Paris | Reuters — As international health experts prepare to publish a report on potential cancer risks linked to red and processed meat, industry groups are bracing for a damaging blow to consumer confidence. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) gathered health experts in France this month to discuss available […] Read more

Meat industry braces for WHO cancer risk verdict

No regrets: ‘Better Beef’ campaign turns out just fine for A+W
Sales are up sharply, and it was the beef industry’s choice not to get involved in developing the antibiotic- and steroid-free program, says company official
Reading Time: 4 minutes Two years after introducing its controversial ‘Better Beef’ program, A&W seems to have few regrets about how the shift to antibiotic- and steroid-free beef played out. “We were the first national chain in North America to do it, and the response has been tremendous,” said Trish Sahlstrom, vice-president of purchasing and distribution for A&W Canada. […] Read more

Capturing value through livestock innovation
Livestock Gentec Conference being held Oct. 13-14 in Edmonton
Reading Time: < 1 minute Playing the Long Game: Capturing Value in Livestock Innovation is the theme of this year’s Livestock Gentec Conference. Presentations include a look at what’s possible in genetic improvement in commercial beef cattle and the U.K. experience in increasing value in the beef chain. There will also be a panel on sustainable beef production along with […] Read more

Science lacking in alarmist report on beef safety
The numerous misleading statements in a new report are no reason for consumers to lose confidence in the safety of Canadian beef
Reading Time: 3 minutes Consumer Reports’ Food Safety and Sustainability Center released its Beef Report last month. A number of questions, concerns and criticisms have been raised by the North American Meat Institute, the International Food Information Council, Business Insider, and others. Rather than answer the specific questions raised, Consumer Reports encouraged people to read the report more closely. […] Read more

Building the herd: The downside of strong cattle prices
Cattle prices are expected to remain strong into 2016, but what does that mean for replacement cattle next year?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Next year could see continued strong or even stronger cattle prices — and that’s a double-edged sword for producers who’ve reduced their herds this year and plan to buy replacements in 2016. Producers in prescribed drought regions who have reduced their breeding stock by at least 15 per cent can tap into the Federal Livestock […] Read more
Experts call for less waste and less meat
Kale or steak? Change in diet key to UN plan to end hunger by 2030
Rome — In trendy, hipster London or New York, it’s all about juicing, vegan diets and snacking on kale crisps. Thousands of miles away, in Nairobi or Bogota, the middle classes are more likely to reach for roasted goat or a juicy steak. Later this month, world leaders are set to endorse a U.N. goal […] Read more

U.S. FDA to cut trans fats from foods
Washington/New York | Reuters –– The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday made good on its proposal to effectively ban artificial trans fats from a wide range of foods, from microwave popcorn to frozen pizza, saying they raise the risk of heart disease. Under new FDA regulations, partially hydrogenated oils, which have been shown […] Read more