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WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris described various economic proposals for her presidential campaign, including a federal ban on price gouging on Aug. 16.

In her prepared remarks, Harris talked about “soaring meat prices accounting for a large part of Americans’ higher grocery bills even as meat processing companies registered record-breaking profits following the pandemic.” 

Harris also mentioned that in the first 100 days she plans to bring down grocery costs by using the resources of the federal government to identify and take on price-fixing and other anti-competitive practices in the food and grocery industries.

Following the campaign proposal, the Meat Institute came out against this move by the Democratic nominee.

“Consumers have been impacted by high prices due to inflation on everything from services to rent to automobiles, not just at the grocery store,” said Julie Anna Potts, president and chief executive officer of the Meat Institute. “A federal ban on price gouging does not address the real causes of inflation.

“The Harris campaign rhetoric unfairly targets the meat and poultry industry and does not match the facts,” Potts continued to say. “Food prices continue to come down from the highs of the pandemic. Prices for meat are based on supply and demand. Avian influenza, a shortage of beef cattle and high input prices like energy and labor are all factors that determine prices at the meat case. Prices that livestock producers receive for their animals are also heavily influenced by supply and demand. Prices for cattle producers especially are at record highs, surpassing the 2014-2015 previous record highs.”

Potts pointed out that in 2024 cattle prices will remain at record levels due to the United States having the lowest cattle inventory since 1951.

“Major meat companies have reported losses during the Biden-Harris administration, with some closing facilities and laying off workers,” Potts added.

The National Chicken Council (NCC) also came out against Harris’ proposed policies before her speech. 

“Americans are seeing inflation in nearly every part of their livelihoods — rent, gas, automobiles, furniture — not just in the meat case,” said Gary Kushner, interim president of NCC. 

He added that chicken prices are largely affected by supply and demand; major input costs like corn, soybeans, energy, packaging and transportation; and by fiscal policy and burdensome government regulations — not by price gouging. 

“It’s time for this administration to stop using the meat and poultry industry as a scapegoat and a distraction for the root causes of inflation and the significant challenges facing our economy,” Kushner said.

Earlier in March, the Meat Institute, NCC and other industry groups pushed back on a plan by the USDA to move forward with finalizing the “Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity Under the Packers and Stockyards Act.”

The agency said the new rule provides more effective standards under the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) that are designed to ensure fair access to economic opportunities in light of widespread consolidation in the markets over the last 30 years.

WASHINGTON — US poultry and egg production is projected to grow steadily through 2033, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS). The agency’s annual 10-year projections assume no more outbreaks of animal disease, a continuation of existing US and global policies and trade agreements, normal weather, and specific macroeconomic conditions.

Coming off a long season of production volatility due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the sweeping reach of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks across the nation, ERS predicts prices for each of the major poultry products to become stable over the next decade as disease mitigation efforts are continually implemented.

More specifically, broiler and egg market prices are anticipated to increase moderately over the projection period, while turkey prices are expected to drop slightly as domestic demand weakens.

ERS reported poultry to be the most consumed animal protein in the United States, with 46% of all red meat and poultry consumption in 2023 to be from broiler and turkey meat — an accumulation of $50 billion worth.

Chicken production is estimated to grow from 45.7 billion lbs in 2022 to 52.5 billion lbs in 2033, surpassing previous records each year. Over the past few years, broiler production has weathered the health challenges without experiencing dramatic drops.

Turkey production did not fare as well through the pandemic and HPAI outbreaks. From 2017 to 2022, production declined 12.7% from 6 billion lbs to 5.2 billion lbs — the lowest production level of the century. ERS noted that the pandemic changed patterns of demand for turkey meat. Not helping matters, in 2022 an HPAI outbreak led to the depopulation of over 9 million turkeys, which was followed up by a second wave of the virus soon after.

