USDA

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US Milk Supply to Be Tested for Bird Flu Under New Order

Health experts have been unable to tell how far the virus has spread

(Newser) - The US milk supply will be tested for bird flu under an order announced Friday by the Department of Agriculture. Starting Dec. 16, handlers of raw milk, including bulk transporters and dairy processors, will have to collect samples and provide them to the agency when asked, NBC News reports. "...

Listeria Recall Covers 12M Pounds of Meat, Poultry

It includes ready-to-eat meals sent to schools, restaurants, major retailers

(Newser) - A nationwide recall of meat and poultry products potentially contaminated with listeria has expanded to nearly 12 million pounds and now includes ready-to-eat meals sent to US schools, restaurants, and major retailers, federal officials said. The updated recall includes prepared salads, burritos, and other foods sold at stores including Costco,...

We May Soon See a Spike in Avocado Prices
A Big Avocado Supply to
the US Just Got Shut Down
in case you missed it
Jun 23, 2024 11:10 AM CDT

A Big Avocado Supply to the US Just Got Shut Down

Imports of avocados, mangos from Michoacan, Mexico, halted after 'incident' with USDA inspectors

(Newser) - The US Department of Agriculture has indefinitely put the kibosh on inspections of avocados and mangos imported from Mexico, citing "security concerns" for USDA staff. Inspections of those food items "will remain paused until the security situation is reviewed and protocols and safeguards are in place," the...

These 'Fun' Chicken Nuggets May Have Metal in Them

Tyson Foods recalls nearly 30K pounds

(Newser) - Tyson Foods is recalling nearly 30,000 pounds of breaded chicken "Fun Nuggets'' after consumers complained of finding metal pieces in the dinosaur-shaped patties, the AP reports. The nuggets, sold in 29-ounce bags, were produced on Sept. 5 by the Berryville, Arkansas, company. Tyson informed the US Department...

Feds Give Green Light to Sale of Lab-Grown Meat

2 companies will be allowed to sell 'cultivated chicken'

(Newser) - For the first time, US regulators on Wednesday approved the sale of chicken made from animal cells, allowing two California companies to offer "lab-grown" meat to the nation's restaurant tables and eventually, supermarket shelves. The Agriculture Department gave the green light to Upside Foods and Good Meat, firms...

Federal Rules Tighten Around Organic Food

Eliminating fraud is one driver, though some advocates say the rules don't go far enough

(Newser) - Responding to pressure from the industry, which faces rapidly increasing demand, the US Agriculture Department on Thursday updated its rules for what makes food products organic. The updates are intended to eliminate gaps that let certain products into the supply chain though they contain disallowed ingredients, the Washington Post reports....

Nonprofit Founder, 46 Others Charged in $250M Scheme

It's the biggest pandemic-related fraud case to date

(Newser) - Federal prosecutors indicted 47 individuals in Minnesota on Tuesday in a sprawling $250 million scheme described as the largest pandemic-related fraud case to date. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Minnesota-based nonprofit Feeding Our Future "was at the center of each indictment," which included charges of wire...

Mystery of Seal Strandings May Be Solved

Tests confirm dead seals in Maine had avian flu

(Newser) - The avian flu epidemic appears to have claimed its first known marine mammal victims in North America. The US Department of Agriculture has confirmed four Maine seals who died or had to be euthanized tested positive for the virus, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday. Officials tested the...

USDA Keeps 1.4 Billion Pounds of Cheese in Missouri Caves

It's not all 'government cheese,' at least not anymore

(Newser) - You might say Springfield, Missouri, is the cheese capital of America, not because it’s known for great cheese but because the USDA maintains a hoard of 1.4 billion pounds of cheese in caves beneath the town. The so-called Springfield Underground has been there for decades, but its exact...

Government Agents Killed 200 Animals an Hour in 2021

Critic slams USDA's Wildlife Services as 'taxpayer-funded wildlife slaughter'

(Newser) - A government agency killed more than 1.75 million animals across the country in 2021, in what it claims were necessary actions. New data shows the Wildlife Services branch of the US Department of Agriculture, which acts to "resolve wildlife conflicts to allow people and wildlife to coexist,"...

