A group of highly-respected, independent international academics have banded together to project positive news about eating red meat as a result of their mutual concerns about the impacts of inaccurate and partisan work in the same field of research.

The group, including Professor Dr. Peer Ederer, instigated the Dublin Declaration which states that livestock systems are “too precious to society to become the victim of simplification, reductionism or zealotry.” Prof. Dr. Ederer is also co-founder and director of GOALSciences, the Global Observatory of Accurate Livestock Sciences, which has the mission to research and communicate scientific evidence about the role of animals in the global food system.

“The vast majority of scientists are positive about red meat’s nutritional, ecological, environmental and ethical role in society,” Prof. Dr. Ederer told Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) ahead of Great British Beef Week (23 – 30 April), a week-long celebration of locally produced beef – including Welsh Beef – and its taste, quality and world-leading sustainability credentials.

Professor Dr Ederer, who was the keynote speaker at Hybu Cig Cymru- Meat Promotion Wales’ (HCC) annual conference last year, cited examples of where inaccurate research had been corrected or was to be corrected by scientists seeking to redress the balance – “examples of where science is able to heal itself,” he told HCC.

He said an article in the Lancet linking deaths to red meat had been proven to be wrong and the revision accepted by the authors and the publishers. Similarly, a recent piece published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggesting support for dietary recommendations for limiting consumption of red meat had been rebuked. “This same information has been republished again and again and again – and yet the scientific community has disproved it again and again and again”, he said.

“We need to ask ourselves a question – how come they keep on publishing this nonsense? It is always headline news in all scientific journals and then also in mainstream media. Yet the studies that are debunking it – well, they seem to get buried in some scientific and academic material that never sees the light of day.

 

Hybu Cig Cymru

 

Also:

Welsh Beef producers shine during Great British Beef Week

PGI Welsh Lamb campaign “a major success”, says HCC

Welsh lamb to be showcased in the US

Welsh secure new lamb deal with Japan

 

Welsh Beef producers are set to take centre stage with Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), shining a light on the sectors sustainability credentials during Great British Beef Week (23-30 April).

As part of its activity, which will feature beef farmers from across Wales, HCC is also highlighting practical steps beef farmers can take to improve efficiencies on farm and boost profitability, as well as showing consumers 5 different ways to use PGI Welsh Beef through some delicious recipes.

The nationwide campaign celebrates the versatility and exceptional taste of home produced beef, while highlighting the commitment and dedication of beef farmers to sustainable practices.

HCC’s Campaign Executive, Philippa Gill said: “Without the abundant rainfall we have here in Wales, the Welsh Beef story wouldn’t be what it is today. Beef cattle in Wales are overwhelmingly reared in non-intensive farming systems, using Wales’s natural resources – water and grass.

“PGI Welsh Beef has an incredible story to tell – from the people who produce it, the sustainability and environmental credentials of our Welsh Beef, as well as its versatility and great taste. Those are all things that HCC is going to champion and amplify during the week – taking a multi-pronged approach to highlighting the uniquely Welsh credentials which we know resonate so well with consumers.”

 

Hybu Cig Cymru

 

Also:

PGI Welsh Lamb campaign “a major success”, says HCC

Welsh lamb to be showcased in the US

Welsh secure new lamb deal with Japan

MOSCOW. April 15 (Interfax) – The first shipment of Russian pork has been delivered to the Chinese market according to Miratorg, the first company to begin deliveries after China lifted restrictions on Russian pork imports last September.

A consignment of products weighing 27 tonnes was produced at the holding’s meat processing complex in the Belgorod region and sent from Selyatino station on March 7 by rail to Vladivostok. From there, it was loaded onto a ship to the port of Nansha in China. Russian transport company Fesco organized the intermodal shipment process.

The container arrived at the Chinese port after one month in transit, from where the importer unloaded the shipment into his warehouse on April 13.

“We greatly value the Chinese market and take a responsible attitude towards fulfilling all the veterinary requirements of the importing country. The goal is to increase supply volumes in the coming years and expand the range of meat products in accordance with the taste preferences of Chinese residents.

The company independently ensures 100% quality control and complete traceability of products at all stages from “field to table,” Miratorg’s press service said.

 

Interfax

 

Also:

Russia sends first pork shipment to China in 15 years

Russian pork exports to China begin ahead of schedule

First Russian pork on its way to China

Boosting pork exports to Southeast Asia: Russia launches the Meat Shuttle

The presence of foodborne pathogens in raw beef imported into the European Union is low, according to a study.

Microbiological quality of 100 raw beef samples sent to the EU was investigated. Samples of beef imported from November 2021 to May 2022 were collected at the Border Control Post of Hamburg Harbor in Germany. In total, 53 samples came from Brazil, 33 from Argentina, 12 from Uruguay, and two from Paraguay.

In 2021, there were 283,729 tons of beef imported into the EU, representing an increase of 26 percent compared to 2020. The main suppliers were Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina.

Beef is occasionally consumed raw or not fully heated. This means the risk of ingesting viable pathogens either directly or indirectly through cross-contamination increases, according to the study published in the journal Food Control.

“Our findings highlight the importance of adhering to hygienic conditions throughout the meat production and transport chain in order to ensure a hygienically sound product even after long transportation and storage times,” said researchers.

