Two letters, signed by representatives of differing communities, express dissatisfaction with the Biden-Harris Administration’s progress in fighting Avian flu and offer suggestions for improvement.
One of the letters is from Hannah Connor, Deputy Director of Environmental Health, for the Center for Biological Diversity, and also written on behalf of CleanAIRE
Continue Reading Letters question whether Federal Avian flu response is enough
Making an election-year promise that does not have to become a reality until well after the voting isn’t new. Since Congress surrendered Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling in a trade war with Canada and Mexico, American consumers have wanted a reliable replacement.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has promised a
Continue Reading USDA offers to close ‘Product of USA’ loophole, but not until 2026
The dismissed federal case of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) v. Sonny Perdue is returning. The U.S. District Court for Northern California has scheduled a case management conference for June 13.
Around that date, look for the non-profit’s plaintiff activists, the Humane Society of the United States,
Continue Reading Increased poultry line speeds will likely continue with USDA extensions
This past Monday brought Nebraska’s coldest snap in three years, with frigid temperatures and enough snow and sleet to make roads dangerous. Staying home was the best defense from the bitter Arctic cold.
But USDA meat inspectors who opted not to go to work on one of those dangerous winter
Continue Reading The Arctic blast may have caused some USDA meat inspectors to miss their shifts
The USDA has announced that animal-raising claims in the future must be justified. While not specific, the action responds to some recent petitions received by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
Animal-raising claims often come up in petitions to FSIS for policy changes.
his year, Perdue Farms filed a
Continue Reading USDA launches effort to strengthen substantiation of animal-raising claims
The USDA Secretary has named 15 new members and five returning members to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI).
Members of the committee are chosen based on their expertise in meat and poultry safety, public health, and other Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) policies.
“We
Continue Reading Vilsack names food safety panel members
The highly pathogenic avian flu is costing the United States so much that Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is kept on the ready to pour more money into the fight.
The Secretary is authorized to tap the cash at the Commodity Credit Corporation to fund USDA’s avian flu flight, which
Continue Reading Avian flu in 35 states requires a costly response
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is soliciting nominations for membership on the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI).
Continue Reading USDA looking for members for meat and poultry inspection advisory group
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) promises it “is mobilizing a stronger, and more comprehensive effort to reduce Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry products.”
It says it wants to “move closer to the national target of a 25 percent reduction in Salmonella illnesses.” National targets are included in
Continue Reading This time, USDA says it’s serious about 25 percent reduction in Salmonella illnesses
Food safety was not a major focus of the UN Food Systems Summit but has been included in a newly formed coalition.
The food system coalitions cut across five priority areas for action. Food safety will be part of the Coalition for Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems.
“We must
Continue Reading Food safety finds a place in outcomes of UN summit
