What is Proposition 65?

The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act was approved by California voters in 1986 and is known today as Proposition 65 and requires the State of California to publish a list of chemicals and substances known to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm. Proposition 65 is administered by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). OEHHA has listed over 900 chemicals, including naturally occurring and synthetic chemicals present in foods, beverages, pesticides, commonly used household products and personal care products, and more. Proposition 65 is a right-to-know statute; it does not prohibit businesses from selling anything in California. Rather, it requires businesses to provide a “clear and reasonable” warning to Californians before knowingly and intentionally exposing them to a listed chemical or substance. A warning must be given for listed chemicals and substances unless exposure is low enough to pose no significant risk of cancer, or is significantly below levels observed to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.

Proposition 65 And Alcoholic Beverages

OEHHA listed alcohol under Proposition 65 over two decades ago, first listing “ethyl alcohol in alcoholic beverages” as a reproductive toxicant in 1987, then “alcoholic beverages when associated with alcohol abuse” as a carcinogen in 1988, and most recently, “alcoholic beverages” as a carcinogen in 2011.

Safe Harbor Levels

For chemicals listed as carcinogens, the “no significant risk level” (NSRL) is defined as the level of exposure that would result in not more than one excess case of cancer in 100,000 people exposed to the chemical over a 70-year lifetime. For chemicals listed as reproductive toxicants, the “no observable effect level” is determined by identifying the level of exposure that has been shown to not pose any harm to humans or laboratory animals. This number is then divided by 1,000 to establish the “maximum allowable dose level” (MADL). OEHHA has established NSRLs and MADLs known as “safe harbors” for some, but not all, of the listed chemicals. If your product contains a Proposition 65 listed chemical at levels below the established safe harbors, you do not need to provide a warning.

No Safe Harbor Guidance For Alchohol

OEHHA has not established safe harbors for any of the Proposition 65 alcohol listings. Businesses that expose individuals to a Proposition 65 listed chemical that does not have an established safe harbor must either provide a Proposition 65 warning or must show that the exposure level will not pose a significant risk of cancer or reproductive harm. Determining the anticipated exposure level is not a simple endeavor and often requires an expensive scientific exposure assessment.

How to Warn

Although most manufacturers may apply Proposition 65 warnings directly to product labels, this is not the case for alcoholic beverages. Why? All alcoholic beverage labels must be approved by the Federal Alcohol & Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and contain the federal warning on the products. The federal warning is not the same as—and is not compliant with—the Proposition 65 warning requirements and thus does not provide a safe harbor under California law. The above warning does not apply to non-alcoholic beverages. For retail sales of alcoholic beverages in stores, businesses may warn by (1) posting the above warning on an 8 ½ x 11-inch sign in at least 22-point font, placed at eye level so it is conspicuous to customers upon entering the area where alcoholic beverages are sold, or by (2) posting the above warning on a 5 x 5-inch sign in at least 20-point font, placed at each retail point of sale or display so it is conspicuous to customers. For alcohol provided for consumption on-premises, or sold over-the-counter, the above warning language must be provided on the drink menu. For alcohol sold or distributed within California through delivery services, a warning must be placed on or in the shipping container/delivery package, in a font at least as big as the rest of the text on the package

Proposition 65 and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

While Proposition 65 is nothing new for the alcoholic beverage industry, Proposition 65 private enforcers have recently targeted traditionally non-alcoholic products based on the alcohol-related Proposition 65 chemicals. Several kombucha retailers and manufacturers have recently been served with notices of violation based on alleged exposure to “ethyl alcohol in alcoholic beverages” and “alcoholic beverages.” In many cases, kombucha is not produced or marketed as an alcoholic beverage, but trace amounts of alcohol may result from the fermentation process, none of which are knowingly or intentionally added to the product before sale. Proposition 65 does not define an alcoholic beverage. Rather, it is defined in the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act as containing 0.5% alcohol by volume or more. See CA Bus. & Prof. Code § 23004. It is yet to be seen how the plaintiffs’ bar will attempt to tie the 0.5% ABV definition to Proposition 65, a potential safe harbor level, or the risk of cancer or reproductive toxicity. In the meantime, it is important to have a comprehensive compliance program in place with regular product testing.

