States are told to expand job training for SNAP recipients
The Trump administration said on Thursday that state agencies operating SNAP must expand their job-training activities for food stamp recipients as a way to help them earn more. The proposal was unveiled on the same day as a federal court hearing on a lawsuit to block a USDA regulation, set to take effect April 1, that ends SNAP benefits for 700,000 adults.
FDA mulls ‘risk-based’ approach to CBD products
Americans are consuming the cannabis derivative cannabidiol (CBD) in food, beverages, and supplements, and dosing their pets with it as well, but “there is still much that we do not know about … potential risks,” said FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn on Thursday.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Delivering school food during COVID-19 (SNA): School food directors have suggested steps the USDA could take, including grab-and-go meals or emergency food lines at community sites, to maintain student access to healthy foods if schools are closed due to the coronavirus.
Proposal for year-round guestworker visa (Yoho): Under a bill proposed by Florida Rep. Ted Yoho, the USDA would run a government visa program for agricultural guestworkers that would allow them to work year-round for three years at a time on farms, in logging, and in some processing activities.
Rural America vulnerable to coronavirus (CAP): Rural America has a higher proportion of people at risk of the coronavirus, and rural workers are less likely than urban workers to have paid sick leave, says a think tank.
China grants tariff exemptions for soy (AgriCensus): The Chinese government has given several of the country’s soybean processors one-year exemptions from tariffs so they can import U.S. soybeans through March or April 2021.
Testing for poisonous mushrooms (Food and Wine): USDA scientists have developed a portable test strip that can tell in 10 minutes if a mushroom is poisonous. If licensing issues are resolved, the strips may be available for sale later this year.
