New video clarifies poultry packaging labels

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has announced the release of a new video that examines the various poultry packaging labels found in today’s grocery stores and supermarkets. The video provides some clarity about the labeling of fresh and frozen chicken and turkey products and also reassures that American poultry products are among the safest and healthiest foods anywhere in the world.
Labels such as Raised without Antibiotics, No Hormones Added, All-Natural, Organic, etc.…the meat case at any local grocery store or supermarket displays a wide assortment of descriptive labels on the packages of refrigerated and frozen food products that are purchased for cooking. For some shoppers, the terms on the labels are confusing. While some may hardly notice or take the time to read them, for others, the labeling can raise questions.
The video is viewable on USPOULTRY’s website,www.uspoultry.org. It can also be viewed on YouTube by clicking here.

Poultry groups refute recent claims on worker safety

In a white paper released on March22, the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the National Chicken Council refute claims made in a recent report released by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice and provide facts about the poultry industry and its approach to worker safety.
The report, Unsafe At These Speeds, begins by stating that injuries in the poultry industry are much more frequent than for the private workforce as a whole, citing 2010 OSHA data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the injury and illness rate for poultry processing workers is 5.9 percent compared to 3.5 percent for all workers in the private sector. Recently released 2011 numbers place poultry processing workers at 5.8 percent compared to 3.5 percent for all workers in the private sector.
The white paper provides more accurate approaches that should be taken to put the OSHA data in proper perspective. First, a more accurate comparison would be to compare poultry workers to all manufacturing workers, who incurred injuries and illnesses at a 4.4 percent rate in 2011. It is also noteworthy to compare poultry processing's 5.8 percent rate to other industries and professions. For 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported injury/illness rate for automobile manufacturing workers was 7.5 percent; for office furniture manufacturing, 5.2 percent; for passenger airline workers, 7.9 percent; and for state and local government workers, 5.7 percent. The poultry industry's injury and illness rates are in line with many other manufacturing industries.
USPOULTRY and the NCC go on in the paper to refute the specific claims about worker health and safety, line speeds, unionization, workers' compensation, anaerobic manure lagoons and the proposal to modernize poultry inspection. The steady and impressive reduction in injuries and illnesses in the poultry industry, 74.5 percent since 1994, is highlighted.
The poultry industry is proud of the advancements it has made in worker safety over the last 30+ years and the ongoing efforts for continuous improvement.

Researchers find genetic code for infectious laryngotracheitis vaccines

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the USPOULTRY Foundation have completed a funded research project at the University of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory regarding the finding of a genetic code for creating safer vaccines for infectious laryngotracheitis. The project is part of the association’s comprehensive research program encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing.
The live vaccines that are used to control infectious laryngotracheitis in chickens have the potential to regain their virulence when they spread from chicken to chicken in the field. This characteristic of the vaccines has limited their use in some instances and induced vaccine-related disease in some cases. The genetic basis for how these vaccines regain their virulence has been poorly understood.
Dr. Maricarmen Garcia, University of Georgia, and Dr. Stephen Spatz, USDA Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, successfully determined the full genome sequences for the two most common live ILT vaccines. They then allowed the vaccines to spread in chickens and looked at the DNA changes in the genomes of the vaccine viruses after they had been allowed to spread one time and again after they had been allowed to spread twenty times. Through this process, they determined which genetic sequences are responsible for the virulence of the virus. This new genetic information will allow researchers to create vaccines which do not have these genetic virulence markers, providing the basis for future effective, safe vaccines to protect the chicken industry against infectious laryngotracheitis.

