TheMeatSite Newsletter - 25 July 2012

TheMeatSite Weekly Newsletter

Wednesday 25th July 2012

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Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial – UK Meat Industry Counts the Cost of the EU Ban on Desinewed Meat

There have been calls on the UK Government to to reverse the European Commission’s decision to ban desinewed meat, which is already having serious impacts on the UK’s food industry and for consumers.

A new report from the the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee highlights the impact that the Commission’s decision to ban desinewed meat has had on the UK meat industry. One producer of desinewed meat has been forced to make almost half of its workers redundant, and consumer prices are forecast to rise as desinewed meat, traditionally used in value ranges, is replaced by more expensive cuts of meat.

Welcoming the report, the British Poultry Council commented that the misguided decision by the European Commission to reclassify this product threatened to cost British poultry companies up to £100 million.

Launching the report, Anne McIntosh MP, EFRA Committee Chair said: “Our producers have been badly let down by both the European Commission and the UK Government. The Commission’s actions are irrational and wrong. The Government was caught unawares and has so far failed to protect UK producers.”

The European Commission demanded in March that desinewed meat, which closely resembles minced meat and is used in many processed meat products, must be classified as ‘mechanically separated meat’. Under EU rules, this means that it could no longer be obtained from the bones of cattle, sheep and goats.

The UK Government has made clear that there are no food safety risks associated with the use of desinewed meat.

“The Commission’s decision to outlaw this meat without producing any scientific evidence to suggest that it is a risk to public health was totally disproportionate,” said Ms McIntosh.

She added: “The Commission plans to inspect other Member States later this year but in the meantime, UK producers remain the only ones forced to reclassify this meat in the face of threats from the Commission.”

Turning to the US, when the US Farm Bill was finally approved earlier this month by the House Agriculture Committee, it was hailed by the American Farm Bureau Federation as a fiscally responsible, bipartisan measure that continues to provide a basic-but-broad foundation of risk management protection for America’s farmers and ranchers.

Implications of the Bill have begun to emerge in the meantime. It has been suggested, for example, that it offers an opportunity to bring Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling (M-COOL) legislation into compliance with international trading rules.

This follows the news last month that the World Trade Organization has upheld an earlier Dispute Settlement Panel ruling that US M-COOL discriminates against imported livestock and is inconsistent with US trade obligations. The US now has 15 months to bring the law into compliance or face the prospects of retaliatory tariffs.

Dr Ron Plain, agricultural economics professor at the University of Missouri, says the US Farm Bill presents an opportunity to resolve the issue.

Furthermore, an amendment to the Farm Bill that received little attention at the time could have considerable implications for the US meat industry. The Protect Interstate Commerce Act (PICA) is aimed to prevent states entering into trade protectionism by requiring cost-prohibitive production methods in other states.

Congressman Steve King of Iowa achieved what he describes as a ‘legislative victory’ when the amendment he offered during the Agriculture Committee was adopted in the Farm Bill. It prohibits states from enacting laws that place onerous conditions on the means of production for agricultural goods that are sold within its own borders but are produced in other states.

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 5 new features this week:

EU Cattle Prices Strong as Output Declines
European cattle prices have increased strongly to date in 2012 with prices more than 12 per cent higher at 381c/kg, according to Peter Duggan from the Strategic Information Services at Bord Bia-Irish Food Board.

Antibiotic Resistance of Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria in Ducks
Ducks are more frequently contaminated with Campylobacter than Salmonella, according to a review by scientists in Malaysia, and the bacteria exhibited varying resistance to multiple antibiotics. There was very little information on Listeria contamination in ducks.

Effect of Steer Age and Breed on Beef Quality
To improve beef tenderness, producers should use British crossbreds, slaughter the animals at 12 to 13 months of age and not use hormonal implants, recommend Canadian researchers following a study looking at factors affecting beef quality from steers.

Consumer Acceptance of Broiler Breast Meat with White Striping
As the severity of white striping increased in broiler breast meat, acceptance decreased in a US consumer study.

A Cut Above: Innovative Robot Uses 3-D Imaging and Sensor-based Cutting Technology to Debone Poultry
Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a prototype system that uses advanced imaging technology and a robotic cutting arm to automatically debone chicken and other poultry products.

Market Reports

» UK Slaughter Statistics - July 2012
» USDA GAIN: Mexico Poultry and Products Annual 2012
» USDA Livestock Slaughter - July 2012
» USDA Milk Production - July 2012
» Irish CSO Meat Supply Balance - July 2012
» USDA Catfish Processing - July 2012
» USDA International Meat Review - 19th July 2012
» USDA Catfish Production - July 2012
» USDA Catfish Feed Deliveries - July 2012

Company News

Randox Food Diagnostics Release Multi-Analyte Anthelmintics Testing Platform
UK - Randox Food Diagnostics have recently released an Anthelmintics testing platform (EV3770). This multi-analyte testing array is used in conjunction with the patented Randox Biochip Array Technology and Evidence Investigator analyser.

Global Meat Industry News