Hong Kong bird tests positive for H5N1
Hong Kong authorities announced Friday that a dead chicken found in the southern Chinese territory had tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus.
The government said laboratory tests confirmed that the chicken found floating in the sea off Hong Kong on March 2 carried the deadly strain.
The statement said there were no poultry farms within three kilometers (two miles) of where the dead bird was found, but warned farmers to be on their guard against the disease. To view this news item, click here.
Prospective buyers for Pilgrim's El Dorado plant?
A group of buyers has offered to purchase a Pilgrim's Pride poultry processing plant in El Dorado, Ark., that is scheduled to close in May, according to published reports.
Gov. Mike Beebe told a group of 250 workers and community members Tuesday night in El Dorado that it could be an "uphill battle" to make the sale. But the governor said those interested in purchasing the plant had experience in the business. Beebe declined to offer any specific details about the group, other than to say they had been working on their offer for about five months.
Ray Atkinson, director of corporate communications for Pilgrim's Pride, told WATT Poultry e-News that no meaningful offers have been made on the El Dorado plant.
Commenting on the governor’s remarks, Atkinson said, “The idling of the El Dorado plant, together with those in Douglas, Ga., and Farmerville, La., is part of our ongoing effort to reduce costs and operate more efficiently as we reorganize the company under Chapter 11. These plants have been a significant financial drain on the company. To date, we have not received any meaningful offers on the El Dorado plant. In addition, selling the El Dorado facility at this time would not address the fundamental problem facing our industry: an oversupply of low-value commodity chicken.
“We understand the effect these actions will have on employees and growers in El Dorado, and we sincerely wish they were not necessary,” said Atkinson. “However, we are taking these decisive steps now in order to protect more than 40,000 employees and 5,000 growers of Pilgrim's Pride as we work to restructure our business and ultimately emerge from Chapter 11 as a stronger and more efficient company.” To view this news item, click here.
Bill would give FDA power to monitor food processing, lab testing
A bipartisan coalition of senators Tuesday proposed legislation to give federal authorities more power and resources to inspect food processed in the U.S. and abroad, according to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The legislation comes on the heels of a major scandal over salmonella-tainted peanut products, blamed for nine deaths and more than 660 cases of illness in 44 states.
The contamination was traced to a plant in Blakely, Ga., owned by the Peanut Corp. of America. A second plant in Texas, also owned by Peanut Corp., also has been implicated.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the lead co-sponsor, said such incidents are the result of a U.S. food-safety system that is "outdated, under-funded and overwhelmed."
The legislation, whose Republican co-sponsors include Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss, would give the Food and Drug Administration new power to monitor food processing and lab testing.
It provides for $825 million to cover the cost of the increased oversight.
Chambliss, ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee and perhaps the strongest supporter of the peanut industry on Capitol Hill, said he was backing the bill because "Americans must be able to trust that the food sold in their grocery stores and restaurants is safe." To view this news item, click here.
Ajinomoto forms joint venture company
Ajinomoto Co., Inc.’s subsidiary Ajinomoto Co. Ltd. will form a joint venture company, Itoham Betagro Foods Co. Ltd., with Itoham Foods Inc., Betagro Public Co. Ltd. and Hoei Bussan Co. Ltd. on March 6 to process and sell ham and sausage.
Through this joint venture, the Ajinomoto Group expects to have an advantage in procurement of meat and other raw ingredients for its seasonings and processed food businesses. The joint venture also plans to import Rockdale Beef, a premium brand of beef from cattle raised by Itoham in Australia, and sell it primarily to the retail and restaurant markets in Thailand.
Ajinomoto and Itoham formed a business alliance in May 2008, and the two companies have since studied ways to expand business by complementing and taking advantage of their mutual business strengths. This joint venture agreement is a part of that effort, said the companies.
Betagro is a major livestock raising and processing company with swine and poultry farming operations in Thailand, and it already conducts a joint venture with the Ajinomoto Group in pork and poultry processing and frozen foods. To view this news item, click here.
Table eggs subject to certification
Effective April 1, exports of U.S. table eggs must be certified by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) as originating from layer flocks that originated from breeder flocks that participate in the National Poultry Improvement Plan.
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of USDA, which certifies table eggs for export, announced the certification last week in a memorandum to regional directors, staff and graders, according to the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council.
USAPEEC reported that under the new requirements, export loads of table eggs of Grade B or better, or washed, nest-run table eggs for breaking must have APHIS certification in the form of Form VS 9-3, as well as a certificate of compliance issued by the company.
The requirement essentially expands certification that is currently in place for exports of baby chicks and hatching eggs to include table eggs, said USAPEEC. It will enable APHIS to make the same disease-free statements for table eggs that it makes for live birds and for hatching eggs, providing an additional level of traceability and assurance to foreign buyer. To view this news item, click here.
National Pasteurized Eggs receives Red Herring Top 100 Global Companies award
National Pasteurized Eggs (NPE) was recently recognized as one of the 2008 Red Herring Top 100 Global Companies.
Acknowledged for its Davidson's Safest Choice brand of pasteurized shell eggs, NPE was one of just a handful of consumer-oriented companies and the only foodservice company recipient in 2008.
"We were impressed by the technology NPE uses to ensure the safety of eggs," commented Red Herring Publisher Alex Vieux. "National Pasteurized Eggs has proven to be a company excelling in its industry, and its ripples have turned into waves. Here again, technology applies to our everyday life. It was difficult for us to narrow down, but we are pleased to have included NPE in our list of promising companies. We look forward to the changes it makes to its industry in the future."
Based in suburban Chicago, NPE produces the Davidson's Safest Choice brand of pasteurized shell eggs, which uses a patented, all-natural pasteurization process to eliminate Salmonella enteritidis (SE). Additionally, the process inactivates avian influenza, protecting the eggs from its exposure.
"This award continues to recognize the importance of keeping the American food supply safe," said David Wilhelm, a member of NPE's board of directors. "NPE is well poised for substantial growth in both the retail and foodservice sectors, and we fully expect 2009 to be a pivotal year in the company's continued growth."
Red Herring Top 100 Global Companies are chosen from winners and finalists of the previous North America, Europe and Asia Red Herring Top 100 Companies. Evaluations were made on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial performance, innovation, management, global strategy and ecosystem integration. To view this news item, click here.