New International Student Career Program part of IPE 2013

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program are jointly sponsoring a new International Student Career Program at the 2013 International Poultry Expo, part of the International Production & Processing Expo. Held in conjunction with the long-standing USPOULTRY College Student Career Program, the new program has been created to provide companies with an opportunity to interview top students from various countries for industry jobs and internships in the poultry industry while in one location.
"[USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program] is pleased to honor Henry Holler, one of the pioneers of our industry, by establishing the Henry L. Holler International Management Studies Fund to support this international student career program," said Development Program Chairman Eric Joiner, AJC International. "Henry was one the founders of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council and served as the first chairman of [USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program]."
"Several of our interviewing companies have locations outside of the United States and are looking for students to fill positions in various countries. We are excited to offer our interviewing companies an opportunity to meet and talk with these international students," added John Starkey, president of USPOULTRY.
The 2013 IPPE, one of the world's largest poultry, feed and meat industry events, will be held from January 29-31, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The International Student Career Program will be held in conjunction with the College Student Career Program and is scheduled for January 29-31.

USPOULTRY supports 2012 National 4-H Poultry & Egg Conference

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association continued its commitment of supporting industry-specific programs for students interested in becoming part of the poultry industry by presenting awards in five separate events at the National 4-H Poultry & Egg Conference, held at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville.
The conference, which allows members to compete in educational events that help them learn to formulate and defend decisions, speak publicly and expand their poultry-related skills, hosted 154 senior 4-H’ers representing 25 states. Twenty-one teams and four independent individuals participated in a poultry judging contest, and 11 teams participated in the avian bowl. Eleven individuals participated in the chicken barbecue contest, nine in the turkey barbecue and 7 in the egg preparation demonstration.

"USPOULTRY has been a proud sponsor of 4-H for many years now," said Barbara Jenkins, USPOULTRY's vice president of education programs. "We know these youth are the future of our industry, and we want to help encourage these students to pursue a career in the poultry and egg industry."
A poultry careers workshop was also held which gave the 4-H students hands-on information from poultry food industry personnel, as well as pertinent information about career and educational opportunities in the poultry industry. Tracey McKinney of Perdue Farms spoke about her job responsibilities; and Dr. Keith Bramwell with the University of Arkansas discussed how to pursue a college program that will give students diverse experiences in poultry to develop a successful career. 

International Production & Processing Expo sets exhibitor, space records

The 2013 International Production & Processing Expo, IPPE, has set a record with over 1,150 exhibitors, covering more than 430,000 net square feet (21+ acres) of exhibit spaceaccording to show organizers. Comprised of the three integrated trade shows — International Poultry Expo, International Feed Expo, and the American Meat Institute's International Meat Expo — the IPPE is still growing in the weeks left until the start of the expo.
“We very much appreciate the participation of so many of our industry’s suppliers," said John Starkey, president of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. "Their support of the IPPE helps each of our trade associations accomplish our respective mission for our industries.”
The global poultry, feed and meat industry tradeshow will be held January 29–31, 2013, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. The expo will highlight the latest technology, equipment and services used in the production and processing of poultry, meat and feed products.
The expo will also feature education programs that will be held from January 28 through February 1, 2013, and will include the annual line-up of the International Poultry Scientific Forum, Pet Food Conference, Animal Agricultural Sustainability Summit and International Feed Education Program. In addition, the 2013 IPPE will feature eleven new educational programs: Recalls and Public Health Investigations; Improving Food Safety, Sanitation and Maintenance; Animal Care and Handling: Focus on Poultry Processing; Meat and Poultry Processing: A Global Perspective; Consumer Trends; Plant Operations and Management; Antibiotics Conference — Current Issues for the Poultry and Egg Industry; The Future of the U.S. Egg Industry; Meat and Poultry Research Conference; Media Training for the Meat and Poultry Industry; and Poultry Handling and Transportation Quality “Train the Trainer” Workshop. Also returning for 2013 are the Poultry Market Intelligence Forum and the International Rendering Symposium. 

