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Try A Little Tenderness: The Evolution and Future of Meat Tenderness Standards

Bucky Gwartney, International Marketing Specialist, AMS Livestock and Poultry Program

USDA’s longstanding grading process provides an excellent overall meat quality assessment for buyers, sellers, and consumers to make decisions about their meat purchases.

Health and Safety

Taste Test Your Thanksgiving Treats at the Right Time

November 21, 2024 Kenneth King, Public Affairs Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA

Thanksgiving is the most delicious holiday of the year and brings many tests to the kitchen. Will all the dishes be ready on time? Can we pull off this new casserole recipe? Many of these tests will be met with success; however, one test you should be careful of is the taste test. Taste testing...

Health and Safety

Keep your Kitchen Clean and Sanitized this Thanksgiving

November 21, 2024 Kenneth King, Public Affairs Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA

Thanksgiving is a time when friends and family gather to celebrate together, and the center of the action is the kitchen. Pots and pans will be full of collard greens and gravy while a turkey cooks in the oven. With so many moving parts, it is key that the preparation and cooking areas get fully...

Health and Safety

The Secret to a Successful Thanksgiving? The Right Tools to Prepare Your Turkey Safely

November 21, 2024 Zoya Sattar, Public Affairs Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA

For first-time hosts, or even experienced cooks, the Thanksgiving turkey can be a nerve-wracking dish to prepare once a year. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has some tips to reduce any anxiety over cooking your turkey this year.

Food and Nutrition Health and Safety

USDA Process Verified Program: Transparency from Farm to Market

August 16, 2024 Jennifer Porter, Deputy Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service

When purchasing food, many consumers look for information on where the food came from and how it was produced. No antibiotics, cage-free, and grass-fed are a few marketing claims consumers find on protein-based food packaging. To provide assurance to customers of the validity of these and other...

Farming Health and Safety

Pack It Safe, Pack It Smart: Back-to-School Lunchbox Packing Essentials

July 25, 2024 Beverly Lopez, Communications Program Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA

You can’t help but see school supplies everywhere if you’ve been shopping during the last few weeks. Alongside purchasing new backpacks and notebooks, it’s essential to also stock up on lunchbox essentials that will keep your child’s homemade lunches safe: insulated soft-sided lunch bags, two cold...

Health and Safety

Food Safety Sparklers: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill

July 02, 2024 Beverly Lopez, Communications Program Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA

Throwing a celebratory BBQ gathering this Fourth of July does not have to be stressful when it comes to the menu and food safety. As you prepare to welcome a large gathering of family and friends, keep these core food safety practices in mind:

Health and Safety

Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected

June 06, 2024 Dr. José Emilio Esteban, USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety, and Mary Frances Lowe, U.S. Codex Program

World Food Safety Day is June 7 and USDA is committed to doing our part to collaborate with federal and state partners and engage in vital conversations with food safety experts, consumer organizations, industry, and academia to ensure safe food for all.

Health and Safety Trade

Splash into Food Safety at the Pool this Summer

May 22, 2024 Meredith Carothers, Public Affairs Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA

It’s officially pool season! Meals at the pool come in many forms – ordered from the snack bar, delivered from local restaurants, packed from home, or carried outside from the kitchen. Follow these food safety steps to keep splashing all summer long!

Health and Safety

New Resource Toolkit Increases Consumer Understanding of the USDA Organic Label

May 21, 2024 Jennifer Lester Moffitt, Under Secretary, Marketing & Regulatory Programs, USDA

Organic is a growing sector, with domestic sales of organic products topping $69.7 billion in 2023. However, consumer research shows that consumers do not always understand what “organic” means and how USDA protects the organic label.

Farming Organic