April 13-19 National Library Week

It’s National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide - and the perfect time to discover how you can join the circle of knowledge @ your library.

“Everyday, libraries in big cities and small towns, colleges and universities, in schools and in businesses help transform their communities,” says the American Library spokesperson. “At our libraries, people of all backgrounds can come together for community meetings, lectures and programs, to do research with the assistance of a trained professional, to get a job or to find homework help..”

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.

America's 117,000 libraries fall into four basic types (with a few added variations): Public, School, Academic and Special. There are also Armed Forces libraries, Government libraries and multi-use or Joint-Use libraries, which combine library types in one service area or structure.

History of Libraries From The www.ilovelibraries.org website

On a general level, library history probably starts 5000 years ago with collections of clay tablets. In Egypt, the Great Library of Alexandria was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Its collections were said to have included 750,000 scrolls. Fire destroyed some of them and some were taken to Rome as authorized by Cleopatra. While there were private libraries in Rome, Roman citizens could read in dry areas of the public baths. Early libraries also existed in North Africa and the Middle East. Some of these early libraries were available to the public; some were even lending libraries. During the dark ages, printed material was mostly sustained in the monasteries until Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in the 1400s. Early library development in France goes back to the 1300s and in Great Britain to the 1400s. Usage of materials in most early European libraries was restricted to scholars.

In the late 1600s and 1700s, library development began in the United States. Benjamin Franklin founded the Library Company of Philadelphia in 1731, known as a "subscription library." Many claims exist to being the first U.S. public library. That distinction depends on how the "first public library" is defined, whether by founding date alone, by the founding entity or by level of service offered.

More than 2,000 public libraries were financed in part by the Scotsman, Andrew Carnegie who donated considerable funds to contribute to building them. His first library was built in Scotland in 1883; the first in America, in 1889. Today there are more than 9,000 public libraries in the United States in more than 16,000 buildings.

School libraries are usually part of a school system, and serve students between Kindergarten and grade 12. Many are called media centers, and librarians are often required to have a second degree in education or a certificate in school media.

Not all schools have libraries. Historically, schools were often located near the public library so that students could take advantage of the public library's materials. As demographics changed, schools were located closer to population centers, distance to the public library became an issue and libraries within schools began to appear. Now there are more than 93,000 school libraries.

Academic libraries serve colleges and universities, their students, staff and faculty. In the United States, the oldest academic library is at Harvard University. In 1638, a new college received the bequest of 400 books upon the death of a young minister, John Harvard. He also left half of his land as the university's first benefactor. The school was named in his honor, and the first academic library was established. The 3500 academic libraries today serve 4-year institutions of higher learning as well as junior colleges and community colleges.

The 9,000 special libraries have evolved from the recognition by corporations, businesses, institutions and organizations that they have a need for a central repository of knowledge relevant to their mission and focus. If involved in research, it is vital for them to have the knowledge of what is available, what other research has been done and what findings have resulted.

Go pick up a cookbook at your local library. Research a business plan for your next great restaurant concept. Search the history of a recipe. (I had to find a food segway)Seriously though, if nothing else check out the National Agricultural Library for info on anything agriculture relate. In particular take a peek at the Rural Library Sustainability page.

Crystals in Canned Seafood

I received a call last week from a customer that had a complaint that he found glass fragments in a can of tuna. Indeed when I arrived and checked the product myself and pulled the can codes to trace what I figured would be a Class II recall.. Upon calling my buyer to alert her of the issue, I was informed that these were simply struvites that occur naturally in canned seafood from time to time.

According to Jean Tarbell, buyer extraordinaire- Canned shrimp, tuna, salmon, and other seafood products sometimes contain small fragments of a substance that, at first glance, resembles glass. Occasionally, these fragments are large enough to be noticeable; in such instances, some consumers assume that they have found a foreign substance in their food. What really has happened is that certain natural constituents of the fish or shellfish have crystallized, much as sugar often forms crystals in syrups or preserves.

