A humane certification label assures consumers that farmers and producers across the U.S. are raising these animals under good animal-welfare standards, covering everything from adequate space to air quality, diet, living conditions and the ability to express natural behaviors.

As part of my duties for Independent Processor and The National Provisioner, I have to look through the news for meat industry-related stories.

Stacy and Troy Hadrick truly practice what they preach. This fifth-generation South Dakota ranching couple is helping to make the voice of agriculture louder and more influential by putting a face to the people who put food on our plates.

Since 2010 FSIS has been discussing the need for improved HACCP System Validation, and the agency has published considerable information on the topic.

A particular headline I saw online one Saturday this spring announced a countdown of “The 10 biggest food recalls in American history.”

Recently, I attended an association meeting where a staff member was sharing an experience she had at a consumer group meeting she attended.

After years of meat science education, research and experience, I have gained a better understanding of the mechanisms of beef aging and differences in eating quality that can be derived from it.

As the U.S. poultry industry continues to deal with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus infection in the Midwest, it is important to reflect on why this virus has spread through a section of the industry and how the poultry industry has prepared itself for control of this disease.

On May 18, 2015, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published its final rule on “Descriptive Designation for Needle- or Blade-Tenderized (Mechanically Tenderized) Beef Products” (http://1.usa.gov/1HsoLwN).

So far, this year, there has not been a single recall of raw ground beef for the presence of E. coli O157:H7 or non O157 STECs (“E. coli”).