Meat

FAO calls for vigilance with avian influenza on the rise in China

20-Jan-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Human infections with the influenza A(H7N9) virus are on the rise again in China and the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities provide opportunity for further spread and human exposure, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has warned.

Walmart pulls fox meat masquerading as donkey snacks

06-Jan-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Walmart’s China operation has responded to reports that some of its donkey meat contained the DNA of other animals, including fox.

China’s meat market value to soar in spite of lowering consumption

02-Jan-2014 By RJ Whitehead

While China’s meat consumption growth rate has been slowing over the past decade, the rise in its value will continue at a rapid pace, according to Rabobank.

Indonesia looks at alternatives to Oz food imports as tensions gather

26-Nov-2013 By RJ Whitehead

What began as outrage over phone bugging accusations has now escalated to the point that Indonesia revealed it was turning away from Australian food imports.

New USDA rule will not let Chinese poultry into America

12-Nov-2013 By Ankush Chibber

The US Department of Agriculture will not allow the import of Chinese poultry into the country, having determined the country’s slaughter system not equivalent of its system and standards.

Treading on egg shells? Australia looks to tackle Salmonella problem

06-Nov-2013 By Joseph James Whitworth

Sources of Salmonella on egg farms and in the supply chain are being investigated to tackle the pathogen problem in Australia.

OSI opens China’s biggest poultry processor

30-Oct-2013

OSI Group is on the way to becoming Asia’s biggest value-added meat processor after the American food major opened two more plants in China. 

China’s hunger for meat and dairy fuelling Australian exports

21-Oct-2013 By Ankush Chibber

Demand from China has helped the Australian state of Victoria lift its agricultural exports by 5% in 2012-13 to a record A$9.4bn, a new report from the state’s government has revealed.

Rampant mislabelling of beef in Korea

14-Oct-2013

In South Korea, more than 75 tonnes of US beef was passed off as coming from other countries over the first eight months of this year. It is said the illegal practice is to bypass restrictions that are meant to prevent the sale of meat containing a banned...

New standard for red meat proposed in Australia and New Zealand

09-Oct-2013 By Ankush Chibber

Australia and New Zealand’s red meat sector has joined a long list of food processing sectors that the region’s top food safety watchdog looking to standardise food safety requirements. 

Shareholders give go-ahead for Smithfield-Shuanghui deal

26-Sep-2013 By RJ Whitehead

By calling it a “great transaction” for shareholders, farmers and agriculture in the United States, Smithfield Foods chief executive Larry Pope couldn’t have been more ebullient now his shareholders have rubber-stamped Shuanghui’s takeover of the American...

China bans import of Australian chilled beef

26-Sep-2013 By Ankush Chibber

China has moved to ban the imports of chilled beef from Australia citing food safety concerns, according to media reports in China and Australia. 

Cargill opens poultry plant in Anhui

23-Sep-2013

Cargill has opened a new poultry operation in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui that will cover each stage of the poultry supply chain. 

Indonesia green lights Oz farmland purchase to solve beef shortage

16-Sep-2013 By Ankush Chibber

Indonesia has approved a plan to buy one million hectares of Australian farmland in the country’s north in order to solve its own crippling beef supply problems. 

China can't keep up with demand for beef, exporters line up to fillet

29-Aug-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Rising incomes, dietary changes and increasing urbanisation are behind China’s newfound appetite for beef, with consumption expected to grow by one-quarter over the next 10 years.

Three more supermarkets join Which? price plan

31-Jul-2013 By Mike Stones

Three more supermarkets have agreed to back consumer watchdog Which?’s ‘Price it Right’ campaign for simpler, clearer and consistent food pricing.

Positive outlook for China’s pork output

24-Jul-2013 By RJ Whitehead

China’s pork industry looks like it’s moving in a positive direction over the rest of this year, and as far as 2014, according to Rabobank research.

Shanghai's new live poultry regulations aim to prevent H7N9 outbreaks

01-Jul-2013 By RJ Whitehead

China’s biggest city will see new live poultry trade standards now that sales have resumed after they were banned due to the H7N9 outbreak.

Health research

Study links red meat consumption to heightened diabetes risk

18-Jun-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Researchers in Singapore have identified that eating high quantities of red meat over a period of time can increase the risk of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Opinion

Sino-US pork deal is destined to bring home the bacon for both sides

30-May-2013 By RJ Whitehead

While it is expected that the Shuanghui takeover of Smithfield Foods will take place once it is rubber-stamped by American authorities, the union will hardly be blessed in the US.

Australia free to export beef to Indonesia, although only in a box

28-May-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Indonesia has made imports of premium Australian beef exempt from quotas following lengthy negotiations with the Australian government.

Food deals form major part of India-China’s $100bn commerce plan

21-May-2013 By RJ Whitehead

In light of India’s trade deficit with China, which since 2010 has more than doubled to over US$40bn, the country hopes that three food and pharmaceutical agreements signed with China this week will have an impact on the shortfall.

900 arrested in latest Chinese meat sting

02-May-2013 By RJ Whitehead

China’s Ministry of Public Security has announced the arrest of 904 suspects during a three-month campaign to prevent meat-related crime, such as the sale of rat and fox under the guise of beef and mutton.

Interview: Lisa Mabe, halal marketeer

Halal ready for export to a growing number of non-Muslim markets

08-Apr-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Asia’s Muslim-majority countries should see Western nations as a viable and potentially lucrative market for their halal products, according to a leading food marketing consultant.

Natural seasoning can prevent charred-meat carcinogens

26-Mar-2013 By RJ Whitehead

A new study has found that natural seasonings like cinnamon, pineapple and green tea can significantly reduce the formation of cancer causing substances in well cooked meats. 

