The USDA, the EPA and the FDA on Oct. 18 announced the signing of a joint agency formal agreement under the “Winning on Reducing Food Waste” initiative. The agreement is aimed at improving coordination and communication across federal agencies attempting to better educate Americans on the impacts and importance of reducing food loss and waste. Signing the […]
Tag: USDA
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USDA Loosens SNAP Restrictions In North Carolina Through Oct. 31
The USDA on Sept. 16 approved a waiver that will allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants in North Carolina to buy hot foods with their benefits through Oct. 31. USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue emphasized the importance of the waiver, noting that many North Carolina residents who evacuated to shelters cannot store food and are […]
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USDA Finds Slight Improvement In Food Insecure Population
A report released this week by the USDA found that one in eight households (11.8 percent) in the U.S. had trouble providing enough food for all their members at some time during 2017. This represents a decline of 0.5 percentage points from the previous year’s data. Still, the improvements are not enough to overcome the effects of […]
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Double Up SNAP Incentives Expand To Grocery Stores In Five States
Nonprofit organization Fair Food Network has received $1.5 million in new federal support to expand the Double Up Food Bucks produce incentive program to grocery stores in five states, reaching nearly 1 million SNAP recipients. Produce incentives boost the value of SNAP benefits when spent on fruits and vegetables. This funding will launch Double Up at independent […]
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NGA: Store-Level SNAP Data Should Remain Private
Food stamp sales data is now public information. That’s according to a ruling by a three-judge panel of the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul, Minnesota, in Argus Leader Media vs United States Department of Agriculture. The decision “paves the way for the United States Department of Agriculture to release more than a […]
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Trump Administration ‘Food Box’ SNAP Proposal Sparks Concern
The Trump Administration’s 2019 budget proposal calls for a change to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that would replace current benefits with a “USDA Foods package.” The food box would contain items like “shelf-stable milk, ready to eat cereals, pasta, peanut butter, beans and canned fruit and vegetables.” Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Chief Public […]
Posted inGrocery News, Meat/Seafood/Poultry, Perishables
Beef Checkoff Promotes Batch Cooking For Back-To-School Meals
With school back in session, family schedules are ramping up. To help them get back in the swing of post-summer life, the Beef Checkoff is helping stretched families by providing batch cooking tips to ensure meal planning is stress-free but still nutritious. The promotional board is offering tips on batch-cooking shredded beef and steak and […]
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Ag Secretary Announces $16.8M To Encourage SNAP Participants To Purchase Healthy Foods
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Monday announced 32 grants totaling $16.8 million to help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants increase their purchases of fruits and vegetables. The program is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The funding comes from the Food Insecurity Nutrition […]
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USDA Reorganized To Elevate Rural Development As Priority
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Thursday announced the creation of an undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a recognition of the ever-increasing importance of international trade to American agriculture, the department says. Perdue made the announcement standing by barges filled with agricultural products along the banks […]
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Perdue Confirmed As U.S. Secretary Of Agriculture
Former Georgia Gov. George Ervin “Sonny” Perdue has been confirmed as the new U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. A number of trade groups, including the United Fresh Produce Association, are praising this week’s appointment, which was approved by an 87-11 vote. Robert Guenther, SVP for public policy at United Fresh, said, “United Fresh congratulates Secretary Perdue […]
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NGA President Testifies To Protect Retailer SNAP Sales Data
The National Grocers Association (NGA) president and CEO Peter Larkin testified in Sioux Falls, South Dakota this week in Argus Leader Media vs United States Department of Agriculture as a witness for the USDA. Larkin testified on behalf of USDA as a supermarket expert and representative of the independent supermarket industry. NGA has long maintained that a […]