Under the ERS’s assumption that the HPAI outbreaks have run their course, turkey production is estimated to grow 14% by 2033, reaching 6 billion lbs.

The egg industry is also recovering from HPAI hits. ERS projected egg production to recover in 2024 and continue to expand to a record of 10.8 billion dozen by 2033. However, recent forecasts for egg production in 2024 are lower, ERS noted, due to ongoing disease challenges.

The ERS report also included an outlook for poultry and egg producer prices. Farm prices for eggs peaked in 2022 at $2.39 per dozen but are projected to remain well below this high. ERS does not expect them to exceed $1.50 per dozen throughout the projection period.

Broiler farm prices also peaked in 2022 at $0.85 per pound. A decline is anticipated through 2028, dropping as low as $0.71 per pound before beginning a steady climb and reaching $0.75 per pound by 2033.

A slow but steady decrease in turkey prices throughout the projection period is likewise expected due to declining consumption of turkey meat along with higher production. Farm prices for turkey reached a high of $1.07 per pound in 2022. By 2025, they are expected to fall to $0.96 and by 2033 to $0.91. These projected prices are still above pre-2022 levels.

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO — In preparation for the spinoff of its pork business in 2025, Maple Leaf Foods Inc. announced Deepak Bhandari will serve as chief financial officer of the Pork Complex, effective in September.

Bhandari rejoins Maple Leaf Foods, where he had previously served for 13 years in progressively senior roles within the finance department.

“We are delighted to welcome Deepak to our team,” said Dennis Organ, president of Maple Leaf Foods’ Pork Complex and incoming chief executive officer of the new Pork Company. “Having previously been part of the Maple Leaf Foods organization, Deepak has a thorough understanding of our pork operations and the landscape of the business. We look forward to his financial leadership and expertise as we complete the work to execute the spin transaction and embark on the next step in our journey as an independent company.”

Most recently, Bhandari served as the interim CFO of High Liner Foods and is currently the company’s senior vice president of strategy and corporate development. He earned his bachelor’s degree in genetics from the University of Alberta and an MBA from Schulich Business School at York University.

In July, Maple Leaf unveiled its plans to separate into two public companies by spinning off its pork business. Each company is primed for growth and positioned to be a leader in their respective fields, Maple Leaf said. It added that the name of the new pork business will be announced in the coming months.

Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Maple Leaf currently employs around 13,500 people and operates primarily in Canada, the United States and Asia.

WASHINGTON – US beef exports recorded the highest value in May, topping $900 million, the highest since June 2023, according to data released by the US Department of Agriculture and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Driven by strong performance in Japan, Mexico and Taiwan, May beef exports totaled 110,133 tonnes, down 5% from 2023 but the second largest of 2024, USMEF said. Beef export value reached $902.4 million in May, 3% above a year ago and the highest in 11 months. Exports trended higher year-over-year to Japan, Mexico, the ASEAN Region, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Central America — which included a record month for Guatemala. May export value was also higher for Taiwan. For January through May, beef exports followed a similar trend, increasing 5% year-over-year in value to $4.29 billion, despite a 4% decline in volume (533,578 tonnes).

“It has been encouraging to see demand stabilize in Japan, where US beef certainly faces significant headwinds,” said Dan Halstrom, USMEF president and chief executive officer. “The tourism boom has provided a much-needed lift for Japan’s foodservice sector, and it is a source of optimism for buyers and importers. Taiwan and the ASEAN region were also bright spots for US beef in May, along with Western Hemisphere markets such as Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean.”

Pork exports in May declined 4% compared to a year ago to total 251,447 tonnes and valued at $715.8 million (down 2%).

“Pork shipments to Mexico trended a bit lower in May, but that’s following a record April performance,” Halstrom said. “And even at that, export value to Mexico still topped $200 million. US pork also posted another great month in Korea and exports to the ASEAN region were the largest in three years. Demand also continued to strengthen in Central America and the Caribbean.”

