Australian Greens push government over animal welfare

26-Feb-2013 - Australia’s Green party has called on the ruling Labor government to “put their money where their mouth is” and make good on promises to establish an independent office of animal welfare.

Irish farmers call for stricter controls on meat imports

25-Feb-2013 - Following last week’s announcement of a mandatory DNA testing programme for meat processors in the Republic of Ireland (RoI), farmers are seeking further measures to protect the quality and reputation of Irish meat.

News in brief

OIE puts US at ‘negligible risk’ for BSE

25-Feb-2013 - The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has recommended that the US’ BSE status is upgraded to “negligible risk”, the lowest risk level under the OIE Code.

China boosts Australian beef and lamb exports

25-Feb-2013 - Australia has seen a jump in beef and lamb exports so far this year, driven partly by expansion into China, market analysts have revealed.

US outrage over farmer data leak

22-Feb-2013 - Worry has been struck up amongst US pig, cattle and poultry farmers as a result of the actions carried out by an environment protection agency, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has said.

NI to introduce food chain reporting mechanism

22-Feb-2013 - Northern Ireland’s agricultural department is considering adoption of a ‘horizon-scanning’ system as a pro-active defence measure against food chain crises such as the horsemeat scandal.

Nestlé withdraws beef pasta products as horse DNA is found

19-Feb-2013 - Nestlé has removed beef pasta products from sale in Italy, Spain and France after horse DNA was found in them.

MEPs call for improved traceability of horsemeat

19-Feb-2013 - Members of the European Parliament’s public health and food safety committee asked last night for horsemeat supplies within the European Union (EU) to be subjected to better traceability requirements, because of the ongoing labelling scandal.

Top beef cuts demand seen across Europe

18-Feb-2013 - Despite the ongoing scandal of horsemeat, there is still a growing demand for both cheap and premium cuts of beef across Europe, delegates to a meat conference in the UK were told.

European plan on horsemeat approved

18-Feb-2013 - The Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) has endorsed a European Commission plan to tackle the horsemeat crisis by testing thousands of beef products across Europe for horse DNA.

Russians concerned over EU horsemeat

18-Feb-2013 - Russian authorities have begun inspecting meat products on sale in supermarkets for the presence of horsemeat in the wake of the contamination scandal in Europe.

EU ministers to discuss horsemeat scandal

13-Feb-2013 - Agriculture ministers from the European countries affected by the horsemeat scandal are meeting in Brussels this evening to discuss the issue as investigations continue.

Netherlands calls on British companies to help food shortage

13-Feb-2013 - The Dutch government has called for British companies to help solve the potential food shortage crisis that is expected to arise by 2050.

McDonald's sales drop again

11-Feb-2013 - The world’s leading foodservice retailer McDonald’s revealed today that its global comparable sales decreased by 1.9% in January, despite an increase in US sales.

UK processors ordered to test beef products following 100% horse meat discovery

08-Feb-2013 - UK meat processors and retailers have been ordered to conduct testing on all processed beef products after ready meals on sale in supermarkets were found to contain 100% horse meat.

Red meat vital to nutrition

08-Feb-2013 - A new study from the UK has found that red meat plays a vital role in nutrition for people of all ages.

Japan opens doors to EU beef

07-Feb-2013 - Japan has opened its markets to imports of beef and beef products from the European Union (EU) for the first time in 12 years.

Ireland resumes cattle exports to Libya

06-Feb-2013 - Exports of live cattle from the Republic of Ireland to Libya are set to resume for the first time since 1996, raising hopes of restoring the formerly buoyant trade and reopening other markets.

Exclusive interview

US-Russia trade disputes: a view from exporters

05-Feb-2013 - Globalmeatnews.com talks to Phillip Seng, president and CEO of the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF), about the difficulties that the US is facing when it comes to exporting meat to Russia.

British meat industry to introduce DNA testing

05-Feb-2013 - Some in the British meat industry are set to introduce DNA testing on meat products to reassure consumers in the wake of the horse meat contamination scandal.

Cows produce more methane while nursing calves, says report

05-Feb-2013 - A new study in the US has found that, in grain-fed beef systems, the greatest amount of methane is created when cows are nursing their calves.

Indian meat trade targeted, claims religious group

04-Feb-2013 - The leaders of India’s 160-million plus Muslim community, which dominates the country’s meat trade, is complaining of persistent harassment by Hindu "hardliners".

Supermarkets ditch suppliers after horse meat scandal

04-Feb-2013 - The impact of the horse meat burger scandal continues to be felt in the UK and Ireland, with Irish plant Silvercrest losing several major contracts last week.

Production costs change US meat consumption habits

04-Feb-2013 - The increasing cost of production is changing the face of US consumption patterns, farming leaders have highlighted.

Meat-eating in Russia reaches record high

04-Feb-2013 - Meat consumption in Russia has reached a record level, according to analysts.