Blogging the Blue Planet (Foods)

Olive Oil Prices Rising

2009-06-19T08:29:00.003-05:00

Seems that prices have fallen so much and the Retailers in Europe have such stocks on hand that the EU (European Union) is jumping in to support prices...

Support Prices is euphemism for "get prices up". Does this sound like socialism?

Nope.

The impact on people is clear... Higher costs in a staple while unemployment is at high points along the Mediterranean sea!

What is a Low Acid Food - Stuffed Olives?

2009-05-17T17:32:00.002-05:00

Are Spanish Stuffed Olives a low acid food? In my 30 plus years of importing them... No.

But being right is not necessarily the correct answer: Water activity and pH definitions be damned. An inspector says no... that's that. (and precious little real dialogue).

But hey, if the Spanish packing industry would only file low acid, I am pretty sure that FDA would reject the filing as not being low acid.

Here is an issue that should be resolved simply by food technologists. Does it or not need filing as a low acid food?

FDA has been under such duress that they are missing the big picture. I don't envy them their responsiblities. So fearful of mistakes...

Blue Planet Foods visits and inspects all of the packing partners we use across the world. We don't wait for FDA. We look to guarantee that we have sound, healthy, current practices in the manufaturing of our products.

With a bit of clarity, we want to work towards the goal of SAFE FOODS with any and all.

Meanwhile, the Stuffed Olive Saga continues.

Currency Fluctuations!

2009-03-21T09:25:00.004-05:00

Since the start of the month, the euro has gained about 7.8 percent against the US dollar! Most all of that was in the last week!

What's next?

The European Central Bank has to do something! What a mess!

LA Produce Market

2009-03-20T15:47:00.002-05:00

There are many links in the global food chain. Weak Produce Sales... Not the only problem.

1.23 to 1.50 euros to US$

2009-03-18T13:59:00.001-05:00

That is the divegence that we see...
Here's a Blommberg report... Which way is up and out?

Retail Green Olive Jars

2009-03-16T14:13:00.000-05:00

Whatever You May Think...

2009-03-14T09:18:00.001-05:00

Be they soldiers of the UK or the USA or the EU or any soldiers who try to keep us safe... Thank you.

Beef Hormone Wars , Will there be a New Way Forward?

2009-03-13T10:03:00.001-05:00

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced today it is delaying by one month the imposition of additional duties on a modified list of EU products in connection with World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement rulings in the EU - Beef Hormones dispute. Under a determination announced Jan. 15, the additional duties were to go into effect March 23. Under the delay announced today, the additional duties are scheduled to go into effect April 23.

A USTR spokesperson said the reason for the delay is that the "USTR is currently in discussions with the European Commission on a possible interim solution that would provide benefits for U.S. beef producers. These discussions have made progress, although several important issues remain to be resolved. USTR has decided to delay the trade action in order to give this process every possibility of success."

The USTR said in order to respect commercial arrangements made in the period since Jan. 15, there will be no delay in the March 23 effective date of the deletion of products from the list of products subject to additional duties.

Mishap in Santa Barbara

2009-03-12T20:55:00.002-05:00

Seems that bad folks are everywhere or a reap sow situation at least. Santa Barbara Olive Co. is a fine old label.

Michael J. Totten: Christopher Hitchens and the Battle of Beirut

2009-02-27T08:10:00.000-06:00

Michael J. Totten: Christopher Hitchens and the Battle of Beirut

21 st Century Communications

2009-02-17T13:27:00.002-06:00

The President may have a Blackberry but I got this e-mail from LA's FDA offices...

"Due to heightened computer and Internet security practices currently in place, unsolicited electronic mail correspondence is no longer being accepted. Future unsolicited electronic mail transmissions, as well as e-mail transmissions containing attached files, will be immediately deleted. Requests for Compliance status information can be directed to (310) 971-2399. Other correspondence shall be forwarded via hard copy to our office for processing and review. Correspondence may also be faxed..." to one of the following product-specific numbers listed below:

BTW

2009-02-12T14:03:00.002-06:00

And BTW, FDA at each port is quite different. In the East, through direct dialog, Product that should be released, has been released... in a timely manner...

