A new country of origin labelling (COOL) code of practice for pork introduced in the UK yesterday will benefit meat processors, producers and consumers, said one industry body. (foodanddrinkeurope.com) The voluntary code aims to give clear information about country of origin on packs of pork, bacon and ham. It was drawn up by the Pig Meat Supply Chain Task Force – a group representing processors, pig producers, retailers and the food service sector. The... read more →
Grimsby’s seafood processing sector has been given a boost, after a consortium of fish merchants were given a £1M grant by The European Fisheries Fund last month. (foodmanufacture.co.uk) The consortium, Grimsby Seafood Village, will use the money to build processing facilities, for which it is waiting to receive planning permission. “We have £1.4M funding in place but the grant was needed to ensure the scheme stacked up,” said Gary Cadey, joint md... 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 →
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 →
Global leaders across the packaging, food manufacturing and retail sectors have approved a set of common definitions and principles for sustainable packaging. (foodproductiondaily.com) The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) announced the measures as part of its ongoing effort to drive global change in packing. The body said the breakthrough in establishing a “common language” would help a global debate on “packaging in the context of environmental, economic... read more →
