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🍽️Important Public Meeting on Food Additives Regulations in 2025

The U.S. Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on February 18, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. eastern time (ET). The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the 55th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which is scheduled to be held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from March 24-28, 2025. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 55th Session of the CCFA and to address items on the agenda.

🐄USDA Withdraws Proposed Livestock and Poultry Market Rules

The United States Department of Agriculture's ("USDA" or "the Department") Agricultural Marketing Service ("AMS" or "the Agency") is withdrawing a notice of proposed rulemaking, the "Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets" proposed rule.

🐔New Regulations Impacting Poultry Grower Compensation and Practices

This final rule by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA or the Department) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS or the Agency) amends the Agency's regulations under the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (P&S Act or Act). The Act protects fair trade, financial integrity, and competitive markets for poultry. The final rule prohibits certain payment practices under poultry grower ranking systems (commonly known as tournaments) in contract poultry production for broiler chickens, requires live poultry dealers (LPDs) to adopt policies and procedures for operating a fair ranking system for broiler growers, and requires LPDs to provide certain information to broiler growers when the LPD requests or requires the grower to make additional capital investments. These regulations will increase transparency and address deception and unfairness in broiler grower payments, tournament operations, and capital improvement systems.

🥕Public Meeting Notice by U.S. Codex Office on Fresh Produce Standards

The U.S. Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on Feb 5, 2025. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the 22nd Session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV), which will meet in Mexico City, Mexico, from February 25-March 1, 2025. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 23rd Session of the CCFFV and to address items on the agenda.

🚫Nicaragua Added to Screwworm List

We are advising the public that we have added Nicaragua to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) list maintained on the APHIS website of regions considered affected with screwworm. We took this action because of the confirmation of screwworm in this region.

🧈New USDA Rule on Butterfat Testing

This final rule adopts amendments to the plant records requirement for the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Dairy Grading and Inspection Program. The amendments allow butterfat tests to be performed at an in-house or approved third party laboratory and add a requirement for plants to maintain and make such records available for examination by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspector. These amendments increase efficiency by conforming to current industry practice.

🌾Proposed Updates to Grain Inspection Geographic Areas and Compliance

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is issuing this notice to announce proposed updates to the boundaries of the geographic areas in which official service providers (OSP) perform official inspection and weighing services under a United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA) designation or delegation, and for purposes of cooperative service agreements under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (AMA). The proposed updates are necessary due to changes in natural and man- made landmarks, railroad lines, roads, and signs that were used in historical boundary descriptions.

🍽️2025 Reimbursement Rates Update for Summer Food Service Program

This notice informs the public of the annual adjustments to the reimbursement rates for meals served in the Summer Food Service Program. These adjustments address changes in the Consumer Price Index, as required under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The 2025 reimbursement rates are presented as a combined set of rates to highlight simplified cost accounting procedures. The 2025 rates are also presented individually, as separate operating and administrative rates of reimbursement, to show the effect of the Consumer Price Index adjustment on each rate. On average, the 2025 rates adjustment represents a 3.6 percent increase in the rates from last year.

⚖️USDA APHIS Modifies SNICAS System Under Privacy Act Regulations

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is modifying a system of records in its inventory of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. The system of records being modified is the Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance (SITC) National Information Communication Activity System (SNICAS), USDA/APHIS-21. SNICAS maintains a record of activities conducted by the agency pursuant to its mission and authorized responsibilities. The purpose of the system is to record data and information about APHIS' SITC activities nationwide. We are modifying the system to exempt the system from certain provisions of the Privacy Act.

📊USDA NASS Data Collection Review and Compliance Notice