This morning more than 9,700 federal employees who work for the Farm Services Agency will return to work without pay at least part time for the duration of the partial government shutdown, which is now in its 33rd day and by far the longest in US history.
The amount of time Americans spend sitting down and eating a meal has shrunk over the past 10 years, while purchases of prepared food options from grocery stores and food service (carry-out, delivery, or fast food) have risen, according to the Economic...
As the White House pushes forward with its hardline approach to international trade deals, including a bilateral proposal announced yesterday with Mexico that could replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, it also is taking steps to provide financial...
Providing broadband Internet access to rural America is a top priority USDA and part of a larger effort to ensure future generations continue to farm, ranch and manufacturer the commodities and products that are backbone of the country’s food supply,...
To help ensure the 45 million turkeys consumed in the US this Thanksgiving don’t pose a health risk to consumers, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has offered up advice on preparation.
Against the vast majority of stakeholders’ wishes, the US Department of Agriculture once again is delaying the widely supported Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices because the department believes the final rule oversteps Congress’ mandate ‘for the...
USDA will publish a draft of its proposed federal GMO labeling rule in the fall of this year (which will be subject to public comment) and says it is “working hard to meet the schedule in order to issue a final rule on the law in July 2018.”
A significant portion of employees at the US Department of Agricultural fear that policy changes implemented during the Trump Administration’s first 100 days threaten their jobs and project funding, and could suppress data, according to a small study...
Under pressure from industry, consumers and legislators, the US Department of Agriculture is exploring how Americans can use food stamps to buy groceries online.
The US House of Representatives has voted to pass a federal GMO labeling bill (306:117 votes) that would pre-empt and nullify all state-led GMO labeling laws including the one that has just come into effect in Vermont.
The US Department of Agricultural (USDA) will make around $6m (£4.8m) available to fund research on combating the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
News that non-browning mushrooms developed with a gene-editing tool called CRISPR/Cas9 would not be subject to regulation by USDA has prompted a fresh debate about what ‘GMOs’ are, and whether the regulatory framework governing biotech crops is fit for...
A proposed regulation that would strengthen and clarify organic animal welfare standards would align consumers’ expectations with production practices and improve their confidence in the organic seal, according to USDA.
New data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveals a 12% increase in US certified organic operations between 2014 and 2015, while the total retail market for organic products is now valued at more than $39bn in the US and $75bn+ worldwide.
The financially daunting three-year transition to certified organic production just became a little less risky for farmers thanks the USDA expanding crop insurance to better reflect the product’s actual value.
Over 4,000 pounds (lb) of sausages have been recalled in the US after it was discovered the meat was lined with sheep casing, which was not declared on the product label.
The Organic Trade Association in 2016 will push forward several initiatives to help industry “turn the corner” on the supply shortages currently holding it back from meeting surging demand for organic products, the group’s CEO Laura Batcha says.
The US department that safeguards the industry and consumers from dangerous foodborne illnesses has launched a protocol to improve virus detection in a bid to protect consumers from future outbreaks.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering a Dannon proposal that would see yogurt provided to school districts at a potential discount of up to 40%.
Chicken and turkey farmers and producers in the US are split over whether a vaccine should be introduced to fight the outbreak of bird flu that has killed millions of birds.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Process Verification Program could provide an avenue for firms to certify the veracity of non-GMO claims without indirectly suggesting that genetic engineering is undesirable or unsafe.
The USDA has forecast that exports of US poultry will fall to almost 3% to 7.3 billion pounds (lb) this year, as the country feels the impact of several avian influenza outbreaks coupled with a strong dollar.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reported four meat recalls last week, with fears over contamination, misbranding, and undeclared allergens.
The USDA has said global wheat supplies for 2014/15 will hit record highs, which is good news for stability but quality will be critical for industry, says an analyst.
Uruguayan beef production is expected to continue its recovery through to next year, according to forecasts from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Chobani has been selected as the product of choice for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Greek yogurt pilot program, after successfully undercutting bids from a number of rival Greek yogurt manufacturers.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released tough new rules on ‘competitive’ foods sold in school vending machines, cafes and snack bars as part of its commitment to improve child nutrition under The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
Wheat and corn prices have eased over the fourth quarter but will spike again at the beginning of 2013 as impacts from demand rationing take hold, Rabobank says.
A press release from the National Consumers League (NCL) claiming that USDA has rejected the on-shelf nutrition rating scheme NuVal owing to its “inherent problems”, is highly misleading, says NuVal.
US officials have shut down a slaughterhouse that supplied government food programmes after an undercover video allegedly revealed “sickening” animal cruelty.
The US Department for Agriculture (USDA) has retracted a statement showing support for the ‘Meatless Monday’ campaign after it attracted fury from the US livestock sector.
American beef production is expected to go down by 4% in 2012, hindered by record low cattle numbers, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has revealed.
A proposal to modernise poultry inspection in the US will focus resources on areas critical to ensuring food safety while reducing the burden on the taxpayer, the US government has announced.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Monday it intends to close 259 offices, facilities and laboratories across the United States, as part of an effort to save about $150m a year in the agency’s $145bn budget.
Spending taxpayers’ money on helping low-income shoppers buy “mostly junk and soda” is “nuts” and inexcusable, delegates were told at a lively debate between leading academics and economists on how government policy impacts the food supply at Harvard...
A US court of appeals has said that Monsanto must produce further studies examining the environmental impact of its genetically modified (GM) sugar beets before they can be planted on a commercial scale.
Gellan gum has been included in the National List of non-organic ingredients allowed for use in organic foods and beverages, according to a Federal Register notice.
A federal court judge has ordered the destruction of genetically modified (GM) sugar beets planted in September, saying that they were planted in contravention of a previous court decision.
Corn prices stabilized overnight after their biggest rise since 1973 on Monday, following a government downgrade of harvest forecasts at the end of last week.
A federal court has ruled that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has again acted illegally by allowing limited planting of genetically modified (GM) sugar beets despite a court-ordered ban.
Product differentiation and using existing distribution networks could help boost the efficiency and popularity of local foods, according to new report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has blocked a Chinese branch of a US organic certifier from certifying Chinese organics, the New York Times reports.
Monsanto has asked the US Supreme Court to end a ban on planting of genetically modified (GM) alfalfa that was instigated due to environmental impact concerns back in 2007.