Have you received a Prop 65 Notice? Email info@kombuchabrewers.org for guidance & support (membership not required)

References

https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/products/alcoholic-beverages

Proposition 65 and Alcohol

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), a sweeping food safety legislation amending the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938, was enacted on January 4, 2011.  It aims to ensure the United States food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it. As required by FSMA, the FDA implemented the HARPC (Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls) regulation (also referred to as the “Preventive Controls Rule”) for the food industry on September 17, 2015.  Compliance dates were extended for small and very small businesses:

 September 18, 2017: Small businesses (with fewer than 500 full-time employees)

September 17, 2018: Very small businesses (businesses averaging less than $1 million per year (adjusted for inflation) in annual sales 

HARPC is similar to HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventative Controls) which is mandatory for certain food categories such as seafood, juice, meat/poultry (USDA) but includes planning for potential terrorist acts or intentional adulteration requiring facility registration with the FDA, controls on transportation inbound/outbound, facility visitor access, etc.

HARPC requires virtually every food manufacturer, processer, packer, and storage facility to:

  • identify food safety and adulteration hazards associated with their foods and processes,
  • implement controls to minimize the hazards,
  • verify that the controls are working, and
  • design and implement corrective actions to address any deviations from the controls that might arise in a food safety plan.

Everything in a HARPC plan must be properly documented and must conform to FDA’s standards and definitions surrounding facilities, controls, hazards, and the adulteration of foods.  HARPC requires each food facility to document all aspects of its plan, periodically review it, constantly maintain it, and document its verification steps.

HARPC represents a substantial new regulatory requirement with an unprecedented level of coverage for the industry that must be taken seriously.  Companies must create their unique food safety plan compliant with HARPC, update it, and produce the documentation to FDA upon request or inspection.

Facility Registration

Domestic and foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food/beverages for human or animal consumption in the US are required to register with the FDA and renew every even-numbered year. Registration is easy and free. Follow the prompts at the link below to register your facility. Registered facilities may be subject to random inspections. 

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FoodFacilityRegistration/ucm2006831.htm

Registration is not required for AP5 Kombucha products (aka Hard Kombucha) as the FDA does not regulate alcoholic beverages.

Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP’s) – Preventative 

Controls (Critical components of Step 2 in HARPC)

Plant and Grounds

Facility exterior

  • Shouldn’t harbor pests
    • Grass/weed control
    • No stored equipment within immediate parameter
  • Protected points of entry
    • Sealed, self-closing doors
    • Screened vents at all intakes
    • Walls, roof, foundation must prevent entry of water and pests

Facility Interior

  • Walls, floors ceilings should be durable, impervious,smooth, cleanable, white or light-colored 
  • Adequate floor drainage
  • Screened windows
  • Adequate lighting and shielded bulbs
  • Adequate ventilation
  • Proper waste containment and disposal
  • Handwashing stations with dispensable soap, single-use towels, direct connection to drain, waste receptacles, signage
  • Washrooms, lunchrooms should not open directly to processing areas; negative air pressure in washrooms
  • Plumbing must have backflow devices between potable water systems and sewage lines

Receiving and Storage

  • Transportation inbound – inspect truck and materials for damage or contamination, improper temperature controls
  • Ensure Certificate of Analysis (CoA) if required or conduct inspection/testing to verify ingredients and packaging meet specifications
  • Storage
    • Insure ingredients, packaging materials, product in process, and finished product are properly stored to prevent contamination – proper temperatures, 18” from wall, 6” off floor
    • Chemicals in isolated storage – properly labeled and accessible safety data sheets (SDS)

Equipment

  • Designed, constructed and installed to be accessible for adequate cleaning, sanitation, and maintenance
  • Product contact surfaces should be smooth, non-corrosive, food-grade, non-absorbent, non-toxic, and free from cracks, crevices, and pitting
  • Must have adequate drainage
  • Establish a preventable maintenance program

