Food & Nutrition

HHS Secretary Kennedy and USDA Secretary Rollins Testify Before Congress on FY 2027 Budget 

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before Congress as part of several congressional hearings to discuss President Trump’s FY 2027 Discretionary Budget Request for HHS and USDA. This week, Secretary Kennedy testified on behalf of the HHS budget request before the House Ways and Means Committee and before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. These hearings primarily focused on issues such as vaccines, healthcare costs, prescription drugs, and fraud and abuse. Next week, Secretary Kennedy is also scheduled to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies on April 21, 2026, followed by testimony before the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on April 22, 2026. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins also testified on behalf of the USDA budget request before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, and is scheduled to appear before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on April 22, 2026.

USDA Announces Creation of the USDA Office of Seafood

USDA announced the creation of the new USDA Office of Seafood, intended for American seafood cultivators, producers, and processors to access agency programs. According to the agency, one of the primary roles of the new USDA Office of Seafood will be to coordinate across USDA agencies to ensure fishermen are integrated into USDA programs and working alongside the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and other Federal partners to support the American seafood industry. The USDA Office of Seafood will also play a role in coordinating with the DOC in the development of the America First Seafood Strategy to promote production, marketing, sale, and export of U.S. fishery and aquaculture products and strengthen domestic processing capacity. 

USDA Awards FY 2026 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Funding

USDA awarded the first cohort of the agency’s FY 2026 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants to 52 projects to support projects that intend to bring more nutritious, local food to schoolchildren while expanding economic opportunities for farmers and food producers. As part of the announcement, USDA also opened applications for $20 million in National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Grants. These grants help schools modernize kitchen infrastructure to prepare and serve meals as recommended by the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

Agriculture

USDA Invests to Support U.S. Specialty Crops Industry

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the agency awarded $100.9 million in grant funding available through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) and Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP). The SCBGP has $86.6 million in funding available for projects designed to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through marketing, education, and research. AMS is accepting SCBGP applications until June 8, 2026. USDA also has funding available through SCMP to fund collaborative multi-state partnerships to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, with applications for the SCMP due October 16, 2026.

Global

UK Government Launches Consultation on Updated School Food Standards

The UK government launched a public consultation seeking feedback on updating the UK's School Food Standards. The announcement marks the government's plans to overhaul the School Food Standards for the first time in over a decade. The new school food standards will apply to all breakfasts and lunches served by schools. Under the plans, schools will no longer be able to offer unhealthy ‘grab and go’ options every day, while deep-fried food will be prohibited, and fruit will be required to be served instead of ‘sugar-laden’ treats for the majority of the school week. These standards also include a new set of standards exclusively for breakfast service. Full details are anticipated to be announced in September 2026, with enforcement in place from September 2027. The nine-week consultation closes on June 12, 2026.