Lawmakers weigh easing food safety rules for small meat operations to address consolidation

Consideration of the PRIME Act comes as the Biden administration works to expand independent processing capacity and break up consolidation in the beef and poultry industries.  

By Sarah Zimmerman • June 16, 2023

USDA takes aim at ‘grass-fed’ and other humane meat labeling claims

The agency is considering whether to strengthen requirements for verifying production practices as the industry faces criticism for potentially misleading consumers.

By Sarah Zimmerman • June 15, 2023

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Top 5 stories from Agriculture Dive

Declining farm income and other production challenges have pushed farmers to rethink their operations and adopt new technology in a bid to diversify potential revenue streams. 

By Agriculture Dive staff

Pork prices weaken on excess supply, fueling concerns amid Prop 12 uncertainty

Pork packers like Hormel and Tyson have reported sales declines, citing inflation and soft demand.

By Nathan Owens • June 13, 2023

Egg prices decline as flocks rebuild, bird flu’s impact wanes, analyst says

The wholesale cost for a dozen has plunged from more than $5 to 84 cents, which could prompt consumers to purchase more of the popular commodity.

By Chris Casey • May 25, 2023

Supreme Court ruling upholding California’s animal welfare law could lead more states to act

Producers of meat, eggs and other animal items are being advised more restrictive state laws may be coming after last week's 5-4 decision affirming the ban on pork from farms using gestation crates.

By Chris Casey • May 17, 2023

Organic food sales hit a record in 2022, topping $60B for the first time

The category saw a 4.3% increase last year, which the Organic Trade Association said indicates a continued interest from consumers despite economic volatility.

By Chris Casey • May 15, 2023

Tyson Foods posts first quarterly loss in 14 years and lowers 2023 sales outlook

CEO Donnie King told Wall Street analysts he can’t remember a time when the company faced “the highly unusual situation” of its beef, pork and chicken operations experiencing challenges simultaneously.

By Chris Casey • May 9, 2023

JBS ends contracts with company fined for employing child labor

The meat processing giant will transition its sanitation services in-house at some locations and to third-party providers at other plants.

By Chris Casey • April 26, 2023

USDA gets closer to officially designating salmonella a contaminant

A proposal in the Federal Register would decree that raw stuffed breaded chicken with low levels of the bacteria is adulterated.

By Megan Poinski • April 25, 2023

Pilgrim’s Pride, Perdue settle in poultry price-fixing case totaling $35M

These chicken producers join a dozen other companies that have agreed to a settlement with Washington state’s attorney general who says the businesses colluded to increase profits. Five processors have yet to settle.

By Chris Casey • April 10, 2023

How are schools adapting agricultural programs amid climate changes?

As environmental changes continue, agricultural programs are adjusting curriculum to teach students how food and farming science are evolving.

By Lauren Barack • April 5, 2023

Conagra commits to phasing out gestation crates amid pressure

The food giant aims to source all of its pork from farms that use open pen gestation systems by 2026, a win for The Humane Society which had been pushing for the change. 

By Chris Casey • April 4, 2023

Why cage-free eggs could be on shaky ground

Industry leaders are still on a path to wider adoption of cage-free systems, but consumer expectations, bird flu and a Supreme Court decision could impact whether they continue to invest in the practice.

By Chris Casey • Feb. 28, 2023