TheMeatSite Newsletter - 6 April 2011

Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: USDA Proposes New Regulation to Improve Food Safety

In the US, the USDA has announced a proposed 'Test and Hold' requirement for meat and poultry products, which it says will enhance existing procedures and help to reduce foodborne illnesses.

The US Department of Agriculture is proposing a new requirement for the meat and poultry industry that, once enacted, will reduce the amount of unsafe food that reaches store shelves.

With the proposed requirement, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) would be able to hold products from commerce until FSIS test results for harmful substances are received.

The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) in the Philippines foresees stable supply and price of meat and meat by-products this summer season.

NMIS-Cordillera regional director Dr Florencio Pintor said the influx of imported (frozen) meat and meat products is somehow contributing to the steady supply and price.

Australian beef and veal exports continued to accelerate in March, rising seven per cent year-on-year, with shipments increasing significantly to several markets, including Korea, Russia, Taiwan and the Middle East.

Driven by rising global beef demand and increased beef production in late February and early March, exports for the past month totalled 87,471 tonnes swt - the third highest monthly total for the past two years, according to analysts at Meat and Livestock Australia.

Chris Harris

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 6 new features this week:

Uncertain Times Ahead for Pig & Poultry Industries
The world's biggest pork exporters are likely to be vulnerable to trade disruption as the result of disease, and increasing regulations in the EU and US will push up the costs of pig and poultry production. These are Rabobank's predictions for the next decade, writes Jackie Linden, Senior Editor for TheMeatSite.

Cone Line Screening: Improved Yield, No Bones About It!
Deboned breast fillets are one of the most popular further processed poultry products, according to Poultry Tech from Georgia Tech's Research Institute.

Effects of Dietary Oxidation on the Quality of Broiler Breast Meat
Feeding a diet including oxidised oil increased the oxidation in blood and muscle, and the oxidative stress in live birds significantly impacted meat quality, according to research by Wangang Zhang, Shan Xiao, Eun Joo Lee and Dong U. Ahn. Their work is published in the Iowa State University Animal Industry Report 2011.

Chef's Key Strategies to Capture Consumer Mind-Set
Brad Smoliak gave delegates to the 2011 Banff Pork Seminar a taste of his energetic, fun and passionate outlook, and what the industry can do to capture the consumer mind-set in a presentation entitled 'Getting Pork on the Consumer's Plate'.

Japan Livestock and Products Semi-annual Report 2011
In 2011, Japan’s total red meat consumption is projected to be up by one per cent to 1.23 million MT for beef and unchanged from the previous year for pork at 2.50 million MT, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

China - Poultry and Products Semi-Annual Report 2011
China's broiler meat production in 2011 will continue modest growth, rising nearly four per cent to 13 million metric tons, while broiler meat imports will decline 20 per cent to 230,000 metric tons, according to Michael Woolsey and Jianping Zhang in the latest GAIN report from USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

Company News

Expert Supports Varied Meat Production in Brazil
BRAZIL - Brazil has the capacity to produce beef for all niches, under several production systems, including free-range, confinement and organic cattle-raising, according to post-doctorate professor at Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" of São Paulo University (Esalq/USP), Dante Pazzanese Lanna.

Global Meat Industry News