Johnsonville, Uber partner to deliver sausage in Chicago

Grandmas in their own customized tiny homes roamed the streets of Chicago on November 8, delivering free homemade sausage meals and a one of a kind experience, thanks to Johnsonville and Uber.
These real-life Italian grandmas – referred to as "Sausage Nonnas" – promoted Sausage Sunday, a time to gather around the table and enjoy delicious sausage dinners with family. Chicagoans were able to get a free Nonna-made meal by requesting a delivery from Nonna, through the Uber app.
The partnership marks the first time Johnsonville and Uber have collaborated.
"Delivering homemade sausage meals throughout the city of Chicago is great in and of itself, but having authentic Italian Nonnas cook and deliver those meals raises the bar to a whole new level," said Ryan Pociask, senior director of marketing at Johnsonville. "We are proud to have the opportunity to collaborate with Uber on this project."
"Uber is always on the look-out for fun and unique partnerships that delight our users," said Amy Friedlander Hoffman, Head of Experiential Marketing at Uber. "How better to bring joy to Chicago than delivering warm, personable Italian grandmas in tiny homes with free, home-cooked meals on demand?"

US pork groups urge Subway to rethink antibiotics policy

The U.S. pork industry is letting restaurant chain Subway know it is not happy with its decision to eliminate the use of all antibiotics in its supply of pork and other meats sold at its U.S. locations.
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and National Pork Board (NPB) placed a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal, voicing concerns with Subway’s new policy.
The ad, which was published on October 29, appears in the form of an open letter to the Subway management team and franchisee owners, and is signed America’s Pig Farmers, with the NPPC and NPB’s Pork Checkoff logos at the bottom.
In the letter, the pork organizations tell Subway “any policy decision to eliminate antibiotics from your protein supply sources – poultry, pork and beef – would be a significant departure from what many other food companies are doing in regards to improving responsible antibiotic use. This policy decision could put our food system in jeopardy,” and the restaurant chain’s new policy could “compromise the safety of our food system” because healthy animals help farmers produce safe food.”
The groups further state that they feel everyone needs to do their part to use antibiotics responsibly and reduce the antibiotic threat, but says that quickly phasing out any use of antibiotics also used in human medicine for growth promotion purposes and increasing veterinary oversight are actions that farmers and ranchers are already taking.
NPPC and NPB acknowledged in the letter that some groups will applaud the restaurant chain’s decision, but questions whether those same groups will favor the move if a large number of animals are adversely affected by the no-antibiotics policy.
The groups, which according to NPPC reportedly reached out multiple times to the CEO of Subway but did not receive any responses, went on to invite Subway to a meaningful dialogue concerning finding ways to address responsible antibiotic use that are based on sound science.

Chipotle: Carnitas to be back in all US restaurants

Chipotle Mexican Grill has restored most of its pork supply and is again serving Carnitas in 90 percent of its restaurants with expectations of having Carnitas back in all of its restaurants by the end of November, the company announced.

Chipotle announced that it stopped serving Carnitas at more than a third of its restaurants earlier in 2015 after it suspended one of its primary pork suppliers when routine auditing found inconsistencies between the supplier’s operations and Chipotle’s pork standards that require all pigs are raised with access to the outdoors or deeply bedded barns, without the use of antibiotics, and with no gestation crates.

 “The decision to stop selling Carnitas in many of our restaurants was an easy one,” said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO at Chipotle. “We simply will not compromise our high standards for animal welfare. Since making this decision, we have heard from thousands of our customers who have expressed support for our decision, and commended us for standing on principle. Now, we are excited to have Carnitas back in nearly all of our restaurants, and want to thank our customers for their patience while we worked to address this issue.”
Chipotle has been able to replenish its pork supply working with existing suppliers and by adding a new partner, United Kingdom-based Karro Food. The company stated that it prefers domestic sources for all of its meat, but added that the U.S. pork supply that was in compliance with the chain’s standards was not enough to continue to serve the pork topping at all of its restaurants.
Carnitas is now available at all Chipotle locations in the U.S. with the exception of restaurants in the Cleveland and Atlanta areas, and in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Dr. George studies the science of 'yumminess'

