The KPMG Agribusiness Agenda 2012, released this week, contains interesting observations which have been gathered from conversations with nearly 100 business leaders, says Allan Barber, who recently reviewed the report.
But like most strategy documents I have ever read, the conclusions never quite seem to live up to the anticipation. However, this is a solid document with good ideas. Read more …
Allan Barber credits iwi for the final settlement of AFFCO’s union dispute.
It’s been a long 10 weeks, he wrote in an article which appeared on interest.co.nz on 24 May and also in NZ Farmers Weekly, both for the company and especially the workforce. At last both sides have exercised some flexibility and reached agreement on a new Core Collective Agreement.
It has taken some urging by Iwi leaders to get there in what is the first time Iwi have taken such a leading role in dispute settlement. Tukoroirangi Morgan, representing Tainui, was clearly elated at the successful outcome, saying “History has been made here and role of Iwi in the modern industrial society has been forever changed.” He paid credit to all the main players in what he said was as tough a negotiating process as the Treaty negotiations, Allan writes.
Primary Industries Minister David Carter is representing New Zealand at the APEC Food Security Ministerial meeting in Russia next week and will also travel to the US for a round of high level agriculture meetings.
The APEC meeting in Kazan will focus on a range of issues concerning agricultural productivity, including longer-term investment in sustainable agriculture and the role of international trade in improving food security.
“As a leading food exporter with world-class expertise in agricultural production, New Zealand knows only too well the importance of global food security,” Carter says.
“To this end, New Zealand has taken an active role in promoting multi-country cooperation such as through the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. We also continue to promote a rules-based trading system to ensure consumers have access to a reliable food supply.”
The Minister will travel to Washington DC to meet with a number of political agriculture leaders and industry representatives.
“These meetings will further strengthen the New Zealand-US bilateral relationship and give our two countries the opportunity to discuss issues such as the positive collaboration on research into livestock-generated greenhouse gas emissions,” he says.
“I also look forward to discussing with my US counterpart and others the mutual benefits that will be realised through the high quality Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement currently under negotiation.”
The Minister will also make a stop in Hong Kong to address an event showcasing New Zealand food and wines.
In June, the International Meat Secretariat’s 19th World Meat Congress will take place in Paris, attracting 1,000 meat industry participants from all over the world, including New Zealand.
Taking a turn at organising the biennial Congress this time are the two French meat and livestock associations, Interbev and Inaporc, under the official patronage of the French Ministry of Agriculture. The Congress theme is ‘Proudly producing and trading meat.’
B+LNZ Ltd chief executive Scott Champion and AgResearch’s Stewart Ledgard are two of the 40 or so speakers presenting at the two day congress. Champion will talk about ‘Sheepmeat in Asia – what are the opportunities and challenges’, while Ledgard will look at ‘Life Cycle Assessment and the need for an internationally agreed methodology’.
Other interesting speakers include Christophe Lafougere of GIRAG, ‘Are we moving towards a world price for meat?’ and ‘Meat marketing supertrends’ from IMS marketing committee chairman Chris Lamb, plus US, China and EU views.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has adopted new generic guiding principles on animal welfare relating to livestock production systems and a new chapter on the welfare of cattle bred for meat production.
Agreement was reached at the OIE’s 80th General Session, held in Paris and was said to be siginficant by the OIE’s director general Bernard Vallet after delegates’ failure in 2011 to reach agreement on animal welfare of broiler chickens. “This is an historical event that opens the way to adoption of animal welfare standards of other farm animal production,” he said.
The new adopted texts provide for criteria and indicators to measure the welfare of beef cattle, nutritious quality of feed, supplementary lighting for cattle that do not have access to natural light, bedding and many other aspects of cattle breeding conditions.
Other key decisions reached by delegates include new texts on the responsible and prudent use of antibiotics in animals for consumption purposes.
New B+LNZ board member: Mark Clarkson
Mark Clarkson, managing director of ANZCO Foods Ltd and a Meat Industry Association (MIA) Council member, has recently been appointed to the Board of Beef +Lamb NZ (B+LNZ) as one of two processor-exporter representatives nominated by the MIA.
Before beginning his current role with ANZCO Foods in March 2004, Clarkson was the chief executive of ANZCO subsidiary CMP Canterbury for 10 years. Prior to that, he was the general manager of Five Star Beef Limited, a 50:50 joint venture with Itoham and ANZCO.
Mark Clarkson joins the other processor-exporter representative on the board, Craig Hickson of Progressive Meats and the six farmer-elected board members.
Clarkson replaces Keith Cooper, chief executive of Silver Fern Farms who resigned earlier this year, having sat on the B+LNZ board since 2009.
Published in Food NZ (June/July 2012).
Silver Fern Farms’ launch of its branded New Zealand lamb range into British retail giant Tesco (Food NZ, December/January 2012) has been successful, according to the company, which is now looking at expanding the product range available in Britain.