Poultry Market Intelligence Forum to return at IPPE 2013

The Poultry Market Intelligence Forum is returning to the 2013 International Production & Processing Expo.
Sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the National Poultry & Food Distributors Association, the program will identify the challenges facing the industry and provide insight into how domestic and international poultry industries are positioned to move forward in 2013. The Poultry Market Intelligence Forum is free to all Expo and National Poultry & Food Distributors Association meeting attendees.
“The Poultry Market Intelligence Forum has been one of the most popular programs on the Expo schedule since its inception, and we are pleased to add it back for 2013,” said USPOULTRY President John Starkey. “Feed costs, global competition and consumer demand present constant challenges for the poultry and egg industry, so it is important to stay informed about current conditions and projections for the future. This program helps keep industry leaders current on the various factors that could impact their financial performance."
The program will feature two industry economists and a major food service provider. Mike Donohue, Agri Stats, will review performance trends for the poultry and egg industry. Dr. Paul Aho, Poultry Perspective, will discuss domestic and global drivers for 2013. Barry Barnett, vice president of global supply and purchasing for Church’s Chicken, will provide insight into the customer’s view of the poultry and egg industry.

The 2013 IPPE, one of the world's largest poultry, feed and meat industry events, will be held January 29–31, 2013, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. The Poultry Market Intelligence Forum is scheduled at 9–11:30 a.m., on January 30.

International Poultry Expo marks 65 years of industry service

The International Poultry Expo is celebrating 65 years of tradeshow service to the poultry and egg industry.
Sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the first “poultry convention” was attended by 200 poultry men in Atlanta in 1948. Suppliers in the early years exhibited in the halls of the convention hotel. The first “poultry exposition” was held in January 1951. With approximately 2,000 attendees and 67 exhibiting companies, the exposition began its run of steadily growing and expanding year after year to become what is today’s annual International Poultry Expo.
Over the years, the International Poultry Expo has expanded to incorporate other areas of related production and processing. In 2007, the American Feed Industry Association signed an agreement to co-locate the International Feed Expo with the International Poultry Expo; and in 2013, the International Poultry Expo will expand even further with the addition of American Meat Institute’s International Meat Expo.
The International Production & Processing Expo is the new umbrella name for the three integrated tradeshows, and it will be one of the 50 largest tradeshows in the U.S. The entire tradeshow, which will be held Jan. 29–31, 2013, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga., is expected to include more than 1,000 exhibitors and 400,000 net square feet of exhibit space. The show is expected to bring over 25,000 industry leaders from over 100 countries.

Study finds fluoroquinolones in poultry feather meal

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has responded to the results of a recent study that found fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics banned for use in poultry, in feather meal, a poultry production byproduct that is made from poultry feathers and is a common additive to chicken, swine, cattle and fish feed.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Arizona State University said they found the antibiotics in eight of 12 feather meal samples from different states, suggesting that the poultry received the fluoroquinolones before they were slaughtered. But USPOULTRY said that the U.S. commercial poultry industry hasn't used the class of antibiotics since they were banned by the Food and Drug Administration in 2005. In fact, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and ofloxacin found in this study — albeit at extremely low levels — have never been used in the U.S. poultry industry," said Dr. John Glisson, DVM, director of research programs for USPOULTRY. "The fact that they are evident in this study calls into question the source of the feather meal that was tested, potential cross-contamination with other products, and ultimately the scientific objectivity of the research since it implies continued use of fluoroquinolones that were never used by the poultry industry in the first place.”
Researchers said their results may explain why there are still high rates of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter found on commercial poultry meat products. "With such a ban, you would expect a decline in resistance to these drugs," said study co-author Keeve Nachman. "The continued use of fluoroquinolones and unintended antibiotic contamination of poultry feed may help explain why high rates of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter continue to be found on commercial poultry meat products over half a decade after the ban."
But the National Chicken Council questions this conclusion. "Antibiotics are used sparingly in chicken production, and only those that are approved for use by the FDA," said the organization. "A majority of the antibiotics used to treat and prevent disease in chickens are not used in human medicine, meaning the threat of creating resistance in humans is essentially reduced to zero." The group also said that they "and many in the medical, veterinary and agricultural fields question any substantive link or scientific basis between veterinary use of antibiotics and resistance in humans." 

Perdue Farms' truck driver performance improves with onboard video

Onboard video event recorders, once installed, are minimally intrusive and can provide a wealth of information to assist management in educating drivers.