Flamed-haired Dr. Georgina Crayford is a scientist by profession… but her passion is good food, and she’s just launched a Facebook page to share her obsession with other foodies.
In her professional life she studies international research papers, briefs politicians and civil servants, and helps farmers improve the health and welfare of Britain’s farm animals.
But away from the office she sheds her academic gravitas, lets down her hair, and immerses herself in an epicurean world where disciples of good taste debate the best ways to make crackling more crackly and artisan bacon more more-ish.
She’s grateful to her employers, the National Pig Association, for allowing her the freedom to pursue her hobby “even though it does sometime encroach on my working day”.
“George,” whose academic specialism is bioveterinary science and who is an expert in global surveillance of foodborne bacteria, hopes those who share her love for great food will contribute their most amazing pork recipes to her Great British Pork Facebook page at https://goo.gl/I0YtcG. 
“Lots of people have their own ideas about how to make the best bacon sandwich, the dreamiest pork curry and the quickest, easiest and tastiest ways of using pork mince, and I’d like to share them with everyone,” she said.
 “Despite what some of my colleagues may claim, it’s not about gluttony—although maybe that comes into it a bit….It’s about enjoying the pleasures of preparing and eating really good food that’s been cooked and presented imaginatively. And that’s something we all enjoy.”

Public health alert for possible Salmonella contamination of pork

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert due to concerns about illnesses caused by Salmonella that may be associated with pork products, specifically whole pigs used for pig roasts.
FSIS was notified of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i-illness clusters (groups of illnesses) on July 15, 2015. FSIS suspects that there is a link between the illnesses associated with whole pigs used for pig roasts and eight illness clusters based on information gathered in conjunction with the Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Case-patients have been identified in Washington with illness onset dates ranging from April 25, 2015 to July 21, 2015.
This investigation is ongoing. FSIS continues to work with the Washington State Department of Health and the CDC on this investigation. Updated information will be provided as it becomes available.
Roasting a pig is a complex undertaking with numerous potential food handling issues. FSIS urges consumers to keep the four food safety steps in mind: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. 


• CLEAN: Obtain your pig from a reputable supplier. Have the supplier wrap it in plastic, or a large plastic bag to contain the juices. Keep the pig cold until it is time to cook it. If you can’t keep it under refrigeration or on ice, consider picking it up just before you are ready to cook it.
• SEPARATE: Anything that comes into contact with whole pig should be washed with hot soapy water afterwards. This includes hands and utensils.
• COOK: FSIS recommends that all pork products are cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145º F with a three minute rest time. Make sure to check the internal temperature with a food thermometer in several places. Check the temperature frequently and replenish wood or coals to make sure the fire stays hot. Remove only enough meat from the carcass as you can serve within 1-2 hours.
• CHILL: Once the meat is cooked, transfer to clean serving dishes. Pack leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 1-2 hours. It is not necessary to cool before you refrigerate it.
FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen items, and only consume pork products (such as pork roast or tenderloin) that have been cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F with a three minute rest time. The only way to confirm that whole pigs are cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.
Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the organism. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment. In some persons, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants, and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact their health care provider.

Northern Ireland pursues pork trade with China

Northern Ireland Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Michelle O’Neill met with representatives from the pork industry in the north to discuss securing approval to export pork to China.
After the meeting, O’Neill said: "I understand the disappointment industry feels that we have been unable to secure access to export our pork to China despite the significant efforts I, and my officials, have made. I am however buoyed by the recent agreement by the Chinese government that approving the north is also a priority for them. We have moved swiftly on this commitment asking that the Chinese schedule their visit to the north in late January. We await their advice on this proposal.
"I know industry have worked closely with my officials to ensure they meet the strict Chinese standards, this has meant we can confidently host a visit at very short notice."
Concluding, the minister added: "Of course, China is not the only market of interest to our pork industry. I am committed to continuing the momentum on negotiations for a number of other markets, including Australia, for which we are planning to host an inspection this year. I hope that securing these new markets will aid industry in achieving the ambitious export growth targets set out in going for growth."
In order to be approved to export to China, the Chinese Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) must audit interested premises in the north to confirm they meet their export standards. This inspection forms part of the overall negotiation process and following a successful outcome premises are added to the approved exporters list.

US pork production to surpass beef production, says AFBF economist

• 

  Andrea Gantz

  Pig production in the United States is expected to surpass U.S. beef production, a Farm Bureau economist says.

