A panel has recommended that the USDA make meat and egg inspection data more accessible to the public, according to a report in the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Argus Leader.
The U.S. government left its food-price inflation forecast unchanged in a monthly report and projected that a sharp climb in prices will abate in 2012.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of maintaining a system which maximizes effective and accurate food traceability. Certainly, failure can and has resulted in financial disaster and bankruptcy for even the largest of companies.
According to the latest USDA forecast for turkey production, during the first six months of 2011, turkey meat production was 5.5 percent higher than the same period in 2010 (2.9 billion pounds).
As the drought in Texas worsens, more and more ranchers are sending their cattle to slaughterhouses earlier than normal, due to the rising costs of trucking in hay from other states. As a result, the increase in beef supplies may lead to decreased costs for retail beef in the fall and winter, says the USDA.
National Turkey Federation (NTF) President Joel Brandenberger announced the appointment of Lisa Wallenda Picard, formerly chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), as NTF’s new vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the availability of the final guidelines to assist meat and poultry establishments that want to improve operations by using in-plant video monitoring.
The U.S. government has announced that it will buy a $40 million “bonus” purchase of chicken, on top of the chicken it normally buys for feeding programs, including soup kitchens and school lunches.
