Meat, Fish & Eggs

Weekly Roundup: Campden BRI launches “Brexit Hub,” Barry Callebaut places its first promissory note loan

15 Feb 2019 --- In the run-up to Brexit, Campden BRI has launched an information service to help the food industry deal with issues relating to the UK’s exit from the EU. In business news, Barry Callebaut placed its first “Schuldscheindarlehen,” a promissory note loan. SGS achieved accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to certify foreign food suppliers under the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Accredited Third-Party Certification Program of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). GoodMills Innovation launched two grain-based functional ingredients made from Tartary Buckwheat, which they will present at BIOFACH, Germany, this week.

EU overfishing: Sweden tops list of worst offenders, followed by UK

12 Feb 2019 --- Lobby groups are calling for an end to overfishing in the North East Atlantic following the publication of an overfishing league table listing the worst offending EU countries. This is part of a new report uncovering the member states most responsible for setting fishing quotas above scientific advice. Sweden tops this year’s table, the UK comes in second place, followed by Ireland, Denmark and Germany, respectively. The report states that member states will be fishing 312,000 tons above scientific advice for Northeast Atlantic fish stocks in 2019 – and the situation could get worse after Brexit as the UK will be able to set fishing quotas outside of the EU framework, the report’s author warns.

The finishing touch for cultured meat? Spanish start-up scores in fat replication

12 Feb 2019 --- Creating cell cultured meat with a fat-like mouthfeel could be much closer than previously thought with Spanish-based start-up Cubiq Foods being the first European producer of cell-based fat for a healthy and sustainable diet. Cubiq will develop and commercialize cell-based fat of animal origin to enhance the flavor of food, to enrich it with essential fatty acids (omega 3) and to help reduce the use of trans fats and palm oil.

Alginate-based casings: Hydrosol solution can address plant-based demands

11 Feb 2019 --- Stabilizers innovator Hydrosol has developed a new casing solution based on alginate for various sausages, whether meat or plant-based. SmartCasings, which are suitable for hot dog, currywurst or salami stick, are presented as “a small revolution in sausage-making.”

Something fishy going on? Canadian food fraud paper finds “evidence of unscrupulous behavior and mislabeling”

11 Feb 2019 --- Researchers have been examining how widespread fish mislabeling is in Canada and what the country needs to do to combat food fraud. Canada has an issue with fish mislabeling, but those problems persist throughout the supply chain, according to a first-ever study of its kind from University of Guelph researchers.

Plant-based egg alternatives: JUST builds European network with PHW and Eurovo

07 Feb 2019 --- US plant-based foods company JUST Inc. (JUST) is collaborating with German poultry business PHW Group (PHW) to accelerate the adoption of its plant-based egg substitute (marketed in the US as “JUST Egg”) to consumers in Europe. This follows a previously announced manufacturing and distribution agreement with Eurovo Group (Eurovo).

Just ahead of Burns Night, haggis joins the vegan food boom

25 Jan 2019 --- UK supermarket Tesco is making headlines after it announced two vegetarian versions of the famous Scottish haggis. The announcement came just days before this evening’s Burns Night celebrations, an annual celebration of the life and works of Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns. Haggis, Scotland’s national dish, traditionally includes offal cooked in a sheep’s stomach and classically features prominently on the Burns Night dinner table.

Religious freedom versus animal welfare? Belgium bans halal and kosher slaughter practices

09 Jan 2019 --- A ban of halal and kosher slaughter methods, which see animals killed without being stunned first, has come into effect in the Flanders regions of Belgium. Animals must now be stunned before their throats are cut in religious rituals but Jewish and Muslim groups say the new rules violate EU freedom of religion laws.

Meat alternatives growth: Beyond Meat partners with Carl’s Jr. and Nestlé plans plant-based burger launch

03 Jan 2019 --- Beyond Meat is partnering with Carl’s Jr. to launch a plant-based burger, The Beyond Famous Star, to keep pace with the growing appetite for flexitarian food. Hailed as “a first-of-its-kind” flexitarian take on the Carl’s Jr. Famous Star, with a 100 percent plant-based patty from Beyond Meat, the quarter-pound patty is cooked on an open flame in Carl’s Jr.’s Charbroiler. The move comes as the number of people following plant-based diets continues to rise with an increase in vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians around the world. It also coincides with Nestlé’s reported spring launch of a plant-based meat-free burger as the food giant plans to capitalize on the popularity of plant-based products.

US domestic antimicrobial sales drop 33 percent on FDA restrictions

19 Dec 2018 --- US domestic sales and distribution of all medically important antimicrobials intended for use in food-producing animals decreased by 33 percent between years 2016 and 2017, according to a new US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report. The “2017 Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals” also shows that domestic sales and distribution of all medically important antimicrobials decreased 41 percent since 2015 (peak year of sales/distribution) and decreased 28 percent since the first year of reported sales in 2009.