Personnel

  • Establish and implement training programs for all new employees; 
    • Provide refresher training
      • Personal Hygiene
      • Allergen Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s)
      • Product and Material Safety
  • Maintain a personal hygiene policy and enforce 
    • Hair and beard restraints
    • Clean clothing and footwear (closed-toe only)
    • Eating, drinking, and smoking in designated areas only (includes gum)
    • No jewelry, watches, earrings; no fingernail polish or artificial nails
    • Proper handwashing practices and signage
  • Only authorized personnel on-site; visitors and contract employees to sign-in
  • Employee health 
    • Inform management of any communicable disease or potential for contamination
      • Diarrhea, vomiting or other gastrointestinal illness
      • Jaundice
      • Open, blistered or infected cuts, wounds, abrasions, or burns

Sanitation and Pest Control

  • Establish procedures for cleaning and sanitation of premises, production areas, equipment, and storage areas.  
    • Document procedures, chemicals used/usage levels, and maintain a log of pre-op, periodic, and post-op sanitation.
  • Interior pest control devices must not contain bait of any kind
  • Exterior pest control devices must be tamper-resistant, locked, labeled, and secured
  • Maintain
    • List of chemicals and pesticides used (including SDS and copies of labels which includes usage/application rates)
    • Schedules/frequency
    • Usage log that lists when and where used, concentration, how it was applied and by whom
    • Location map of devices
    • Activity reports/records for findings and actions
    • Corrective action records

Traceability and Recall Protocol

  • Traceability
    • Maintain documented procedures to ensure all raw materials, product, and packaging materials can be traced to usage dae and/or lot identification
    • Finished products should carry a “use by” or “best by” date and lot number (if multiple lots per code date)
  • Consumer Complaint Log
    • Outlines how complaints are processed, evaluated and investigated
    • Document customer name, contact information, current date, name of item, a description of the product safety and/or quality complaint, the purchase date of item and possible receipt 
  • Recall Protocol
    • Document what is to be done in the event product must be recalled from the distribution system and/or shelf
    • This will allow tracing and accounting for all identified defective products in a quick and efficient manner; managing communications in the event of a recall, and assisting outside agencies by having a predetermined plan and information-gathering mechanisms

KBI will be providing checklists and templates for some of these documents – stay tuned for more resources available in the Member Forum

 

KBI is excited to launch the next phase of the KBI OSU SCOBY Genomics Study – part two. Building on the data gathered in the first study and reported about here, we are calling for new samples of SCOBYs & starter liquid from any Kombucha producer around the world. 

Keisha-Rose Harrison, PhD student at Oregon State University is continuing the original study to learn more about the organisms present in Kombucha cultures through DNA Sequencing. In an effort to gain a deeper understanding of what the role of the various organisms may play in the fermentation process, we are also adding an analyte analysis to this new study. 

For the analyte study, we will be using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology to evaluate the chemical profile of finished kombucha products. This rare piece of equipment has the efficiency to detect any residual sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and vitamins within your brew with high fidelity. This a great opportunity to get at the heart of what defines your unique kombucha brew!

The overarching goal of this project is to take the information we have about the organisms present in the culture via the DNA Sequencing study and combine that with the knowledge of which analtyes are being produced to start to piece together how the different flavors and qualities of our brews match up with the range of chemical compounds within kombucha. Your participation will contribute to the general definition of kombucha. 

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY – We are no longer accepting submissions for this study. 

We are aiming for 200+ total samples to be analyzed in order to have a sufficient pool to draw conclusions. We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to learn what is in your culture while also contributing to the deeper body of knowledge about Kombucha as a whole. Furthermore, your submission will be kept confidential and you will receive an individualized chemical analysis report. Similar to the Kombucha Genetics Study, following the release of individual reports, a KBI blog report will be written to contextualize your results within the frame of the population.

If you are a current KBI member, the cost is only $125 per sample for each test – you may choose to participate in only the DNA Sequencing, only the Analyte Analysis or both for a discounted price of $200 per sample. Part of the cost goes directly to the university to cover the sequencing, part of it is to cover shipping of kits and the purchase of the kit supplies and the rest covers administrative costs.

Non-KBI members are also invited to participate!. The cost is $250 per sample for non-members with a discounted price of $450 for both. Or join KBI today to receive the member pricing.

DNA sequencing typically costs several hundred up to thousands of dollars per sample, so this is a significant savings for valuable information. The data will only ever be presented in an aggregate format to protect confidentiality for all participants. The analyte study will include over 20 different analytes providing a huge savings over testing them individually with private labs.