  From WATTAgNet:
  Pork production in the United States will surpass U.S. beef production in 2015, says Bob Young, chief economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). If that prediction is realized, it will be the first time U.S. farmers will produce more pork than beef since the 1950s.
  U.S. cattle producers have been trimming down their numbers since the droughts of 2011 and 2012 hit rangelands for grazing and also pushed up feed costs. And as cattle prices increased, producers had a good reason to sell rather than keep them as breeding animals, according to Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Commodity Marketing Director Spencer Neale.
  The U.S. pork industry has also had to deal with high feed prices in recent years, and also dealt with herd losses from porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus, which can have up to a 100 percent mortality rate in piglets. But with two PED virus vaccines now approved by the USDA and more industry vigilance to keep PED virus at bay, that problem is subsiding and pig numbers are beginning to rebound.
  Neale added that it also takes cattle producers longer to replenish their herds than it does pig producers, because cattle have longer gestation periods than pigs.

Strong pork demand surprising to some, Kansas pork leader says

Pork has been selling well at the retail level in recent months, which is a trend that Tim Stroda, president and CEO of the Kansas Pork Association, calls a nice surprise.
“Believe it or not, when you look at the prices, we’re moving very well. That’s been a little surprising to some folks,” Stroda told the Kansas Ag Network. “Some of our competitive meats are higher than normal in the grocery store and ours have moved along with those competitors. It is still going out the door rather well for us.”
Bacon craze helping pork industry
Despite higher prices for pig and pork products, Stroda said bacon’s recent surge in popularity has been a big boost to the pork industry.
“We enjoy that. That has helped us along there a little bit. Bellies are in a price range that it makes promotion of bacon very good for us right now,” said Stroda.
PEDv has affected pork supply, but not demand
While porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus has had an adverse effect on pig inventories and subsequently the supply of pork since it first was detected in the United States in 2013, Stroda said concerns over the virus have not hurt the demand for pork at all.
“That was our very first message that went out on this is that pork is safe to eat. This is a production issue. It’s not a meat quality issue or a meat safety issue, and that message was received very well,” he said.

Bacon served at US restaurants, foodservice outlets up 6 percent

Bacon consumption in the United States continues to climb, as an estimated 1.1 billion servings of bacon had been eaten in U.S. restaurants and foodservice outlets during the year ending April 2014. The figure shows an increase of 6 percent when compared to the previous 12-month period, according to the NPD Group, a leading global information company.
Pork bacon not the only bacon growing in popularity
While bacon of all varieties has proven to be popular, pork bacon accounts for much of the bacon consumption. However, beef, chicken duck and turkey bacon have also been capturing more attention.
The pork bacon category grew in the year ending April 2014 with a 2.3 percent increase in units shipped in spite of dollar volume increases due to higher pork prices, according to NPD’s SupplyTrack, which tracks every product shipped from a critical mass of leading broadline distributors to each of their foodservice operators.  Although bacon types other than pork hold a very small unit share, turkey and chicken realized single-digit unit growth in the year ending April 2014 period while beef bacon units increased by double-digits and duck by triple-digits.
“The growth in bacon consumption at foodservice outlets is reflected in the dollar and unit growth in bacon shipments from the broadline foodservice distributors,” said Annie Roberts, vice president, NPD SupplyTrack.  “Among the key drivers of bacon unit growth are more consumers visiting restaurants for breakfast, and new and innovative bacon menu offerings, including new types of bacon.”
Growth strongest at quick service, family dining restaurants
Quick service and family dining restaurants represent the largest dollar and unit share of the bacon category, and these two channels increased units and dollar volume shipped compared to a year ago, reports NPD. Units and dollars shipped to some non-commercial foodservice outlets, like preschools and daycare centers, increased by double-digits.
“Beyond the obvious popularity of bacon among restaurant consumers, we’re seeing pockets of opportunity for the bacon category at other foodservice outlets that are less obvious,” said Roberts.  “There is definitely room for bacon, in whatever form or type, to grow.” 

French pork imports reach record high in 2013

Pork imports into France reached a record high in 2013, at 364,400 metric tons, a 2 percent increase from pork imports received by France in 2012. While domestic demand for pork in France remained broadly stable, higher imports were mainly a function of a small fall in production.
Spain is by far the largest supplier of French pork, according to BPEX, accounting for just under three quarters of the total, and shipments from this country increased by 3 percent in 2013. Imports from other smaller markets also recorded increases, including Germany and Belgium. The total value of French pork imports rose by 5 percent to EUR941.9 million (US$12.9 billion), largely because of the increase in the price of imports from Spain. France also imports over 50,000 metric tons of sausages, and supplies rose by 3 percent in 2013.
French pork exports increased only marginally in 2013 at 483,300 metric tons. The value of pork exports came down to EUR938.9 million (US$12.84 billion), marginally below 2012 export numbers. The rest of the EU is by far the main market for French pork, with a quarter of pig supplies sent to Italy alone, with a 1 percent increase on the previous year.

