Industry Advocacy

WASHINGTON - Landover, Md.-based Giant Food was accused Wednesday by consumer groups of putting deceptive claims about irradiation on educational brochures.

WASHINGTON - The Food Marketing Institute here has announced that Rich Savner, director of public affairs and government relations, at Pathmark Stores in Carteret, N.J., will serve as chairman of FMI's Communications Committee.

JACKSONVILLE, Texas - A judge has ordered Wal-Mart to reopen its meat-cutting department and bargain with unionized butchers whose jobs were eliminated when the retailer switched to case-ready meat.

WASHINGTON - A coalition of food and agricultural organizations, with strong concerns about mandatory country-of-origin labeling for meat, produce, seafood, and peanuts yesterday unveiled a new Web site.

GENEVA - Producers of regional food and drink specialties from around the world on Wednesday pushed for a global trade pact to fight for stronger protection in the World Trade Organisation of their geographical names, The Financial Times reports.

OTTAWA - Canada's agricultural minister is putting pressure on the United States to reopen its borders to beef shipments, arguing there is no scientific justification to maintain the ban. Nearly 2,000 tests for mad cow disease in Canada have turned out negative.

AUSTIN, Texas - Whole Foods Market announced today it is the first national grocer to have its retail operations designated as "Certified Organic" by Quality Assurance International (QAI), a federally recognized independent third-party certification organization.

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. - An animal-rights advocate was asked to leave a Wegmans supermarket in upstate New York after he dumped a pound of scallops into a lobster tank to protest the way the lobsters were being treated.