Prices recovered slightly

The supply of slaughter lambs fluctuated from week to week in October. At the beginning of the month it was sufficient, then at times just a little and at the end of the month it was slightly larger again. Despite the largely calm demand for their animals, the local suppliers consistently achieved a little more. For lambs billed at a flat rate, buyers paid an average monthly price of EUR 3,56 per kilogram slaughter weight, four cents more than in September; the price level of October 2003 was missed by two cents.

The mail-order slaughterhouses and meat product factories that are obliged to report invoiced an average of 1.730 lambs and sheep per week nationwide in October, either as a flat rate or according to trade grades; that was almost two percent more than in the previous month and a good 16 percent more than a year ago.

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In the interim report for the third quarter of 3, degussa's Executive Board announced that it was working towards spinning off the "Food Ingredients" division because "this business does not have all the necessary prerequisites to achieve a leading global market position on its own ".

The "Letter to the Shareholders" states:

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Consumption of beef and pork could decrease

Due to the recent import stops for Brazilian and Chinese meat imports to Russia, market experts there expect prices for beef and pork to continue to rise. Because in addition to the lack of imports, the supply from the traditional supplier countries Poland and Ukraine is also smaller. The available supply of meat is therefore below the needs of the meat processing industry and exporters.

From January to September this year, Russia imported 26 percent less meat than in the same period last year. Due to the shortage of supply, the prices climb steadily upwards. Russian market experts are forecasting a further increase in prices, especially for pork, which will also cause beef prices to rise. Russian importers are currently exploring Argentinian beef suppliers as a possible alternative.

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Feed additives: Safety first

The Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) for the approval of feed additives was opened in Geel, Belgium on 9 November. Additives in animal feed serve to improve the productivity or the health of the animals. Before an authorization is granted, all feed additives are subjected to a safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The CRL will assess the analytical methods proposed to detect the presence of feed additives. The Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission was designated as the CRL for feed additives; the laboratory will be set up at the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRRM)[1] in Geel.

“The health of humans and animals is an important concern for all of us. The new, improved approval process for feed additives requires world-class skills and research capacity. I am confident that the IRMM has all these qualities,” said Research Commissioner Louis Michel.

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fattened in Poland, Hungary and Germany, stuffed in Israel and France

Around six million geese will be on the collar again this year for the Martinstafel and the Christmas dinner. Most of the slaughtered animals come from Hungary and Poland. There, the intelligent animals are fattened to their "optimal" slaughter weight in just 12 weeks, crowded together in thousands in stuffy and lightless halls. "Highly potent feed makes the body heavier than the legs can carry," complains Sandra Gulla, Chairwoman of PROVIEH - Association against animal cruelty in factory farming.

In addition to the roast goose, tons of fat goose liver, French "foie gras" is consumed by German gourmets every year. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 3 kg of goose liver were imported into Germany in 2003 alone, although forced fattening is prohibited in Germany under Section 63.000 of the Animal Welfare Act. Israel had 40.000 kg, and thus the largest share (we have pictures of the method of stuffing gooses in Israel). To "produce" the foie gras, a metal tube almost 20 cm long is inserted deep into the animals' throats two to three times a day. A compressed air pump then presses in a fat-inducing mash within a few seconds. The agonizing procedure causes the liver to swell to many times its original size. "For us it is incomprehensible that tons of this diseased liver still end up on the plates of restaurants and supposed gourmets," says Sandra Gulla.

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Prices fell slightly

The supply of young bulls was mostly limited in October, as farmers often withheld their animals. Therefore, after the slight weaknesses at the beginning, the payout prices were able to stabilize again from the middle of the month. On average, however, prices did not quite reach the September level. Cows for slaughter have been available in abundance in recent weeks due to grazing. The prices for these came under increasing pressure as the month progressed. The domestic trade in beef was slightly affected by the autumn holidays, but sales were steady. The cheaper sections from the front batches were particularly in demand. In the mail-order business, there were no significant impulses.

