• The U.S. Department of Agriculture is discussing the possibility of setting rules to require reporting of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) outbreaks with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians to improve tracking of the disease.PEDV has been difficult to track partly because veterinarians are not required to report instances to government officials.Association Executive Director Tom Burkgren says it is a widely distributed disease and at this point in the outbreak he thinks there would have to be good reasons to start reporting it.
  • Nebraska Sen. Mike Johanns has written to the FDA asking them to exempt raw Ag commodities, distillers grain and other byproducts from the proposed livestock feed rule.Johanns tells FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg that as currently drafted, the new requirements would be illogical and could bring a safe, mutually beneficial system to a screeching halt. The Republican lawmaker also warns the proposal would increase costs and create massive amounts of landfill waste without any improvements to food safety.Johanns says measured regulatory discretion is needed.

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