Meat & Poultry

Could fewer slaughterhouse inspectors make for a safer chicken cutlet? Federal officials see a way to modernize poultry plant inspections while reducing the number of government workers needed to look out for potential contamination. Critics say the plan is a turkey.

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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said during a visit to Des Moines on Friday that he “welcomes the fact that folks are joining us” in defending the use of beef trimmings. …

Farmland Foods announced a partnership with the legendary Richard Petty Motorsports NASCAR team. Farmland will appear on the iconic No. 43 Ford Fusion as the primary sponsor in four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events in Chicago, Kansas, Texas and Phoenix. …

To help commemorate Earth Day, Smithfield Foods, Inc. debuted a new video that talks about what the company, along with others in the pork industry, is doing to help feed the world's growing population with food that is produced responsibly and sustainably. …

When it comes to food, the alternatives are endless: spicy or bland; Mexican, Italian, Asian or Southern-style comfort dishes. But when it comes to beef, almost everyone agrees on a few features. “Consumers tell us that higher fat levels are more desirable; they like it better,” says Mark Miller, meat scientist at Texas Tech University. “We’ve found that marbling level has a really big impact on the consumer’s desire for beef.”

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