scholarly journals EXPLORING THE EXISTENCE OF GRADER BIAS IN BEEF GRADING

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 467-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
JU WON JANG ◽  
ARIUN ISHDORJ ◽  
DAVID P. ANDERSON ◽  
TSENGEG PUREVJAV ◽  
GARLAND DAHLKE
Keyword(s):  
Grading System ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Beef Carcasses ◽  
Quality Grade ◽  
The U.S

AbstractThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) beef grading system plays an important role in marketing and promoting beef. USDA graders inspect beef carcasses and determine a quality grade within a few seconds. Although the graders are well trained, the nature of this grading process may lead to grading errors. Significant differences in the USDA graders’ “called” and “camera-graded” quality grades were observed, as well as variations in quality grades across seasons and years. Under grid pricing, producers gained financially from grades called by USDA graders rather than grades measured by cameras.

Salmonella Prevalence in Bovine Lymph Nodes Differs among Feedyards

2012 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 1131-1133 ◽  
Author(s):  
ASHLEY N. HANEKLAUS ◽  
KERRI B. HARRIS ◽  
DAVEY B. GRIFFIN ◽  
THOMAS S. EDRINGTON ◽  
LISA M. LUCIA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lymph Nodes ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Performance Standards ◽  
Processing Plant ◽  
Lymphatic Tissue ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Beef Carcasses ◽  
Beef Products ◽  
The U.S

Lymphatic tissue, specifically lymph nodes, is commonly incorporated into ground beef products as a component of lean trimmings. Salmonella and other pathogenic bacteria have been identified in bovine lymph nodes, which may impact compliance with the Salmonella performance standards for ground beef established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Although Salmonella prevalence has been examined among lymph nodes between animals, no data are currently available regarding feedyard origin of the cattle and Salmonella prevalence. Bovine lymph nodes (279 superficial cervical plus 28 iliofemoral = 307) were collected from beef carcasses at a commercial beef harvest and processing plant over a 3-month period and examined for the prevalence of Salmonella. Cattle processed were from seven feedyards (A through G). Salmonella prevalence was exceptionally low (0% of samples were positive ) in cattle from feedyard A and high (88.2%) in cattle from feedyard B. Prevalence in the remaining feedyards ranged widely: 40.0% in feedyard C, 4.0% in feedyard D, 24.0% in feedyard E, 42.9% in feedyard F, and 40.0% in feedyard G. These data indicate the range of differences in Salmonella prevalence among feedyards. Such information may be useful for developing interventions to reduce or eliminate Salmonella from bovine lymph nodes, which would assist in the reduction of Salmonella in ground beef.

scholarly journals Price Incentives for Commercial Fresh Tomatoes

1995 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 138-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph Bierlen ◽  
Orlen Grunewald
Keyword(s):  
Grading System ◽  
Hedonic Price ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Hedonic Price Models ◽  
Price Premiums ◽  
Harvest Maturity ◽  
Price Differences ◽  
The U.S

AbstractHedonic price models are estimated to determine if there are incentives to supply higher quality tomatoes. Price premiums are associated with extra-large tomatoes originating from shipping points located closer to consumption points. Price differences between mature-green and vine-ripe tomatoes are not significant. Vine-ripe tomatoes are favored by consumers in the summer while mature-green tomatoes are favored the rest of the year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture should consider changing the present tomato grading system, which is based on shape and smoothness, to include a flavor indicator based on harvest maturity.

scholarly journals Estimating a global demand model for soybean traffic through the Panama Canal

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Ho ◽  
Paul Bernal
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Panama Canal ◽  
Demand Model ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Global Demand ◽  
Alternative Routes ◽  
The U.S

AbstractThis study attempts to fit a global demand model for soybean traffic through the Panama Canal using Ordinary Least Square. Most of the soybean cargo through the interoceanic waterway is loaded on the U.S. Gulf and East Coast ports -mainly destined to East Asia, especially China-, and represented about 34% of total Panama Canal grain traffic between fiscal years 2010–19. To estimate the global demand model for soybean traffic, we are considering explanatory variables such as effective toll rates through the Panama Canal, U.S. Gulf- Asia and U.S. Pacific Northwest- Asia freight rates, Baltic Dry Index, bunker costs, soybean export inspections from the U.S. Gulf and Pacific Northwest, U.S. Gulf soybean basis levels, Brazil’s soybean exports and average U.S. dollar index. As part of the research, we are pursuing the estimation of the toll rate elasticity of vessels transporting soybeans via the Panama Canal. Data come mostly from several U.S. Department of Agriculture sources, Brazil’s Secretariat of Foreign Trade (SECEX) and from Panama Canal transit information. Finally, after estimation of the global demand model for soybean traffic, we will discuss the implications for future soybean traffic through the waterway, evaluating alternative routes and sources for this trade.

