Meat

U.S. not respecting WTO ruling on meat labeling: Mexico

Thomson Reuters — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:02:59 +0000

Thomson Reuters

By Adriana Barrera

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The United States is not respecting a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling on meat labeling, Mexico's Agriculture Minister Enrique Martinez said on Tuesday, saying it was hurting local industry.

The WTO ruled in late June last year that a U.S. program for labeling imported meat unfairly discriminated against Mexico and Canada, putting pressure on the United States to bring the scheme in line with global country-of-origin meat-labeling rules.

Hundreds of tons of New Zealand meat stranded at Chinese ports over certification dispute

The Canadian Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:45:48 +0000

The Canadian Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Hundreds of tons of frozen mutton, lamb and beef from New Zealand have been stranded on Chinese docks after China halted their import due to a certification dispute.

China is New Zealand's largest export market and its largest consumer of sheep meat.

China has blocked all New Zealand frozen beef and sheep meat that has arrived there in the past two or three weeks, said Dan Coup, trade and economic manager for the Meat Industry Association of New Zealand.

Spain's star ham fights for greater prestige

Agence France-Presse — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:00:04 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Dozens of Iberian black pigs, with their pointy snouts, large ears, tiny eyes and dark skin, grunt as they forage in a wide green field.

The exquisite cured ham called Jamon Iberico made from this breed, which is allowed to roam freely to dine on acorns, is the star of Spanish cuisine and it can be sold for astronomical prices.

But the sharp economic downturn gripping Spain since the collapse of a property bubble in 2008 has hurt domestic sales and producers are looking to boost their fortunes abroad.

Spain's star ham fights for greater prestige

Agence France-Presse — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:45:16 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Dozens of Iberian black pigs, with their pointy snouts, large ears, tiny eyes and dark skin, grunt as they forage in a wide green field.

The exquisite cured ham called Jamon Iberico made from this breed, which is allowed to roam freely to dine on acorns, is the star of Spanish cuisine and it can be sold for astronomical prices.

But the sharp economic downturn gripping Spain since the collapse of a property bubble in 2008 has hurt domestic sales and producers are looking to boost their fortunes abroad.

Horsemeat scandal prompts plan for EU fraud crackdown

Thomson Reuters — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:38:00 +0000

Thomson Reuters

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission proposed more unannounced inspections of food companies and tougher fines for labeling fraud on Monday, after the discovery earlier this year that millions of Europeans ate horsemeat labeled as beef.

If approved by EU governments and lawmakers, the new rules would force member states to impose fines equal to the financial gains from proven cases of food fraud, officials said.

China probes mutton supplier; government website says linked to Yum

Thomson Reuters — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:03:58 +0000

Thomson Reuters

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Shanghai authorities are testing mislabeled mutton from a wholesaler a government website said supplies a chain of hot pot restaurants run by U.S. fast food firm Yum Brands Inc, the latest safety scare to taint China's food industry.

China detains 900 over toxic meat scandal

Agence France-Presse — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:15:40 +0000

Agence France-Presse

China has detained 900 people for crimes including selling rat and fox meat as beef and mutton, the public security ministry said, in another blow to the nation's food safety.

News of the three-month operation, which related to meat products, added to a string of scandals that have galvanised public concern over food safety in China, from recycled cooking oil to dangerous chemicals in baby milk powder.

Altogether there were "382 cases of water-injected meat, fake mutton and beef, diseased meat, toxic and harmful meat products", the ministry said on its website on Thursday.

China nabs 900 over rat and other meat scandals

Agence France-Presse — Fri, 03 May 2013 04:30:26 +0000

Agence France-Presse

China has detained 900 people for meat-related crimes including selling rat and fox meat as beef and mutton, the public security ministry said, in another blow to the nation's food safety.

News of the three-month operation added to a string of scandals that have galvanised public concern from recycled cooking oil to dangerous chemicals in baby milk powder.

Altogether there were "382 cases of water-injected meat, fake mutton and beef, diseased meat, toxic and harmful meat products", the ministry said on its website on Thursday.

Dutchman fined for selling horsemeat as 'halal beef'

Agence France-Presse — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:30:26 +0000

Agence France-Presse

A Dutch businessman under investigation in a Europe-wide probe into a horse-for-beef food scandal on Thursday was given a suspended sentence and fined 50,000 euros for selling horsemeat as Islamic halal-slaughtered beef in France.

A district court in Den Bosch on appeal ordered Jan Fasen, 63, to pay the 50,000 euro ($66,000) fine and also slapped him with a six-month sentence suspended for two years.

"The suspect for two years bought horsemeat in Brazil and Mexico after which it was sold on paper as halal-slaughtered beef," the court said in a statement.

Irish firm at centre of horsemeat scandal quits burger market

Thomson Reuters — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:16:08 +0000

Thomson Reuters

DUBLIN (Reuters) - The Irish company at the centre of a scandal in Europe over horsemeat in beef products, said on Thursday it is leaving the frozen burger market after selling the factory where burgers containing horse DNA were first discovered.

The scandal, which has damaged confidence in parts of the industry and hit sales of processed ready-meals, erupted in January when inspectors found beef burgers produced by Irish company ABP Foods on the shelves of Tesco contained 29 percent horse meat.

Dutch court rejects bid to halt mass meat recall

Agence France-Presse — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:34:41 +0000

Agence France-Presse

A Dutch court on Thursday rejected a bid by a meat wholesaler to quash an order recalling 50,000 tonnes of beef potentially contaminated with horsemeat.

"The court rejects the request for a preliminary injunction," on Dutch food authority NVWA's recall of meat handled by Willy Selten, judge Reinier van Zutphen said at the commercial court in The Hague.

Businessman Selten, allegedly a key player in Europe's horsemeat scandal, had sought to overturn the NVWA's order to recall all meat sold by the company over the last two years.

Dutch court rejects bid to halt mass recall of suspect meat

Agence France-Presse — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:03:22 +0000

Agence France-Presse

A Dutch court on Thursday rejected a bid by a meat wholesaler to quash an order recalling 50,000 tonnes of beef potentially contaminated with horsemeat.

"The court rejects the request for a preliminary injunction," on Dutch food authority NVWA's recall of meat handled by Willy Selten, said judge Reinier van Zutphen.

Businessman Selten, allegedly a key player in Europe's horsemeat scandal, had sought to overturn the NVWA's order to recall all meat sold by the company over the last two years.

EU tests show 1 in 20 beef meals tainted with horse

Agence France-Presse — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:46:42 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Thousands of DNA tests on European beef products have revealed extensive food fraud across the European Union, with almost one in 20 meals marketed as beef likely to be tainted with horse, the European Commission said Tuesday.

Releasing the results of more than 4,000 tests in recent weeks to detect the potential mislabelling of beef products, the EU executive said 193 products contained positive traces of horsemeat DNA, or 4.55 percent.

Lawyers want Dutch court to nix massive meat recall

Agence France-Presse — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:16:10 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Lawyers representing a Dutch businessman suspected of involvement in Europe's meat scandal asked judges on Tuesday to quash an order forcing his company to recall thousands of tonnes of beef allegedly contaminated with horsemeat.

Businessman Willy Selten's lawyer called last week's order by the Dutch food and consumer watchdog to recall thousands of tonnes of meat, sold by the company over the last two years, as "bizarre and bordering on the mass hysteria gripping the whole of Europe".

EU tests show 1 in 20 beef meals tainted with horse

Agence France-Presse — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:46:19 +0000

Agence France-Presse