Meat + Poultry - December 2007 - 4

THE FRONT PAGE
Smithfield takes wait-andsee stance on cloning
Despite the Food and Drug Administration's December 2006 preliminary safety risk assessment
declaring meat from the offspring of cloned cattle,
hogs and goats
safe for human
consumption,
there's at least
one major processor that doesn't plan to offer meat
from cloned animals.
"Smithfield Foods is not planning to produce
meat products from cloned animals," according to
a statement issued by the company this past month.
"The science involved in cloning animals is relatively new. As thoughtful leaders in our industry,
we will continue to monitor this technology."
"Throughout our long history we have been
very diligent and measured in making decisions
that affect our customers and our reputation,"
the statement continues.
"Our focus remains on
the development and
improvement of our meat products through careful
selective breeding and genetic research."
FDA officials are in the process of updating
the cloning risk assessment and reviewing public
comments.
Critics of cloned meat are supportive of policy that would require meat derived from the offspring of cloned livestock to be labeled as such.
FDA analysis shows the nutritional content of traditional and cloned meat is the same. The FDA's
decision on selling cloned meat is expected to be
made at year's end or by early next year.

Third-quarter production
numbers for most proteins up
As most segments in the protein industry prepare to close
the year, statistics from the Economic Research Service (ERS)
of the US Dept. of Agriculture show third-quarter production for most proteins had increased.
Turkey production rose 4.9
percent during third-quarter
2007 and whole-bird stocks
rose. The higher stock levels
held down seasonal price increases for wholesale whole
birds, but prices for whole
hens in the Eastern market in fourth-quarter 2007 are expected to average slightly higher than the previous year,
the ERS projected.
Broiler production during the fourth-quarter of 2007 is
forecast at 9.125 billion pounds, 3.7 percent higher than the
previous year. Higher broiler and pork production, combined
with no increase in broiler exports, is expected to place
downward pressure on broiler prices during the fourthquarter. The broiler meat production estimate for 2008 was
increased by 325 million pounds due to continued increases
in chick placements and higher slaughter weights.
Meanwhile, the ERS said the cattle and beef sectors are
responding to downward pressures, partly seasonal, but
also in response to more abundant, lower-priced competing
meats. The price declines, along with high feed prices and
the growing prospect of reduced winter wheat pastures, are
also affecting feeder cattle prices. Any price changes will be
influenced by changes in US beef trade status.
Larger-than-expected hog slaughter numbers in October prompted the USDA to add 75 million pounds of pork
to the fourth-quarter 2007 pork production estimate. For
2007, total US pork production is expected to be 21.8 billion pounds, 3.3 percent above a year ago. US hog prices
through first-quarter 2008 are expected to fall well below
current break-even prices.

Thanksgiving weekend marred by another E. coli recall
As Americans celebrated with family and friends over this past
Thanksgiving holiday
weekend, news of another E. coli O157:H7related recall was announced on Saturday,
Nov. 24. This time it was American Foods Group L.L.C., Green
Bay, Wis., that recalled approxi4

MEAT&POULTRY

December 2007

mately 95,927 of ground beef products because of potential E. coli
O157:H7 contamination, according to
the U.S. Dept.
of Agriculture's
Food Safety and
Inspection Service.
Subject to recall are
ground beef products that

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were produced Oct. 10, 2007, and distributed to retailers and distributors in
Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio,
Tennessee, Wisconsin and Virginia.
The products were distributed for further processing and repackaging.
An investigation into two illnesses initiated by the Illinois Department of Public Health is what led
to the recall.

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Meat + Poultry - December 2007

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