Chipotle settles union-busting charges:The burrito chain will pay $240,000 to 24 workers who were trying to organize a union when the company permanently closed their store. (Maine Public)
Bird flu slows down: A comparatively small 820,000 birds in domestic flocks have been lost to highly pathogenic avian influenza in the first three months of this year, a dramatic reduction from nearly 5.1 million birds in December. (FERN’s Ag Insider)
Mayne to leave FDA: The director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Susan Mayne, will retire effective May 31 amid a reorganization intended to strengthen the agency’s role in nutrition and food safety. (Food Dive)
Aid for distressed farmers: In April, the USDA will release $123 million in additional, automatic assistance to qualifying farm-loan borrowers who are facing financial risk; recipients would be a different group of farmers than the 13,000 borrowers who received $800 million last fall. (USDA)
FDA knew of contamination: Infant formula maker Reckitt recalled 145,000 cans of infant formula in February because of possible bacterial contamination — three months after FDA inspectors learned of test results indicating a problem. (Politico)