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ZENTRAG satisfied with IFFA 2004

A total of 7% more visitors from around 100 countries and 3% more visitors from Germany - the IFFA 2004 in Frankfurt turned out to be a successful leading trade fair for the meat industry and the butcher trade.

Against the background of the 50th anniversary of the GILDE brand, which was omnipresent at the ZENTRAG eG stand in Hall 6.0, new products, product relaunches and ranges were successfully presented.

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Bull premium for 2003 reduced

No cuts expected for 2004

The bull fatteners in Germany are dependent on premium payments if they want to produce to cover their costs. Cuts are therefore all the more painful for them: the special premium for 2003 will be reduced retrospectively, according to a statement from the Federal Consumer Protection Ministry. For the year 2003, more special premiums were applied for than the German fatteners are granted by the EU at full premium rates – 210 euros per animal. The upper limit of premium entitlements for 2003 is 1,54 million animals. However, applications were made for a good 1,70 million bulls. After deducting a certain safety margin, the excess is 10,6 percent. The special premiums are reduced by this rate.

The slaughter premium for large cattle of EUR 80,00 per animal remains unchanged. At EUR 24,64, the supplementary amount will be EUR 4,19 higher per bull than in the previous year. All in all, the total premium should be EUR 292,38 per bull. Compared to the previous year, that is a good ten euros more per animal, but 18 euros less than the theoretically calculated total.

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Bratwurst boom in summer

The demand for ready-to-cook goods is also increasing

The purchases of fresh meat, fresh poultry and bratwurst by private households are higher in the winter half-year than in summer, but certain preparations enjoy peak demand during the barbecue season from April to September. Then ready-to-cook fresh meat, i.e. in particular ready-seasoned or marinated cuts of pork, ready-to-cook fresh poultry and the various varieties of fresh bratwurst are at the forefront of consumer favor.

Overall, private households in Germany bought around 2003 tons of fresh meat, fresh poultry and bratwurst during the 640.000 barbecue season, and almost 717.000 tons in winter, according to data from the GfK household panel commissioned by ZMP and CMA. The proportion of ready-to-cook fresh meat increased to 14 percent from April to September, while in the cold season, i.e. in the months of January to March and October to December, only six percent of purchases were made of ready-to-cook fresh meat. Bratwurst purchases also rose sharply in the summer. In 2003, their share of purchases was XNUMX percent, while the rest of the year it was just XNUMX percent.

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Poultry production expanding

More chicken and turkey chicks in Germany

According to the Federal Statistical Office, 37,65 million broiler chicks hatched in Germany in March this year, significantly more than a year ago; the increase was a good 25 percent. In the first quarter overall, 110,08 million chicks hatched, which was 16,9 percent more than in 2003. This trend is likely to have continued in April, because the number of hatching eggs laid in March exceeded the previous year's figure at 45,13 million by 17,8 percent.

3,32 million turkey chicks hatched in March, 2,2 percent more than in 2003. Cumulatively for the first quarter of this year, a chick hatch of 9,79 million was reported, which exceeded the previous year's line by 5,1 percent.

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Current ZMP market trends

Livestock and Meat

On the meat wholesale markets, the demand for beef received impulses in many areas before Pentecost. The focus of interest was on finer cuts, but also cheaper goods for minced meat production. Beef prices were mostly trending upwards. At the slaughterhouse level, the supply of young bulls and cows for slaughter was still limited. The slaughterhouses therefore increased their payout prices for slaughter cattle across the board in the face of constant demand. The federal funds for young bulls in class R3 increased by six cents to 2,52 euros per kilogram slaughter weight, for cows in class O3 by seven cents to 1,98 euros per kilogram. The providers thus earned 14 cents and 20 cents more than a year ago. Not only in Germany, but also in neighboring countries, the beef business ran more smoothly than before. When shipping cow meat to France, local sellers enforced price surcharges. Due to the comparatively high price level, trade with Russia currently plays a subordinate role. – In the coming week, the price increase in male animals should come to an end for the time being. In the slaughter cow sector, however, further price increases are definitely possible. – Veal was in high demand in meat wholesalers, and preferred batches such as saddle of veal even had to be allocated. Stable to fixed requirements could be enforced for precious parts. The prices for slaughter calves also tended to be stable. For slaughter calves billed at a flat rate, the providers received a federal average of 4,55 euros per kilogram of slaughter weight, as before. – Prices on the veal market were also stable to firm with steady to lively demand.

