Part 3: "Nutritional recommendations put to the test"

Pay attention to the glycemic index and eat less carbohydrates, these are new nutritional recommendations that are currently being discussed by leading scientists in the USA.

The epidemiologist Walter Willett, who teaches at the Harvard School of Public Health, calls for vegetables, fruit and whole grains to form the basis of the diet. Processed grain products such as white bread, white rice, noodles, potatoes and sweets, on the other hand, rarely belong on the menu in his opinion due to their unfavorable effect on blood sugar levels.

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Summary from the Meat Information Service from Germany - Edition 04-2004

In nutritional research, the term "bioavailability" describes the extent and speed with which a nutrient becomes available for its normal physiological functions in the organism after consumption. This depends on its release from the diet, its structure (some nutrients exist in multiple species with different chemical structures), and its absorption and distribution. Meat and meat products are not only rich in certain vitamins and trace elements, the bioavailability of the nutrients from meat is often higher than from foods of plant origin. This applies, for example, to the trace elements iron, selenium and zinc.

Iron is an essential, i.e. vital, trace element for the human body. Inadequate iron supply with low iron stores is found primarily in children, adolescents and women of childbearing age. Depending on the chemical structure of the iron compounds in food, a distinction is made between non-heme iron from plant foods and heme iron from animal foods. Since iron from heme iron can be absorbed about two to three times better than from non-heme iron, the organism has significantly more iron available when eating meat and fish than when consuming food of non-animal origin. At the same time, certain substances in meat promote the absorption of non-heme iron from plant foods. On the other hand, various plant compounds such as phytates from cereals and legumes and polyphenols from fruit, vegetables, cocoa and wine inhibit iron absorption. With a skilful composition of the diet, with an appropriate proportion of meat and meat products, an iron deficiency can be avoided or compensated.

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Facts, facts, facts or what?

Under the heading "The bold promise", Focus (No. 25/2004) dedicated its cover story to the booming low-carb diets. Due to the enormous popularity of these carbohydrate-reduced diets, an objective explanation and scientifically undogmatic assessment for German consumers was more than overdue. After all, this topic has been discussed in the USA and England for several years. In this respect, the commitment of Focus was commendable. My mustard on this:

However, the result is full of errors and annoying "old hats". The most insignificant mistake may be that Robert Atkins became Richard Atkins. It is also wrong that he invented the fat-protein diet. Long before Atkins, for example, the doctor Wolfgang Lutz from Austria warned against eating too many carbohydrates and advised more fat (including saturated fatty acids) and protein. However, his book "Leben ohne Brot", one of the smartest nutrition books I have ever read, was ignored or discredited by the established nutrition experts for decades - without being able to provide any solid evidence against Lutz' experiences.

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The negative trend has continued since the introduction of the euro

In April 2004, turnover in the hospitality industry in Germany was nominally 0,3% higher and in real terms 0,4% lower than in April 2003. While the accommodation providers gained, the restaurants continued their descent. After calendar and seasonal adjustment of the data compared to March 2004, nominally 0,4% more and real 0,3% less
discontinued.

In the first four months of 2004, companies in the hotel and catering industry turned over 1,0% less in nominal terms and 1,6% in real terms than in the same period of the previous year, and have therefore lost a lot of sales since the introduction of the euro.

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minister dr Backhaus handed over the approval notice to Neptun Feinkost GmbH & Co. KG in Waren - investment secures and modernizes location - reserves still in the industry-internal cooperation

When the foundation stone was laid for the necessary expansion of the production facilities at Neptun Feinkost GmbH & Co. KG almost exactly two months ago, the Minister for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Dr. Till Backhaus recognized the commitment of the new investor and traditional company from Hamburg. "This will secure the Waren site, which has been expanded in recent years with considerable financial support from the state and will employ more than 100 people in the future," he emphasized.

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Turkey loses significantly - cheese continues to grow in popularity

According to surveys by GfK, the society for consumer research in Nuremberg, private demand for meat (fresh and deep-frozen) in the first quarter of this year was 2,1 percent down on the previous year. This was primarily due to pork, which was 4,8 percent less in demand than in the previous year. Pure beef, on the other hand, increased by 0,8 percent. The demand for mixed beef and pork made a decisive contribution to the improvement in the meat balance. This segment, dominated by mixed hack, grew a whopping 15,4 percent. If one calculates half of the mixed segment for beef and half for pork, the quarterly balance for beef improves to plus 4,4 percent and for pork to minus 3,4 percent. Meanwhile, the March figures, down just 0,5 percent, fuel hopes that consumers will gradually give up their reluctance.