Data from the period show shipments to leading market Mexico were below last year’s large volume but still trended higher in value. Pork exports increased year-over-year to South Korea, the ASEAN region, Central America and Colombia and held steady to Japan. Through the first five months of the year, pork exports advanced 6% to 1.29 million tonnes, while export value was 7% above last year’s record pace at $3.6 billion.

US lamb exports trended higher in May totaling 251 tonnes, up 78% from the low year-ago volume, while export value jumped 66% to $1.3 million. For January through May, lamb exports increased 11% from a year ago to 1,294 tonnes, while value climbed 25% to $7.2 million. USMEF said growth was driven primarily by the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada, but shipments also increased to the Philippines and Taiwan.

KANSAS CITY, MO. — A second round of testing for H5N1 in dairy products confirmed previous sampling results that the pasteurization process kills any active trace of the virus, making it safe for consumption, federal officials announced during a press call on Aug. 13.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted its sample survey using 167 samples, which included products like pasteurized milk, cream cheese, hard cheese, ice cream and aged raw milk cheese. Approximately 17% of the product samples contained genetic material from H5N1, but no viable virus was detected.

“It is clear pasteurization is effective against the virus,” declared Steve Grube, chief medical officer for FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

However, results for aging raw milk cheese came back inconclusive, leading the FDA to stick with its assumption that raw milk consumption presents a risk to consumers.

“In the case of the raw milk cheese that we tested, none of the samples in the study had viral genetic material, suggesting that the herd producing the milk used to prepare the cheeses was from cows uninfected at the time of milking,” Grube explained. “Thus, no conclusions can be drawn about whether the production and aging of cheese made from unpasteurized milk is sufficient to inactivate the virus.”

The US Department of Agriculture announced additional H5N1 studies to come, specifically plans to test meat from 800 culled dairy cattle beginning in September. Emilio Esteban, USDA’s under secretary for food safety, projected the study to run for an entire year.

Esteban added that the study seeks to reaffirm the safety of the beef supply. Previously, the agency determined the safety of ground beef when cooked properly, using some of the “worst-case scenario,” as Esteban described it. The study used 300 grams of beef per burger patty and found that even cooking to medium killed the virus.

While federal agencies continue to understand the virus and assess the risk it poses to the public, officials are also at work spreading awareness to dairies of the potential dangers of the disease.

So far, the USDA has received 35 applications from dairy producers seeking support. Of those, 23 have been approved, amounting to approximately $2 million in aid. A significant portion of applicants comes from Colorado, which has implemented bulk milk sampling. Within the last week, 12 new applications from Colorado have been approved.

Eric Deeble, deputy under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs at USDA, explained that amounts given to each individual varies based on the milk price from the preceding month, the number of infected animals and the duration animals were withdrawn from milking.

When questioned on the state of the H5N1 spread, Deeble noted that testing remains high. Colorado has seen a considerable uptick in testing, largely in part from its statewide bulk milk sampling efforts. However, across the country, a low number of individual herds is testing positive.

“I don’t want to say that we feel like we’re ahead of this … but I do feel like the response is adequate, and I do feel like we are supporting our producers to make it easy for them to test and make it easy for them to get the support that they need, if in fact they are affected,” Deeble said.

Part of Deeble’s optimism regarding the spread of virus among dairy cattle is due to the outbreak resulting from a single spillover event. The USDA has been able to trace the widespread detections of H5N1 to an occurrence first detected in the Texas Panhandle region.

With fall approaching, an increase in cases is possible as interstate movement of dairy cattle picks up to prepare for the added demand during the school year.

An increase in outbreaks at poultry operations is also anticipated in line with migratory bird patterns. However, their migration is not considered a threat to keeping the H5N1 virus at bay among dairy cattle, according to the federal officials.

ELIZABETHTOWN, PA. — The American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) announced on Aug. 14 the release of its 2024 Meat and Poultry Processing Industry Data Collection and Analysis.

