Meat + Poultry - August 2009 - 6

COMMENTARY

Defensive strategies

MEAT&POULTRY

EDITORIAL STAFF

henever the MEATPOUL- tain categories of food - often without
TRY.com daily Web news meat ever being mentioned.
includes reports on certain
The fact that processors collectivehot-button issues, my inbox fi lls up ly spend millions each year educating
with responses from processors and customers and consumers about nutrisuppliers defending their industry tion and the importance of healthy dilike a mother bear protecting her cub. ets is wasted on agenda-driven critics.
When it comes to certain topics, such Likewise, the industry's proven commitas immigration, national animal I.D. ment to research and develop healthier
and recall controversy, a substantial products tends to also be overlooked
uprising is expected. Too often, how- by the same critics.
ever, the industry is found defending
Accompanying the CDC report,
itself against accusations that are com- which never mentioned a correlation
pletely unwarranted and far-fetched. to meat or poultry consumption, was
One recent example of what I consider a list of "evidence-based" program and
to be unfair implicapolicy recommendation came in the wake
tions to help communities promote healthy
of a report from the
Centers for Disease
eating and physical
Control and Prevenactivity. Strategies intion that estimated
clude promoting the
the annual cost of
availability of affordobesity in the U.S. to
able, healthy food;
be as high as $147 bilsupporting healthy
lion. One meat profood and beverage
cessor pointed out
choices; and encourthat technology is to
aging physical activity
blame for the prevaor limiting sedentary
lence of plump, exactivity. The industry's
"It is not so much
ercise-starved kids in
leading companies
America and for many
the food we eat as and the trade groups
adults it can only be
representing them adit is our lifestyle."
attributed to laziness.
dressed these topics
"It is not so much
starting decades ago
the food we eat as it is our lifestyle," he and continue to do so. This is the story
wrote. "Our children spend a large por- the industry needs to tell if there are
tion of their time playing video games implications for the meat and poultry
and very little engaging in games that processing segment when these types
require physical activity. As adults, we, of reports are published.
too, find ourselves striving to find the
"It is critical that we take effective
closest parking spot to the front door steps to contain and reduce the enormous burden of obesity on our nation,"
of a business or store."
Because all of the skeptic's eyes im- said Thomas Frieden, director of the
mediately train on the meat and poultry CDC, last month. This is also a burden
industry, presumably because of their that must be shared with consumers,
supply-based relationship with the fast- who can't point fingers at food compafood segment, it has become a knee- nies that are doing more than their fair
jerk reaction for processors to imme- share to address the issue.
diately go on the defense when a new
obesity report is published or another By Joel Crews, Editor
bogus report links cancer risks to cer- jcrews@sosland.com
6

MEAT&POULTRY

August 2009

www.MEATPOULTRY.com

Editor

Joel Crews
Executive Editor

Keith Nunes
Senior Editor

Bryan Salvage
Contributing Editors

Richard Alaniz
Steve Bjerklie
Dr. Temple Grandin
Steve Krut
Bernard Shire

Larry Aylward
Dr. David Theno
Steve Kay
Leo Quigley
Richard Stier

Graphic Designer

Mike Gunther
PUBLISHING STAFF
Chairman and Group Publisher

Charles S. Sosland
Vice-Chairman

L. Joshua Sosland
President, Publishing Director

Mark Sabo
Publisher

Dave Crost
North American Sales Director

Bruce Brown
Publisher Emeritus

Mike Alaimo
BUSINESS/PRODUCTION STAFF
Vice-President & Chief Financial Officer

Melanie Hepperly
Audience Development Director

Don Keating
Director of E-Business

Mark Serres
Director of On-line Advertising and Promotions

Carrie Fluegge
Promotions Manager

Alissa Voran
Circulation Manager

Judy Arnone
Design Services Manager

Sadowna Conarroe
Manager of Advertising Design

Becky White
Classified Sales Representative

Lily O'Kane
Classified Designer

Steve Piatt
Digital Systems Analyst

Marj Potts
Advertising Manager

Nora Wages
Advertising Materials Coordinator

Sharon Alexander
Sales: dcrost@sosland.com
Editorial: jcrews@sosland.com
www.MEATPOULTRY.com
Address editorial correspondence to:
Editor, MEAT&POULTRY, 4800 Main Street,
Suite 100, Kansas City, MO 64112.
Phone: (816) 756-1000 Fax: (816) 756-0494
Letters via e-mail can be sent to meatpoultry@
sosland.com. Letters may also be sent via fax to
(816) 756-0494. The Editor reserves the right to
edit letters for length, content and clarity.
Requests for reprints of articles should be sent
to reprints@sosland.com or call Alissa Voran
at (816) 756-1000.

Mc Wei

Sosland Publishing Co.,
a division of Sosland Companies, Inc.

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Meat + Poultry - August 2009

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