TheMeatSite Newsletter - 09 February 2011

Wednesday 9th February 2011

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Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: Producers Raise Concerns over Beef Prices

Concern is rising in the UK that beef prices paid to producers are now falling below the cost of production.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) beef group has issued an alert calling on the whole of the supply chain to back British beef farmers.

The farming union has called on processors and retailers to pay a fair price.

NFU livestock board chairman Alistair Mackintosh said: "Beef prices at their current level are unsustainable - prices are nowhere near the cost of production and farmers are currently receiving on average just 48 per cent of the final retail price for their beef."

Meanwhile, at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association annual convention in Denver last week, analyst with Cattle Fax, Brett Stuart said that for the fourth consecutive year global beef supplies are expected to fall.

He said that with supplies being tight, there is a risk of global beef inflation.

He said that the food inflation index for 2010 saw food prices rise by 28 per cent.

While supplies might be tight and prices hard for beef producers, pig prices in Europe are going up. The number of pigs being sent for slaughter are not meeting demand.

In the US, analysts were concerned that the blast of winter weather could cause disruption to the hog market, but the real picture saw prices rising steadily.

In New Zealand, Beef and Lamb New Zealand reports that beef prices are remaining strong.

Chris Harris

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 4 new features this week:

The Battle Against Listeria Continues
Lactic acid bacteria are effective and are actively used to combat dangerous food-borne bacteria. Against one of the most dangerous and persistent bacteria – Listeria monocytogenes – the bacteriocin Sakacin P appears to be a promising candidate. However, use of it can cause bacteria to become resistant.

Vinegar to Safeguard Organic Pork
Consumers’ enthusiasm for natural and organic food products extends to cured pork products such as hams, bacon and frankfurters according to Iowa State University Joseph G. Sebranek.

Sustainable Food Must Respond to Local Conditions
The environmental impact of food production has been studied both by narrowing in on individual problems and examining matters more comprehensively.

UK Poultry and Poultry Meat Statistics - January 2011
The UK produced 148 thousand tonnes of poultry meat in December last year according to information in Defra's UK Hatcheries Survey and Poultry Slaughterhouse Survey results together with other Defra statistics.