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New round in the fight against BSE

European Commission launches world-leading prion research network

On 28 May 2004, Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin launched the world's leading prion disease research network in Paris. With 52 laboratories in 20 countries, this network of excellence brings together 90% of European research teams working on BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), scrapie (prion disease in sheep) and other types of prion diseases. From the research budget of the European Union, 14,4 million euros will be made available for this network over 5 years. In addition, a new prion research unit will be created at the CEA (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique), a major multidisciplinary research organization in France that coordinates the NeuroPrion network of excellence.

"The European Commission has worked tirelessly on various fronts to tackle the BSE crisis," said Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin. 'This included a special action plan for research, launched in 1996, which in a very short time allowed €50 million to be allocated for research in over 120 laboratories across Europe. As part of the European Research Area, the NeuroPrion network is a logical consequence. In the network, top European researchers will work together on issues related to the prevention, containment, treatment and risk analysis of prion diseases.”

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Deer meat from New Zealand

BBQ and more - nationwide summer campaign in food retail

The New Zealand deer meat industry is launching a nationwide summer campaign for food retailers from June to August this year. The year-round availability of the meat and the special attractiveness as a summer and barbecue specialty should be communicated.

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Lose weight in a fit and active way

moveguard - An initiative of the German Sport University Cologne under the motto "Movement - fit and lose weight in motion"

Since February last year, a pilot study on "guided regular exercise with overweight adults" has been successfully carried out at the German Sport University in Cologne. The vision of the study is to provide access to improved health through exercise, ie: initially an increase in performance and then a reduction in body weight.

The special thing about the pilot study is the 1:1 support of the participants by a sports scientist as a personal trainer. This mentoring system ensures a high level of loyalty to the program and continuous participation. Based on a sports medical and sports science examination, the individual training planning, training intensity and the selection of the sport are designed with the focus on "endurance, mobility, strengthening". The training plans are tailored to the personal goals and needs as well as the health status of the respective participant and also take into account structured nutrition training with 1:1 support from specialist staff.

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Losing weight with the Glyx Factor

Part 1 of the aid series "Nutritional recommendations put to the test"

The Glyx factor is on everyone's lips. Experts are discussing it, consumers are eating Glyx bread and buying Glyx diet books, and a Glyx Institute was even recently founded in Frankfurt, which gives foods a Glyx seal. There is a sensible nutritional concept behind it, but it is not new.

The Glyx factor stands for the blood sugar effectiveness of food, also called the glycemic index or GI. A high GI means that the food's carbohydrates are digested quickly and enter the blood, causing blood sugar levels to rise rapidly. This happens after ingesting foods high in starch or sugar, such as white bread, white rice, potatoes, sweets, and soda. However, high blood sugar levels also lead to an increase in insulin, which promotes the formation of body fat and may increase appetite. To avoid this effect, low GI foods are recommended for weight loss. Most vegetables, fruits, legumes and all foods that are inherently low in carbohydrates, such as dairy products, cheese, fish and meat, have it.

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eat age appropriate

Body change requires diet change

The human body changes over the course of life, so lifestyle and nutrition must be adapted accordingly. From a medical point of view, the aging process begins around the age of 40. Body composition changes: the body's water content, bone mass and muscle mass decrease while body fat content increases.

The degree to which these changes are determined is, on the one hand, determined by predisposition. On the other hand, lifestyle and diet also play a role. For example, if you stored a lot of calcium in your bones when you were young, your bone mass will only reach a critical threshold later.

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Is my child overweight?

New internet risk test for parents

Every fifth school child and every third young person in this country is overweight and the trend is rising. Using a risk test on the aid homepage, parents can now determine whether their child is at risk of becoming overweight. To do this, ten test questions have to be answered online and then the evaluation button has to be clicked. In this way, an estimate of the child's weight is made. There is also the option of downloading weight curves and checking whether the child's weight is within the normal range or already deviating from it. The risk test is offered free of charge at:

www.aid.de/ernaehrung/kinder_3942.cfm

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