These sugar crystals in syrups or preserves obviously are harmless—and so are the less familiar crystals found in canned seafood. These small fragments are crystals of a substance known chemically as magnesium ammonium phosphate, commonly call struvite.

Struvite is formed by the union of natural, normal constituents of the meat of all seafood after being sterilized in the can. These constituents are mineral elements, richly supplied by the sea water in which the fish or shellfish live. While the fish or shellfish were alive, these mineral elements were important to their health. After cooking, however, the magnesium, ammonia, and phosphate sometimes come together in such a way that crystals are formed.

Considering the enormous volume of seafood products packed each year, the occurrence of such crystals of a size large enough to be noticeable is a relatively rare event. Nonetheless, the food industry has long been aware of struvite; and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reassured consumers that these crystals pose no danger.

During World War I, someone found these crystals in a can of tuna and assumed that ground glass had been purposely added by an enemy agent—a situation that caused considerable alarm until FDA identified the crystals as struvite. During World War II, crystals in canned seafood were again responsible for a few “ground glass” rumors, some of which were reported by the press. In 1942, FDA issued a news release explaining to the public that these crystals were harmless.

In addition to FDA’s attention to this issue, a number of technical publications have mentioned the formation of crystals in various canned seafood products. These publications all have made the case that such crystals pose no risk to consumers.

The scientific centers operated by the National Food Processors Association (NFPA) examine canned seafood of all types. Over a period of years, crystal formation has been observed in a variety of canned seafood, including canned tuna, salmon, shrimp, crab meat, lobster, and sardines.

While struvite bears a superficial resemblance to broken glass, a close examination—especially with a magnifying glass—usually shows the difference. These crystals occur most often in the form of regularly shaped prisms, with the edges tending to form straight lines. By contrast, glass particles are more likely to be irregular in shape. In solid pack tuna, these crystals sometimes form between the tuna and the bottom of the can. Because of the confined space, the crystals formed under these conditions may tend to be flat and somewhat more irregular than those found in other products.

It is not necessary, however, to rely upon differences in appearance to recognize that these fragments are not glass. Such crystals are not harder than ordinary table salt and can be easily scratched or crushed to a powder with little pressure. In case any doubt should remain after examining them in this way, their true identity can be determined by boiling them with a little vinegar or lemon juice. They dissolve in a few minutes when boiled in this manner, while glass, of course, would not dissolve at all. This test also illustrates the fact that these crystals are soluble in weak acids, and therefore will dissolve readily in the stomach; they are assimilated by the body as easily as the mineral matter of any food.

Struvite is without odor or taste and is too soft to do any harm. The components that form struvite occur in many of our foods and are valuable food elements. While no procedure has been completely successful in preventing struvite, no one should feel alarm at finding these harmless fragments in canned seafood. They are something of a rarity, and any consumer who finds them in a can of seafood is unlikely to every find them again in another container.

Soft Shell Crab Season Is Just Around The Corner

The exact species used as soft-shells varies from region to region. In the United States, the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is used typically, although the use of the mangrove crab in Asia has provided another source for this seasonal food.Live, fresh or frozen.

The soft-shell is the blue crab in its molted state.The molting process means an abundant supply of soft crabs from late spring to early fall, with May through September ranking as the most productive months. They are available frozen year round.

The soft-shell season is traditionally marked with the first full moon in May. At that time, the blue crab begins its molting season to accommodate its summer growth. The actual shedding of the shell can take anywhere from one to three hours, after which it must be removed or the hardening process will continue, reducing the quality of the soft-shell crab.

Soft-shells are harvested in their peeler stage in peeler pounds or pots and transferred to shedding operations where they are monitored around the clock.

Soft-shells are marketed by size with the largest commanding premium prices. They are measured across the back, point-to-point.

Mediums - 3 1/2 to 4 inches
Jumbos - 5 to 5 1/2 inches
Hotels - 4 to 4 1/2 inches
Whales - over 5 1/2 inches
Primes - 4 1/2 to 5 inches

Demand for this delicacy has increased with the use in Japanese and other cuisines, so that the mangrove crab has been used as an alternative source from Asia. Because mangrove crabs grow in tropical muddy flats all year round, such swamps provide a continual source of soft-shell crabs.

