Unpasteurized milk and cheeses made from it are responsible for nearly all foodborne illnesses caused by contaminated dairy products. And the growing popularity of and access to these products threaten to increase the number of disease outbreaks caused by these food items, a new study says. [node:read-more:link]

“Consumers care about this issue,” says Angie Siemens, vice president of food safety, quality and regulatory at Cargill. “You will continue to see the marketplace move, no matter what the science is, no matter what the metrics are, no matter what the regulations are.”  Siemens participated in a NIAA antibiotics roundtable last summer that included stakeholders from across the spectrum. [node:read-more:link]

As animal rights activists are actively campaigning to get the U.S. broiler industry to transition into slower-growing breeds, their strategy can be summarized in four words, attendees at the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit were told.Numbers. “I think when we look at broilers in particular, there’s a numbers game here,” Salois said, pointing out that the amount of chickens in the U.S. and the amount it takes to feed people are larger than the numbers associated with cattle or pigs. Words. “Slow-growth” resonates. It’s simple. It gets headlines.” Brands. [node:read-more:link]

Proposed legislative changes to meat and poultry inspection services in various states could make those programs inconsistent with federal requirements, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said in a letter to state meat and poultry inspection directors. [node:read-more:link]

A proposal to expand allowable activities for cider businesses on farmland is sailing through the Oregon legislature with minimal opposition.Imitating rules established for wineries, Senate Bill 677 would permit cider businesses to produce and sell their beverages, serve food and conduct other agritourism activities on-site in farm zones.Companies generating less than 100,000 gallons of cider a year would have to be within or next to an orchard of at least 15 acres to take advantage of the provisions.The orchard size requirement would increase to 40 acres for those businesses producing more [node:read-more:link]

While recent media reports have condemned a commonly used agricultural pesticide as detrimental to honey bee health, scientists with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture have found that the overall health of honey bee hives actually improves in the presence of agricultural production. [node:read-more:link]

Over the past three decades the area of sea ice in the Arctic has fallen by more than half and its volume has plummeted by three-quarters. So says a report “Snow, Water, Ice, Permafrost in the Arctic” (SWIPA), produced under the auspices of the Arctic Council, a scientific-policy club for the eight countries with territory in the Arctic Circle, as well as observers including China and India.  SWIPA estimates that the Arctic will be free of sea ice in the summer by 2040. Scientists previously suggested this would not occur until 2070. [node:read-more:link]

Following the success of last year’s #FarmingFridays social content series, Culver’s has again invited agricultural influencers to share photos and videos depicting their passion for and knowledge about agriculture.  #FarmingFridays is part of Culver’s Thank You Farmers initiative, which recognizes the hard work and commitment of the farmers who feed the nation. [node:read-more:link]

America's dairy farmers have been having a tough couple of years. There's a glut of milk on the market, and prices are low.Wisconsin's dairypeople seem especially put out. They've persuaded one of their U.S. [node:read-more:link]