The following were elected to executive positions on the Board of Directors of USPOULTRY during the 2026 IPPE:

• Bill Griffth, Chief Operations Officer for Peco Foods was selected as the Chairman

• Dr. Alice Johnson of Butterball LLC was elected Vice-chair

• Kevin McDaniel of Wayne-Sanderson Farms as named Treasurer

• John Wright of Fieldale Farms was elected Secretary

• Jonathan Cade of Hy-Line International will serve as the Immediate-past Chairman

In commenting on the slate of officers, Nath Morris president of USPOULTRY stated, “With the
experience and guidance these officers bring to our organization, the future of USPOULTRY is in excellent hands and I look forward to their leadership in helping to shape our organization over the next year.”

The recently released Dietary Guidelines for Americans for 2025-2030 discourages consumption of “processed foods”.  The emphasis on protein including eggs is a vindication for our industry that has undergone unjustified criticism over cholesterol content in past decades.

The question now arises as to what constitutes “processed foods.”  Various definitions have been applied but without consideration of the implications for the manufacturers of packaged products.  Applying the broadest descriptor, “processing” includes any alteration of a food from the natural state through heating, pasteurizing, mixing, milling, freezing or canning.  Within reason, these processes are essential to manufacture food products, preserve nutrient quality or to make them available to consumers.  With respect to additives, some preservatives have been shown to be both beneficial and innocuous.  Many ‘unpronounceable additives’ disfavored by purists are in fact nutrients and contribute to or are essential to health.

In a move to reject all additives in pursuit of a clean label, activists motivated by either naïve sincerity or outright mendacity risk throwing out the baby with the bath water.

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) is a bellwether on consumer spending and the willingness of customers to purchase food and household items in bulk and splurge on big-ticket items including appliances, electronics and furniture. On February 4th Costco reported sales for January 2026 covering the four-week period ending February 1st. Sales attained $21.33 billion, up 9.3 percent from the value of $18.51 billion during the corresponding month in 2026.

Same store sales (excluding fuel and foreign exchange) increased 6.8 percent for the U.S.; 8.2 percent for Canada and 2.7 percent for the International warehouse segment.  Overall, same-stores sales advanced by 6.4 percent and E-commerce was 33.1 percent higher. International sales were impacted by the advent of the Lunar New Year that was 19 days later than in 2025, beyond the January cut-off. Sales in this segment were depressed by an estimated 4 percent.

Costco advanced in after-hours trading on February 4th after release of the data to $988.50. COST intraday market capitalization was $434.5 billion on February 4th. The share has traded over a 52-week range of $844.06 to $1078.23.

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates 924 warehouses with 634 in the U.S.; 114 in Canada; 42 in Mexico with the remainder in nine other nations.

New World Screwworm (NWS Cochliomyia hominivorax) has seriously disrupted importation of livestock from Mexico to the U.S., directly impacting the cost of beef to consumers.  The infestation that emerged in Guatemala and spread to and then within Mexico imposes a threat to livestock producers in the U.S. states bordering our southern neighbor. On recognition of the problem surveillance and control measures were initiated emphasizing the need for cooperation among USMCA regulators.

Decades ago, the problem of NWS was resolved by releasing irradiated sterile male flies that effectively suppressed and then eliminated populations of the parasite.  Applying a “mission accomplished” approach without the necessary surveillance by our southern neighbors resulted in an inevitable reoccurrence of infection.  To address the current situation, USDA has reactivated irradiation facilities to produce and distribute sterile male flies that will be effective but over time. 

The USDA has issued a request for proposals to upgrade surveillance and control measures. Projects, even if funded and implemented will not have any immediate impact on the current emergency.  Secretary Rollins is justified in her comment, “We know we have tried-and-true tools and methods that defeat this pest, but we must constantly look for new and better methods and innovate our way to success”.

The lessons that should be heeded include:

• Constant surveillance is necessary for early detection of the parasite
• Irradiation facilities should be maintained with availability of trained personnel to rapidly respond to outbreaks.
• Cooperation with neighboring nations coupled with financial support will ensure that effective surveillance and control measures are maintained.  This is difficult to achieve in an atmosphere of hostility generated by U.S. policies relating to tariffs and immigration that detract from mutual understanding and collaboration.

At the end of the day nature ignores national boundaries and has an immense capacity to adapt to changes in the environment. These include socio-economic factors and global warming that facilitate the northward movement of pests and vectors of pathogens affecting human, animal and avian populations.

Previously EGG-NEWS reported on restatement of segment earnings by Archer-Daniels Midland Company (ADM) dating back to 2014.  Sales and contribution by the Nutrition Segment apparently were misstated by applying creative bookkeeping.  When discrepancies were disclosed, the CFO Vikram Luthar was suspended and subsequently resigned. With realization of the implications of the deviation from accepted accounting practice, ADM cooperated with the SEC and implemented “significant remedial measures”.

The SEC alleged that adjustments between the Nutrition segment and other business units of ADM were made including retroactive rebates and use of unrealistic intersegment costs to allow the Nutrition segment to meet targets for fiscal 2021 and 2022. Following extensive investigations by the company, forensic auditors and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Company agreed to a settlement of $40 million but did not admit to any wrongdoing.  Concurrently the U.S. Department of Justice has closed its investigation.  In addition to Luthar his predecessor Ray G. Young previous CFO and Vince Macciocchi president of the Nutrition Segment and chief Sales and Marketing officer were cited by the SEC.