Solid!

Time Management at FDA and the PEANUT Scare

2009-02-11T18:50:00.005-06:00

How many Bernie Madoffs are there out there? You can be sure that there is more than one.

Same with Stewart Parnell of the Peanut Corporation of America who allowed, it is alleged, product into sales he knew had tested positive for Salmonella. Do we really think that he is the only one in the global food processing system that is capable of doing that? PEANUTS

The FDA has less people today to inspect more facilities than ever. It seems they rely on systems to cast a net as wide as possible in hope of stopping problems?

Why Are Importers & FDA in an Adversarial Relationship?

Why can't entry's be on line to stream line dialog between the compliance or investigative officer and the importer and broker? Had this been possible, 2 Investigators would not have had to witness the destruction of perfectly good tuna from Spain (all for 4 cases!) instead of inspecting food producing facilities. The goods were rejected for a clear misunderstanding that an importer should have been able to resolve had there been a direct dialog.

Invisible entries. Archaic programs. Antagonistic relations.

The result... The food chain remains at risk.

FDA and the Grasping of Straws?

2009-02-07T08:33:00.004-06:00

Good Importing Practices is the Draft of the effort of FDA to tell us to do the right thing... And gives some suggestions.

Rightfully so, FDA states that compliance is a "shared responsibility between the public and private" groups. I have long advocated many of the suggestions [particularly knowing from whom you are buying products] but find this all a bit humorous given the current FDA FILE problems I have had with the Agency in the Port of LA.

I have been told "not to contact FDA directly" as the Inspectors "do not want to talk to the Importer!" I have been ignored when trying to contact with information. There is no dialog with any one there and in fact, if you should actually get an FDA employee on the phone, they will only talk to you about ONE ENTRY at a time. Call back if you have more then one!

It seems to me that Good Practices start with good communication. IF the import community could go on line and, by entry number, have a dialog or see a status of shipments, we would be further along the way to Good Practices...

Right now there is only animosity in the west as sales fall and port traffic is down and FDA can't tell low acid foods from others!

Updates from Our Friends

2009-01-30T07:00:00.003-06:00

Our friends at REMA FOODS give this snap-shot report to the markets. Check it out.

Market Notes from REMA

More Saffron and Corrections

2009-01-23T13:16:00.002-06:00

We have found some Spanish Buyers who are replacing at the 3500 EUROS per kilo level. So that needs to be clarified...

Also, we are told and have confirmed that there is a speculative fever involved in the markets with buyers in the Emirates, and elsewhere taking positions and holding product... Why? Anyone can guess... Your guess will be as good as mine.

What other sources are there for saffron: Well there is Morocco but quality and culture make it very hard to get anything that we could use... Kashmir is already short and vastly higher in price even yet...

The new possibility will be Afghanistan! Change your Poppies to Saffron! Quality has been said to be good but problems in export are large.

Anybody want to switch to powders? We are looking at this again...

Saffron Prices Soar

2009-01-23T07:16:00.001-06:00

While we had hoped that the Saffron Market would loosen up, we advised last year that the high prices we were seeing may be the best of what was to come...

Boy we were right. The market has ROCKETED up from the first of the year. Here is what we are told so far:

Last crop (Fall 2008) was forecasted short 40% and was that and shorter!

Prices have gone up in non stop increase since early 2006. Looks to have accelerated.

Current price for raw saffron euros 3500 per kilo. .... This is a figure never seen before in all the collective years of all of us!

Spain has stopped importing saffron [or is preparing to do so] as the market seems not to be ready to accept prices figured out at such raw material level. Though who knows...

Limited inventories at Blue Planet Foods requires an immediate advance in prices upwards of 75%... Please check with us for specifics.

More when more is available.

When People are Heros!

2009-01-18T08:12:00.000-06:00

What Goes Around Comes back to Haunt

2009-01-14T09:55:00.006-06:00

When the US $ was so very weak last year, many importers switched from solid producers of such things as Artichokes and Olives to move to what they thought was less expensive alternatives.

For example, Ripe Olives from EGYPT (collapsed as there were tremendous rejections by USDA) to Artichokes from Peru (collapsed from Non-Delivery)...