Consumer price forecast for poultry, pork raised by USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture raised its forecast for 2013 consumer prices for poultry and pork. Poultry consumer prices were projected for a 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent increase, while consumer pork prices were raised 0.5 percent to 1.5 percent, according to the USDA's September 25 Consumer Price Index report.
"Poultry demand continues to be very strong, even though supplies are healthy and there are no real issues with supply, the demand for poultry is very strong and the whole industry is still dealing with relatively high feed prices," Ricky Volpe, USDA economist, said in a recent agency broadcast.
Volpe said pork prices are recovering from low pork wholesale prices that hit earlier in 2013, prompting the raised consumer price projection.
No other proteins had an upward price projection in the report. Beef and veal, fish and seafood, and eggs remained steady in price, while dairy products were adjusted downward for up to a 1 percent decrease and other meats were forecast for up to a 0.5 percent decrease.

China to become the global consumer of pig meat

China is expected to become the world's leading consumer of pork on a per capita basis, surpassing the European Union by 2022, according to Focus on China - OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2013-2022 report.
From 2001 to 2012, China's agricultural trade (imports and exports) increased from $ 27.9 billion to $155.7 billion. Import dependence doubled from 6.2 percent to 12.9 percent with China's net trade deficit in agriculture and food standing at $31 billion in 2012.
It is projected that China's consumption growth will slightly outpace its production growth by some 0.3 percent similar to the trend of the previous decade. As a result, a further but modest opening of China's agricultural sector is anticipated although these prospects vary by commodity.
The government has instituted a policy to prevent any further exit of land from agriculture while the 12th Five-Year Plan sets specific targets for area and production of wheat, rice, coarse grain, soybeans and tubers. This Outlook affirms indicates that these targets should be met or exceeded in the next decade
China's imports of oilseeds are expected to rise by 40 percent over the 2013-22 period, accounting for 59% of global trade. Sugar imports should stay above the tariff rate quota level over the projection period.
China should maintain its leading role in global fisheries as its aquaculture as production continues to increase at half the rate of the previous decade. China is expected to account for 63 percent of global aquaculture production in 2022 and remain one of the world's leading fish exporters.

Low hog prices boon for processing companies

According to data released by China's National Development and Reform Commission, hog prices in China have been at hauntingly low levels for nine consecutive months. This benefits meat processing corporations. An executive of Shuanghui Group said, due to slumped pork price and shifted demand, sales of fresh products in April increased significantly and is almost equal to that of their meat products.
Industry analysts said if China's pork prices continue to fall, pork consumption will rebound. Meanwhile, the fluctuating ranges of pork prices are less than hog prices, resulting in pork products maintaining a profit margin against low hog price at present. 

EU pig production and income predictions for 2012-2020

The contraction in the pig herd in 2011 compared to 2010 (-1.7 percent), and more markedly in breeding sows (-3.2 percent), generates a marginal decline in EU pig meat production in 2012 (-0.4 percent), according to a recent study “Prospects for Agricultural Markets and Income in the EU 2012-2022.”
In 2013, the decrease is expected to be even larger (-3.2 percent), as it will cumulate with the impact of mandatory welfare standards coming into force as of January 2013 and of higher feed costs incurred due to the United States drought.
After its fall in 2012 and 2013, pig meat production is projected to resume its growth from the second half of 2014, as production is expected to respond to high prices, with farmers progressively adjusting to the new welfare requirements. By 2022 pig meat production would roughly settle at the level of 2011, i.e. approximately 23 million tons.