In 2023, AAMP contacted a total of 1,268 meat and poultry processors and received 145 responses to learn where the industry’s educational efforts could best be directed. Participants were questioned on employee turnover rates, HACCP hazard findings, gross revenue, species of animals processed and satisfaction with inspection personnel, among other things.

The 64-page report, compiled and written by Abbey Davidson, AAMP outreach specialist, analyzes the collected data on business structure, production standards, and food safety and quality systems.

“The data that the industry is currently collecting is not being utilized outside of each individual processing facility,” AAMP said in the report, explaining the purpose of the survey. “The ‘bigger picture’ may lessen the regulatory burden. Many meat processing establishments collect a multitude of useful data. It is now time to start analyzing and using the data to collectively benefit all processing companies.”

Thirty-seven out of the 50 states were represented in the sample. Out of the 145 responses, nearly 50% of the facilities were reported to be older than 25 years and most of the respondents had a workforce of between 10 and 50 employees. Within the past year, two-thirds of the processors reported a turnover rate up to 25% of their total workforce.

In a comparison between the annual gross revenue of the facility and the size of the operation, AAMP found the largest category of processors is an annual gross revenue between $1 million to $2 million and a presence of 1,000 to 10,000 square feet.

The full report is available here.

WASHINGTON — On Aug. 9, a US appeals court upheld the dismissal of an animal rights group’s lawsuit filed against the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for approving “misleading labels” depicting chickens roaming freely outside a barn.

The group, known as the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), filed its complaint against Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in 2021.

According to court records, FSIS approved labels for Perdue Farms’ Fresh Line chicken and turkey products on several occasions in 2018 and 2019 that included graphics of chickens or turkeys outside a barn in a field of corn and other plants. The label markets the birds as having been “raised cage free.”

In 2020, ALDF asked FSIS to deny approval of any Perdue labels containing the same or similar imagery. Since the cage-free birds are raised in a facility, the group argued the imagery was deceptive.

FSIS, however, rejected ALDF’s request, responding in a letter that “photos, colors, and graphics used on packaging are not considered labeling claims and do not make the product label false or misleading.”

Following the rejection, ALDF filed its complaint with a US district court on behalf of itself and one of its members, Marie Mastracco, whom the group claims was injured when she bought Fresh Line chicken for her dog. The court dismissed the case, saying ALDF’s allegations lacked standing.

In a unanimous decision, a DC Circuit Court of Appeals panel agreed with the lower court’s dismissal.

BROOKINGS, SD. — South Dakota State University (SDSU) announced on Aug. 16 that the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council committed $1.2 million toward expanding the university’s Swine Education and Research facility. 

The grant will fund the addition of two new wean-to-finish nutrition rooms to the existing complex and double the facility’s research capabilities. 

“Pork producers are a valued partner of corn farmers and underpinning that demand for corn is the need to always improve research capabilities,” said Jim Ketelhut, president of the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council. “This gift enables SDSU’s swine program to take a tremendous step forward and we are pleased to help support fellow producers in this manner.” 

Barry Dunn, president of SDSU, said the facility has become a vital part of the swine industry in South Dakota and helped the university establish itself as a leader in swine teaching and research. 

“South Dakota Pork Producers are extremely grateful for the generous donation being put forward today by the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council,” said Adam Kraus, president of the South Dakota Pork Producers Council. “The SDSU Swine Education and Research Facility is a testament of what happens when the entire ag industry supports each other so innovation and education can take place.”

The facility opened in 2016 and includes sow teaching, an on-site wean-to-finish research barn and an off-site wean-to-finish production barn. The swine herd for SDSU consists of 150 sows managed in five groups with 30 sows to a group. 

The production system is designed for batch farrowing every four weeks and weaning at 21 days of age. The off-site wean-to-finish barn finishes out and does research on two groups of 1,200 weaned pigs annually.