Poultry meat started 4,3 with a minus of 2004 percent. While chickens are roughly at the same level as last year, demand for turkeys has fallen significantly by 10,7 percent.

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Salami, Mettwurst or Teewurst. Germany has the largest range of sausage types, which are famous worldwide for their unmistakable taste and high quality. The new brochure "Sausage & Ham Recipes" from the CMA Centrale Marketing-Gesellschaft der Deutschen Agrarwirtschaft mbH whets the appetite for a variety of typical national dishes and regional specialties that give starters, salads and buffets a special touch. In addition, consumers find out what, for example, raw sausages, boiled sausages or aspic are made from and what special features distinguish them. "Spring sausage salad", "Salad with cooked ham" or "Mettwurst potato soup".

The 24-page brochure shows numerous tasty dishes and encourages you to cook and enjoy them. It's the variety that counts: Sausage and ham varieties are available in a wide variety of flavors. Each of them supplies our body with important nutrients, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. The fat content of local sausages has fallen by an average of 25 percent in recent years.

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In order to avert a massive drop in beef prices and severe income losses for cattle producers at the end of the year, Agriculture Minister Josef Miller has called for a transitional arrangement for the slaughter premium and special premium for male cattle.

According to experts, the end of the premium scheme by the EU at the end of 2004 will lead to an increase in slaughtering and an oversupply on the meat market in December. In a letter to Federal Minister of Agriculture Renate Künast, he therefore asked the Federal Government to appeal to the EU Commission for an extension of the deadline until the end of February. Farmers could also receive premiums for cattle that reach slaughter maturity by then. According to Miller, this would be an incentive not to slaughter the animals prematurely. This would at least somewhat equalize the feared oversupply at the end of the year.

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The Federal Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture (BMVEL) has confirmed to the VDF (Association of the Meat Industry) that the labeling information "Bison" may be used for the sale of bison meat, without this being considered a voluntary information as part of the beef labelling. The indication "bison" is even obligatory, since according to other legal provisions the animal species from which the meat originates must be indicated. Bison meat, like other beef, belongs to CN code 0201 and 0202 in terms of customs tariffs and must therefore comply with the beef labeling rules of Regulation 1760/2000. Zoologically, the bison (and the European wisent) is a separate animal species. Therefore, the indication "Bison" is not comparable to an indication of the breed (eg Limousin, Angus), which represents a voluntary indication within the meaning of beef labeling and for which a voluntary system according to Art. 16 of Regulation 1760/2000 is to be applied for.

If "bison" were a voluntary indication, this would have meant that imports from Canada, for example, could not have been provided with this information at the moment. The use of voluntary information for beef from third countries presupposes that the third country has received approval from the EC Commission for the use of the relevant information. So far, this has not happened for any third country for the indication bison.

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Prices above previous year's level

The prices on the German slaughter cattle market will develop inconsistently in the coming weeks: Weaknesses are foreseeable for young bulls, while cows and pigs are initially valued as stable to firm; towards the end of the month, however, slight reductions cannot be ruled out here either. The price curve for slaughter calves is expected to point clearly downwards. Without exception, however, producers for slaughter cattle will achieve higher prices in July than a year ago. Young bulls with a tendency to weakness

Demand for beef will focus on grilled goods and pan-fry items, while cuts for the production of minced meat should also still be in demand. However, the rest of the range will be difficult to place on the market. In addition, the influence of the summer holidays with the core time in August should already be noticeable in July, since stockpiling by cutting and processing companies will be within very narrow limits in anticipation of falling demand during the holiday period. The need of the slaughterhouses is therefore correspondingly small.

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previous year's level is exceeded

Due to the exceptional heat wave in the summer of 2003, the supply of piglets in the first few months of 2004 was somewhat lower than in the previous year. With rising slaughter pig prices, piglets were also quoted higher from week to week. From the beginning of the year to the end of March, the average price for a 25-kilogram piglet in Germany rose by EUR 13,50, reaching the EUR 50 mark. The price weakness on the slaughter pig market and the seasonally larger supply caused piglets to drop again, which is not unusual in the second and third quarters of a year. In the last ten years, piglet prices fell by an average of 17 euros in the period from March to September.

However, a strong price increase has been observed on the EU slaughter pig market for several weeks now. This is not entirely unexpected, as industry experts have long pointed out that the summer heat of 2003 will lead to a reduced supply of pigs for slaughter in the second quarter of 2004. In fact, the supply of slaughter pigs is currently limited across Europe. At the same time, demand has been showing the long-awaited impulses for a few weeks, as the start of the barbecue season could begin with the warmer weather. With little supply and more lively demand, the way was clear for rising prices.

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