A report released by the Food and Drug Administration concludes that the most likely source of several E. coli outbreaks in 2019 was fecal contamination from nearby cattle lots.
FDA Finds Cattle Most Likely Cause of E. coli Outbreaks
Sea Shepherd Sues United States Over New Zealand Fishery Imports
Sea Shepherd has filed suit against a variety of federal agencies, alleging that the agencies’ failure to ban imports from certain fisheries in New Zealand that cause harm to endangered dolphins violates the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.
Congress Considers Pay Relief for Meat, Poultry, and Egg Producers
Senate Bill 3797 proposes to provide overtime and holiday pay relief for small egg, meat, and poultry processing plants. The full text of the bill is not yet available.
Smithfield Foods Sued Over “Safest” Pork Claims
The Organic Consumers Association, represented by the Richman Law Group, has filed suit against Smithfield Foods, alleging that the company’s representation of its products as the “safest” on the market is false and misleading.
Supermarket Chain and Milk Producers Cooperative File Antitrust Challenge Against Dairy Merger
Food Lion, a supermarket chain, and the Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association have filed suit against the Dairy Farmers of America, alleging that the proposed merger between the corporation and Dean Foods Company violates federal antitrust law and are seeking injunctive relief.
Psychological Research into the “Meat Paradox”
A new article published in Personality and Individual Differences explores the “meat paradox”—the phenomenon that people with higher levels of empathy for animals do not necessarily reduce their meat consumption—and proposes moral disengagement as a possible explanation.
Department of Justice Clears Farmers’ Coordination in “Depopulation” Efforts
House Considers Liability Shield for Meat Processors
H.R. 6883 proposes to shield meat processing facilities from liability during the COVID-19 pandemic. The full text of the measure is not yet available.
Senator Warren to Co-Sponsor Senator Booker’s Farm System Reform Act
Senator Elizabeth Warren announced that she will co-sponsor the Farm System Reform Act, legislation introduced in 2019 that would both prevent the construction of any new factory farms and require the closure of existing factory farms by the year 2040. The legislation would also amend the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 to bolster antitrust enforcement and require country of origin labeling.