Happy holidays

Australian F&B spending to rise again this Easter, say analysts

21-Mar-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Easter, which falls between March 29 and April 1, is traditionally a period of heavy consumption, and business information analysts Ibisworld have lifted the lid on continued strong holiday expectations and changing tastes in F&B and confectionery...

Australian standards

Watchdog taking a quack at claims with action against duck meat co.

18-Mar-2013 By RJ Whitehead

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has indicated it will be focusing on the veracity of label and marketing claims after it instituted court proceedings against a duck meat producer.

Australian beef

Tough task to increase herd volume to make most of EU opportunities

14-Mar-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Opportunities for Australian beef in the European Union grainfed market are there, but the big challenge lies in lifting the volume of accredited supply. 

State of the industry

China poultry expected to rise above pork growth

12-Mar-2013 By RJ Whitehead

China’s poultry producers have long lived in the shadow of the pork industry, which remains the meat of choice throughout the nation. But now it seems that poultry is finally starting to develop in its own right.

Australia trade

Australia given green light to export lamb to India

05-Mar-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Australia’s trade department has announced that the country will begin to export lamb to India free of quotas, based on Australia’s compliance with India's food safety requirements.

Australian research

Heading to the polls with new genetic horn test for cattle

04-Mar-2013 By RJ Whitehead

The transition to a polled cattle herd–or one without horns–could soon be even faster with a new, highly accurate poll gene marker test from Australia that is due to become available this year.

Pork imports

Chinese call for additive verification baffles American suppliers

21-Feb-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Demands by Chinese quarantine authorities for a new layer of verification to make sure that pork imported from the US is free of a feed additive have baffled analysts and officials.

HK bans northeast German poultry

19-Feb-2013

Hong Kong has banned the import of all poultry products, including eggs, from certain German states with immediate effect.

China safety

Duck replaces mutton in latest food-swap scandal

05-Feb-2013 By RJ Whitehead

While European supermarkets and fast-food chains have been dealing with the fall-out of horse meat in burgers, a meatpacking factory in north-east China has been found using cheap duck meat and additives to replace mutton and beef slices.

Analysis

World looks to China for clues about global pork strength

31-Jan-2013 By RJ Whitehead

China will be a key indicator of the state of the global pork market in 2013 after the world, according to Rabobank. Nevertheless, China’s pork producers will still face a challenging year in 2013.

Meeting of minds

Kiwi government invests big in beef and sheep collaboration

29-Jan-2013 By RJ Whitehead

New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has been digging even deeper into its Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) fund to find significant funds for a new, NZ$65m joint development project between sheep and beef farmers.

State of the industry

Pakistan’s halal exports in dire need of certification

15-Jan-2013 By RJ Whitehead

With Muslim countries fast waking up to the potential halal exports hold, and nations scrambling to become hubs for the distribution of Islamically acceptable meat, Pakistan is lagging behind the pack but still has the potential to improve its standing.

Saudi sheikhs issue conflicting fatwas on halal preparation

10-Jan-2013

A noted Saudi cleric has told a Gulf television news channel that any food, apart from meat, that is cooked or prepared by non-Muslims is halal, and so can be eaten by Muslims.

Saudi bans Brazilian beef

20-Dec-2012

Saudi Arabia is the latest Asian country to suspend beef imports from Brazilian. It is now also the biggest country to stop purchases after the South American country confirmed a case of atypical mad cow disease in 2010.

Aussie lamb exports hampered by high tariffs

04-Dec-2012 By RJ Whitehead

High import tariffs and other barriers to entry are giving Australian exports of sheep meet a significant disadvantage across a number of markets on the world stage, a researcher has found following a long-term study.

NZ government funds beef carcass value programme

03-Dec-2012

A new innovation programme to look at how greater value can be generated from beef carcasses has been approved for New Zealand government funding.

State of the industry

Far East and America driving Australian beef dynamics

29-Nov-2012 By RJ Whitehead

Changing trends in traditional key export markets are presenting both hurdles and opportunities for Australia's boxed-beef exporters, according to a recently released industry report.

KFC China supplier denies part in chicken feed scandal

27-Nov-2012 By RJ Whitehead

A supplier of poultry to KFC in China has refuted claims in a Chinese website that it gives its chicken feed laced with large amounts of toxic additives.

Egypt cattle row provoking a storm in Australia

12-Nov-2012 By RJ Whitehead

In a move to calm an issue that is threatening to turn into a populist political bun fight, Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has issued a statement relating to cattle exports to Egypt, confirming that Australian animals...

Ridley takes on Australian BPL meat renderer

12-Nov-2012

One of Australia’s leading animal nutrients suppliers, Ridley Corporation, has announced it will acquire BPL, Victoria’s largest red meat and poultry renderer for AU$77m. 

Industry focus

Oz egg lobby slams moves to end caged egg production

26-Oct-2012 By RJ Whitehead

The representative group for the egg industry has hit out at a new campaign by a leading animal rights organisation against caged-egg production in Australia. 

Hold the greens, rural Indians now eating more meat and eggs

26-Oct-2012 By Ankush Chibber

Growing income is leading to increased demand for protein in India’s hinterland, but a shortage of supply is resulting in higher food inflation.

Report predicts tough times for Chinese pork

23-Oct-2012 By RJ Whitehead

While global pork prices are projected to remain strong in 2013, hog production and imports to China will once again remain wildly unpredictable.

Middle-class now China's primary consumer of beef

11-Oct-2012 By Ankush Chibber

China’s rapidly growing middle-class is driving growth in the consumption of beef and meat products, a new report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has revealed.

Chinese must make tough choices on corn and pork

28-Sep-2012 By RJ Whitehead

The author of a report suggesting that China’s corn imports are in line to explode by 2017, today cautioned that the government will have to walk a tightrope in balancing pork prices with domestic corn productivity.