GMO Foods Won't Be Marked That Way Under New Rules

Government replaces 'GMO' and 'GE' on labels with 'bioengineered'—or a QR code

(Newser) - Genetically modified foods are still available in grocery stores, but the process of identifying them has changed. Shoppers will no longer see labels marked "genetically engineered" or "genetically modified organisms." Instead of "GMO" or "GE," products will be marked "bioengineered" or include a...

Feds: Trade Aid From Trump Overpaid Corn Farmers by $3B

Farmers in the South were paid more per acre than those in the West, Northeast

(Newser) - The Trump administration overpaid corn farmers by about $3 billion in federal aid in 2019 and farmers in the South were paid more for the same crops than those elsewhere in the country, a federal watchdog agency has found. The Government Accountability Office said in a report released Monday that...

Critics Rip USDA's 'Inhumane' Killing of Wolf Pups in Idaho

Students tracking the pups, conservation groups blast culling, while agency defends it

(Newser) - For students at Idaho's Timberline High School, a wolf pack roaming nearby in Boise National Forest offered the opportunity to study the animals, and so they've tracked the group since 2003. This spring, though, a shocking find was made: eight pups in the pack were killed by none...

Food Stamps Get Biggest Increase in History

White House raises average monthly benefits from $121 to $157

(Newser) - The Biden administration has approved a significant and permanent increase in the levels of food stamp assistance available to needy families—the largest single increase in the program's history, per the AP . Starting in October, average benefits for food stamps—officially known as the SNAP program—will rise more...

New Dietary Guidelines Skip 2 Controversial Suggestions
New Dietary
Guidelines Skip
2 Controversial
Suggestions
in case you missed
Jan 2, 2021 11:12 AM CST

New Dietary Guidelines Skip 2 Controversial Suggestions

USDA rejects idea to further cut alcohol and sugar intake, weighs in on breastfeeding

(Newser) - The official new dietary guidelines for Americans have been updated for the first time in five years, and they might be more notable for what they don't include. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the federal guidelines don't call for cuts in alcohol and sugar intake. Over the...

Many People Planted Those Mystery Seeds. Others Ate Them
Mystery Seeds a 'Much Larger'
Operation Than We Thought
in case you missed it
Sep 13, 2020 1:00 PM CDT

Mystery Seeds a 'Much Larger' Operation Than We Thought

Thousands of Americans may have planted them, while others admitted to eating them, per Vice

(Newser) - Hundreds, possibly thousands, of Americans planted the mystery seeds they received in the mail over the summer, against the advice of US authorities, while others decided to pop them in their mouths. That's according to Jason Koebler at Vice , who read through "thousands of internal emails" from state...

Seed Mystery Leads Amazon to Cut Off Foreign Sales in US

USDA is analyzing 2.5K of the packets sent to homes

(Newser) - Until the mystery of the unsolicited seed packets is solved, Amazon is throwing a wrench into the supply chain. Foreign sellers have been told they can no longer ship plant or seed products through its site into the US, the Wall Street Journal reports; the packets often have China postmarks....

Current Owner of Tiger King Zoo Gets More Bad News

Jeff Lowe just saw his animal exhibitor license suspended by the USDA

(Newser) - In June, a judge gave control of the Oklahoma zoo once run by "Joe Exotic" of Tiger King fame (real name: Joseph Maldonado-Passage), and now owned by Jeff Lowe, to the two men's nemesis, Carole Baskin. Now, more bad news for Lowe: The Department of Agriculture this week...

Feds Remove Wakanda From List of US Free Trade Partners

'Guess we're in a trade war with them too'

(Newser) - Bad news for importers of vibranium: Wakanda, the fictional African country from Black Panther, is no longer listed as a free trade agreement partner of the US. The US Department of Agriculture removed Wakanda from its Agricultural Tariff Tracker Wednesday after a researcher discovered that there were hundreds of entries...

Food Experts Warn: Don't Rinse That Turkey

And don't leave it to thaw at room temperature, either

(Newser) - Go ahead and rinse your cranberries, potatoes, and green beans. But food experts say don't—repeat don't—wash the turkey before popping it in the oven on Thanksgiving Day. Experts at the US Department of Agriculture say that could spread the germs lurking on your turkey—to be...

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