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USDA, Oregon Sign Meat Inspection Agreement

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the state of Oregon have finalized a cooperative agreement, under which the state inspection program may inspect meat products produced for shipment within the state.

The state inspection program must develop, administer, and enforce requirements “at least equal to” those imposed under the Federal Meat Inspection Act.

“Today’s announcement with Oregon will help strengthen our nation’s food system and help prevent supply chain bottlenecks,” said USDA’s Deputy Under Secretary Sandra Eskin. “This program is especially helpful to small meat and poultry processors in building their local and state marketplaces.”

With the addition of Oregon, 28 states have state inspection programs. In states with inspection programs, establishments have the option to apply for federal or state inspection, but product produced under state inspection is limited to intrastate commerce. FSIS provides up to 50 percent of the state’s operating funds, as well as training and other assistance.

States are key FSIS partners and formal working relationships are reflected in cooperative agreements between FSIS and affected state agencies. State Meat and Poultry Inspection programs are an integral part of the nation’s food safety system with about 1,900 small and very small meat and poultry establishments inspected under state MPI programs.

FSIS provides guidance to state MPI programs under these agreements, reviews each state MPI program and its requirements and activities at least annually, and provides approximately $60 million dollars annually to support the state MPI programs currently operating.

In addition to Oregon, FSIS has signed state inspection agreements with Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

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Hy-Vee CEO Edeker Stepping Down, Names Wiese as CEO

Hy-Vee Chairman and CEO Randy Edeker has named Aaron Wiese as Hy-Vee’s next CEO, effective Oct. 1. Wiese is vice chairman of Hy-Vee, Inc. and president of the company’s supply chain and subsidiaries.

Jeremy Gosch will remain as president and chief operating officer of Hy-Vee, overseeing all of the retail operations for the business.

“Both Aaron and Jeremy have been trusted leaders of our executive team for many years, and I am thankful for the leadership they continue to provide our great company,” Edeker said. “With this announcement, I can continue to focus on Hy-Vee’s strategy and evolution in today’s changing environment while Jeremy can focus on overseeing our stores and Aaron can focus on the day-to-day operations of the overall company.”

Wiese and Gosch will continue to report to Edeker, who will continue to serve as Hy-Vee’s chairman of the board.

Wiese started his Hy-Vee career in 1993 while in college. After graduating, he served in various operations leadership roles. In 2012, Wiese joined Hy-Vee’s executive staff as director, real estate strategic planning, and in 2013 became director, health/wellness strategic planning.

In 2014, he was promoted to assistant vice president, specialty pharmacy, and then vice president, business development, at Amber Specialty Pharmacy. Over the next six years, Wiese was instrumental in leading multiple facets of Hy-Vee’s health and wellness division, as well as serving as president of Hy-Vee subsidiary Amber Specialty Pharmacy for several years.

He was promoted to the executive vice president level in December 2020, and became president of digital growth and co-chief operating officer in April 2021. He was promoted to his current position in December 2021.

Wiese received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Northern Iowa.

Gosch began his Hy-Vee career as a part-time clerk at the Lantern Park Plaza Hy-Vee in Coralville, Iowa, in 1995, and spent the next 12 years moving into retail operations management roles, including that of store director at multiple locations. In 2012, he joined Hy-Vee’s executive staff when he was promoted to assistant vice president, operations, northeast region.

Over the next six years, he held several executive leadership roles and in early 2018, he was promoted to executive vice president, co-chief operating officer, chief marketing officer, and later that year he transitioned into chief operating officer.

In April 2021, Gosch became president, retail operations and co-chief operating officer. He was promoted to his current position in December 2021.

Gosch earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Iowa. Gosch is only the fifth president in Hy-Vee’s 92-year history.

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Coors Light Thirst Trap Captures Mosquitoes

Summer is in full swing, but along with the heat comes the ultimate buzzkill to your backyard chill sesh – mosquitoes. A study shows that drinking just 12 ounces of beer makes you more likely to get bitten by mosquitoes. That does not make for a chill summer day.

Coors Light, the official beer of everything unofficial, is giving mosquitoes some beer of their own so you can kill their buzz with the new Coors Light Thirst Trap, a mosquito trap designed to rid your summer days of pesky bugs.

“Warm weather, outdoor activities, and laidback chilling are some of the reasons why summer is undeniably the best season of the year. But with the good also comes the bad, and pesky mosquitoes can be a buzzkill,” says Marcelo Pascoa, vice president of marketing for the Coors Family of Brands. “The Coors Light Thirst Trap is an attachment designed to fit on a 12 ounce can of Coors Light and will lure mosquitoes into the can with no way out.”

Once you drink most of your beer, snap on your Coors Light Thirst Trap and only sacrifice a few sips of your delicious brew to the mosquitos. They can enjoy their own Coors Light while you crack open your next one, without the bother of buzzing mosquitoes. Watch the video to see how it works.

Starting  July 27, consumers can enjoy their summer mosquito-free with the Coors Light Thirst Trap, available for purchase for $5 at shop.coorslight.com. Coors Light will release a limited number of traps each day at 10 a.m. CST from July 27 through Aug. 5 (Monday-Friday only).

As the beer of everything unofficial, Coors Light is celebrating the best moments of summer, like enjoying an evening outside bug-free. In May, the brand released a new national TV spot, introduced new packaging, and is rewarding consumers with experiences, prizes and more.

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