TheMeatSite Newsletter - 10 October 2012

Welcome to this week's newsletter

EDITORIAL - E.coli Scare Spreads in Canada

Canada is experiencing its worst food poisoning scare since the Maple Leaf listeria outbreak in 2008.

Hundreds of tonnes of beef products have been recalled following the discovery of E.coli contamination at one of XL Foods processing plants in Brooks, Alberta.

Examination by food safety inspectors found a lack of detailed documents outlining required steps when a product was positive for E. coli O157:H7 or when there were a high number of positives in a 24-hour period, inconsistent trend analysis on positive samples and no process to include test results from client establishments, insufficient record keeping related to on-going monitoring and validation of processes, procedures, and equipment maintenance (e.g., 12 of 100 water nozzles clogged in the primary carcase wash area) and deficiencies in sampling techniques and procedures, such as inconsistent sampling and no established monitoring programme.

The catalogue of biosecurity failures has had major repercussions with products not only being recalled in Canada but also the US and import bans imposed on products from the company in Hong Kong.

This week inspectors were assessing the plant to see whether it could be reopened, but the Canadian agriculture minister Gerry Ritz has said that production can only start again when he has had a written assurance of the safety of the processes from the president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

In the UK, the consultation period over the future of the Vion Foods processing plant Halls of Broxburn has come to an end and the company has said that it is now planning a phased closure.

Vion Foods has, maintained that the plant cannot be run profitably, but the Scottish Government - in particular the finance minister John Swinney - has said the taskforce will continue to work with the company to find a buyer for the site, and measures will be put in place to help staff looking for work after the announcement, as well as to mitigate the impact on the wider local economy and he added the taskforce will draw up a recovery plan to address these issues.

In Brazil, Poultry companies Averama and BR Frango have merged their activities, following a six month consultation, while BRF - Brasil Foods SA is to acquire a 49 per cent stake and management control of Federal Foods Limited, a privately-held company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, through its subsidiary in Austria.

In the US, Danish Crown's subsidiary DAT-Schaub is to take over the casings manufacturer DCW Casings, which is a company formed through the merger of Casing Associates and Wolfson Casings.

DAT-Schaub already had a 50 per cent stake in Casing Associates, but as the principal shareholder in the new company, a much stronger position and new opportunities have been opened up for DAT-Schaub in North America.

Chris Harris

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 5 new features this week:

GLOBAL POULTRY TRENDS 2012 - Oceanian Chicken Output Growth Matches World Average, Africa's Exceeds it
Annual growth in chicken output in Africa since 2000 is expected to average 4.4 per cent, compared to the global average of 3.7 per cent, according to Terry Evans. He turns his attention to the future prospects for the chicken industries in African countries and for Oceania, where production has expanded to match this worldwide increase.

Quality Assurance in US Feedlots
The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) programme is a State and national industry-led effort that provides guidelines to support the production of quality beef. The goal of the program is to raise consumer confidence in beef quality through recommended management techniques and a commitment to quality within segments of the beef industry, including feedlots.

Emerging Technology in Food and Beverage Industry
A recent survey by Leatherhead Food Research asked the food and beverage industry what objectives are currently the most important when considering investment in new technology.

Effects of a Lactobacillus Product on Pig Growth and Pork Quality
Lactobacillus plantarum ZJ316 is reported to improve pig performance and pork quality by researchers based in Hangzhou, China. They suggest that the mode of action may be the inhibition of growth by opportunistic pathogens and the promotion of increased villus height.

Global Web of Food Trade Complicates Contamination Tracking
The growing complexity of the global food trade network means contamination spreads more efficiently and is more difficult to trace. Increased data capture and sharing is recommended by a new study to help prevent food poisoning outbreaks and allow sources of contamination to be quickly identified.

Market Reports

» USDA International Meat Review - 28 September 2012
» USDA Dairy Products - August 2012 Highlights
» USDA International Egg and Poultry - 2 October 2012
» USDA National Dairy Products Sales Report - 4 October 2012
» USDA GAIN: Venezuela Poultry and Products Annual 2012
» USDA GAIN: Japan Livestock and Products Annual 2012

Company News

Oil Recovery System Breakthrough for Processors
US - Global food processing equipment manufacturer, JBT FoodTech, has launched the world's first Floating Crumb Removal (FCR) system aimed specifically at processors of tempura-battered product.

Global Meat Industry News