In the two fiscal years after video event recorders were installed in a test group of Perdue Farms’trucks, accidents dropped by 60 percent, according to Tommy Pollard, corporate fleet safety manager for Perdue Farms. In addition, there was clearly a financial gain as well. “The ROI after installation for those two fiscal years was 406 percent,” Pollard said, speaking to animal feed attendees at the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Feed Mill Management seminar in Nashville.


Video as a tool
While video event recorders can help improve driving performance and minimize accidents, Pollard emphasized that they are just a tool and should not be considered as a replacement for solid management practices. A balance of hiring, safety processes and technologies is necessary to control and maintain driving risk.
Terminology and acronyms used in discussing onboard systems is vast, and Pollard gave a list of many that are used:



• LDWS: Lane Departure Warning Systems 
• Eye Alert: A system that senses eye movement and alerts the driver 
• Crash Avoidance Systems
• VORAD: Vehicle On Board Radar detection System 
• Safety Vision: A system that uses radar, GPS and video 
• BSWS: Blind Side Warning Systems 
• OER: Onboard Event Recorders (for data such as speed and quick stops) 
• GPS: Quail COM, Network Car 
• OBVER: On Board Video Event Recorder 
• EOBR: Electronic logs 
• EVIR: Electronic Vehicle Inspection Systems


Commitment needed




Tommy Pollard, corporate fleet safety manager for Perdue Farms, speaks to attendees at the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Feed Mill Management seminar in Nashville.


However, having technology is not enough, according to Pollard. There must be a commitment by management, as resistance to the technology by drivers is inevitable. In addition, having technology can raise legal issues. If there is an incident, did management use the information the technology provided? If so, what was done with the information? These things can come out in legal proceedings, so it is important for management to work with its legal counsel in this area.
Pollard also noted that it is important to remember that management needs to use the technology to change behavior. “The technology by itself doesn’t do it,” he said.


Positive aspects
The positive aspects of the technology are many and varied, according to Pollard. It connects the driver and management and makes it possible to educate drivers on making good, conscious driving decisions. It also can assist with in-house statistics and can assist facilities in promoting an image of safety to the public.
In addition, Pollard noted that the technology truly works for management. There is very little IT footprint and minimal intrusion for the driver. There is instant driver feedback which helps in numerous ways, and event reporting is extensive, as is crash data.


New level of efficiency
Pollard said prior to installing onboard video event recorders, management had used 80% of their energy on reaching an agreement on what happened and 20% on preventing re-occurrence. Now that equation is inverted.
“Ultimately, you will see things that drivers would never admit to on their own. You will also see some good things that deserve recognition,” he said. “And when an accident occurs you will gain quicker closure, which reduces business interruption time. And if management sees something before an accident, it is a leading indicator. 

USPOULTRY studies broiler infectious bronchitis vaccine options

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the USPOULTRY Foundation have completed a funded research project at the University of Georgia studying infectious bronchitis hatchery vaccination methods for broilers.
Infectious bronchitis is a contagious upper-respiratory tract disease that is difficult to control because several viruses are responsible, and vaccination for one virus type does not protect against all types.
The Arkansas vaccine type is the main virus found in the field indicating that birds are not completely protected against this virus. Combining other infectious bronchitis vaccines at the hatchery with the Arkansas vaccine did not interfere with the effectiveness of the Arkansas vaccine, and the combination of other vaccines with the Arkansas virus actually improved protection.
The Arkansas vaccine did not produce an effect in one-day old broilers when given in a hatchery spray cabinet; however, vaccine given by the eye drop method provided good immunity. This research indicates that hatchery spray may not be the most effective method for giving the Arkansas vaccine, and infectious bronchitis protection can be improved by giving the Arkansas vaccine in conjunction with other infectious bronchitis vaccines. 