Suppliers of Grass-Fed Beef and Premium Meats: U.S. Wellness Meats Supports KKON17

U.S. Wellness Meats is one of the largest suppliers of premium, grass-fed, grass-finished meats in the country. USWM ships to all 50 states. The company is family owned by Northeast Missouri and Western Illinois farmers. They aren’t your ordinary cattle farmers though. In 2000, four families got together with a desire to offer healthier, premium, grass fed and finished beef to the marketplace. This requires attention to more than just the end-product. It starts with sustainable farming practices that have been all but lost through the years. The U.S. Wellness Meats families and suppliers have committed to continually improving and growing these efforts.

More could be said about soil conservation and improvement, organic matter, grazing, quality of forage, and sustainability, but we’ll save that for another time. We’re going to focus on improving health and quality of life in this article.

Healthy Foods VS Unhealthy Foods – Maintaining a Healthy Balance

There are lots of opinions out there on what constitutes a healthy diet. Maintaining a balance of real, naturally nutritious food can be like navigating an obstacle course. There are a few somewhat simple bits of common sense when it comes to eating healthy. Maybe these will help change your paradigm or at the least encourage you to stay focused on better health in 2017.

  1. Know where your food originates and where it’s been.
  2. Know what’s in your food – check your labels and make sure you understand what that 27-letter word really is and if you want to put it in your body. Hint: Zygosaccharomyces is a probiotic present in many Kombucha samples. It’s certainly not the same as the preservative Tertiary butylhydroquinone. Two totally different long winded names with totally different consumption consequences. If you don’t know what it is, Google it! Remember, fewer ingredients are generally better.
  3. Stay away from the inside aisles of the grocery store as much as possible
  4. Learn how to make nutritious food at home – this takes more time and management but at least you know the ingredients.
  5. Eat foods that are either lightly processed or not processed at all.
  6. When dining out, look for light or healthy selections.
  7. If you’re eating meat, consider the diet of your food. What has the animal been fed? Do you want that in your body?
  8. If you’re eating veggies or fruits, consider what has been applied. Have pesticides been used? Are there hidden chemicals lurking in your food?

What Makes Kombucha Good For You?

Kombucha lovers know the benefits of this tasty cocktail:

  1. Beneficial bacteria can improve digestive functions
  2. Anti-oxidants helps strengthen your immune system
  3. Vitamins, minerals, and enzymes offer an energy boost
  4. Amino acids encourage healthy metabolic activity

There are many more health benefits that can be derived from Kombucha. The same can be said for a great many natural foods. This is why it’s so important to know what you’re eating. Know the benefits and the potential contraindications. If you have certain health conditions in your family, it’s incumbent upon you to make food choices that can help prevent sickness or promote better health and wellness for you and your loved ones.

Our Animals Eat Right So You Can Too!

Remember the phrase “you are what you eat?” Consider this when you make food decisions. Our Grass-fed, Grass-finished meats are a healthy alternative to what you find in most grocery store meats.

Our grassfed, grass-finished meats contain:

  1. More CLA (essential fatty acid)
  2. Healthy Omega 6:3 ratio of 3:1
  3. High in branch chain amino acids
  4. More heart healthy, anti-oxidants Vitamins A & E
  5. Fewer calories
  6. NO irradiation
  7. NO animal by-products
  8. NO antibiotics
  9. NO added hormones
  10. NO GMO

Health & Well being Starts With Your Food 

In summary, eat good, clean, healthy food — enjoy better health. Natural foods are just naturally better for us. The tech biz has another formula, GIGO or Garbage In Garbage Out. Choosing high quality inputs in a living form that the body has evolved to recognize will provide a quality of nutrition that is simply lacking in overly processed foods. There’s something to be said for that in relation to our health too.

KombuchaKon 2017: Use Promo Code ‘Scoby’ for 15% Off

US Wellness Meats is offering a special promotion for KKON 2017. Enter Promo Code ‘Scoby’ in your online cart or mention it when you order by phone and receive 15% off your next order. This code is good for up to 2 orders. Excludes orders over 40lbs, sale items, volume discounts and gift certificates. This offer is not valid on previous orders. Offer expires July 31, 2017.

