Today’s quick hits, May 16, 2024

Food inflation stable: The inflation index for food was unchanged during April, and for the third month in a row, the annualized food inflation rate was 2.2 percent, said the Consumer Price Index report. (Department of Labor)

H5N1 amplifies regulatory fractures: Long-standing divisions between the USDA and FDA over food regulation could hamper the government’s response to H5N1 bird flu in cattle, said experts. The number of infected herds has risen to 49, including 14 in Michigan and 13 in Texas. (STAT)

‘Chicken is the new beef’: Fast-food chains are pushing chicken on their menus at the expense of beef because customers are looking to save money and chicken better aligns with healthy eating trends. (Yahoo Finance)

FDA says no to tara flour: The FDA said that tara flour, made from the seeds of a South American tree, did not meet its “generally recognized as safe” standard and should not be used in food production. (FDA)

Ag reporter Tomson dies: Bill Tomson, who covered food, agriculture, and trade issues for more than two decades in Washington, most recently for Agri-Pulse, after starting his career as a wire service reporter in Brazil, died at age 55 of cancer. (Agri-Pulse)