TheMeatSite Newsletter - 7 March 2012

Welcome to this week's newsletter

Study Launched into Mandatory Origin Labelling

The European Commission is to launch a study on mandatory origin labelling for pig, poultry and sheep and goat meat.

Under the new EU rules on the provision of food information to consumers, the indication of country of origin or place of provenance for unprocessed meat of pigs, poultry, sheep and goats will become mandatory from 2014.

In the US, the Food Safety and Inspection Service is to step up surveillance of ground beef from veal following the discovery of more positive findings of e.coli in products from veal than from traditional beef animals.

Inspectors will be reviewing meat plants' antimicrobial intervention control measures and observing how they implement antimicrobial interventions.

Revised estimates from the USDA have increase the projected production of beef and pork in China this year.

The USDA puts the higher production down to a reduction in the incidence of foot and mouth disease and the fact that the last winter has been warmer helping to reduce livestock deaths stabilising and increasing production.

Better grass and fodder for the cattle are also increasing slaughter weights on cattle and production is expected to go up by 24,000 tonnes.

Pig meat production is expected to rise by four per cent.

In Uruguay, meat consumption is on the rise reaching 94.7kg per person per year in 2011.

However, while consumption of pig meat and poultry has risen, consumption of beef dropped slightly last year.

In New Zealand, the on-going dispute between the meat workers' union and the processor AFFCO is continuing.

More workers were locked out of plants this week as the dispute escalated.

But the farming community has called for a swift resolution to the strike with concern rising about the company's ability to process their stock.

Chris Harris

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 6 new features this week:

Abattoir Data Warning System for Emerging Pig Diseases
Condemnation information regarding lungs with pneumonia would not have provided useful data for detecting disease outbreaks in pigs in the region, according to scientists at the University of Guelph but partial condemnation data pertaining to kidneys with nephritis reflected the outbreaks more closely.

GLOBAL POULTRY TRENDS – More Eggs Eaten in Asia
Egg consumption in Asia is increasing slightly faster than the global average and is forecast to approach 10kg per person this year, according to Terry Evans in the last part of his examination of the Asian egg industry.

Antimicrobial Resistance – Veterinary and Public Health Concerns in Europe
Radical reforms of antimicrobial use in livestock are being contemplated for political reasons, according to David Burch of Octagon Services Ltd.

Cycles in China’s Pork Market
The sharp increase in pork prices during 2007 drew attention to the Chinese market’s volatility and cycles, highlight Fred Gale, Daniel Marti and Dinghuan Hu in a report entitled ‘China’s Volatile Pork Industry’ from the USDA Economic Research Service.

Reducing Residues in Livestock Products
"As far as I am concerned, drug residues in animal products is a black and white issue," said Dr Mike Apley, Professor at Kansas College of Veterinary Medicine, when addressing the Dairy Producer Forum at the NCBA Trade Show and Convention earlier this month. Charlotte Johnston, TheCattleSite editor reports.

Poultry as a Host for the Zoonotic Pathogen, Campylobacter jejuni
According to researchers in Belgium, the number of human campylobacteriosis cases associated with chickens remains high because, although it is known that chickens are the number one risk factor for disease in humans, there are no effective strategies to reduce Campylobacter prevalence in flocks.

Market Reports

» USDA Egg Products: Shell Eggs Broken Down Slightly from Last Year
» USDA Agricultural Prices - February 2012
» UK Poultry Meat: Production 157,000 Tonnes in January 2012
» Ireland Milk Statistics January 2012
» USDA International Meat Review - 1st March 2012
» BPEX Export Bulletin – Week 9
» USDA GAIN: China Livestock and Products Semi-annual
» USDA GAIN: EU-27 Livestock and Products Semi-annual
» USDA Dairy Products Prices Highlights Week 10
» AHDB UK Market Survey - 2 March 2012
» AHDB European Market Survey - 2 March 2012
» QMS Market Report - February 2012
» BPEX UK Pig Meat Market Update - March 2012

Company News

Cantrell Named Distributor for Murzan Pumping Systems
US - Cantrell, a poultry and food processing equipment, sales and service company, has been named a distributor of Murzan pumping systems.

SEALPAC at Anuga FoodTec
GERMANY - Anuga FoodTec has a reputation as marketplace for innovations in the entire food industry. SEALPAC will be present again in 2012 to exhibit its pioneering packaging solutions.

Systems Integration Set To Exhibit at Foodex
UK - Food software specialists, Systems Integration, are set to exhibit at Foodex. The bi-annual event is due to be held at the NEC in Birmingham on the 25 – 27 March.

Multivac Stand-alone Conveyor Systems
GERMANY - Multivac is extending its portfolio of conveyor systems for pack converging with the addition of two stand-alone versions, which can be retrofitted to Multivac thermoforming packaging machines or to those produced by other manufacturers.

Global Meat Industry News