Meat&Poultry - November 2012 - 16

Business Notes

JBS buys Brazilian chicken processor
Agroveneto’s debt and give R10 million in JBS shares to the owners. Agroveneto, which is based in Nova Veneza in the southern Brazilian state Santa Catarina, has a processing capacity of 140,000 chickens per day. JBS S.A., the world’s largest beef processor, announced Nov. 5 that it acquired Agroveneto S.A., a Brazilian chicken processor, for R128 million ($63.02 million). JBS will take on The company produces more than 30 different chicken products, including frozen cuts, spiced and breaded chicken products and a line of individually quick-frozen products. Export markets include Asia, Europe and the Middle East. “The acquisition of Agroveneto complements JBS operations in this segment in Brazil,” the company said in a news release on its website. “This new production unit will be incorporated into JBS Aves, which now encompasses four production facilities in this sector in Brazil with a daily capacity to process 1.34 million birds.” ■

Employees resume work at XL Foods
Employees at XL Foods Inc. returned to work Oct. 29 at the troubled Brooks, Alberta, beef-processing plant at the center of the largest beef recall in Canadian history. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) lifted the suspension on the company’s operations license, and said the facility can progressively resume beef slaughter and processing operations under CFIA surveillance and increased testing protocols. “Since Oct. 11, CFIA inspectors have been closely monitoring limited, in-house operations, including the cutting and processing of the remaining carcasses in the plant,” CFIA said in a statement on the agency’s website. “Following this thorough examination, the agency determined that the company’s E. coli O157:H7 controls, as well as sanitation and meat hygiene procedures, are being implemented appropriately. “Additional CFIA inspectors — beyond the 46 normally assigned full-time to the plant — will remain at the facility to monitor the company’s slaughter procedures and to ensure strengthened food safety controls are being effectively integrated into daily plant practices,” CFIA added. The CFIA said the agency will convene an Expert Advisory Committee to review the events and circumstances related to the investigation. The committee’s work will be made public once the review is completed, according to CFIA. Greeley, Colo.-based JBS USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Brazilbased JBS S.A., reached an agreement with XL Foods to manage the plant with an option to buy additional XL Foods properties in the near-term. ■

Meat, poultry packers reach industry best in safety
New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that US meat and poultry packers and processors have reached an all-time industry best for non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses, according to the American Meat Institute (AMI). Cases of occupational injuries and illnesses per 100 workers in the meat and poultry sector declined 7.2 percent in 2011 to 6.4 cases from 6.9 cases. Past BLS data show the industry has improved over time, halving the injury and illness rate from 14.7 per 100 workers 10 years ago, AMI said. “The meat and poultry industry's 500,000 employees are an essential and valued resource,” said J. Patrick Boyle, AMI president and CEO. “Ensuring the health and safety of our workforce is good for employees and has business benefits, too, as they can perform their jobs in the best manner possible. Safe workplaces are positively correlated with quality, productivity, cost, turnover, and related measures of industry success.” AMI encourages the meat and poultry industry to share safety practices as it is a non-competitive issue. ■

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Meat&Poultry - November 2012

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