Senate bill says U.S. diet advice must be solely nutritional
The Senate version of the USDA/FDA funding bill includes language that would restrict the new edition of the Dietary Guidelines to solely nutritional and dietary matters.
Stringent biosecurity crucial in preventing bird flu, says USDA
In an updated report on the worst-ever bird flu epidemic to infect U.S. poultry flocks, the government says "comprehensive and stringent biosecurity practices remain crucial to reducing the risk of HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] infection."
Researcher eyes insects as livestock feed source
A Duke University fellow, Philip Taylor, is experimenting with the black soldier fly as an alternative to fishmeal or soybeans to provide protein in livestock feed, reports Earth Island Journal, describing Taylor's efforts to find the ideal artificial light to encourage flies to reproduce.
Putting rice in the coffee maker to flush out arsenic
"Cooking rice by repeatedly flushing it through with fresh hot water can remove much of the grain’s stored arsenic," says the journal Nature, citing newly published research on how to reduce levels of arsenic is one of the world's staple foods.
Head of largest U.S. farm group to retire in January
Cattle and rice producer Bob Stallman will retire as president of the American Farm Bureau Federation in January, after 16 years as leader of the organization.
Senate ag chairman says “flexibility” is key for school-food bill
Senate Agriculture chairman Pat Roberts says the word he hears again and again is "flexibility" when the topic is renewal of U.S. child nutrition programs that cost $21 billion a year.
Ag chemicals in tap water – “that’s just the way it is”
When state officials said many rivers and streams around Edgerton in southwestern Minnesota were unsafe for swimming and fishing because of agricultural run-off, it wasn't news in the local paper.
Companies join White House on climate pledge
Thirteen of the largest U.S. companies "are joining President Obama" to push "a slew of policies meant to curb the effects of climate change," said The Hill newspaper.
Some farms thrive while California drought burns others
Vegetable and fruit growers in the Salinas Valley on California's Central Coast "are actually thriving despite historically dry conditions - at least for now," says the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
First mid-year increase in U.S. cattle inventory in nine years
The U.S. cattle herd is rebuilding after years of shrinkage, said the USDA in the semi-annual Cattle report.
House may pass bill against GMO labeling before end of July
The U.S. House could vote as early as next week on a bill to pre-empt states from requiring labels on food made with genetically modified organisms. And passage seems assured, backers said, after speedy committee approval of the legislation. The Agriculture Committee, a quarter of whose members are cosponsors of the bill, approved an updated version on a voice vote during a session that ran less than 20 minutes.
Orange output to fall 7 percent globally on lower yields
Orange production will drop by 7 percent this year due to lower yields among the four major growers, Brazil, China, the United States and the European Union, which account for two-thirds of world output, says the USDA.
Grain-farm income to plummet this year in Midwest
A farmer with 1,500 acres of highly productive land in central Illinois could see net income this year that is a fraction of last year - around $7,500 versus more than $103,000 in 2014, says U-Illinois economist Gary Schnitkey.
Biggest one-month increase in egg prices in 42 years
With supplies crimped by bird flu, retail egg prices jumped 17.8 percent in June, "the largest month-over-month increase since 1973, and are now 21.8 percent above the June 2014 levels", said the USDA in dramatically raising its forecast of egg prices for the year.
Citrus greening found for second time in Los Angeles County
The fatal citrus greening disease was confirmed for the second time in the San Gabriel section of Los Angeles County, reports the Fresno Bee.
GMO foods could be “natural” under House pre-emption bill
A bill to prevent states from requiring labels on foods made with genetically modified organisms could allow GMO foods to be marketed as "natural," opponents claimed ahead of a committee vote scheduled for today on the bill.
Too many still weigh too much, but Americans are eating less
"After decades of worsening diets and sharp increases in obesity, Americans' eating habits have begun changing for the better," says the New York Times.
FDA proposes more Nutrition Facts details for added sugars
The government proposed that the Nutrition Facts label should say what percentage an item would provide of the recommended daily amount of added sugar to the diet.
Five years later, update of U.S. food-safety system falters
A Politico investigation concludes that, "The Obama administration and Congress have all but squandered an opportunity to give the anemic Food and Drug Administration, which is responsible for the safety of 80 percent of the food supply, a level of oversight the public has long assumed it already had.
Lawmakers parry green groups on sage grouse listing
Two relatively unknown environmental groups "have increasingly dominated the process of species protection" and prompted a backlash by pro-business Republicans in Congress, says Reuters.