 ORDER TODAY!

webinar stills

KBI is delighted to report a wildly successful first webinar in our “Ask Us Anything” series – Fast Track to Distribution” (May 18, 2016). All of the attendees enjoyed the detailed and Kombucha-specific advice offered by our expert speakers. 

“Thank you so much for the webinar today! It was packed full of great information. The panel was so gracious with their time and experience. They gave very detailed answers to some really good questions. I really appreciated the real-life, real small business growing pain examples – especially mistakes made. I could easily see myself walking down that same path and making those same mistakes – thank you for saving me the expense and the agony!” -Elizabeth, BIP

Chris Montelius of Non-Prophet shared tips and advice from his former life experience as a beer distributor. Many members had written in with several questions and he graciously answered them all in a slide presentation.

Jared and Deanne of Kombucha on Tap covered distribution from their perspective as distributors of kegged kombucha in Southern California. They covered everything from equipment choices to costs involved in self-distribution vs. utilizing an outside distributor’s assistance, as well as keg-specific information regarding kegerators, keg washing, and more.

“Thanks for putting the Distribution webinar together, and thanks for injecting my questions into the conversation so late in the game. I found it tremendously informative, helpful, and timely as DZB begins to plan out the early phases of keg distribution. It’s also great to know that there are some tremendously knowledgeable and generous members of the Kombucha industry willing to shed some light on these topics. From our perspective, it has seemed a little isolating and unfriendly at times, but this webinar has proved contrary to that notion. Thanks again for facilitating this, and good luck with the future ones. I’ll be sure to tune in to the rest of the series.” -Joe, Dean’s Zesty Booch

Shane Dickman of High Country recounted the brand’s journey from tiny start-up in the late 2000s to its current size as a thriving national brand. From the tough early years of self-distribution, which sometimes involved drivers sleeping in the van on runs from Colorado to California, to the common mistakes many brands might make early on, with specific advice on how to avoid losing money on distribution deals, Shane’s experience provided a lot of insight into the lengths that sometimes must be traveled on the road to success.

“Loved the dist. webinar yesterday! Thanks for providing exceptional tools and resources to KBI community.” -Gayle, FedBrew

Did you miss this webinar? You’re in luck! The recorded version (as well as an audio-only version) is available in the member forums! Not a member? Join today!

 

On the heels of this successful first seminar, KBI is pleased to announce the second webinar in our “Ask Us Anything” series:

The Secrets of Successful Flavoring, June 21 from 1-3PM PST.

original

REGISTER HERE

only $20 for KBI members, $200 for non-members

Buy 3 webinars, receive the 4th one free!

Speakers

Darius Subatis of Health-Ade

Born and raised in Boston, Darius came out to California in 2006 to pursue a career in film. After spending some time working in production for NBC Universal he decided it was time for a change. Darius joined the Health-Ade team as employee hire #1 in 2013 and has used his skills from film production to run the brewery for Health-Ade. His passion for efficiency and doing things right has helped grow Health-Ade over 10x what it was just three years ago. If he’s not brewing kombucha for Health-Ade, Darius is enjoying life with his beautiful wife, Amanda, and their dog, Riley, in Santa Monica.

 

Alla Shapiro of NessAlla

Alla joined business partner Vanessa with the common vision of helping the community gain a deeper knowledge of health and well being. Both certified herbalists, we began teaching kombucha brewing classes in Madison, Wisconsin in 2007. We became well known for our kombucha knowledge and word of our expertise spread. Workshops sold out and we soon had a SCOBY farm growing! We decided to work together to create one of the nation’s first small, local kombucha breweries.

