Source:  Dani Friedland, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 7/23/10

Fifteen industry and environmental groups, including the American Meat Institute, the American Frozen Food Institute, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Snack Food Association, sponsored an advertisement encouraging more scientific testing before raising the amount of ethanol in gasoline.
Ethanol blended gasoline currently contains 10 percent ethanol (E10). Some ethanol advocates want to increase that number to 15 percent (E15) or strike a compromise with 12 percent (E12).

AMI says the ad, which ran Thursday in Politico and Roll Call with the tagline “Say no to untested E15,” is part of a broader push urging Congress to mandate rigorous scientific tests on the increased ethanol percentage.

“Increasing the consumption of corn-based ethanol by 50 percent will increase food and feed prices, driving up costs for meat and poultry producers and ultimately consumers,” American Meat Institute President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle said in a statement. “This controversial decision certainly warrants careful and thoughtful examination considering the many negative consequences increasing the blend will have.”

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