Feed prices, inventory
Increased feed prices as a result of the drought in the US during the first half of 2012 were compensated by high pig meat prices which led to stable pig producers' margins. After reaching the historical high of 1 900 EUR/t in September 2012 (31 percent more than the 2007-2011 average), prices fell slightly in October (-0.5 percent against the previous month). Piglet prices have so far followed the seasonal trend and are situated around 470 EUR/t.
As regards trade, January-August 2012 data confirm stronger EU exports, 5 percent higher than the same period last year, mainly due to the weak Euro and the strong global demand, particularly from China, Russia, Ukraine and Japan. Overall, 2012 is projected to end with an estimated 1% increase in exports compared to the already very high level registered in 2011.
Lower availabilities in 2013 would trigger a projected decline of 15 percent in EU exports, followed by a rebound in 2014, when production is expected to recover; this trend would be of short duration as exports would then start decreasing again (-9 percent on aggregate over 2011-2022).

Pig meat consumption
Overall EU pig meat consumption is expected to increase by 4.3 percent (+3 percent and +10 percent in the EU-15 and EU-N12 respectively). Although EU per capita consumption would decrease by 1.6 percent between 2011 and 2022, pig meat would continue to represent half of EU total meat consumption. It is worth observing that, at world level, poultry meat would represent the most consumed meat overtaking pig meat (on average 14.5 kg/capita versus 12.7 kg/capita).
The EU is more than self-sufficient in pig meat, producing about 110 percent of its domestic consumption and this trend is expected to continue throughout the outlook period. However, increased competition from other producing countries (for example, China) would see the EU production share in global production slowly decline.
This medium term outlook provides a projection for major EU agricultural commodity markets and agricultural income until the year 2022, based on a set of coherent assumptions. Under these assumptions agricultural commodity prices are expected to stay firm over the medium term, supported by factors such as the growth in global food demand, the development of the biofuel sector and a prolongation of the long term decline in food crop productivity growth.

Hog carcass valuations shifting to include fifth quarter products

Over the last few years, the valuation of hog and animal carcasses has shifted from prime cuts to processing cuts and fifth quarter products.
This trend is driven by changing consumer preference for processed products, fast rising economic welfare and preference for animal byproducts in Asia, new applications for animal byproducts and lower availability of sow meat. According to Rabobank, this trend will be permanent and will impact the business models of almost all players in the global meat industry.
The value of the animal carcass is the combined sales price of all meat cuts and fifth quarter products, most of which have different markets with their own characteristics. The challenge for a slaughterhouse is to optimize the value of all different products, while the importance of the prime cuts and processing cuts and fifth quarter products may differ from country-to-country depending on traditions, culture, religion and wealth creating trading arbitrage opportunities.
Despite prime meat cuts typically having the highest sales prices and value, the rising price of processing cuts and byproducts of cattle and hogs show that the animal carcass valuation has been shifting since 2009. This is due to five main developments:
1. Growing economies in developing countries including the opening of the Chinese market for imports;
2. The economic crisis which has caused consumers to trade down to cheaper products;
3. The growth of convenience products with more women entering the workforce, consumers having less time to cook, and increased grazing;
4. The growing number of applications for animal byproducts in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries;
5. The decline in the sow herd in both the United States and the EU has resulted in processed meat producers increasingly sourcing their raw material from market hogs.
The further processing industry could be forced to change their raw material sourcing to other products or enter into long-term supplier contracts to safeguard supply. For the dedicated processors of byproducts competition will increase, which might urge these players to strengthen their positions in the value chain.

Global pork prices to fall on limited growth in consumption

While global pork prices began 2013 at historically strong levels, some weakness in prices late in the first quarter and into the second quarter are estimated due to pressures on production and limited growth in global consumption levels, according to Rabobank's latest report.
2013 pork prices will be impacted by swing factors, including how much European production will decline due to sow pen regulations; China’s appetite for import; and whether U.S. production will continue to expand, despite the spike in feed costs. The pace of pork demand growth is the key unknown for industry margins in 2013, and is highly dependent upon economic growth in the developing world, according to Rabobank.
Global pork prices started 2013 supported by strong Chinese demand ahead of the Chinese New Year in February. However, price movements in China will be a key indicator for 2013 going into the second quarter as Rabobank expects global pork prices to come under slight pressure due to production growth in China, the U.S., Brazil and Russia being higher than the growth in global consumption.
Higher prices for pork are expected overall for 2013, as the 2012 drought in the U.S. and Black Sea regions has led to low inventories of feed crops and adverse weather in pork-producing countries continues to limit production expansion. There is also uncertainty regarding the pace and magnitude of EU enforcement of the ban on sow crates, which Rabobank forecasts will reduce the sow herd, keeping EU pork prices high.
However, Rabobank predicts that global prices will be at a lower average level than previously forecast, as the expected consequence of higher feed costs — herd liquidation — has not occurred, as producers in the U.S. have managed their risk by using futures contracts. “Despite the higher feed input costs, the U.S. swine breeding herd has modestly expanded and large scale farming continues to develop at a rapid pace in China, Russia and Brazil," said Rabobank analyst David Nelson said. "There seems to be limited opportunity for a significant increase in pork prices, given this expansion. Chinese hog supplies appear to be sufficient but their economy is recovering, which could stimulate demand growth.”
In developed pork markets, the challenge will come from managing soft demand and often excess capacity, according to Rabobank. As such, supply discipline will remain the key success factor for the pork industry’s performance in 2013 and beyond.

