Meat firms hit as US hurricane takes its toll

American financial analysts have warned that meat producers and processors are losing business as the impact of Hurricane Sandy, one of the worst storms to batter America, continues to cripple the eastern seaboard.  

South of Russia faces Mediterranean fever threat

Mediterranean fever (brucellosis) is spreading rapidly through the southern regions of Russia, infecting both livestock and humans.

KFC UK commits to more sustainable packaging

KFC UK & Ireland has made new commitments to sustainable sourcing after coming under pressure from Greenpeace over its packaging.

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Canadian pork industry warns of losses

The Canadian pork industry could lose a considerable amount of its production this year, with potential economic losses of CA$13.4bn, industry representatives have warned.

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Listeria testing kit gains US validation

3M Food Safety has received US validation for a testing kit that allows processors to monitor levels of the fatal food bug Listeria.

Burger King profits down as sales grow

Burger King (BKW) saw profits fall during the third quarter of 2012, with total revenues down 25.8% to $451.1m as a result of refranchising, the company reported yesterday.

GPS develops meat export catalogue

UK exporter GPS Food Group has launched a new meat export catalogue to help increase sales in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.

Russian-Chinese joint project for reindeer venison

Russia and China are to create a joint enterprise for reindeer meat processing, which will be the largest in Russia and has the potential to become the largest in the world.

Danes set to achieve sow stall compliance

Danish pig producers have announced they are confident of being ready in time for the EU’s partial ban on the use of sow stalls. According to the latest estimates from Denmark, the industry claims around 85% of its farmers are already keeping pregnant sows in group systems.

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Canada considers beef warning labels

Canada is considering introducing “warning labels” on tenderised beef in the wake of the recent huge E.coli scare, according to local news reports.

Welfare awards recognise European achievements

Some of Europe’s leading food companies were recognised for their contribution towards raising animal welfare standards at an award ceremony in Paris last week.

New poultry stunning rules may affect quality, warns Dutch firm

New European Union (EU) rules on animal welfare, applicable from January 2013, might affect the quality of EU-made poultry meat, a spokesman for a major Dutch poultry producer has told an international conference in Brussels on the protection of animals in slaughterhouses.

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Irish firm introduces premium burgers for export

Irish meat processor ABP Food Group has launched a new premium burger range aimed at the export market.

Russia sees rapid growth in turkey production

Turkey is the fastest growing sector of the Russian livestock industry and is forecast to increase by 133% by 2020, according to industry experts.

New report points to global meat production slowdown

Global meat production is slowing down as a result of disease outbreaks and adverse weather conditions, according to a new report from the Worldwatch Institute.

USMEF director warns Europe over food policies

Europe could be isolating itself from the world food market and risking food security by refusing to adopt new technologies, a leading figure in the US meat industry has warned.

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Provenance helps Scotland push pork in Europe

Scottish pork is proving increasingly popular in Europe, according to the head of marketing for Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

European ministers uphold EU ractopamine ban

The European Union’s (EU) Council of Ministers for agriculture has upheld a ban on EU meat producers using the growth-promoting drug ractopamine and on the import of meat from cattle treated with it.

European success for English beef and lamb

English beef and lamb exports are performing well in Europe despite a challenging market, but industry leaders insist the future focus must be on Russia and China.

Ukraine continues to struggle against livestock industry crisis

Despite government measures to support livestock production, the Ukrainian meat industry is still in crisis, according to recently published production data.

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Two US firms recall products in E.coli scare

Two companies in the US have recalled ground beef products that may be contaminated with E.coli.

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Brazil sees Middle East export boom

Exports of Brazilian beef to the Middle East have risen dramatically this year as trade between the two regions goes from strength to strength.

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Devro predicts profit downturn

Sausage casing supplier Devro said its full-year operating profit would be around 3% down on expectations, but ahead of last year, due to currency fluctuations, inflation in hide costs and delays to capacity expansion projects.

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Cargill records big Q1 earnings rise

US meat giant Cargill is showing signs of recovery from last year’s profit plunge, with first-quarter earnings up significantly year-on-year.

UK port reopens following animal welfare concerns

The British port of Ramsgate will resume live exports today (19 October) after the High Court granted “interim relief” from a ban implemented last month.

