A proposed new inspection system for pork facilities will shift the responsibility for identifying diseased and contaminated carcasses away from USDA inspectors toward pork plant employees, Kimberly Kindy reports in the Washington Post.
Tuesday, April 2 is the last day to comment on the USDA’s cruel and short-sighted proposal to limit access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as food stamps) benefits.
The nationwide financial squeeze on federal employees, contractors, and the businesses that depend on them may be the most visible harm from the ongoing partial government shutdown, but we should also be aware of damage to science. The shutdown has furloughed federal scientists, stalled data collection, weakened scientific meetings, left current and potential collaborators hanging, […]
A new law in West Virginia spurs comment on wealth disparity in the U.S.
Sanitation workers in the meatpacking industry face life-threatening dangers on the job; number of OSHA inspectors down under Trump; truckers feel the pressure to work while sleep-deprived; and despite increased demand for sexual harassment training, there’s little evidence it actually works.
An Oklahoma rehab center funnels forced free labor into private industry; the National Labor Relations Board reconsiders Obama-era union election rules; farmworkers at risk from California’s wildfire smoke; and domestic workers organize for greater labor rights in Seattle.
Food Safety & Nutrition
Government auditors validate safety complaints from meat and poultry workers
An investigation by GAO of the meatpacking and poultry industry validates concerns raised by workers about fear of losing their jobs if they report safety problems, and being denied access to the bathroom and proper medical care for injuries.
Local efforts help California nail salons create healthier working conditions; California court ruling a win for farm workers and labor unions; Milwaukee institutes new safety measures after a city employee is shot and killed; and flight attendants chronicle sexual harassment in the skies.
In many households, a Thanksgiving tradition is for someone at the table to express appreciation for the meal in front of them. We often overlook the individuals who do the labor-intensive and dangerous work that brings the turkeys and other food to our table.
Food Safety & Nutrition
WHO releases new guidelines on antibiotics in food animals; USDA muddies the waters
In its release of new guidelines that recommend big reductions in antibiotic use in food animals, WHO cited the presence of extensive literature on this topic. So why did USDA put out a statement with a misleading description of the guidelines’ scientific basis?