Food and Agriculture

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today welcomed new federal rules that require grocery stores to keep track of the sources of ground beef and said the regulations will help track food-borne illnesses like the antibiotic-resistant salmonella outbreak linked to Hannaford Supermarkets in 2011. Pingree had pushed the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to toughen up requirements for retailers... Read more »

(Portland, ME) At a press event at the Portland Food Co-Op, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said she will be introducing a bill today in Congress aimed at reducing the amount of food that is wasted each year in the United States. The Food Recovery Act includes nearly two dozen provisions to reduce food waste across the economy. "Forty percent of all food produced in the United States each year is w... Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today applauded the EPA’s decision to withdraw its approval of Dow Chemical’s Enlist Duo, a toxic cocktail of herbicides glyphosate and 2,4-D. “This product—and the GMO crops developed to go along with it—has raised a number of alarm bells. From the onset, I’ve had grave concerns that it would increase the amount of carcinogenic herbicides sprayed on our food, lead to... Read more »

The following piece was sent to area newspapers in November 2015. Here are two figures that don’t add up: 40 percent of the food produced in the United States gets thrown out while nearly 50 million Americans can’t reliably access enough food to meet their nutrition needs. As so many people go hungry, wasted food represents a serious concern and an exciting opportunity. If we diverted just 15 perc... Read more »

Congresswoman Pingree and Colleagues Condemn Voluntary GMO Labeling, Push for Mandatory GMO Labeling Read more »

Food Policy Action names Pingree a 'food policy champion,' chef Tom Colicchio calls Pingree 'rock star' Read more »

Comprehensive legislation attacks food waste in schools, restaurants, stores and farms Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that she will be introducing comprehensive legislation this fall to attack the problem of wasted food. "About 40% of the food in the U.S. is wasted. That costs us money, is bad for the environment, and means people are going hungry when perfectly good food is ending ... Read more »

Seven Maine organizations are receiving over $700,000 in federal investments to promote the local food economy thanks to funding Congresswoman Chellie Pingree was able to insert in the Farm Bill that passed Congress in2014. "Every dollar we put into the local food economy stays in our community and generates jobs and income for the people who live here. Building the farm economy is good for famili... Read more »

Representatives Chellie Pingree (D–ME) and Thomas Massie (R–KY), and a bipartisan coalition of 16 other lawmakers have reintroduced legislation to improve consumer food choices and to protect local farmers from federal interference. The two bills–the Milk Freedom of Act of 2015 (H.R. 3563) and the Interstate Milk Freedom Act of 2015 (H.R. 3564)–are the newest in a series of "food and farm freedom"... Read more »

Yesterday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released new food safety rules that primarily impact food manufacturers. A separate set of rules that will have a bigger impact on farms is due out next month. These rules are part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). "I'm still looking over the details of these rules but one big change from what the FDA had original proposed is in what... Read more »