 

Food Safety News

 

Tim Jackson | Meat & Livestock Australia 

 

Also:

Australia manages more than half global sheep meat trade in 2023

Australian goatmeat exports surge in 2023

Australian Government leads red meat mission in the UK

Shetland’s abattoir will replace its full time manager with a part time role as financial pressures mount.

Cuts were “reluctantly” made at the abattoir, Shetland Livestock and Marketing Group (SLMG) said.

Due to financial pressures, which are being experienced across the country, SLMG chairman Cecil Eunson said it had become difficult for small abattoirs to remain viable.

Mr Eunson said it was a “difficult decision” to make but one that was important for the future of the abattoir.

“The throughput at the abattoir declined last year, and has seen a further reduction at the start of this year,” Mr Eunson said. “This currently affects profitability.”

“Due to this situation, the board have taken the decision, very reluctantly, to no longer have an abattoir manager but replace this with a part-time role.”

 

Shetland Times 

JBS, the world’s largest meat producer, will invest 150 million reais (US$29.2 million) to double-fold processing capacity at its Campo Grande II beef plant to 4,400 cattle heads per day, the company announced Friday in a statement.

The announcement, which comes after the plant received the green light to export to China in March, was made during a visit by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the unit, located in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

JBS said the capacity expansion should be completed within a year and will make Campo Grande II one of the company’s three largest plants in the world and the largest meat complex in Latin America. The firm added that it will also double the plant’s workforce to 4,600 people.

 

America Economia

(Bloomberg) — The billionaire Batista brothers’ stunning comeback is thrusting them into Brazil’s highest circles of power less than three weeks after their appointment to the board of JBS SA. 

Wesley and Joesley Batista — who grew their family butcher shop into the world’s largest meat producer with crucial help from Brazil’s development bank during President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s past administrations, then became involved in a massive graft scandal that brought down thousands of politicians including Lula — are now hosting the leftist leader in one of their plants that will start exporting to China.

Friday’s encounter in Campo Grande, a center-west capital in Brazil’s agricultural heartland, is part of Lula’s bet that increasing agricultural exports to the world’s second-largest economy can help reproduce the commodities-fueled good times he oversaw in the beginning of the century.

They met at a JBS factory that is set to make the first shipment of meat to China as part of a new export agreement reached in the wake of Lula’s trip to the country last year. A total of 38 Brazilian plants recently received authorization to send products to the Asian nation.

JBS plans to invest roughly 150 million reais ($29 million) to double daily production capacity at the Campo Grande facility to 4,400 cattle heads, Chief Executive Officer Gilberto Tomazoni said during Friday’s ceremony.

Brazil already relies on China for more than half of its beef exports and 70% of its soybean shipments. But Lula last year sent hundreds of leaders from the country’s influential agribusiness sector to Beijing in hopes of convincing Xi Jinping’s government to further deepen its dependence on Brazilian farm products.

 

Simone Iglesias and Gerson Freitas Jr | Bloomberg News

The spike in demand for lamb from Easter and Ramadan may be passing, with Eid al Fitr ending proceedings on 10 April. However, deadweight lamb prices have continued to hold strong, with tight supplies carrying the trade.

Deadweight lambs averaged 829.5p/kg this week, back from the March peak of 838.8p/kg, but by historic standards the lamb trade remains incredibly firm, with prices up 224p/kg on year-earlier levels.

Jonny Williams, joint operations director of marketing co-operative Farmstock Scotland, said the lamb trade is very volatile but is being driven by an emerging shortage of hoggs.

See also: Soaring lamb trade reaches new record high of £8/kg

“We’ve got massive demand from the Continent for exports of UK lamb, so we’ve seen these huge prices never seen before.

“Instinctively, you think wow, this is great for the industry, but obviously you need to see what’s going to happen in the long term to see what the implications are for the next lamb crop,” he said.

 

Charlie Reeve | Farmers Weekly

Scotland’s apprentice butchers are benefiting from a focus on innovation provided through the Scotch Butchers Club, run by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). It recently partnered with industry leaders to provide learning and development opportunities for 24 apprentice butchers across Scotland, with a focus on value-added products.

The events, at Yorkes of Dundee and Strachans Craft Butchers in Larkhall, were led by industry experts Erin Conroy from herbs and spices specialist Verstegen, and Peter Rushforth from butchery supplier Innovative Food Ingredients.

After Erin and Peter demonstrated creating the value-added products, apprentices had hands-on experience making them. These included Scotch Beef chilli enchiladas, Specially Selected Pork peppercorn tenderloin, and a Scotch Lamb balti, allowing them to gain insights and skills to enhance their craft.

Gordon Newlands, Brand Manager at QMS said: “Product innovation remains key to enhancing profitability for Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb, and Specially Selected Pork. By aligning with consumer preferences and offering innovative meal solutions, the butchery sector continues to thrive.

“Collaboration with industry partners, including Verstegen and Innovative Food Ingredients, highlights QMS’s commitment to empowering young butchers and driving sales within independent butcher shops.”

Sarah McLauchlan, an apprentice butcher from Strachan Craft Butchers in East Kilbride attended the event. She said: “It was great meet other apprentices and share ideas. Being able to learn from each other was motivating.

“I’ve noticed a growing demand from consumers for kitchen-ready products, which fits in perfectly with my role within the butcher shop and I have a real passion for it. I’m really excited about making dishes that customers want.

 

Quality Meat Scotland