So then they try to jump back into the Spanish scene as if nothing happened...

But things happened.

Companies sold elsewhere and remembered being left for dead by buyers...

We all know that price is driven by demand... but rarely do people remember the all important PRICE-QUALITY ratio...

Cliches like "you get what you pay for" come to mind. But it is more than that. Our business's need product of solid consistent quality... Low price is only one component of many...

BTW, this year looks to be pretty challenging... Did you notice?

All the best in 2009 starting with HEALTH... then quality of life... All else follows....

Happy Holidays from Blue Planet Foods and AJ Gourmet

2008-12-25T11:56:00.000-06:00

We wish everyone the very best for the Holidays and for the newest year!

Mandarin Oranges Part 2

2008-12-18T16:51:00.006-06:00

Yes, there are Satsuma Mandarins in Spain but maybe only 4 processors left after the swings of the pendulum.

According to a source in Spain:
-harvest 10% less than expected
-prices about 20% up compared to 2007
-excellent quality
-pack already finished

Spanish Industry is selling in Europe under the umbrella of EU Antidumping Duty imposed to China.

These increases are not reflective of the damage to the industry in Spain. The Satsuma Trees uprooted as the Chinese industry bought the business have resulted in a large portion of this increase in price but it doesn't really reflect the irony of the $4 Fresh Clementines that I just bought at my local Jewel Grocery Store!

What a world!

And BTW, did you all see the wild US $ ride of the last days? The FED have abandoned the US $ is the common comment now... You can expand the link to the right and play with the options to see hourly etc....

Whew!

Mandarin Orange Season Profile Part 1:

2008-12-13T09:38:00.001-06:00

This portion is the China Report:

Fresh raw material is supply is up about 15% resulting in a less expensive raw material price to producers then last year. On the surface that looks good but as we all know, nothing is so easy as that these days.

Production is down despite this increase.
Financing is very limited.
While raw material price is down in RMB terms [Last year range of 0.90 - 1.20 vs. 0.60 today] so farmers are not keeping crop for later sales.
Anti Dumping imposing on China's exports to Europe to be announced shortly resulting in very weak orders.
Costs are up including tin plate up 10% and Labor up 20%
Fuel costs are up 50% from last year TMB$600/ton to $900/ton.
FOREX impact frm 1 US $ at RMB 7.3 to today's 6.83.

Chinese New Year is Early this year cutting the production period.

These things combine to make it look like the prices may jump a nice bit after the holiday for those looking to buy.

To get the best prices orders need to be in hand very soon [like now!] to assure price and quality.

More as it comes...

How's Your Economy?

2008-12-06T08:41:00.001-06:00

The race is on to see who will see the bottom first!

Saffron News from Kashmir

2008-11-17T05:48:00.004-06:00

Kashmiri Saffron declines as Iran now has 80% of the market. This article indicates that modernization of the Iranian Saffron business has hurt the Kahmiri markets.

The FDA Mismanages Employee Pay And Benefits // Pharmalot

2008-11-16T10:22:00.002-06:00

The FDA Mismanages Employee Pay And Benefits // Pharmalot: "The FDA Mismanages Employee Pay And Benefits
1 Comment

By Ed Silverman // November 5th, 2008 // 10:06 am

The FDA may be on a hiring spree and snared 1,300 new faces, but consider the working environment - a suffocating bureaucracy, ever-changing leadership, compensation that lags industry pay and, as it turns out, woeful record-keeping that shortchanges employees.

In a letter to FDA commish Andy von Eschenbach, Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on the US Senate Finance Committee, writes that “high-level FDA officials and others have complained” about paycheck errors that resulted in “legal fees and sloppy record keeping.” The errors have “shaken confidence” in the FDA’s personnel management.

“Based on the reports that have come to me, it looks like there is more than isolated incidents of mismanagement, and it could have significant repercussions for the quality workforce that the public deserves to have at the Food and Drug Administration,” he writes.

A few examples: an FDA employee went to the emergency room in the middle of the night with a sick child, but discovered the FDA had incorrectly fired him, which meant there were no health benefits. Two employees may have been mistakenly overpaid by several t"