This is the first time that branded lamb has been available in the fresh chilled lamb section of a major grocery chain in the UK. Chief executive Keith Cooper said the company was delighted that “the early good results at Tesco have given us the opportunity to extend the range with the introduction of Lamb Medallions to the current range – Roast, Rumps, Rack and Loin Fillets. We are currently stocking about 250 stores in the UK with pleasing upward trending occurring over the introductory period.”
Silver Fern Farms has utilised Primary Growth Partnership funding to assist with UK consumer research and using branded retail as a test market/prototype will allow the company to begin to meet its commitments to achieving the goals within the framework, Cooper says. The project was also supported by Beef + Lamb NZ with $1 for $1 matched levy funding.
The original launch was supported by an innovative marketing campaign focused on creating awareness at the point of purchase and tightly targeted towards Tesco shoppers using Tesco communications mediums.
The company is also fortunate to have a team of people in the UK who can work alongside its brand team here in New Zealand, group marketing manager Sharon Angus says. “We’re able to think local and act global.”
Published in Food NZ magazine (June/July 2012) .
Louisa Matthews: 2012 UK-NZ Culinary Challenge winner.
New Zealand venison featured in a British competition for young chefs in April.
The winner of the 2012 Air NZ UK-NZ Culinary Challenge is 20-year-old Louisa Matthews, a young chef from Eton College in Windsor. She fought off tough competition from eight other finalists in a cook-off at Westminster Kingsway College in London to win the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to New Zealand on a three-week study trip experiencing the country’s top restaurants, visiting award-winning vineyards and suppliers, with the option of one week to explore the country.
Showcasing New Zealand venison, manuka honey and Bramley apples, Louisa’s award-winning menu comprised ‘perfectly seasoned and richly flavoured’ roast seabass with aioli crab croquette, mussel stew and winter vegetables, roast loin of venison, venison tortellini and Foie Gras foam; and a steamed manuka honey sponge, caramelised Bramley apple ice-cream and nettle beignet.
The UK-NZ Culinary Challenge was founded by well known Kiwi chef Peter Gordon, owner/chef of Providores and Tapa Room in London. Gordon commented that the eight finalists – all chosen from high calibre entries – “did themselves proud. Dishes were very creative with a good use of secondary cuts of venison from the rib cooked on the bone through to liver and kidneys, along with other interesting ingredients such as foraged foods and pulses. In the kitchen, the amount of gadgetary was a far cry from the days of young chefs simply using a knife and pan, with molecular gastronomy making an appearance in the form of pea jellies through to foams.
“The qualty of the entries is a fantastic indication of how highly respected the competition is amongst tutors and employers around the UK in regards to the advancement of their junior staff and students.”
Steve Mulcahy, vice-president of competition organiser the British Craft Guild of Chefs, commented that he had no doubt Louisa will be a great ambassador for the competition when she travels to New Zealand to take up this once in a lifetime prize.
The other finalists were: Laura Daniels (Manchester College; Trung Nguyen (Westminster Kinsway College); Luke Orwin (Pan Heggarty Restaurant, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne); Joshua Saunders (Worcester College of Technology); Thomas Sturrock (Kopapa Restaurant, London).
Judges included: Peter Gordon, chef/proprieter The Providores and Tapa Room; David Mulcahy, culinary director Sodexco and Ireland; Anna Hansen, chef/proprieter The Modern Pantry; Sophie Wright, previous winner of the challenge and celebrity chef; and Cristian Hossack, head chef Providores and Tapa Room.
The UK-NZ Culinary Challenge is generously sponsored by Air New Zealand, Dudson, Bleeding Heart Restaurant, Trinity Hill Wines, Providores & Tapa Room, New Zealand Venison, New Zealand Society, Bramley Apples, Comvita and NZ Trade & Enterprise.
Fiona Carruthers.
The meat industry, from food technologists to promoters, now has a credible technical resource for nutritional data on beef and lamb, thanks to a bank of recently completed assessments by Beef + Lamb NZ (B+LNZ) Inc, writes nutrition manager Fiona Carruthers.
Being able to provide nutritional information is becoming increasingly important. In the United States, for example, there is now a requirement that nutritional information must be shown on package labels for certain whole cuts of meat, such as steak, or displayed on charts at the store. Previously, this information was required only for processed foods or for meat products with added ingredients such as marinades or stuffing.
B+LNZ has recently undertaken a project to assess the nutritional attributes of over 50 cuts of beef and lamb. It is the largest analysis ever done on New Zealand’s red meat. Updating and expanding the nutrition composition database strengthens the platform on which all activities and communications are based. Sound science is an integral part of B+LNZ’s nutrition portfolio and this new analysis provides a credible technical resource accessible to everyone inside and outside the industry.
In this issue, details of the sampling and methodology used in the project are explained, as well as some top line results.
