U.S. Lawmakers Mull over China’s Smithfield Foods Takeover

Jul 10, 2013

U.S. Lawmakers Mull over China’s Smithfield Foods Takeover

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

United States lawmakers have a scheduled hearing on Wednesday to discuss China’s pending takeover of Smithfield Foods.

Senate Agriculture Committee lawmakers will weigh in on the deal offered by China’s Shuanghui International to buy Smithfield. The deal was struck this spring and announced in May.

The committee said the hearing will scrutinize the pending acquisition of Smithfield, while examining the government review process for foreign takeovers. Consideration will also be made on topics such as American food safety and studying the effects of foreign ownership of the U.S. food supply.

If the deal goes through, it would be the largest takeover of a U.S. company by a Chinese business – valued at $7.1 billion. Larry Pope, Smithfield Foods’ CEO is expected to speak at the hearing.

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.