USDA plans to devote another $400 million to help provide support for responses to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that have affected nearly 38 million birds in 35 U.S. states since November.

The funding will allow the agency’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to continue its national rapid response activities, including programs to help animal health officials in affected areas to quickly identify and address new HPAI outbreaks, USDA said in a news release.

“Safeguarding U.S. poultry and egg producers from the effects avian influenza could have on agriculture and trade is a critical aspect of this response, and this funding will allow APHIS personnel to continue to deploy and support the emergency wherever they are needed,” said USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt.
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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week approved the latest funding transfer from the Commodity Credit Corporation, the third such action since the beginning of the year for a total of $393 million in March and April alone. APHIS — which has mobilized 1,125 employees to cover HPAI outbreaks — also reported that more than 10.8 million commercial and backyard birds in nine new states were affected by HPAI since the April funding transfer.

Food inflation and rising costs have increased the price of a foodservice meal over the past few years, up 9% in April compared to April 2019, contributing to a 4% decline in consumer visits to U.S. restaurants this April compared to a year ago, reports The NPD Group. Restaurant traffic in April was 11% below the pre-pandemic level in April 2019. The 1% increase in consumer spending at restaurants in April versus a year ago was more a reflection of higher prices than increased use of restaurants, according to NPD’s daily tracking of the U.S. foodservice industry.  Click here to read the full article. 

Learn how to profit from the strong demand for ethnic cuisines. Millennials and Boomers seek out exciting new and different global flavors. Discover why promoting these foods is smart business.
When was the last time you thought of Italian food as ethnic? Blinked twice to see potstickers on the menu at a casual theme restaurant? Exactly: Ethnic food is a mainstream phenomenon.
According to the Emerging Global Cuisines: Culinary Trend Mapping Report, released by the Center for Culinary Development and Packaged Facts: “Emerging global cuisines are literally opening up a whole new world of culinary experiences to American consumers of all ages, due to the nearly infinite range of ingredients, forms, and flavors they offer.” The report goes on to cite the fact that well-traveled Baby Boomers and adventurous Millennials alike are drawn to the emerging flavors and specialties of such countries as Peru, Morocco, Korea, and Japan.

Pick up any menu these days, and you’re sure to find global flavors in abundance. Simply put, borders no longer exist when it comes to taste. And as operators look to attract new diners, they’re turning to these worldly inspired cuisines to capitalize on the demand. So, what’s driving this desire for diversity? Here are a few reasons for the continuing trend:

• Younger diners, who were likely introduced to worldly flavors at a younger age, tend to have more adventurous palates.
• With travel curtailed during the pandemic, there is pent-up demand for new and diverse experiences.
• The easier access to a wider range of foods has broadened the tastes of consumers.
• The general population is becoming more diverse1. The growth of people entering the country has surpassed the number of people born here. And Generation Alpha, or those born after 2010, is the most racially diverse generation in our country’s history. Culinary preferences, therefore, are shifting to mirror this change.

According to Datassential, tots menu growth is predicted to outperform all food and beverage over the next 4 years! Arm your operators with this incredible growth opportunity with Basic American Foods Potato Tot Mix.

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With prices across the economy — from food, gas and rent to cars, airfares and hotel rooms — soaring at their fastest pace in decades, you might think Americans would tap the brakes on spending.
Not so far. Consumers as a whole are showing surprising resilience, not only sustaining their spending but increasing it even after adjusting for inflation. In April, the government said, retail sales outplaced inflation for a fourth straight month. It was a reassuring sign that consumers — the primary drivers of America’s economy — are still providing vital support and helping allay concerns that a recession might be near. Click here to read the full story. 

​Tyson Foods Inc. will invest $1.8 billion as it opens 12 meat plants over the next two years that are expected to increase the Springdale, Ark.-based processor's annual capacity by approximately 1.3 billion pounds. 
“Consumer demand for protein has remained strong, and we are taking deliberate actions by segment to improve our volumes to better meet customer needs, including investing in new capacity,” said Tyson President and CEO Donnie King told analysts at the presentation covering the company's second quarter earnings earlier this month.
Currently on the Tyson docket are seven overseas processing facilities in addition to two U.S.-based beef and pork plants and two domestic value-added chicken processing plants.
“The construction of new plants continues to progress,” King continued. “This additional capacity will enable our team to address capacity constraints and better serve growing demand for protein across all segments. Along with ramping up utilization of our newest plant in Humboldt, Eagle Mountain and Thailand, we have four plants expected to commence operation in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022.”
The plant announcement comes on the heels of Tyson’s report of strong second-quarter sales and increased revenue guidance.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infections have now affected 344 commercial and backyard flocks in 35 states, USDA said in its latest update.
More than 38 million birds have been affected in the outbreaks, which include 57,000 turkeys at a commercial farm in Minnesota’s Dakota County, the agency confirmed  over the weekend. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in recent days also confirmed New Jersey’s first case of HPAI of 2022 in a non-commercial backyard poultry flock in Monmouth County. APHIS says it is working with state animal health officials on a joint response to the outbreak.

High inflation, including rising gas prices, can disrupt the improving performance of restaurant tenants. Simmering demand from Americans who missed dining our during the pandemic boiled over in late 2021, resulting in more restaurant visits and increased consumer spending. But inflationary pressures could force consumers to economize, thereby jeopardizing the restaurant industry’s recovery and disrupting retail leasing momentum. Click here to read the full article. 

Restaurants continued to increase their share of spending in April, reaching 54.9% of the food dollar, according to U.S. Census data released Tuesday. Click here to read the full update.

Vegetable and fruit growers in the Carolinas aren’t having any trouble selling their produce, says Kevin Hardison, marketing representative for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and liaison with the North Carolina Vegetable Growers Association. The hard part is putting all the pieces together to produce and ship the crops. Click here to read the full story from The Packer. 

​Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said they are leading a bipartisan push for more funding to help address the nation’s highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak. 

Wisconsin is now prohibiting the movement of domestic birds to all live events, including shows, exhibitions and swap meets, due to ongoing cases of HPAI in the state. 
The new order from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection replaces an earlier edict, and expands the suspension from poultry to all domestic birds, the agency noted. The rules remain in effect until 30 days after the last detection of HPAI among domestic flocks in the state.

Inflation may be slowing just a bit, but food prices are on fire. Food prices were 9.4% higher in April 2022 than in April 2021 -- the largest annual increase in 41 years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday. Grocery prices jumped 10.8% for the year. (The prices do not reflect seasonal swings.) Click here to read the full article from CNN Business. 

Chicken is not as cheap as it used to be. USDA reported prices for skinned boneless chicken breasts in the Northeast region were ranging between $3.30 and $3.35 per lb. on May 4. Food Institute records showed this was up from the $2.90-$2.95 range reported as recently as April 13. Increases were also reported for chicken legs and leg quarters, with wing prices the only category tracked to exhibit a price decrease. Click here to read the full article.