The prices paid by the slaughterhouses for young bulls in the R3 trading class fell by two cents from September to October to an average of EUR 2,71 per kilogram slaughter weight, but the previous year's level was exceeded by 39 cents. For slaughter cows in trade class O3, local producers achieved an average of EUR 1,98 per kilogram slaughter weight in October, which was eleven cents less than in the previous month, but still 36 cents more than a year ago. For class R3 heifers, the slaughterhouses paid an average of EUR 2,48 per kilogram, three cents less than in September. The level of the previous year was exceeded by 21 cents.

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EU-US: EU seeks WTO confirmation that continued sanctions by US and Canada are unjustified

On 8th November the EU submitted a request to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to settle trade disputes with Canada and the United States. The EU is thus opposing the continuation of the sanctions imposed by Canada and the United States on EU exports, which are justified by the EU's ban on imports of hormone-treated beef. The EU says these sanctions are unlawful, having withdrawn what it said were anti-WTO measures in the 1998 WTO dispute over hormone-treated meat. Canada and the United States have maintained their sanctions despite not contesting the directive adopted by the EU to comply with the WTO ruling.

EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said: "There is no reason why European companies' exports to Canada and the United States should continue to be subject to sanctions. The EU ban on certain growth-promoting hormones now reflects all of our international commitments. We have introduced new legislation based on a thorough and independent scientific risk assessment.”

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Usually only available from the producer or in specialist shops

The traditional St. Martin's goose nowadays usually comes frozen and mostly from the east, but German producers have a small range of fresh goose ready. The local geese are mainly available directly from the producer, at weekly markets or in specialist shops. According to surveys by the ZMP in cooperation with the chambers of agriculture and the farmers' associations in southern Germany, the prices for fresh German geese have changed little compared to the previous year: they are usually offered between seven and nine euros per kilogram.

Fresh goose meat is also available as a cut in normal grocery stores, both from local and Eastern European production. As in the previous year, a fresh leg of goose costs between nine and ten euros per kilogram; a fresh breast of goose costs between ten and twelve euros per kilogram.

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No exposure to dioxin potato skins. Precautionary closures in Belgium lifted.

On Wednesday November 10, 2004, the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FAVV) announced that "the analysis results were negative and that the products of the closed establishments pose no risk to food safety. The closures were lifted immediately. "

Kaolinite clay from Rhineland-Palatinate contaminates potato skins in the Netherlands Increased levels of dioxin in the milk from a Dutch farm near Lelystad led inspectors to track down the contaminated potato skins in animal feed. The contamination took place via contaminated kaolinite clay from Rhineland-Palatinate. The kaolinite clay was used as a separating agent by a Dutch french fries manufacturer to sort out unsuitable potatoes. The potato skins were used as animal feed.

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Driver of innovation and recognized expert

As part of a small celebration, Horst Kühne and Carl Christian Müller from the raps management congratulated Werner Frey, who has been working for the Kulmbacher Gewürzwerk for 30 years and is now a member of the raps management.

Werner Frey comes from Duisburg and trained as a butcher in his parents' business there. He later studied food technology and finally came to rapeseed in 1974. "I actually only wanted to stay here for two years and gain a bit of experience," Werner Frey recalls today. But his experience in the trade and his knowledge of food technology quickly made him an indispensable part of the Raps company, which was still very manageable at the time. Werner Frey built up the RAPS product development and thus laid the foundation for the still close cooperation with the butcher trade and the meat products industry. Because he tested a large number of recipes to give the butchers ideas and instructions for innovative sausage products. Milestones during this period were the development of the ham injection agent JAMBO-LAK and the development and introduction of MARINOX marinades, whose importance in today's convenience-oriented food industry is more important than ever.

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Cattle stocks also decreased

In Hungary, livestock census results from August this year show lower livestock numbers. The pig population has fallen particularly sharply. Compared to the previous year, it fell by 15 percent to just over 4,38 million animals. There were still 304.000 sows, 16 percent fewer than twelve months ago.

The total number of cattle in Hungary in August 2004 was 728.000 head, and that of cows was 342.000 head. That was five percent less than a year ago.

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