TheMeatSite Newsletter - 2 December 2009

TheMeatSite Weekly Newsletter

Wednesday 2nd December 2009

Our Sponsors Helping keep you updated for free!

Home About Meat Processing News Online Shop Livestock Photo Library Recipes SEARCH

Events / Promotions

To advertise your event: Click here!

Meat industry showcase

BETTCHER Industries Inc. Food processing equipment and hand tools

Want to showcase your products?
Click here for more information.

Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Pathogens High of Agenda

This week the medical sector in the UK became drawn into the argument over meat production and greenhouse gas emissions.

The medical journal The Lancet published a report in which the authors said that meat production should be cut by 30 per cent to reduce emissions.

The report - The Health Benefits of Tackling Climate Change - looks at household energy emissions, urban land transport, low carbon electricity generation, short-lived greenhouse pollutants and agriculture and food.

However, its assertion that cutting production would ease emissions as well as being better for health was sharply attacked by the farming community.

The National Farmers Union said: "Farmers will be angry that yet again we have an ill informed and simplistic report which appears to completely misunderstand agriculture's emissions and its role in climate change. But the most unbelievable thing is that this report appears to have been put together without any input from the one Government department that deals in food policy and understands the issues - Defra."

Meanwhile, the English Beef and Lamb Executive has published a road map to achieving sustainable production while reducing emissions to meet government targets.

In the US a survey by Consumer Reports found that 34 per cent of the chickens tested were free of salmonella and campylobacter - significantly more than it the last survey but fewer than in 2003.

But the food safety issue could be tested again as California Senator Dianne Feinstein has introduced legislation to require that food producers take responsibility for keeping food free from harmful pathogens.

The bill would amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the sale of any food that has not been certified to be pathogen free.

Chris Harris

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 3 new features this week:

Improving Carbon Footprint of Pig Meat Production
There are many different drivers that affect meat production ranging from government policies through to oil and commodity prices and food security as well as consumer demands, writes TheMeatSite senior editor, Chris Harris.

Chiller Water Disinfection Management Practices
The chilling process is one of several key steps used in poultry processing to ensure the safety and quality of products, according to Poultry Tech, the agricultural technology research programme publication of Georgia Tech Research Institute.

Republic of Korea: Poultry and Products Annual 2009
Growing demand by health-conscious consumers is expected to stimulate a boost to broiler production in South Korea in 2010, according to Sun Young Choi and Michael Francom in the latest GAIN report from USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

Company News

Marel appoints Managing Directors of Industry Centres
ICELAND - Meat and food processing equipment manufacturer Marel has appointed a team of Managing Directors who will head the four new Industry Centers that make up the spine of the company's operations.

Marel’s Private Placement Successfully Concluded
ICELAND - The Board of Directors of meat and food processing equipment manufacturer Marel Food Systems hf. (Marel) has decided to accept offers totalling € 38 million, equivalent to ISK 7 billion, in a successful private placement of new shares to professional investors.

Global Meat Processing Industry News