US Poultry & Egg Association opposes revised trucking hours rule

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration released a revised hours of service rule for commercial vehicle drivers, published in the Federal Register on December 27, which the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association says will have a negative impact on the poultry and egg industries. Effective February 27, 2012, the new rule specifies that driving (or allowing a driver to drive) three or more hours beyond the driving-time limit may be considered an egregious violation and subject to maximum civil penalties of $11,000 per offense for the trucking company and up to $2,750 for each offense for the driver, according to the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. “Since the current hours of service regulations were introduced in 2003, truck related fatalities have dropped 33% to the lowest levels ever recorded," said Paul Pressley, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association executive vice president of industry programs. "The poultry industry remains committed to safely operating its truck fleet and have organized their schedules and routes around the existing regulations. The new rule will restrict the on-duty hours available for many drivers and increase the number of trucks and drivers necessary to deliver our products without any demonstrated improvement in highway safety.” 

US poultry industry concerned over release of food safety data

The National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and U.S. Poultry and Egg Association have expressed concerns over the public release of establishment-specific food safety data, including the potential for misinterpretation of the data; adverse effects on international trade; the risk that confidential or proprietary information could be deduced; and adverse effects on inspector performance.
The groups believe that their concerns were not completely addressed in the final report released by the National Academy of Sciences’ National Research Council, “The Potential Consequences of Public Release of Food Safety and Inspection Service Establishment-Specific Data.”  Without proper context, said the groups in a statement, there is concern that the amount of information will be subject to misinterpretation and confusion that could "needlessly alarm consumers and our trading partners.”
FSIS data may already be obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. Such data includes:

• Microbiological sampling and testing data.
• Residue sampling and testing data.
• Facility-specific noncompliance records identified during routine inspection activities.
• Food-safety assessments, evaluations of the entirety of a facility’s food-safety program, including the nature and source of raw materials, processes, the environment, and all other aspects included under Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.
• Facility-specific HACCP verifications.
• Foodborne-disease outbreak investigation closeout reports.

“A strong food safety system is the number one priority of the poultry industry,” said the groups. “But as the report itself states, ‘It is not possible to make a direct causal link between public data access and specific food-safety improvements.’” 

USPOULTRY creates poultry carbon footprint estimation toolkit

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has created a poultry carbon footprint estimation toolkit to assist facilities in evaluating their carbon footprint.
The kit was developed in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas reporting requirements and potential GHG regulatory requirements associated with the Greenhouse Gases Tailoring Rule. It allows facilities to calculate the emission of GHGs generated by stationary sources (i.e., boilers and generators) by inputting the volume of various fuels used at the facility into a spreadsheet that has been populated with the necessary arithmetic equations. Additionally, the toolkit provides facilities with anaerobic processes operated at wastewater treatment plants with the ability to calculate and log those GHG emissions to evaluate their need to report as required by the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule.  

IPE Week set for January 23-27, 2012

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association designated the week of the 2012 International Poultry and International Feed Expos, January 23-27, 2012, as "IPE Week."
IPE Week will feature education programs addressing current industry issues, including the International Poultry Scientific Forum, Pet Food Conference, Animal Agricultural Sustainability Summit, Hatchery-Breeder Clinic and AFIA International Feed Education Program.
New for 2012 are the following educational programs: IPE Pre-Harvest Food Safety Conference; U.S. Poultry/UEP Symposium on the Future of American Egg Production; Chartering the Course: An Executive Conference on the Future of the American Poultry Industry, which also incorporates the Market Intelligence Forum; and the National Renderer’s Association Quality Feed Ingredients Conference.

USPOULTRY tests poultry house light sources

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has completed a research project regarding energy-efficient lighting technologies for use in poultry housing.
Research was conducted to determine the reliability, intensity and floor light patterns of new low wattage bulbs in poultry housing. Three alternate lighting sources were tested: CCFL-cold cathode fluorescent lamps, CFL-compact fluorescent lamps and LED- light emitting diodes.
Only one of the CCFL lamps failed during testing at 3,312 hours. While this represents double the life span of the incandescent bulbs, it was well less than the 8,000 hour manufacturer’s estimated lifespan for CCFL lamps. Three CFL lamps failed at 2,640 hours, well less than the 12,000 hours typical for CFL lamps. No LED lamps failed during testing, which was expected given the 30,000 hour lifespan typical for LED lamps.
CCFL and CFL lamps showed intensity reduction (approximately 20%-25%) during testing, while the LED lamps lost 60% of the initial intensity. All three lamps tested were more energy efficient (28%-33%) than incandescent bulbs. Based on durability, CFL lamps do not meet the expectations and should not be used, according to the research. CCFL lamps showed reasonable durability and are much less expensive than LED lamps. 

