively.

The Fuels of Summer

According to the calendar, summer officially begins June 21. Many people consider Memorial Day Weekend to mark the start of the summer season. For the technicians of the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Fuel Quality Lab, summer begins on June 1. That's the day that gasoline suppliers must complete their transition to summer fuel blends.

Missourians old enough to remember when cars would lose power or fail to start due to "vapor lock" understand why gasoline needs to be different in summer than winter. But driveability issues that result from too much vapor pressure is just one reason that gasoline is made to a different formula from June 1 through September 15. It was air quality concerns that prompted Congress to specify summer fuels when it wrote the 1990 Clean Air Act. Lowering the vapor pressure in gasoline reduces emissions of ground-level ozone, a major component of what most people know as smog.

The Department of Agriculture's Fuel Quality Lab is responsible for monitoring the gasoline sold in the state to make sure that consumers have the fuel their cars need to run well and that air quality rules are followed.

Actually, three different fuel blends are sold in Missouri. The Environmental Protection Agency requires a higher standard for fuel sold in the St. Louis area. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has a different standard for fuel in the Kansas City area. The rest of the state can use a normal blend appropriate for the season.

Although the technicians at the State Fuel Lab watch the gasoline blends closely, motorists don't really need to think about it much. If anything, summer blends tend to provide better gas mileage. That's a good thing, as increased use and supply issues related to summer blends tend to cause prices to rise. Unfortunately, summer fuels don't work well in winter because they lack the added butane that helps cars start in cold weather.

Thanks to federal standards and the efforts of the State Fuel Lab, Missouri motorists never have to consider a hard-starting car or sudden stalling as a sure sign of summer. We'll let the lab guys worry about the fuels. The rest of us can look for the opening of swimming pools and the arrival of fresh watermelon to know that summer is upon us.

Beyond the Tire Swing - Fuel from Old Tires

Can you imagine paying $400 for a gallon of diesel fuel? We can't either but, apparently, costs can run that high when delivering fuel by helicopter to the most remote forward locations in war zones. A Bonnots Mill man thinks he has a better way. Create oil on the spot from old tires.

We had an opportunity today to learn about the innovative waste-to-energy project taking place on Harvey Buhr's mid-Missouri farm. His company, HiTec, has developed a process that uses heat and vacuum pressure to convert whole tires into energy and reclaim raw materials for recycling. He's been working with the military to prove the concept and scale his original design up to a size capable of processing the large tires on military vehicles.

Converting tires to energy isn't new, but previous attempts have mostly been limited to burning shredded tires in power plants. HiTec's process does not require the tires to be shredded first and produces fuel oil while reclaiming steel and raw carbon. Buhr says that 1,000 pounds of scrap tires produces 51 gallons of fuel oil, 120 pounds of gas, 200 pounds of steel and 330 pounds of carbon. All of this takes place in a machine that could be transported to a remote location.

The Department of Agriculture's Fuel Quality Lab has tested HiTec's fuel output and sees potential for uses where oil doesn't need to meet ASTM standards. Meanwhile, we think it would be great if someday farmers had a place to take old tires where they could be put to good use. Making energy sure seems better than just hanging up a whole bunch of tire swings or stacking tires behind the barn.

We were impressed with what Buhr and HiTec have accomplished so far. The military has endorsed his concept and the company recently joined forces with State Fair Community College in Sedalia. HiTec will be the first tenant of a proposed Missouri Center for Waste to Energy project the college hopes to build in Sedalia. That's pretty good for old-fashioned farm ingenuity.

Feature Story - Fuel that Makes the Grade

The Department of Agriculture now offers a series of feature stories about the many things in agriculture that affects us all. Read all stories at mda.mo.gov.

 

Fuel that makes the grade

Missouri Department of Agriculture’s fuel lab benefits consumers

Your car has been running fine. Suddenly, it’s hard to start, bucks or knocks for no apparent reason. Then it dawns on you. You just filled up your tank. Could it be bad gas?

Fortunately, this scenario has become rare in Missouri. Thanks to a little-known program of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, motorists can buy fuel confident that it will meet established standards and function properly in their vehicle. In fact, the department is so successful quietly monitoring the quality of gasoline, diesel and other fuels sold in the state, many Missourians are unaware they do it at all.

Given how Americans feel about their cars, few state programs touch people more closely than the state’s Fuel Quality Program, one of four major responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture’s Weights and Measures Division. Working from a small, one-story building in Jefferson City, five chemists and technicians evaluate fuel samples collected by field personnel to ensure that Missourians won’t get stuck with bad fuel.

“Our fuel testing program touches the lives of and benefits every single Missouri motorist,” says Dr. Jon Hagler, director of the Department of Agriculture. “Most Missourians are unaware of this laboratory, but the work our technicians do every day saves every citizen of this state money by making sure the fuels they buy burn efficiently and won’t damage their vehicle’s engines.”

Five days a week, the department’s three field inspectors fill bottles with gasoline and other motor fuels collected from storage tanks at filling stations, marinas, airports and bulk fuel terminals across Missouri and ship the samples overnight to Jefferson City. Usually within 24 hours, the fuel is analyzed to verify octane of gasoline, proper viscosity of diesel and other criteria. In the event that fuels don’t pass inspection, the source station is notified and sales of the product are stopped.