United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is made up of 29 agencies/ offices. It is made up of approximately 100,000 employees servicing more than 4,500 locations across the country and abroad. This department happen to be established on May 15, 1862, by the 16th United Sates President Abraham Lincoln. During his congressional statement he called it the “People’s Department.” Their effort is to influence American lives through agriculture, economic development, food, natural resource conservation, science and other areas.
The USDA helps and provides resources to Americans in more ways than one.
- Accessible through their website is WhiteHouse.gov where you can gain the scope on current policies, executive actions, and events of the 47th presidency term.
- Assistance is offered to beginners (less than 10 years) operating a farm/ranch. Conservation programs, crop insurance, disaster assistances and loans are a few resources offered in this area.
- There is the Office of Information Affairs (OIA) a central point for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program. A program passed in 1966, enabling any person the right to obtain access to agency records, excluding the scope of such records, or portions of them, are protected from being disclosed by 1 of 9 exemptions or by 1 of 3 law enforcement barring.
- Critical nutrition assistance is provided through Food and Nutrition Service(FNS) programs. There is Child Nutrition Programs benefiting such as Child and Adult Care Food Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and emergency food assistance programs. In charge is the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) of developing and promoting dietary assistance links with evidence-based scientific research for Americans nutritional needs.
- Military veterans seeking
to return home or start a new career in farming/ rural community are provided with tools and opportunities to succeed. Revival and redevelopment by purchasing, building or improving a community facility. This support is available through USDA’s Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program.
The USDA website provide help with identify food that are on recall.
- Call the United States Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHOTLINE (888-674-6854) for recalls on food.
- The Food Safety and Inspection Service’s Current Recalls and Alerts page will also provide information on recalls of meat, poultry and egg products.
- Contact the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition’s Outreach and Information Center at 1-888-SAFE FOOD (888-723-3366). That is if you are looking for a recall on foods other than meat, poultry and egg products.
- There is Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts which provides information gathered from press releases and public notices about particular recalls of FDA-regulated (food and beverages) products.
The above resources can assist in providing you and your family with a healthy dining experience. It reduced the likelihood of acquiring food borne illnesses. Food borne illness is something we should all avoid as it can be detrimental to pregnant women, elders, and people with autoimmune deficiency. Now you can stay informed about policies that affect your everyday life.
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