Russia reimposes Ukraine import restrictions

Russia has placed restrictions on imports of animal products from the Ukraine in what experts describe as the latest step in a “trade war” between the two countries.

EU countries restrict exports to Russia, pending investigation

Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark have voluntarily suspended exports of finished meat products to Russia pending an investigation into claims that exporters were using meat from third countries in these products.

UK pig body issues herd reduction warning

A report by England’s pig levy body Bpex has shown that without retail price increases now, the pig herd in the UK and Europe could be cut by up to 10%.

Indonesia works on animal welfare in abattoirs

A global animal welfare organisation has embarked on a three-year project with veterinarians in Indonesia to improve welfare standards in the country’s abattoirs.

Receivership for historic Irish meat firm

Receivers have been appointed to the Irish sausage maker which featured in James Joyce’s Ulysses. The 100 year old meat processing company Olhausen Ltd, which operated three facilities in Blanchardstown and Coolock in Dublin and Lough Egish, Co Monaghan, has ceased trading and been put up for sale by receivers on behalf of Ulster Bank.

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Aldi takes top rating in Ireland

Figures released by Kantar Worldpanel showed Aldi to be Ireland’s star performer in the country’s grocery sector.

Vion closes major Scottish plant

Vion UK has announced the closure of its primary pork processing plant in Scotland, citing major financial losses.

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Wendy's revamps logo

US burger chain Wendy’s has radically redesigned its logo, with the new design to appear on packaging, advertising, uniforms, websites and in restaurants by March 2013.

Pork prices set to hit record next year, predicts Rabobank

Tight global supplies and a challenging economy are likely to push pork prices to record levels in 2013, according to the latest analysis from Rabobank.

Anti-GM sentiment grows in CIS

Opposition to the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in animal feed is growing in the CIS countries of Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Belarus.

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Bulgarian meat plant closed over spoiled meat

A Bulgarian meat processing plant has been closed after authorities found more than 4 tonnes of spoiled meat on the premises.

US pork sector repeats call for corn ethanol waiver

The US pork industry has repeated calls for US environmental chiefs to grant a waiver of the government mandate on corn ethanol production.

XL Foods lays off workers amid relicensing effort

The meat processor at the centre of a huge Canadian beef recall has temporarily laid off over 1,000 workers while the struggle to regain its licence continues.

EU call for limit on livestock transport times

A formal call for the European Commission to propose eight-hour journey-time limits for livestock being carried across the European Union (EU) has been made at the European Parliament.

UK packaging firm opens Turkey base

A UK food packaging company has opened a new facility in Turkey in a bid to strengthen its global operations.

US red meat export volumes slow

Beef and pork exports from the US have seen a dip on last year’s figures, according to the latest report from the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

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New animal welfare head promises sustained pressure

The new president of the European animal welfare charity, Eurogroup for Animals, has vowed to keep up the pressure on MEPS to ensure that animal welfare remains high on the agenda, claiming there are there are “many issues that can only be solved on the EU stage”.

Meat industry is big business in China

The leader of China’s meat industry has told the country’s annual national meat conference that his sector is starting to consolidate and move away from its past reliance on small businesses.

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European contract manufacturing market set to double

A new report has said that the European contract manufacturing market it likely to double in size and be worth around EUR14-16bn by 2020. 

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Brazil sees exports fly up

Brazilian pork exports increased by nearly 50% year-on-year last month, according to the latest figures from the Brazilian association of pork producers and exporters (Abipecs).

OSI set to become largest poultry producer in China

A global meat processing company, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in China, is on its way to becoming one of the country’s biggest poultry processors.

India to become world’s largest beef exporter in 2012

India will become the largest exporter of beef in the world in 2012, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has concluded in its latest report Livestock and Poultry-World Market and Trade 2012.

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Japan makes food and animal health donation

Japan has donated $104,698 towards helping developing countries improve food and animal health standards.

Irish farmers to stage protest day

Ireland’s agricultural industry will close down next Tuesday (16 October) in support of a day of action by Irish farmers.

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USMEF recognises US industry veteran

A long-serving US meat industry veteran has been granted an honour after receiving the US Meat Export Federation’s Distinguished Service Award.