British pig industry award winner says cooperation vital for sustainability

Heather Jenkins, director of buying meat, poultry and fish at Waitrose Ltd., received the British pig industry’s prestigious David Black Award 2012 for her major contribution to the industry.

Retailer Heather Jenkins, recipient of the 2012 British pig industry's David Black Award, has said that pig producers must “work together as never before” to build robust supply chains to supply the best products in the future.
Jenkins, who is the director of buying for meat, poultry and fish and agriculture strategy at Waitrose Ltd., won the award for helping to create a successful expanding and enduring pig meat supply chain with Dalehead Foods. At the award ceremony in London, Jenkins called for a step-change in the industry, with the main ingredient being farmers working together. “It’s only by working together towards a sustainable future that the pig industry will see real improvements,” she said. It is the only way, she said, to ensure that pig producers are able to meet future challenges and consumer demands successfully.
Jenkins took a year out from her studies to work in an abattoir before graduating from Harper Adams Agricultural College in agri-business and food marketing.

Pork most popular meat served out of UK homes

Pork is the most popular meat served out of the home, and nine out of 10 people would like to know the style of cooking and type of cut when choosing pork dishes, according to "Eating Out — Pork and Sausages," the latest report from the British Pig Executive.
While pork and pork products remain popular the research clearly identifies that more can be done to increase its use in the foodservice sector. This is particularly relevant at a time when caterers are on the lookout for value-for-money solutions — an area where pig meat excels, according to the British Pig Exchange. “We know that diners enjoy eating pork and sausages out of home," said British Pig Exchange foodservice trade manager Tony Goodger. “Pork choices can also be encouraged by promoting the leanness of the cut, carvery options and, crucially, from where it has been sourced: from local or Quality Assured supply chains, such as Red Tractor.”
A copy of the report can be found here.

Pig meat most consumed red meat in UK

Pig meat, including pork, bacon, sausages and ham, is the most consumed red meat in the UK out-of-home market with 68.7 percent of all red meat servings, according to new figures from NPD Group/Crest.
Pig meat also experienced the greatest increase in servings in 2011 compared with 2010 numbers, according to the data. The figures show total pig meat servings increased by 8.1. In the main this growth was driven by bacon, which saw servings grow by 29.5 percent, and sausages, which grew by 21.3 percent. Ham has also moved up the charts, by 11.7 percent, and pork saw an increase of 4.6 percent.
“Quality-assured bacon is a fantastic ingredient for all types of menus," said British Pig Exchange foodservice trade manager Tony Goodger. "It’s hugely versatile and delivers a punch of flavor to dishes. Sausages made from quality-assured pork also continue to be one of the most popular foods eaten out of home, appealing to both adults and children alike. Both are relatively low-cost proteins and, in the current climate when every penny counts, chefs are clearly recognizing their profit potential."
The industry is starting to see more chefs buying whole pig carcasses and experimenting with a wider range of cuts due to the meat's cost-effectiveness, according to Goodger.

US 2012 pig meat production, exports up conservatively

Pork exports for 2012 are up 2.8% from 2011 numbers.

U.S. commercial pig meat production in 2012 is forecast at 23.1 billion pounds, up conservatively from 2011's projected 22.6 billion pounds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The September 1 Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report showed that the U.S. hog inventory was up 1% year-over-year. The breeding herd was shown to be up 0.6% year-over-year, and producer’s first farrowing intentions for December-February were 2.857 million, up just 0.5% year-over-year, which may indicate that the industry is cautious about any expansion plans, according to the USDA.
Pork exports in 2012 have been revised down to 5.09 billion pounds, still up 2.8% from projected 2011 export levels. August 2011 pork exports were year-over-year 43.6% higher.