State Level Food Sales Vary and Lab Grown Meat for Military

**The Economic Research Service analyzed food sales at the state level and found per capita food sales reached $7,102 in 2023 with about 45% spent on food at home.

Food at home spending ranged from about $2,500 in West Virginia to $4,100 in Alaska.

Higher food-at-home sales were concentrated in Western States with Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Utah rounding out the top five.

Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, and Oklahoma rounded out the bottom five.

**The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association condemned a recently announced U.S. Department of Defense-sponsored research grant that will fund the development of lab-grown meat products by a biotech company called BioMADE.

NCBA Vice President Ethan Lane says it’s outraged we’re spending millions of taxpayer dollars to feed America’s heroes like lab rats.

Lane says this misguided research project is a giant slap in the face to everyone who has served the country.

**Former Oregon Representative Greg Walden is calling on Congress to increase federal support for sustainable aviation fuel production.

The former House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair says the U.S. is within reach of realizing truly transformative innovations in energy like SAF that will increase domestic production, further U.S. energy security, and create new markets for industries like aviation.

Walden says the next few years are critically important for the future of SAF.