Juan Luciano Chair of the Board and CEO of ADM noted, “We are pleased to put these matters behind the company.  These past couple of years have underscored what is core to ADM -incorporating learnings to future strengthen our business.”

At the end of the day Luciano was ultimately responsible for the irregularities and was aware if not complicit in the financial manipulation. The incident demonstrates the downside of incentive bonuses and Boards dominated by poweful Chairpersons exercising executive action. The incident  may well denote a corporate culture inconsistent with shareholder and stakeholder interests and rigid conformity to standard accounting practices and business ethics.  As the Brits would say ADM “has form”.

Luthar still faces SEC accusations of violating antifraud provisions of securities legislation and involvement in “abetting ADM’s violation relating to internal accounting control.”  Luthar denies the SEC allegations and has not settled as have Macciocchi and Young who paid civil and disgorgement penalties.

In the weeks following the September 2024 disclosures of irregularities, ADM stock fell 30 percent from $72 to $51subsequently closing on January 29, 2026 at $67 compared to a November 2025 high of $98.  Over the past 52 weeks, ADM has traded in a range of $41 to $70 with a 50-day moving average of $61.  Operating margin is razor thin at 2.0 percent with a profit margin of 1.4 percent.  On a 12-month trailing basis, the return on assets is 1.8 percent and 5.2 percent on equity.

A collaboration among industry associations representing broilers, eggs, turkeys and ducks has resulted in establishing the Poultry Industry Food Safety Council (PIFSCo) to serve as a central clearinghouse for research and dissemination of data relating to food safety and related issues.

The Chair of PIFSCo, Kevin Atkins noted, “Food safety is the foundation of consumer trust and the key to the long-term successful industry.”  He added, “Through PIFSCo we are bringing together the best science expertise and industry collaboration to rise the standard of food safety from farm to fork.”  A new website www.pifsco.org will incorporate:-

• Educational resources

• Updates on Research

• Sharing of best practices for food safety

• Membership and participation information

Kim Rice vice-chairman of PIFSCo stated that “By uniting stakeholders across the poultry industry sectors we will help ensure consistent standards, rapid knowledge-sharing and a stronger foundation for continuous improvement.”

PIFSCo is supported by the American Egg Board, National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, United Egg Producers and USPOULTRY and includes representation by 50 companies and allied industry partners.

Peter McGuinness has departed from Impossible Foods after a four-year tenure.  He has accepted a position as CEO of Bel North America, the U.S. subsidiary of the Bel Group of France a major manufacturer of dairy and vegetable-based snacks and RTE foods. McGuinness will be replaced by a troika comprising Jason Gao, Chief Legal and Operating Officer, Meredith Madden, Chief Demand Officer and Robert Haas, Chief Supply Officer. 

Impossible Foods is a private company and does not publish financial data.  Given the declining sales and growing losses posted by competitor, Beyond Meat (BYND), it is presumed that Impossible Foods is experiencing similar headwinds including shrinking demand and slim margins. Despite eight infusions of venture capital, Impossible Foods Tape D® price declined from approximately $15 in January 2024 to approximately $2 at the beginning of January 2026.

Ten financing rounds from September 6, 2011, to November 23rd, 2021, raised close to $1.7 billion.  Investors include Horizons, Khosla, UVS, Temasek, Viking Global and XN Capital, among others. These companies now have little opportunity to recoup their investments given the limited prospects for the company to launch a successful initial public offering.

Both Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have experienced declining sales both among retail stores and institutions.  Tapering demand is due to noncompetitive cost, inferior organoleptic qualities compared to real meat and poultry, the realization that plant-protein products are ultra- processed. These factors are in addition to reduced concern over livestock welfare, sustainability and the environment and an indifference to industry generated hype.

A recent article surveyed immunity to N1 neuraminidase in a population in British Columbia, Canada*.  Sera was obtained during August 2024 from 575 participants classified among ten age groups from one to 80 years of age.  Neuraminidase inhibition antibody titers were assessed by ELISA assay against H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b.  In assessing N1 titers, 70 percent had detectable antibodies with half of the total yielding a low to moderate value, 32 percent at an intermediate threshold and 17 percent with a high concentration of antibody.  The level of antibody was consistent with previous exposure to H1N1 influenza pandemics in cohorts born from 1997 to 2003, many children exposed during the 2009 H1N1 outbreak and among those born before 1947.

The authors concluded that “a substantial proportion of the population has pre-existing anti-N1 against H5N1 with age-related variation”.

It is difficult to reconcile the low rate of infection attributed to H5N1 among workers with intensive exposure during depopulation and decontamination of infected poultry farms. A comprehensive epidemiologic survey of dairy and poultry workers has yet to be published.

It is generally conceded that workers at risk of exposure to H5N1 should be vaccinated against the prevailing seasonal influenza quadrivalent product to minimize the risk, albeit slight, of a recombinant event.  It is also suggested that dairy and poultry farm and processing workers should be vaccinated using an available H5N1 vaccine as deployed in Scandinavia for poultry and fur-farm workers.

*Skowronski, D. M., Cross-Reactive H5N1 Neuraminidase Antibodies by Agent Influenza Imprinting Cohorts of the Past Century: Population-Based Sero Survey, British Columbia, Canada J. Infectious Diseases.  doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiag 030 (2026)