Sampling
Several criteria relating to sampling and methodology had to be fulfilled in order for the new data to be eligible for inclusion in databases globally.
Samples of beef and sheep meat for analysis were derived from meat processors across the country over a six month period. The need to obtain a representative number of samples from each region was deemed unnecessary as regional variation was thought to be minimal given New Zealand’s small geographical area. The same was true for the potential influence of breed or feed on composition; it was requested all samples came from New Zealand cattle and sheep raised and finished on pasture. All of the sheep meat analysed was ‘lamb’, that is under 12 months of age without any permanent incisor teeth ‘in wear’. An ‘average’ lamb carcase was determined by selecting from carcase grades in proportion to the national slaughter statistics. Beef samples came from P2 steer carcases – those classified as having light to medium fat cover with good muscle development – weighing between 270-320kg.
Lean and fat samples were analysed separately, giving the ability to provide compositional data for cuts with varying degrees of fat trim, or fully lean, as appropriate. The need for this flexibility is underlined by evidence showing many consumers trim fat after purchasing meat, either before or after cooking.
Methodology
For each of the 23 beef and 25 lamb cuts analysed, an average of 10 samples was collected to give a total combined sample of 3kg lean tissue for both cooked and uncooked product. Sample tissue was prepared by separating bone, fat and lean muscle by boning knife. Analysis was carried out on both raw and cooked samples, using appropriate cooking methods advised by B+LNZ’s food specialist. The diagram below summarises the procedure followed up to the stage of freeze-drying.
Nutrition methodology flow-chart.
Widely-accepted laboratory procedures were used, in line with the requirements of international nutrient databases. A total of 25 nutrients, including proximate analysis, and 40 fatty acids were analysed in the lean and fat samples. Additional data in this new data set includes figures for long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D. Full amino-acid profiles were determined for four uncooked, lean cuts of both beef and lamb.
Results
Fat
The new data shows New Zealand beef and lamb continue to be low fat protein options for consumers, particularly when eaten trimmed of visible fat. Many cuts remain eligible for the Heart Foundation ‘Tick’.
Omega 3s
Oily fish and other seafood are undoubtedly the richest sources of omega 3s. Lean red meat provides smaller amounts but contribution to the diet may be significant when relative amounts eaten are considered.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is gaining an increasing amount of scientific ‘air-time’, both due to its importance in the diet and increasing levels of insufficiency seen in the New Zealand population and other developed countries. Meat has been viewed historically as a poor source of vitamin D, but 25-OH vitamin D3 is now being recognised as a more ‘potent’ form, with a potency factor of 1.5 – 5 suggested by researchers working in this area. Initial analysis of the vitamin D data shows 100g of beef or lamb can provide about 10% of the daily vitamin D requirement (NZ/Aus = 5μg).
Nutrient claims
Data suggests eligibility for a range of nutrient claims, for example ,g iron, zinc, protein and vitamin B12, according to the trans Tasman Food Standards Code, both as a ‘source’ (≥10% RDI) and ‘good source’ (≥25% RDI), as well as being low in sodium.
This new data confirms lean New Zealand beef and lamb can be promoted on its nutritional attributes. As a nutrient-dense food, a small serving of lean red meat gives large amounts of important nutrients for good health.
Further information is available from Fiona Carruthers, nutrition manager, B+LNZ. Email: [email protected].
Published in Food NZ (June/July 2012).
A case of the cattle brain disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was diagnosed in a cow in the US in April, holding global meat industry attention, but producing cautious response to date.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that as part of its targeted surveillance system, its Animal and Plant Inspection Service had confirmed a case of BSE in a dairy cow from central California, the first such case since 2006. USDA chief veterinary office John Clifford confirmed that it was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health.
Clifford said tests, using immunohistochemistry and western blot tests, “confirmed that the animal was positive for atypical BSE.” Atypical BSE is a rare form of the disease that appears to occur spontaneously. It is different from classical BSE, which is associated with the consumption of ruminant protein.
The US industry leapt into action to reassure markets and consumers that the beef and dairy in the American food supply is safe with US agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack saying that USDA remained confident in the health of US cattle.
When BSE was discovered in animal in 2003, it had a major impact on the US beef industry, as a number of countries banned imports of beef from the US, including Japan and Korea, which had been major US markets.
According to the US International Trade Commission, losses to the industry ranged from $US2.5 billion to $US3.1 billion annually from 2004 through 2007.
Although most markets slowly re-opened their borders, many still impose restrictions on US and Canadian beef. For example, Japan only allows imports of U.S. beef from cattle aged 20 months or less, but its Food Safety Commission is assessing the risk of easing the limit to 30 months.
So far, the response from other countries to the current case has been cautious. Only one country, Indonesia, has banned all US beef imports and, while two major South Korean retailers were reported to have suspended sales of US beef immediately following the announcement, at the time of writing one has since resumed sales.
Published in Food NZ (June/July 2012).
