WASHINGTON – U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab on Friday announced that the United States was requesting World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute consultation with the European Union over poultry.

The EU has banned the import and marketing of poultry products processed with pathogen reduction treatments approved by both the United States and EU.

“The poultry treatments at issue have been widely and safely used in the United States for many years,” Schwab said. “The EU’s own scientists have repeatedly found these treatments not only to be safe, but effective. We have tried to address this issue through dialogue with the EU for more than eleven years, and neither the European Commission nor EU Member States have offered any legitimate, science-based reason for continuing to block our poultry.”

The U.S. poultry groups applauded the USTR for taking the dispute to the WTO.

“USTR continues to stand up for American agriculture and business by insisting that trade should be a two-way street,” said a statement from the National Chicken Council (NCC), National Turkey Federation (NTF), and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC). “The EU has refused to listen to its own scientific advisors and has hidden behind bogus sanitary barriers with no scientific basis.”

Source: National Chicken Council

OMAHA, Neb. – ConAgra Foods Inc. on Friday announced it has named André Hawaux as president of the consumer foods division and John F. Gehring as executive vice president and chief financial officer.

The company said that Hawaux joined ConAgra as CFO after 25 years at Pepsico.

"André is a proven operator, and over the past several months, he's shown very strong leadership in improving our execution and analysis within Consumer Foods," said Gary Rodkin, chief executive officer.

Hawaux will reportedly transition CFO responsibilities to Gehring, currently senior vice president and controller. Gehring served as interim CFO for ConAgra prior to Hawaux joining the company, and his most recent responsibilities included financial oversight for the company's commercial foods business.

Source: ConAgra Foods Inc.