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The Biden administration’s massive expansion of food stamp benefits is linked to at least a 15% rise in grocery prices, a new study said on Thursday. President Biden’s Department of Agriculture rolled out revised nutritional standards for federal food benefits in 2021 that expanded the program by roughly 25% from pre-COVID pandemic levels. Overall spending on the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP) more than doubled between 2019 and 2022, according to findings from the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) previewed by Fox News Digital. It went from $4.5 billion in 2019 to $11 billion in 2022, the study said.

Has anyone else been experiencing a pet food shortage? I see the shelves at pet stores and pet supply stores have empty spaces, especially for kitten food. I used to be able to find Purina ProPlan kitten food with no problem, but lately I can only find a couple of flavors--of course, the ones my kitten is not particularly fond of. I also tried Chewy and Amazon, and their selection of PPP kitten food also consists of only a couple of flavors. Let's go Brandon!

Luxury dog treats have boomed during the pandemic but experts are reminding owners what our pets really need – love, attention and walks. Dogs with well-heeled owners can now wolf down a menu worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant with dishes including grass-fed buffalo tails and canine caviar. But experts at The Kennel Club have reminded owners that dogs can prosper without the opulent treats that fly off the shelves for more than ten times the price of human equivalents. Thrive ProReward 100 per cent Liver dog treats sell for £7.60 per 100g (£76 per kilo), compared with a human alternative...

The Labor Department reported Friday the U.S. consumer price index rose 0.8% in November, compared to October. The increase marks a 6.8% increase over the previous year, the department also reported, marking the highest annual inflation rate since June 1982. Wall Street expected the month-to-month index to reflect a 0.7% gain for November, according to CNBC. Under the Biden administration, the CPI increased 0.9% in October, compared to the previous month. The index report from the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics gauges inflation by measuring the cost of dozens of items from such everyday goods as gasoline and food to...

What do black soldier fly grubs taste like? Stilton and cheese biscuits. At least that’s how British start-up Yora Pet Foods describes its dog food made from the bugs. Established in 2019, Yora introduced the first insect protein pet food sold in the U.K. Targeting environmentally conscious pet owners, it expects to have shipped over 200 tons of product to more than 200 countries and generate sales over $2.8 million. Its business is part of a movement in which manufacturers in North America, Europe and beyond are trying to make pet food more sustainable and environmentally friendly by using proteins...

Pet owners and veterinarians are being warned about recalled Sportmix pet food products now linked to the deaths of more than 70 dogs and the illnesses of 80 others. Midwestern Pet Food is expanding its recall of dog and cat food sold online by retailers nationwide as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigates potentially fatal levels of aflatoxins. The recalled products include "05" in the date/lot code, which identifies them as having been made in the Oklahoma plant. More than 1,000 lot codes are affected. The company in December recalled only certain lots of its Sportmix product after the...

STERLING, Va. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists recently seized a package of tiny dead birds in a passenger’s baggage at Washington Dulles International Airport. The traveler arrived on a flight from Beijing, China January 27 and was destined to an address in Prince George’s County, Maryland. During a baggage examination, CBP agriculture specialists discovered a package with pictures of a cat and dog that the passenger said was cat food. The package contained a bunch of unknown small birds, about 2.5 to 3.5 inches in length. The birds from China are prohibited for import due to...

An online petition to include pet food in SNAP benefits is getting a lot of traction. The petition on Care2 has more than 88,500 supports as of Monday morning. According to the website, the petition was created by Edward B. Johnston Jr., who wrote that he’s been on SNAP benefits for a few months and hasn’t been able to feed his dog due to government regulations.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Health officials are investigating how a rare rat virus called the Seoul virus infected eight people in Wisconsin and Illinois. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says all eight people had direct contact with rats at Illinois and Wisconsin ratteries, which are rat-breeding facilities.

La Vista Police spotted a semi with an empty trailer in an industrial area on Monday. It had been stolen from a Bellevue trucking firm lot. Investigators have determined about 36,000 pounds of Blue Buffalo dog food worth about $120,000 had been stolen from the trailer.

