Meat Matters

Industry Was Too Late On LFTB Issue

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:30:00 +0000

April 12, 2011, was the day that celebrity chef Jamie Oliver launched the “pink slime” term into the blogosphere with a crude, but compelling, depiction on TV of how BPI manufactures its lean finely textured beef (LFTB). That’s also the day the industry and BPI should have gone on the offensive against this and other gross misrepresentations of a legitimate, nutritious, safe and economical source of protein for Americans.

Meat Matters

We Must Continue To Build Beef’s Value Equation

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:15:00 +0000

It’s startling that the declining U.S. cattle herd and consequent record-high cattle prices are causing more concern than celebration. Perhaps it reflects fears that such prices can’t last or that they’ll inflict damage on the industry in terms of people eating less beef. Such fears are understandable, but unfounded.

Meat Matters

Survey Shows Most Consumers Don’t Care About COOL

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:28:00 +0000

Mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) of meat and other foods is one of those issues that goes on and on and on. I wrote my first story about proposals to introduce COOL in 1994. The measure was finally implemented in 2009, but the battle over COOL continues three years later.

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My Hope For More Beef Industry Records

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:26:00 +0000

We’re one month into 2012 but it’s not too late for me to share my wish list for the U.S. beef industry for this year. Topping my list, as you might expect, is my hope that Americans continue to support beef as much as they did last year. For we all know that demand, not supply, will determine how high beef and cattle prices go this year.

My other wishes for 2012, in no particular order, include:

Meat Matters

Adding More Value Is Packers' Only Recourse

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:45:00 +0000

Grand plans and meatpacking are like oil and water. They don’t mix successfully. Remember Future Beef Operations (FBO) completed in 2001, its plant in Arkansas City, KS, included the most technologically advanced beef processing systems in the world.

Meat Matters

USDA Comes To Its Senses On The GIPSA Rule

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:04:00 +0000

The beef industry has battled an onslaught of negative news over the past year, including the lingering effects of the recession, the proposed GIPSA rule on livestock and poultry marketing, efforts to regulate farm dust, and catastrophic drought in Texas and surrounding states. So it’s great to end the year with good news.

Meat Matters

Beef Unfairly Singled Out On Non-STEC Issue

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:09:00 +0000

It was a fight the beef-processing industry was always going to lose. Ever since USDA declared E. coli O157:H7 an adulterant in non-intact raw beef in 1994, ground beef has been the lightning rod for federal officials, politicians and consumer groups in the ongoing debate about the safety of America’s food supply.

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Morgan Ranch Develops Its Vision Into A Global Market Niche

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

It was a glorious afternoon in California’s Napa Valley. We were gathered at the home of one of the valley’s oldest wine families, and their neighbors had brought some of their best wine to share as we looked out over rows of lush grapevines from the front terrace.

Meat Matters

Tighter Supplies Force Shift In Beef Sales

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

As I write this, the stock market has suffered its biggest slump in nearly two years and the U.S. economy remains in somewhat fragile shape. Hopes of a steadily improving outlook have given way to fears that the U.S. might be in a double-dip recession.

Meat Matters

Gourmet Burger Boom Offers Big Opportunity

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I recently visited my son in Southern California and he took me to Father’s Office, an upscale pub in Santa Monica. The place was jammed with people mostly his age (late 20s), but what hit me was the smell of great food.

Meat Matters

Three Key Issues Facing The Beef Industry

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

As the industry enters the second half of 2011, it’s of value to reflect on the key issues facing the industry. Beef demand remains the top issue because all wealth to the industry comes from consumers, at home or abroad

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Feeling Of Optimism In Beef Industry Is Valid

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Following the markets and the constant flood of news that might affect the beef industry, as I do, can be confusing. So it’s important to step back from time to time and examine broader trends.

Meat Matters

U.S. Beef Industry Growth Will Help Rural & Overall U.S. Economies

Sun, 01 May 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Did you know Australia’s largest cattle producer now owns more than 640,000 cattle and has properties spread over 18 million acres? I’ve always been awed by the scale of Australian cattle operations but the latest expansion by the Australian Agricultural Co. (AAC) is breathtaking. AAC reached its new size in March when it bought another operation and its 53,000 cattle for $27 million (USD)

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The Industry Is Alive & Well

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:45:00 +0000

Supporters of the proposed GIPSA rule on livestock marketing have repeatedly claimed that the rule is necessary because the livestock marketing system is “broken.” Such claims, however, are looking more absurd each week, as cattle prices continue to set new record highs and prove that the laws of supply and demand are alive and well.

Meat Matters

Corn Ethanol And The Food Vs. Fuel Debate

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:30:00 +0000

Beef and gasoline have more in common than you might think. Both, of course, compete for corn in their production

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