“SDSU has established itself as a leader in the swine industry with a growing reputation for impactful research around nutrition and management,” said Bob Thaler, PhD, SDSU extension swine specialist and distinguished professor. “Livestock production was the initial ‘value-added’ for corn, grains and soybeans, and it continues to utilize a very significant amount of these products every day. The addition of these research rooms will help us further increase demand for corn and other locally produced feedstuffs. Also, from a sustainability standpoint, nothing is more environmentally friendly than the symbiotic relationship between crops and livestock production.” 

DENVER — US pork exports are taking a backseat, as beef boasts its highest value in nearly two years, according to data released from the US Department of Agriculture and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF). June’s beef export value topped $938.3 million, up 3% from last year and the highest since August 2022. Volume totaled 110,155 tonnes, down 4% year-over-year but the second largest in 2024.

Despite a difficult economic climate, Japan has reclaimed its position as the largest volume destination for US beef in 2024, improving 8% from a year ago. Beef shipments to Canada reached the largest in nearly a decade, and value jumped an impressive 29% since last June to $116.5 million. Taiwan exports also trended slightly higher than last year and notably reached the third largest volume on record.

Meanwhile, performance in South Korea dropped below 2023 but rebounded compared to May this year.

“June beef exports performed very well in Japan, which was great to see given the significant headwinds US beef has faced there this year,” said Dan Halstrom, USMEF president and chief executive officer. “Export value also rebounded nicely in Korea, and shipments to Taiwan and Canada were outstanding. This made for another strong month in terms of export value per head slaughtered, which was nearly $460 in June.”

June pork exports posted lower year-over-year performance, but shipments through the first half of the year remained ahead of the record value pace of 2023. Volume totaled 224,392 tonnes, the lowest since September and down 9% from last year. Value fell 5% to $659.7 million.

Bright spots in this lower-performing month included Korea, Central America and the Caribbean. Still the leading market, Mexico brought in slightly less shipments, but value increased. With a surge in Mexico’s domestic hog price last month, USMEF predicts accelerated pork exports in July.

“June was a slower month in a few of our key destinations for US pork, including Mexico and Colombia, where exports have been on a blistering pace and buying accelerated again in July,” Halstrom said. “But June was another terrific month for US pork in Korea, where exports could be record-large this year. Shipments also trended higher year-over-year to Central America and Canada, and it was encouraging to see export value per head slaughtered hold firm in the $66 range.”

US lamb exports made significant strides in volume, increasing 26% from last year to 191 tonnes. However, value dropped 16% year-over-year to $827,000. Through the first half of 2024, lamb exports climbed 12% in volume (1,485 tonnes) and 19% in value ($8 million). Shipments trended higher to the Caribbean, Mexico, the ASEAN region, Canada and Taiwan, while exports remained steady to Japan.

CAMDEN, NJ. – Campbell Soup Co. has launched its latest soup line of Campbell’s Chunky, a line of burger-based soups. The line comes in three varieties, including: Campbell’s Chunky Sirloin Burger with Country Vegetable Beef Soup, Campbell’s Chunky Texas-Style BBQ Burger Soup and Campbell’s Chunky Cheesy Jalapeño Burger with Bacon Bits Soup.

Campbell’s Chunky Sirloin Burger with Country Vegetables Beef Soup is a beef and vegetable soup with seasoned beef, potatoes, carrots and other country vegetables and offers 15 grams of protein.

Campbell’s Chunky Texas-Style BBQ Burger Soup is seasoned with a blend of barbecue sauce flavors and spices and features seasoned beef sirloin steak burgers, bacon, red pepper, potatoes and carrots and offers 13 grams of protein.

Campbell’s Chunky Cheesy Jalapeño Burger with Bacon Bits Soup includes seasoned beef sirloin burgers, jalapeño peppers, potatoes, onions and bacon bits and cheddar cheese, offering 14 grams of protein.