Starch-based, edible film for seafood could kill pathogens on food surfaces

18 Dec 2018 --- A biodegradable, edible film made with plant starch and antimicrobial compounds may control the growth of foodborne pathogens on seafood, according to a group of international researchers. The innovative finding could help prevent food poisoning, as well as support the seafood industry’s transition away from its reliance on plastic packaging.

McDonald’s to curb use of antibiotics in beef supply chain

12 Dec 2018 --- McDonald’s is to set limits for antibiotic use in its beef supply chain by the end of 2020. The fast food giant has announced a new policy to reduce the overall use of antibiotics important to human health, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), which applies across 85 percent of its global beef supply chain. As one of the largest food chains, the company could be setting the standard for other industry players in the fight against antibiotic resistance.

The evolution of lab-grown meat: Aleph Farms creates “first” cell-grown steak

12 Dec 2018 --- Israeli firm Aleph Farms has created what it says is the first cell-grown minute steak, using its capabilities for growing different types of natural beef cells into a fully 3D structure similar to conventional meat. The cell-cultured meat space has been heating up recently, marked by a number of innovators launching cell-culture patties and meatballs. However, with its distinctive texture and complex shape, the steak remained an elusive target for innovation. According to the food-tech start-up, this breakthrough not only obtains the true texture and structure of beef muscle tissue steak, but also the flavor and shape, establishing a new benchmark in cell-cultured meat technology.

“Craft beef revolution”: Ethical Butcher plans UK meat delivery service that fights climate change

22 Nov 2018 --- Start-up The Ethical Butcher is launching a new meat box delivery service with a difference – it aims to deliver “carbon negative meat” to households across the UK. The London-based company is raising funds to create what it describes as a “craft beef revolution” through a crowdfunding campaign which taps into the growing demand for ethically-produced, sustainably-sourced and environmentally conscious meat products. 

Plant-based innovator to go public: Beyond Meat files for US$100 million IPO

19 Nov 2018 --- Beyond Meat, Inc., the Californian innovator behind the plant-based Beyond Burger has filed a registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering (IPO) of its common stock. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the offering have not yet been determined, but the initial filing was for an offering size of US$100 million. Beyond Meat intends to list its stock on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “BYND.”

Making a splash: Australian seafood company kick starts Asian growth strategy with Kingfish deal

15 Nov 2018 --- A key player in full cycle breeding, production and the sale of Yellowtail Kingfish, Australian-based Clean Seas Seafood has signed an agreement with a distributor in China as part of its Asian growth strategy. The non-exclusive agreement with Hunchun Haiyun Trading Co. (HH), is the first of several similar agreements planned by the seafood company over the next year. 

UK and Ireland supermarkets to stock Vivera and Beyond Meat alternatives

14 Nov 2018 --- Meat alternatives are becoming more widely available, with Tesco branches in both the UK and Ireland soon to be stocking new plant-based products from Netherlands-based Vivera and the US-based Beyond Meat. Innova Market Insights has hotly tipped “The Plant Kingdom” as its number two top trend for 2019, reflecting how vegan inspired eating continues to go mainstream. 

Combating food fraud: Thermo Fisher Scientific’s next-generation sequencing promises speedy food authenticity

13 Nov 2018 --- US biotechnology product development giant Thermo Fisher Scientific has introduced a next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflow for multi-species screening and identification which aims to improve food authenticity and tackle food fraud. This closely follows Oxoid Ltd., which is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, and SGS Molecular S.A. signing a global co-marketing and distribution agreement.

Cutting sodium in processed meat: US start-up cuts salt by 95 percent

08 Nov 2018 --- Keeping pace with demand for healthier, lower salt recipes for processed meat, one US start-up has developed a vegetable-based ingredient that can be used to create processed meat and proteins with a reduction in sodium of up to 95 percent. Botaniline’s one-ingredient substitution allows manufacturers to improve their existing recipes and eliminate all fillers, binders, allergens, and chemical additives, for cleaner label, healthier processed meat products.

Ingredion launches potato fiber line as Lyckeby partnership bears fruit

08 Nov 2018 --- Ingredion has introduced a new clean label potato fiber to its portfolio in order to bring increased functionality, quality and potential cost savings to manufacturers of bakery, savory and meat products. Potex and Potex Crown potato fibers are designed to deliver appealing textures in processed meats and savory applications and to boost the freshness of bakery items for optimal consumer appeal. The insoluble potato fibers can absorb and retain up to 12 times their own weight, enabling them to increase the juiciness of fresh and processed meats or add moisture to baked goods.