Poultry industry responds to Pew environmental report

The U.S. poultry industry is committed to the responsible production of food that is safe, affordable and abundant, and is more diligent and innovative than ever in pursuing environmental improvements, according to the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the National Chicken Council in response to Pew's latest report, "Big Chicken: Pollution and Industrial Poultry Production in America."
The report focuses on the U.S. broiler industry's development over the last 50 to 60 years and its impact on the environment. “In just over 50 years, the broiler industry has been transformed from more than 1 million small farms spread across the country to a limited number of factory-style operations concentrated in 15 states,” said Karen Steuer with Pew. “This growth has harmed the environment, particularly water, because management programs for chicken waste have not kept pace with output.”
According to the poultry industry, the report fails to take into account the efforts of broiler companies to do their part to be good environmental stewards. "The 30,000 family farms and companies in the poultry community are involved in many different aspects of sustainability including animal welfare, recycling and waste reduction, worker safety and community concerns," said USPOULTRY and the NCC. "The Pew report fails to capture the true picture of the contributions we're committed to making today and in the future."

USA Poultry & Egg Export Council donates $25,000 to Japanese Chicken Association

The USA Poultry & Egg Export Council's International Poultry Development Program has pledged $25,000 to the Japanese Chicken Association to aid and assist its members in rebuilding efforts after the recent devastating earthquake and tsunami.
“The Japanese poultry industry has been hard hit by the disaster, and this is our industry’s way of reaching out to them,” said Eric Joiner, chairman of the UIPDP and a founder of AJC International, an Atlanta trading company and poultry exporter. “The UIPDP board believes this is a worthwhile project that will be truly appreciated by a segment of the Japanese industry that affected.” He said the contribution would also be used to assist employees of the companies affected by the disaster.
USAPEEC President Jim Sumner, who also serves as president of the UIPDP, said that the funds could help the Japanese industry in areas of greatest need. “It’s great that we have an organization like the UIPDP to support the USAPEEC’s goals and initiatives,” he said. “We believe that going directly to the Japanese Chicken Association will ensure that the funds will be put to good use.”
Sumner said that the USAPEEC would also serve as the focal point for collecting direct financial contributions from private companies, especially its member companies, which may be interested in providing support to the Japanese industry.

USPOULTRY 2011 Clean Water Award winners announced

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association presented its 2011 Clean Water Awards to Keystone Foods LLC and Perdue Farms for "outstanding water treatment plant performance in the poultry industry."
Keystone Foods, Gadsden, Ala., won the award for pretreatment of wastewater with integrated aerobic and anoxic zones and a secondary DAF for clarification. Perdue Farms, Perry, Ga., won the award for full treatment of wastewater with community service and electromagnetic treatment of DAF flow that reduces chemicals.
The winners were selected by a committee made up of university personnel, industry engineers and managers and state regulatory officials.
See the videos here:
Keystone Foods treats wastewater with small environmental footprint
Perdue Farms reduces wastewater chemicals with electromagnetic treatment

NCC, USPOULTRY join coalition against extension of ethanol subsidy

The National Chicken Council, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and several state poultry federations are among a coalition of 90 organizations opposing extension of the blenders’ credit that subsidizes the production of ethanol. 
The groups have sent letters to the leaders of Congress calling on them to let the tax credit expire on schedule at the end of 2011. The ethanol industry is lobbying Congress for an extension. “Congress has the opportunity to end the $6-billion-a-year subsidy to gasoline refiners who blend corn ethanol into gasoline,” said the letter. “At a time of spiraling deficits, we do not believe Congress should continue subsidizing gasoline refiners for something that they are already required to do by the Renewable Fuels Standard.”
In addition to the NCC and USPOULTRY, the letter was signed by the state associations representing the poultry industries in Alabama, California, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.