The first full moon in May 2008 will occur on the 20th. This will actually be the 3rd of 4 full moons that occurs in one season. This only occurs once every 19 or so years and this full moon is often called a Blue Moon.. ---This is the kind of stuff you might miss, if you don’t check back at Peninsula Foodnews on a regular basis.

What Is A Pullman Loaf?

The pullman loaf, sometimes called the "sandwich loaf" or "pan bread," is a type of bread made with white flour and baked in a long, narrow, lidded pan. The French term for this style of loaf is pain de mie. In the United States, many popular mass-produced sliced breads are actually pullman loaves; the slices of such breads are frequently square, with four flat (uncurved) crusts.

One theory of the origin of the name, "Pullman," is that the word was derived from a resemblance between the loaf (or its pan) and the Pullman railway car. Some bread companies reinforce this connection by printing the image of a Pullman railcar on their bread wrappers. Another theory states that the Pullman loaf acquired its name because the cuboid shape of the loaf made it easier to store on-board railway dining cars. In contrast to the cuboid-shaped Pullman loaf, the oval-shaped loaves of the past did not lend themselves to maximizing the storage space in confined on-train cooking areas.

Shrimp Market Update

March 14, 2008

Overview: US shrimp imports started the year off about even with last January. Imports of raw shell-on shrimp from black tiger producing countries were up 50% vs. year ago with black tiger shell-on and all peeled shrimp higher. Imports from white-producing countries were down 1.5% for the month. Of the top six countries exporting shrimp to the US, three are posting growth year-to-date: Vietnam +87.5%, Indonesia +60.9% and Mexico +8.5%, while Ecuador is -1.5%, Thailand is -12.5% and China is -26.7%. Chinese imports continue to spiral downward due to the FDA alert and high tariff rates.

The weaker U.S. dollar is expected to continue impacting the global shrimp industry throughout 2008. The detention of Chinese shrimp continues to impact the breaded and cooked shrimp markets, down 35% and 34%, respectively in January.

Black Tiger: In Vietnam, demand is relatively weak and prices remain stable. In the next few weeks, raw material prices may decrease slightly but not considerably due to higher fuel costs and the significant losses farmers suffered last year. Additionally strong U.S. and worldwide demand continue to place upward pressure on pricing. Currently, sizes 8/12 to 21/25 remain fairly plentiful with stable pricing. The larger sizes from 4/6 through 6/8 are already scarce with firm pricing and sizes 26/30 and smaller are only available in limited quantities.

Vietnam has emerged as one of the world’s top seafood exporters, with total aquaculture production rising 20% in January over year ago. In 2007, annual revenues were up 12% over 2006. The country is optimistic and projects Seafood exports to the U.S. will grow 15% in 2008. However, the declining value of the U.S. dollar is impacting Vietnamese exporters and producers as they face difficulty in converting U.S. dollars into Vietnamese dong (VND). Additionally, they are facing 20% higher production costs, so the extra 2% surcharge to convert U.S. dollars into VND is placing producers and farmers in a bind.

Indonesia is an alternative black tiger supplier who has had difficulty competing due to rising oil prices and the imposition of quality standards by a number of countries. The U.S. and E.U. remain the largest markets for Indonesia and the government is projecting an increase of 13% for 2008, following an agreement with both major markets regarding the quality of fishery products.

Black Tiger Industry Outlook for 2008: Larger size raw materials (4/6 through 6/8) are expected to remain scarce as farmers concentrate on increasing number of annual harvests and worldwide demand for these sizes remains high. Production of sizes 8/12 through 26/30 are expected to increase but strong demand will keep prices stable in 2008. The declining value of the U.S. dollar also continues to put pressure on pricing. The expected result is continued upward price pressure.

