The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) new initiative is outlined in “HSUS scorecard to measure corporate animal welfare commitments.”  The scorecard is designed to measure food companies progress toward meeting their animal welfare commitments.

“Trump Crackdown Unnerves Immigrants, and the Farmers Who Rely on Them,” discusses agricultures dependence on an undocumented labor force, from the New York Times.

“Companies Are Rushing to Meet Cage-Free Egg Deadline,” was reported in Bloomberg and picked up by numerous other media outlets.

“National Cancer Institute Director Ned Sharpless named acting FDA commissioner,” was reported by CNBC as Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb prepares to leave the agency in April.

“USDA and FDA Announce a Formal Agreement to Regulate Cell-Cultured Food Products from Cell Lines of Livestock and Poultry,” describes the oversight roles and responsibilities for both agencies.

Watt Ag reported on “Cooper Farms’ purchase of Hemmelgarn & Sons finalized.”

Food Navigator-USA reports “Sprouts, Whole Foods, to rollout plant-based JUST Egg nationwide.”

Industry Events

Biosecurity Basics & Beyond: Tools to Defend Your Flock will be presented by USDA APHIS and CDC vets, joined by Andy Schneider, The Chicken Whisperer.  This webinar is on March 28 at 2:30 PM EST.  Additional resources and information can be found at the Defend the Flock Resource Center with Spanish materials available.

Lessons on Becoming a Certified USDA Vendor will be presented by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.  This live, interactive webinar is on April 2 at 2 pm EST.  Areas covered include:

• Steps to becoming an “approved vendor”
• System for Award Management (SAM) Tips to Register
• Guide through our Commodity Procurement website
• Frequently Asked Questions

The 2019 Egg Industry Issues Forum is scheduled for April 16-17 in Kansas City, Missouri. Held at the Westin Crown Center Hotel, the agenda includes the considerations of outcomes-based versus research-based standards, labor needs, Prop 12 and cage-free economic implications and more.   Click here for registration and additional information.