U.S. Agriculture Department officials have launched an internal investigation into how the agency handled reports of serious problems tied to a deadly listeria outbreak at a Boar's Head deli meat plant in Virginia.

In rural areas, having access to everything can be difficult for folks, but that’s why the USDA held a meeting to give an update on what they are doing to help folks out in our region.

Here are some food safety tips to prevent food spoilage during power outages.

A fake letter is circulating around Roanoke County claiming some residents are eligible for SNAP benefits, when they’re not.

The project has been held up in court, but now, the USDA Forest Service has issued a Record of Decision signed by USDA Undersecretary Wilkes to allow for the plan to move forward in a 3.5-mile corridor of the Jefferson National Forest.

The ongoing bird flu outbreak has cost the government roughly $661 million and added to consumers' pain at the grocery store as officials slaughtered more than 58 million birds to help limit the spread of the virus.

A flock of commercial turkeys in Rockingham County, Virginia has tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Resources.

Millions of people get sick each year from contaminated food, and finding the source of the contamination isn’t easy ... But that could be changing.

More than 20 Republican attorneys general filed a lawsuit Tuesday against President Joe Biden's administration over a Department of Agriculture school meal program that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The school system can continue providing meals thanks to USDA extending several nationwide waivers, including the Summer Food Service Program, which went into effect Monday.

The bills prohibit the sale of dogs or cats for experimental purposes and penalize animal cruelty.

Farms that raise turkeys and chickens for meat and eggs are on high alert, fearing a repeat of a widespread bird flu outbreak in 2015 that killed 50 million birds across 15 states and cost the federal government nearly $1 billion.

Schools are getting some much-needed funding to keep students fed.

The USDA has allocated another $1 billion to help farmers in Virginia impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before you start flipping wings and burgers on the grill for the Fourth of July weekend we’re working for you on how to avoid cross contamination while you prepare your food.

The USDA and Humane Society of the United States are urging pet owners to make a plan from what we know so far. So not coming into contact with people outside of your home, outside of your family that you’re living with,” said Suzanne Cresswell, director of philanthropy and community engagement at Roanoke Valley SPCA. Roanoke Valley SPCA has made a lot of changes in the last several weeks to take care of pets while protecting staff, volunteers and potential new pet owners. The general public can no longer just walk into Roanoke Valley SPCA. New pet owners are required to sign a contract to bring their pet back when thing return to normal.

Guajajara tribe members on the reserve say their forests are being plundered(CNN) - The Trump administration is proposing opening more than 180,000 acres of the country's largest national forest, known as America's Amazon, for logging. The Agriculture Department proposal unveiled Tuesday would allow road construction and reclassify forest area -- including "165,000 old-growth acres" -- of the huge Tongass National Forest in the panhandle of southeastern Alaska. The forest -- about the size of West Virginia -- and region form the world's largest intact temperate rainforest. Both supporters and opponents of the proposal say it has important economic implications. "This is another Trump administration attempt to roll back protections for wildlife and hand over public lands to private interests," Defenders of Wildlife said in a joint statement.

In a news release, the USDA reports some Taco Bell ground beef may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal shavings. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the recall centered on a Columbus, Ohio company that prepares beef for Taco Bell restaurants. In a news release, the USDA reports the products may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal shavings. In a statement, Taco Bell says the product was produced at one plant location on only one of the two lines used to make seasoned beef. Taco Bell reports all the affected beef was removed by Monday night.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks to a former USDA scientist and looks at how climate change impacts the nutrition in food.

FreeImages.com/Koos SchwanebergWASHINGTON, D.C. - American Beef Packers of Chino, California is recalling more than 24,000 pounds of raw beef products that have been deemed unfit for human consumption. Bulk pack combo bins containing "AMERICAN BEEF PACKERS 90 BONELESS BEEF" with LOT NO. Bulk pack combo bins containing "AMERICAN BEEF PACKERS 85 BONELESS BEEF" with LOT NO. Bulk pack combo bin containing "AMERICAN BEEF PACKERS 90 BONELESS BEEF SIRLOINS" with LOT NO. cases containing "AMERICAN BEEF PACKERS DESC: BEEF FOR FURTHER PROCESSING 75/25" with lot code 08347412719.

GILES COUNTY, Va. - Giles was one of two Virginia counties to earn the USDA 'Turnip the Beet' award. The county was awarded a silver award for improving access to summer meals that featured local, culturally appropriate foods, according to the Department of Education. The division had sites at two schools in the county where it would serve food and even provide transportation for participating students. Giles County also works with the Virginia Cooperative Extension to operate the Giles County Agriculture Land Lab, where students can have hands-on learning experiences. Vegetables and beef from cattle raised on the student-run land are used in school and summer meals.

ROANOKE, Va. - Save A Lot, a discount grocery store on Melrose Avenue in northwest Roanoke, abruptly closed for good Monday, further limiting food options for hundreds of people in the area. Now, I dont know what Im going to do.Traveling to grocery stores located farther away can be tough for many. Roanoke leaders have struggled to find potential grocery store owners to set up shop in some areas of the city. Neighbors said lots of elderly people and people using wheelchairs shopped at Save A Lot over the 11 years it was in business. Now, their choice is between dollar stores that may not have as many fresh options or paying to travel a little farther, if theyre able to do so.