Hannah Crum the Kombucha Mamma of Kombucha Kamp

Hannah Crum of Kombucha Kamp

Hannah Crum is the Kombucha Mamma. Originator of the Kombucha Kamp workshop,she partnered with her husband Alex LaGory, aka Alex Kombucha, to create the top informational site for Kombucha in the world KombuchaKamp.com Their mission is to “change the world, one gut at a time.” Hannah is a popular speaker about Kombucha, fermentation and bacteriosapiens at corporate and health conferences, fermentation festivals and events around the world. As an outgrowth of their commercial consulting, industry reporting and marketing efforts, Alex & Hannah co-founded Kombucha Brewers International in 2014 to unite and advocate for the commercial Kombucha bottling industry around the world. Through Kombucha Kamp’s videos, blog posts and online support communities, they have mentored 100,000’s of homebrewers all over the world. Their newly released “Big Book of Kombucha” from Storey Publishing (featuring 260 “Flavor Inspirations”) has been met with critical acclaim and praise. With this impressive wealth of information, it is no surprise that they are the leading Kombucha experts in the world.

The Secrets to Successful Flavoring

Every brewer flavors in a different way- that’s one of the ways brands differentiate their products. Have you always wanted to try out some new ideas, but weren’t sure how to start? Looking for some new flavor inspirations? Had some frustrating setbacks and not sure how to proceed? This webinar is for you!

Webinar Includes:

When to Flavor

– Primary

– Secondary

– Reasons for flavoring in primary vs. secondary


Teas

How to Flavor with Tea

– Flavoring and potency of tea types

– Tea Blends

– Brand distinction with tea alone

– Preparing ingredients

fresh_fruit

How to Flavor with Fruit

– Preparing ingredients

– Whole or Sliced Fruit, Juice, Dried, Concentrate, Freeze Dried, Frozen Fruit

– Advantages and Disadvantages

How to Flavor with Herbs, Flowers and Spices

– How to prepare herbal infusions (dried vs. fresh)

essential oils and medical flowers herbs

How to Flavor with Essential Oils

How to Flavor with Different Types of Sugars

– How each type affects flavor

-White sugar, brown sugar, honey, Stevia, etc.

Unwanted flavors and solutions (ex. water quality)

– Herbal or fruit flavors that might compromise probiotic content

– Nutrition facts skewed by fruit inclusion (having each flavor tested and labeled)

– How to know when you’ve messed up. Can it be fixed?

Join us, and ask the speakers your questions in advance by emailing Morgan!

 

REGISTER HERE

only $20 for KBI members, $200 for non-members

Buy 3 webinars, receive the 4th one free!

Upcoming Webinars:

Control Your Brew- Reducing Alcohol Levels in Under-21 Kombucha

Alcohol Testing Methods- What Works, What Doesn’t, & How to Do It for Less

Under Pressure- Kegs, Cans, & Bottles

IMG_3023KBI President Hannah Crum will be meeting with lawmakers at a round table discussion on Capitol Hill immediately following the AOAC Mid-Year meeting. The Congressional meet and greet will take place March 15th at the Congressional offices on the Hill. 

March 15, 2016
12-1PM
402 Cannon House Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20515

As mentioned at KombuchaKon16, KBI is ramping up our grassroots lobbying efforts in order to connect with legislators who can help our industry navigate the governmental and regulatory landscape. First and foremost, will be to introduce kombucha to Congress! When Hannah was in DC for the TTB meeting in early February, she also stopped by several Congressional offices to share the KBI Fact Sheet. Not surprisingly, several of the receptionist interns hadn’t even heard of kombucha! So education is a primary focus for this first lobbying session.

In addition to bringing samples to share, we will also share Kombucha 101 to give a basic background on our product. Key to communicating the importance of our product will be founders stories because most member companies evolved out of specific health challenges that were overcome by consuming kombucha. We will also discuss the needs of our rapidly growing industry as well as share the regulatory challenges we’ve faced thus far and to discuss potential solutions.

Kombucha Brewers International expects approximately 12-20 Congressional aides at this meeting. Want one of them to be yours? Would you like your voice to be heard? Join Hannah in DC on March 15 & 16th to attend this session and to meet your Congressperson!

To participate, please drop an email to Morgan so we can include you and your Congressperson on the guest list. Also indicate if you are willing to bring samples and if you are available both days or just one. If we are not able to secure a room for the Roundtable (pending notice from our Congressional liaison), we will still be doing in person meetings on the Hill for those 2 days to spread the word about our industry.

 

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak joins members of the U.S. Congress in applauding those members who fought in the Korean war during President Lee's address to a joint meeting of U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, October 13, 2011. REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS)