The Heinz Global Performance System (HGPS) has now been rolled out to 25 factories around the world in a bid to standardise continuous improvement (CI) activities. (foodmanufacture.co.uk) In recent months, Heinz has broadened its approach to CI in an attempt to move beyond operations to encompass the whole supply chain, said John de Poot, leader, continuous improvement, supply chain Europe. De Poot, who was speaking at a webinar organised by the World Trade... read more →
Welfare standards are on the rise within UK livestock production, according to the RSPCA. The organisation’s Freedom Food scheme has seen a 46% increase in the number of animals produced under its guidelines. (meatinfo.co.uk) It claims a massive 532m farm animals are now covered under the scheme and the upward trend shows no sign of abating, with a further 13,000 animals coming on aboard in the last month alone. The RSPCA claimed the figures show that... read more →
Morrisons is claiming to be the first major UK supermarket chain to gain Red Tractor status across its entire fresh meat range, a move it claims reaffirms its commitment to British farming. (meatinfo.co.uk) The chain said customers already has assurance that the fresh meat they buy is 100% British, and it said the addition of the Red Tractor certification gave customers a guarantee that its meat has been produced to rigorous standards of food safety, hygiene,... read more →
Huntington Meat Packing Inc has recalled a further 4.9 million pounds (2.2m kg) of meat that was not processed in line with the company’s HACCP plan over the course of almost a year, said US authorities. (foodnavigator-usa.com) The announcement followed the recall of over 800,000 pounds (390,000 kg) of beef last month by the same company on fears the product could be contaminated with E.coli. Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro said the incident showed... read more →
Kellogg has been warned over a raft of food hygiene violations after the discovery of widespread Listeria contamination at a waffle plant, said US food regulators in a document released yesterday. (foodnavigator-usa.com) Kellogg was guilty of “significant deviations from the current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations” at its Eggo Buttermilk Waffle plant in Georgia, said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in it warning letter sent to the... read more →
he NFU has requested that EU rules on animal welfare in the UK be held off until other countries in Europe have put their own regulations in place. (meatinfo.co.uk) Deputy president of the NFU, Meurig Raymond, claimed that other countries were gaining an unfair competitive advantage from their less stringent application of animal welfare rules. “We are proud to have led the charge on animal welfare in the UK, but we are rarely compensated in the market... read more →
Muslim scholars have rejected calls for mechanical slaughtering in the UK halal meat industry, a survey commissioned by the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) has revealed. (meatinfo.co.uk) UK scholars were asked a series of questions regarding the acceptance of mechanical slaughtering where, according to the HMC, 95% of the Ulama (Muslim legal scholars) did not accept “mechanical slaughtering” as an accepted method of halal slaughtering in Islam while... read more →
A survey by a protein ingredient supplier indicates that 12 per cent of Brits have reduced their meat consumption in the last five years, for weight management, cost or environmental and ethical reasons. (foodanddrinkeurope.com) There has been growing debate about the role of meat in the diet, as more evidence has emerged to link high intakes to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Meanwhile, agriculture is a major contributor of greenhouse... read more →