The United States is being flooded with potentially dangerous, toxic imports from China. Between 2006 and 2010, the FDA blocked 9,000 unsafe Chinese products from entering American borders. But the FDA also inspects less than 1% of all goods seeking entry into the US. So how much is getting through? From tainted milk to toxic pet food, the answer is costing American lives. Think twice about made in China.

More than 1,000 dog deaths may now be linked to toxic jerky treats according to the Food and Drug Administration. And the agency says since 2007, there have been almost 5,000 complaints of pet illnesses related to the treats.

Pet jerky treats, mostly imported from China, are being linked to more than 1,000 deaths in dogs, more than 4,800 complaints about animal illness, and, for the first time, sickness in three people who ate the products, federal health officials said Friday, according to nbcnews.com. But Food and Drug Administration officials say they still can't identify a specific cause for the reported illnesses or deaths, despite seven years of tests and investigation.

Federal health officials are warning pet owners to be cautious about feeding their dogs jerky treats as they continue to investigate a treat-related illnesses that has left nearly 600 dogs dead and sickened more than 3,000 others. The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday issued an alert to consumers about the illnesses and deaths tied to jerky treats from China. Officials say the exact cause of the illnesses remains unknown. "This is one of the most elusive and mysterious outbreaks we've encountered," Bernadette Dunham, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in a statement. "Our beloved four-legged companions...

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) has voluntarily recalled specific lots of dry pet food because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. These lots were distributed in the United States and represent roughly one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of annual production. No Salmonella-related illnesses have been reported to date in association with these product lots. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products. Healthy...

The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has issued a draft compliance policy guide outlining how the agency intends to handle pet dietary products that claim to treat specific disease conditions. The guide is titled “Labeling and Marketing of Nutritional Products Intended for Use to Diagnose, Cure, Mitigate, Treat or Prevent Disease in Dogs and Cats.” As the guide is currently in draft form only, the FDA is asking for people to submit written comments to the address listed at the top of the guide. According to the FDA, the agency has observed a concerning rise in the number of products...

One in seven Americans are on food stamps, but the government is pushing to enroll more — in many instances working to overcome Americans’ “pride,” self-reliance or failure to see a need. “Our common goal is to increase participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” the United States Department of Agriculture explains on its “Outreach Toolkits” page. “Our purpose is to ensure that those going through difficult times can feed their families healthy, nutritious food. By working as a team, we can accomplish these goals.” The USDA has adopted a range of strategies and programs designed to bring more people...

Gator bites off hand of Everglades airboat captain EVERGLADES CITY — A 63-year-old airboat captain lost his left hand when an alligator bit it off, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The victim’s name is Wallace Weatherholt of Captain Doug's Everglades Tours on State Road 29. FWC officials said a criminal investigation is pending. Feeding alligators is a second-degree misdemeanor. POSTED EARLIER An Everglades City airboat captain lost his hand Tuesday afternoon when an alligator bit it off, according to a state wildlife official. The airboat captain was taken to a Naples hospital following the attack, said...

Just six months after issuing its latest warning about chicken jerky dog treats made in China, the Food and Drug Administration confirms it has logged more than 900 complaints from pet owners who say their dogs either were sickened or died after eating the treats. The number of complaints has nearly doubled since the story was first reported by ABC News in March. The FDA says its investigation is ongoing and that it continues to test samples of the popular treats, which dog owners across the country say have caused kidney failure in their pets, resulting in severe illness or...

Reports surfaced yesterday that in the past two weeks over 400 new cases of animals being poisoned after eating treats manufactured in China have been received by the FDA, strengthening demands from pet owners that a recall be placed into effect. On Sunday, Senator Sherrod Brown held a news conference on the heels of a previous one the week before at the Ohio Humane Society in Hilliard Ohio about tainted chicken jerky treats from China. It was Brown’s second public statement to the Food and Drug Administration regarding the treats that are reported to have been causing illness and death...