scholarly journals History of Bermudagrass Turfgrass Breeding Research in Tifton, GA

HortScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (11) ◽  
pp. 1560-1561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa L. Baxter ◽  
Brian M. Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
University Of Georgia ◽  
Breeding Research ◽  
History Of ◽  
The University ◽  
Warm Temperate ◽  
Agricultural Research Service ◽  
The U.S

Bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) is the foundation of the turfgrass industry in most tropical and warm-temperate regions. Development of bermudagrass as a turfgrass began in the early 1900s. Many of the cultivars commercially available today have been cooperatively released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and the University of Georgia at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, GA.

Identification of Resistance to Powdery Mildew in Publicly Available Male Hop Germplasm

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-264
Author(s):  
David H. Gent ◽  
Briana J. Claassen ◽  
Megan C. Twomey ◽  
Sierra N. Wolfenbarger
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Powdery Mildew ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Western United States ◽  
R Genes ◽  
Sources Of Resistance ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The U.S

Powdery mildew (caused by Podosphaera macularis) is one of the most important diseases of hop in the western United States. Strains of the fungus virulent on cultivars possessing the resistance factor termed R6 and the cultivar Cascade have become widespread in the Pacific Northwestern United States, the primary hop producing region in the country, rendering most cultivars grown susceptible to the disease at some level. In an effort to identify potential sources of resistance in extant germplasm, 136 male accessions of hop contained in the U.S. Department of Agriculture collection were screened under controlled conditions. Iterative inoculations with three isolates of P. macularis with varying race identified 23 (16.9%) accessions with apparent resistance to all known races of the pathogen present in the Pacific Northwest. Of the 23 accessions, 12 were resistant when inoculated with three additional isolates obtained from Europe that possess novel virulences. The nature of resistance in these individuals is unclear but does not appear to be based on known R genes. Identification of possible novel sources of resistance to powdery mildew will be useful to hop breeding programs in the western United States and elsewhere.

U.S. Farm and Food Subsidies

Food Fights ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 162-186
Author(s):  
Sarah Ludington
Keyword(s):  
Right Wing ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
School Lunches ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Farm Bill ◽  
The Great Depression ◽  
The Right ◽  
American Agriculture ◽  
Farm Subsidies ◽  
The U.S

From its founding, the U.S. government has promoted agriculture, and since the Great Depression, has directly supported farm incomes and crop prices. Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal programs linked farm subsidies to food assistance for the poor, a politically successful combination then and now. Sarah Ludington describes how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Farm Bill, became responsible for school lunches, food stamps, and land conservation in addition to billions of dollars in subsidies for commodity crops like corn and cotton. Now a target for both the right wing and left wing of American politics, the Farm Bill continues to embody the tensions at the heart of American agriculture.

scholarly journals Assessing Changes in Sodium Content of Selected Popular Commercially Processed and Restaurant Foods: Results from the USDA: CDC Sentinel Foods Surveillance Program

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaspreet K. C. Ahuja ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
David B. Haytowitz ◽  
Rahul Bahadur ◽  
Pamela R. Pehrsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
Total Sugar ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Label Information ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
The U.S

This report provides an update from the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sentinel Foods Surveillance Program, exploring changes in sodium and related nutrients (energy, potassium, total and saturated fat, and total sugar) in popular, sodium-contributing, commercially processed and restaurant foods with added sodium. In 2010–2013, we obtained 3432 samples nationwide and chemically analyzed 1654 composites plus label information for 125 foods, to determine baseline laboratory and label sodium concentrations, respectively. In 2014–2017, we re-sampled and chemically analyzed 43 of the Sentinel Foods (1181 samples), tested for significant changes of at least ±10% (p < 0.05), in addition to tracking changes in labels for 108 Sentinel Foods. Our results show that the label sodium levels of a majority of the Sentinel Foods had not changed since baseline (~1/3rd of the products reported changes, with twice as many reductions as increases). Laboratory analyses of the 43 Sentinel Foods show that eight foods had significant changes (p < 0.05); sodium content continues to be high and variable, and there was no consistent pattern of changes in related nutrients. Comparisons of changes in labels and laboratory sodium shows consistency for 60% of the products, i.e., similar changes (or no changes) in laboratory and label sodium content. The data from this monitoring program may help public health officials to develop strategies to reduce and monitor sodium trends in the food supply.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document