Country of Origin Labeling Revisited: Processed Chicken from China and the USDA Processed Foods Exception

In late August 2013, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) made it possible for the United States to export chicken to China for processing. Under these present regulations, chicken originating from U.S. farms can be slaughtered in the United States, shipped to China for processing, and then shipped back to the United States for sale. This chicken need not include Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) to indicate that it has been processed in China. This practice was technically authorized several years ago, but was specifically denied funding by affirmative use of a three-year congressional ban by means of congressional appropriations bills. Since China’s original application for approval, a total of ten years has passed in the course of lengthy inspections, the congressional ban, and yet more inspections. Time was also required to write and issue official reports. In 2013, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an arm of the USDA, completed remedial audits of China’s poultry processing system. The FSIS again certified the administrative side of the Chinese poultry processing system in addition to issuing permits to four select processing plants, thereby deeming them equivalent to U.S. standards. Perhaps inevitably, this was not a popular change. Some American politicians and consumer groups have retained reservations about the safety of chicken processed in China due to a variety of newer and older reasons relating back to the congressional ban. As it stands, opponents point to perceived food-safety concerns and consumer-information issues based on the fact that consumers will not know in which country their chicken products have been processed. This Note introduces the relevant background information and the history of Chinese processed poultry standards, the concept of equivalence, and a brief history of U.S. assessment of Chinese poultry processing, concluding with a description of the health safety scares in China in the context of this issue. This Note then analyzes these trends and argues for the adoption of modified COOL standards for some processed foods in light of strategic uses of COOL

Electrochemical detection of arsenic using a Microfluidic platform

Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a global problem that causes millions of people to put themselves at risk for many health related diseases. Arsenic poisoning has been linked to a variety of cancerous and noncancerous health effects, including arsenicosis. Current diagnostic technologies for arsenic detection are either inaccurate colorimetric methods, or expensive, offsite lab analysis. These tests are not user-friendly, and require the use of other toxic chemicals. Both colorimetric and spectrometric methods are unsuitable for resource-limited settings. To address this need, this projects aims to create a microfluidic sensor capable of detection a variety of contaminants in groundwater sources. This project focuses on the electrochemical detection of arsenic because of its high toxicity and distribution in the developing world. Our microfluidic sensors employs a three-electrode system patterned with conductive ink onto a glass substrate, enabling detection of arsenic in concentrations down to 5 parts per billion (ppb). Using a materials printer, the fabrication of the sensor is rapid, consistent, and inexpensive, allowing for the mass-production of sensors. When the sensor is inserted into a water sample and is connected to an electrochemical analyzer, various voltammetry sweeps are placed onto the electrodes, producing a current peak for arsenic ions present in the water. Using a mobile application, the user will know the exact concentration of the contaminant and have the option of viewing a map displaying other areas that have been tested with our sensors and if those areas can provide safe drinking water

Ion-Based Quantum Sensor for Optical Cavity Photon Numbers

We dispersively couple a single trapped ion to an optical cavity to extract information about the cavity photon-number distribution in a nondestructive way. The photon-number-dependent ac Stark shift experienced by the ion is measured via Ramsey spectroscopy. We use these measurements first to obtain the ion-cavity interaction strength. Next, we reconstruct the cavity photon-number distribution for coherent states and for a state with mixed thermal-coherent statistics, finding overlaps above 99% with the calibrated states.11Nsciescopu