Todd Chrisley's Prison Defends Food Service After Dead Animal Claims

Todd Chrisley is one hungry jailbird ... claiming he's being fed animal-infested meals while behind bars -- though his prison begs to differ.

In a statement to TMZ, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) is adamant they operate safe and humane facilities despite Todd's claims that rats/squirrels are on the loose in their food storage facility & a dead cat dropped from the ceiling onto their food -- adding the quality of food consumed by their incarcerated population is a priority.

The FBOP also refutes Todd's claims the food is laden with black mold and out of date by at least a year ... saying that expired food is discarded and not utilized.

In fact, they work under FBOP regulations, and tell us ... their food service mission aims to provide healthy, nutritionally sound, and appetizing meals that meet the needs of every individual.

FBOP institutions -- including FPC Pensacola, where Todd is incarcerated -- are accredited by the American Correctional Association, which covers indoor living and other essential regulations such as environmental conditions like temperature and air quality.

Clearly, they're not thrilled Todd is speaking out about prison conditions while behind bars ... and the FBOP says it urges inmates to instead seek a formal review through the prison's Administrative Remedy Program for any concerns.

To add insult to injury, Todd's daughter Savannah recently accused prison officials of retaliating against Todd for speaking out about lock-up conditions.

On that issue, Chrisley's lawyer Jay Surgent, says Todd's bravery in speaking out about the state of the prison should be congratulated, not criticized. The Bureau of Prisons said it thoroughly investigates all claims of employee misconduct.

Remember, Todd's wife Julie Chrisley is serving her time at FMC Lexington, where we haven't heard a peep from her about the grub.