White Shrimp: In Thailand, pricing has not dropped due to pressure from the strong Thai baht coupled with reduced raw material supplies. Pricing is expected to remain stable though March. Farmers just recently finished stocking their ponds at the end of February for the upcoming harvest. Since prices were so low in 2007, farmers are taking less risk in 2008, and raw material supplies are expected to decline by 20-30% this year. In the upcoming season, mid-size shrimp are expected to be available in April, with larger sizes coming in July.

Thailand, one of the world’s leading shrimp producers, saw its production increase by 6% in 2007. However, in baht terms, the value of Thai shrimp fell by 11% from 2006 to 2007. The key problem facing the industry is saturated domestic markets, forcing shrimpers to rely on the more volatile export market for growth. Exporters to the U.S. are facing a double-blow from the baht’s appreciation. Additionally, they are experiencing increased competition from neighboring Vietnam and Indonesia, since the strong baht has weakened their price competitiveness.

In response to these issues, Thailand’s leading shrimp farming associations have called on the industry to reduce production by 20%, focusing on shrimp quality, not quantity to offset the damaging effects of falling prices on the industry. They are hopeful that by removing the oversupply issue, prices will begin to climb.

Ecuador is the leading shrimp producer in Latin America and recorded a banner year in 2007, with shrimp export values climbing from US$252M in 2002 to US$600M in 2007. Despite this growth and the favorable World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling, Ecuador is still facing problems with rising production costs and strong competition in the U.S.

Vannamei White Shrimp Industry Outlook for 2008: Thailand’s shrimp situation is expected to remain heavily dependent upon currency fluctuation, supply and the potential for natural disasters. In 2008, smaller sizes are anticipated to be harvested at the end of April with the larger sizes coming in July.

FDA Alert #16131 on Chinese Seafood and Food Safety Issues: In 2007, China’s reputation in product safety came under scrutiny and the FDA alert on Seafood was just one of many cases. In 2008, the Chinese government announced that it will introduce new standards for product quality as part of an overhaul of its quality control system. The crackdown will focus on 28 categories of food and exports will carry a quality certification mark in an effort to cut illegal shipments.

On the U.S. side, the FDA is considering opening satellite offices overseas as part of its effort to improve the safety of food, medicine and other products entering the U.S. Products come into the U.S. from 800,000 different sources and 300 different ports, so more emphasis will be placed on improving the quality of products on the farm and at manufacturing and distribution centers.

Contessa Shrimp is not imported from China. Contessa shrimp is raised exclusively in Thailand and Vietnam and processed under Contessa’s strict quality-assurance guidelines. No other brand in the shrimp industry takes more thorough measures to ensure quality than Contessa!

Gulf Shrimp / Wild Mexican Shrimp: Landings of Mexican wild shrimp are off 22% from last year’s record season, producing tight supplies, higher prices and a firm market. The Gulf Domestic market remains steady and unchanged.

New England Northern Shrimp – The Northern Shrimp season began December 1^st with a strong outlook, including abundant shrimp and reasonable prices. However, high fuel costs ($3.40 per gallon this year compared to $2.20 last year) combined with the fact the shrimp are staying further offshore may be complicating the season and making it difficult for shrimpers to make a profit.

Tariff Update – The Byrd Amendment expired on October 1^st, however, it will continue to pay out for a couple more years, on a declining basis since it applies to all duties collected until its expiration. Preliminary results of the second administrative review are trickling out and the results appear to be another round of massive tariff cuts. It appears rates in Vietnam for 29 companies would be slashed to 0% and in India, rates would decrease from 7.22% to 1.09%, both below the di minimus amount, meaning effectively that they would have zero tariffs, as has happened in Ecuador. This does not even account for the Feb. 29^th WTO ruling that the DOC must eliminate 100% customs bonds for Thai and Indian exporters and not use their zeroing strategy. The final decision will be announced by the DOC 120 days after the preliminary conclusion was announced.

Sources: Urner Barry

Seafood.com

NFI

Contessa Procurement Team

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