June 2021

Did you know the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) soil scientists are playing an important role in saving Florida’s manatees?

Richard Norman, 72, had long wanted to own a home, and move to a safer neighborhood. Unfortunately, he had been unable to get a loan from the bank. He wasn’t sure if his dream of homeownership would ever become a reality.

Life is getting back to normal with more people being vaccinated and meeting friends at restaurants. Bringing home leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day is becoming ordinary again. Don’t invite bacteria to your next meal. Here are some food safety tips so you can enjoy your restaurant leftovers without getting foodborne illness.

Until now, only a single Harbison's hawthorn (Crataegus harbisonii) tree was thought to exist in the wild, growing in the limestone soils of Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tennessee.

Farming is hot! From sweet corn to watermelon and apricots to tomatoes, a lot is growing on the farm this summer. Millions of producers across our nation continue to work tirelessly to produce safe and delicious food. According to the latest Census of Agriculture, more than a quarter of these producers are new and beginning farmers, proving that many people are unable to resist agriculture’s magnetic appeal.

In the United States, more than one-third of all available food goes uneaten through loss or waste and when landfilled it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture hosted our first ever USDA Food Loss and Waste Innovation Fair. This free, virtual fair highlighted businesses that are creating or implementing state-of-the-art technical solutions to reduce food loss and waste throughout the food system – from farm to table – and highlighted USDA activities in this space.

Gloria Gonzalez has humble beginnings in Mexico where, as a child, she lived in a home made by her grandmother out of river rocks and mud. The dream of living in a safe, sturdy home wouldn’t become reality until moving to the United States.

This year’s World Food Safety Day theme is “food safety is everyone’s business.” One group with members around the world is focused on the business of science-based food standards to protect consumer health.

As we recognize World Food Safety Day, we celebrate the five-year anniversary of the Food Safety Network (FSN), a partnership between USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FSN provides developing countries with the tools and training to strengthen animal and plant health, food safety, and agricultural trade. But, that’s not all. The work of FSN also supports the U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy’s goals to improve food security, and reduce poverty and malnutrition around the world.

No matter the language, World Food Safety Day aims to inspire action across the globe to prevent, detect, and manage foodborne risks.