Processors

Vilification Of LFTB Reaches From Industry To Consumers

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:54:00 +0000

I bought a package of fresh ground beef at the grocery store the other day. It was a good deal at $2.49/lb., as retail ground beef prices have been rising the past year, like all other beef prices. Ground beef is no longer as price competitive with pork or chicken items as it used to be.

Meat Matters

Industry Making Great Strides In Fighting E. coli

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:59:00 +0000

American Meat Institute

The industry is taking appropriate steps to help ensure that U.S. beef is safe from E. coli contamination, according to a recent audit by the USDA Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

Wholesale Prices Lift Cattle Futures

Mon, 21 May 2012 14:01:00 +0000

Figuring out markets has always been akin to estimating the speed and direction of unseen ghosts, more so since the commodity bubble and financial collapse.

BPI To Shut Three Of Four Plants; Kills 650 Jobs

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:21:00 +0000

One of the industry’s biggest success stories in carcass utilization – lean finely textured beef – falls victim to a consumer boycott based on misinformation and sensationalism. With demand for LFTB languishing in the aftermath of the “pink slime” debacle, Beef Products, Inc. announces the permanent closure of three of its four plants on May 25.

Hype Trumps Science In LFTB Debacle

Fri, 11 May 2012 13:54:00 +0000

Lean finely textured beef (LFTB), a product resulting from a process approved by the Food and Drug Administration 20 years ago, and used in hundreds of foods, as well as ground beef, was at the center of a controversy initiated by consumer media and stoked by social media. The sensational attention, in the face of science totally to the contrary, led to a precipitous decline in its use. The result was that BPI, maker of LFTB, announced this week the permanent closure of three of its four manufacturing plants.

My View From The Country

Tyson Earns Profit Despite Beef Controversy

Mon, 07 May 2012 21:49:00 +0000

Des Moines Register

Tyson Foods, operator of the largest packing plant serving Iowa cattle producers, reported a $10-million increase in net income to $166 million for the second quarter, but said its beef business ran a $1-million operating loss.

The beef loss, caused by high cattle prices and flat demand, made worse by the controversy in March over lean finely textured beef (LFTB) in social media, was offset by operating profits of $115 million for pork and $145 million for chicken.

Looking For The Wholesale Price Bottom

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:41:00 +0000

The summary below reflects the week ended April 20 for Medium and Large 1 – 500- to 550-lb., 600- to 650-lb. (calves), and 700- to 750-lb. feeder heifers and steers (unless otherwise noted). The list is arranged in descending order by auction volume and represents sales reported in the weekly USDA National Feeder and Stocker Cattle Summary:

Beef Packers Losing Money, Analysts Say, But No Closings Planned

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:41:00 +0000

Lincoln, NE Journal Star

U.S. beef packers are losing money because of the sudden drop in demand for lean, finely textured beef (LFTB), according to meat industry news reports, but the biggest packers are keeping their plants open and running.

SD Beef Plant About To Open After Years Of Delays

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Bloomberg BusinessWeek

A long-delayed South Dakota beef-processing plant given new life when Korean investors took over in 2009 is nearly set to begin operations more than six years after it was first proposed.

Consumer Weighs In On Beef Controversy: “Dude, It’s Beef.”

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:53:00 +0000

Andrew Revkin admits to not eating much beef in his household. Since he’s not a huge fan of steak and burgers, it would seem likely that the smear campaign against the beef industry would please him. But, that’s hardly the case.

BEEF Daily