Several groups, including Consumer Reports and STOP Foodborne Illness, have written to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in support of increased food safety efforts regarding Salmonella in poultry.

The groups describe current regulations as “antiquated” and encourage the secretary to move forward to develop new and enforceable standards that are product

Continue Reading Consumer groups encourage USDA secretary to continue efforts to make chicken products safer

For the past quarter-century, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has run two options for inspecting hogs. The HACCP-based Inspection Model Project or HIMP evolved into the New Swine   Inspection System or NSIS pilot in 2014. And HIMP, or NSIS,  have grown up alongside traditional hog inspection protocols used for
Continue Reading Dueling inspection systems produce another round of competing data

The USDA by April 15 will ask a federal court in California to dismiss a second lawsuit filed to overturn the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS’s) new inspection system for market hogs. USDA earlier asked a federal court in Minnesota to toss a similar civil action.

In Minnesota, a
Continue Reading Federal court in California will hear oral arguments in USDA motion to dismiss swine lawsuit

Imported meat from Brazil is not without its detractors in the United States. After the USDA announced it was re-opening the U.S. market to imports of fresh Brazilian beef, an independent cattlemen’s group said Brazilian meat is unfair competition because it is subsidized by the Brazilian government.

“That will pit
Continue Reading FSIS denies F&WW petition, seeking permanent the ban on Brazilian meat

Opinion

Today (Jan. 13, 2019,)  Center for Food Safety (CFS), Food & Water Watch (FWW), and two supporting members filed an actionagainst the U.S. Department of Agriculture for issuing New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) rules that undermine pork-safety inspection in slaughter plants.

The NSIS rules are a draconian reversal
Continue Reading Lawsuit challenges USDA’s New Swine Inspection System; cites public safety

Animal and environmental organizations, joined by several rural community activists, want a U.S. District Court judge to strike down Obama-era regulations that give a break to smaller mid-sized concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

Beryl A. Howell, chief judge for District of Columbia, is hearing the case, filed against USDA and
Continue Reading 3-year old break for medium-sized CAFOs gets challenged in D.C. court

ALERT: A USDA spokesperson told Food Safety News the agency is not staffing its phones dedicated to consumer complaints about meat, poultry and processed egg products during the partial government shutdown. The askkaren.gov service is operating online, but USDA responses might be delayed.

The head of the Food and
Continue Reading ALERT: U.S. representative, advocates say food safety programs dangerously disrupted

Seven well-known consumer groups acting together as the Safe Food Coalition are petitioning USDA’s Food Safety and inspection Service for a revised safe handling instruction label for meat, poultry and catfish. The petition calls upon FSIS to continue to require that labels include information about the potential risk of pathogenic
Continue Reading Safe Food Coalition says safe handling labels need a rewrite