Greece moves to halt Aegean bluetongue outbreak

Greece has clamped down sharply on movements of livestock on the Aegean island of Kos, to prevent the bluetongue virus spreading to other islands and the Greek mainland.

Russia’s extension of zero-rate agriculture tax welcomed

A major meat processor has commended the Russian government’s decision to extend the zero rate of income tax for agricultural producers.

Canada remains calm in face of growing recalls

Despite an expanded list of recalls announced this week by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), on beef products from Alberta-based XL Foods, the industry does not expect Canada’s largest-ever beef recall to damage domestic and foreign consumer demand.

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China pork developments could hit world trade, finds study

China’s ability to become more self-sufficient in pork production will have major reverberations on world markets, a new study said.

Processors call on EU to be more proactive on animal health

The European Union (EU) should be more proactive in preventing animal health problems developing and spreading from its easterly member states, Piet Thijsse, vice-president of the European Livestock and Meat Trading Union (UECBV) has said.

Ireland achieves Aujeszky’s Disease-free status

Ireland is officially free of the Aujeszky Disease (AD), it has been announced.

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Japanese team select US beef for contest

Japanese chefs will be cooking up US beef when they go head to head with culinary experts from around the world in the 2012 International Exhibition of Culinary Art.

Study reveals economic impact of US poultry

The US poultry industry provides more than a million jobs and contributes over $265 billion to the economy, according to a new study.

2013 Humane Slaughter Award open for entries

A UK welfare charity has started a global search for organisations or individuals that have made significant advances towards developing humane slaughter methods.

Brinker takes gestation crates off the menu

A US restaurant chain owner has announced its objective to work towards removing gestation crates from its pork supply chain.

Meat prices strengthen FAO food price index

Strong meat prices have helped to strengthened the FAO food price index, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations announced today.

Six-Second Project outlines first goal

A children’s charity supported by the global meat industry has announced its first field project for combating poverty and hunger.

Government support for agriculture at historical low

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has welcomed new data which suggests that global government support for agriculture fell to a record low last year.

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Brazil expects growth for beef exports

Brazilian beef exports are forecast to grow by 10% this year as a result of increased sales to key markets and a favourable currency.

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Canada extends Qatar trade opportunity

Qatar has opened its markets to imports of sheep and goats from Canada, ministers announced yesterday (2 October).

Russia reports swine fever slowdown

The spread of African swine fever (ASF) in Russia is slowing down, with animal health officials scaling down controls as a result.

China battles new avian flu outbreak

The Chinese government is fighting a fresh major outbreak of avian influenza virus H5N1 in southern China, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). It says the outbreak was first reported on 11 September at a duck farm in the city of Zhanjiang, in Guangdong province.

Prices for EU beef and pork set to stay strong

EU beef and pork prices are expected to remain strong into 2014 and reach those seen during the severe disease outbreaks in 2000 and 2001.

Efforts to prevent Australian sheep cull continue

The Australian government has said it is “actively assisting” efforts to prevent thousands of Australian sheep from being culled in Pakistan.

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Smithfield issues bacon reassurance

US processor Smithfield Foods has dismissed concerns over a global bacon shortage, insisting it will continue to deliver bacon products to its customers.

Finnish meat firm streamlines production

Finnish meat producer Atria has announced a reorganisation at one of its plants in order to “maintain competitiveness in a tough market”.

Temporary licence suspension for XL Foods

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has temporarily suspended the licence of the processor at the centre of a huge E.coli recall in Canada and the US.

Peta claims 'higher welfare' meat is still not ethical

Vegan campaign group Peta has called for the abolition of livestock production, claiming that even ‘higher welfare’ meat is unethical.

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Philippines to conduct agriculture census

A major agriculture and fisheries census is to take place in the Philippines in order to update information about the two sectors.

New swine fever culling study undertaken

A new study has looked at the effectiveness of culling a herd of pigs in the circumstance of classical swine fever (CSF) outbreaks.

Strong year for Zambeef

African integrated agri-business Zambeef has seen strong trading over the year to 30 September 2012, driven by rapidly increasing demand across meat divisions and continued growth in the Zambian economy, the company has announced.