Associations

LOS ANGELES - The United Food and Commercial Workers union said Friday that it is sending "hundreds" of striking Southern California grocery workers to Safeway stores in Northern California to disrupt business, according to a Dow Jones newswires report.

WILMINGTON, Del. - The Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) and the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) will organize and host a 5 A Day Foodservice Summit on July 23, 2004, immediately prior to the PMA Foodservice Conference, Tours, and Expo in Monterey, Calif.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted 58-36 to oppose efforts in the House to effectively exempt meat products from country-of-origin labeling rules.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will revisit its preliminary determination that food from cloned animals is safe for consumers after several independent science advisers raised questions about the finding, according to a senior agency official, Reuters reports.

LOS ANGELES - An official from the United Food and Commercial Workers said Friday the union stopped picketing at Kroger Co.'s Ralphs stores, but will attempt to expand pickets against Safeway Inc. and Albertsons Inc. stores, according to a Dow Jones newswire report.

ST. LOUIS - A federal mediator on Wednesday proposed a settlement to end a strike and lockout involving more than 10,000 St. Louis area grocery store workers that is in its fourth week, The Associated Press reports. Members of the UFCW Local 655 are scheduled to vote on the proposal today.

WASHINGTON - After presiding over numerous fact-finding discussions with more than 70 different trade and producer groups, the U.S. Agriculture Department yesterday issued its proposed rules for the congressionally mandated country-of-origin labeling (COOL) program that was required by the 2002 Farm Bill.

MEHLVILLE, Mo. - Supermarket representatives and St. Louis grocery workers involved in a labor dispute have said they will return to the bargaining table, according to an Associated Press report.