Many of us are asking ourselves where the summer went, and it is difficult to find a good answer. I hope you had some deserved downtime with family at some point. Here at the American Bakers Association (ABA), it seemed like there was little abatement on the policy front. Congress made incremental progress on federal spending bills, several of which contain provisions ABA is advocating. The regulators continued to push an aggressive regulatory agenda. In fact, even the traffic in Washington, D.C.—widely regarded as worst in the nation—didn’t let up this summer.
As Washington starts its mad dash to the end-of-the-year finish line, the plate of policy issues impacting the baking industry will continue to overflow. We also are very concerned about—and working hard to find—interim solutions to ease the potential return of the avian flu and the impact on egg supplies. Have no doubt, though, that ABA is on top of it.