Are Socially Distanced Chickens Laying More Affordable Eggs?
Shoppers used to picking up the cheapest eggs at the grocery store may now be reaching for higher-end cartons. That’s because bird flu is turbocharging prices of commercially produced eggs, while farmers of pasture-raised hens — who say their practices make for more humane, sustainable and tasty eggs — have largely held their premium prices steady.
Grocery shoppers may be noticing the price gap narrow or even invert, in some cases making specialty eggs cheaper than conventional ones. Nationwide, a dozen eggs sold for $4.95 on average in January, up from $2.52 a year earlier, as avian influenza has wiped out poultry flocks and slammed into domestic egg supplies.
Through it all, specialty egg distributor Pete & Gerry’s says its dozen-egg cartons have been retailing for about $6.99 over the past 18 to 24 months.
Meat Industry Pushes Back on Cultivated Meat Bans
The National Law Review reported:
While several states are taking legislative action to restrict or ban the sale of cultivated meat, with legislators arguing that the bans would protect the meat industry, there is a different message coming from many groups in the industry itself. Critics of the bans argue that they would “restrict free trade and threaten food safety benefits.”
Nebraska, a state that ranks among the top 10 producers of beef and pork, is among many of the states that has proposed a cultivated meat ban, and the state’s governor issued an executive order in August 2024 barring state agencies from buying cultivated meat. However, ranchers and meat industry groups are pushing back on the ban, saying that “it’s up to the consumer to make the decision about what they buy and eat.” Industry groups say that they are “not worried about competition” from cultivated meat but prefer a different approach that would require the products to be clearly labeled as lab-grown.
The North American Meat Institute has similarly opposed cultivated meat bans, writing a letter in opposition to the Florida ban in February 2024. In its letter, the organization says that the bills would be preempted by the Federal Meat Inspection Act, which regulates the processing and distribution of meat products in interstate commerce.
Spotlight on UPFs: NIH Explores Link Between Ultra-Processed Foods and Heart Disease
From hot dogs and potato chips to chicken nuggets and sugary sodas, Americans are eating more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) than ever. Researchers estimate that up to 70% of the U.S. diet is composed of foods that are ultra-processed — meaning an excess number of substances have been added during manufacturing to help them taste better, look better, and last longer.
Yet, while research has been limited, UPFs are increasingly being linked to cardiovascular disease and other health problems. “There’s a lot of overlap between ultra-processed foods and those that are high in saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium, which are already known contributors to heart disease,” said Alison Brown, Ph.D., RDN, a program director in the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute (NHLBI).
While there’s been some progress, Brown said, the research remains complex, challenging, and incomplete — which is why researchers at the National Institutes of Health, including the NHLBI, are starting to take a closer look at both the health effects of UPFs and the mechanisms that may make them harmful.
Lab-Grown Meat Labeling Bill Baffles Senate Committee, Changes Likely
The Indiana Capital Chronicle reported:
An Indiana Senate committee skeptical of lab-grown meat advanced labeling legislation Monday in an 8-1 vote, with edits expected on the chamber’s floor. To produce “cultivated” meat, manufacturers sample animal cells and multiply them in sealed vats, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The agency has allowed lab-grown meat sales since 2023, when it gave final approval to chicken-derived products by two California companies, Reuters reported.
“All I really want is for consumers to know what they’re consuming,” Rep. Beau Baird, R-Greencastle, told the Indiana Capital Chronicle as he left the Senate Agriculture Committee hearing.
His House Bill 1425 defines “cultivated meat products” and distinguishes them from insect- or plant-based “alternative meat products.” It would require manufacturers to label their products with the following: “This is an imitation meat product,” and would outlaw labeling that doesn’t “clearly indicate” a product is lab-grown.
