News Update
June 10, 2009

Crews Recovering Bodies in ConAgra Plant Blast

Recovery crews worked today to retrieve two additional bodies in the rubble of a Garner, N.C., ConAgra plant after an explosion killed three and injured nearly 40 workers Tuesday.

According to The Associated Press (AP), investigators are still determining the cause of the blast, but sources report smelling ammonia following the explosion that reportedly blew a wall onto several parked vehicles and collapsed a portion of the 500,000-foot facility’s roof. At the time of the explosion yesterday, 300 people were believed to have been at work at the plant, which produces ConAgra’s Slim Jim® product. According to AP, search and rescue authorities believe they’ve found the last of the victims. However, according to the North Carolina News Network, crews will have to remove thousands of pieces of unstable debris to get to one of the bodies, which was first located by use of a remote camera. 

USDA: Corn Use May Exceed Production

In the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, the agency projected total corn use in the 2009-2010 marketing year, at 12.5 billion bushels, will exceed production by 525 million bushels.

Late planting in the eastern Corn Belt contributed to the reduction in the expected national average yield, Meatingplace.com reported.

USAHA to Host TB Program

The United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) is pleased to host “The Future of the National Tuberculosis Program” to provide stakeholders the opportunity to address concerns and input needs on TB. The program will take place July 20-21 at the Radisson Hotel, Denver-Stapleton Plaza.

The symposium is a focused event for cattlemen, dairymen, veterinarians, regulators, diagnosticians and wildlife experts to come together in a dedicated forum to address the needs of the National Bovine Tuberculosis Program in the United States.

“As we continue to deal with TB in livestock and wildlife in the U.S., it’s important that our national program is properly structured to best address the disease in today’s challenges,” says USAHA President Donald Hoenig, and Maine state veterinarian. “This is an opportunity for USAHA to pull key stakeholders together on a specific topic to help expedite a solution for farmers and ranchers.”

The event will feature updates from USDA on feedback from both their internal and external TB listening sessions, key experiences from states dealing with TB, and facilitated, technical breakout sessions that will provide multiple opportunities for open dialogue on priority program areas. USAHA will compile the discussion notes, including optional recommendations compiled from the meeting participants, into a comprehensive report on the meeting deliberations.

The program is set to begin at 1 p.m. July 20, and end at 3:30 p.m. July 21. Registration for the meeting is $100 per person. Participants will receive a copy of the final report upon its completion. See the tentative agenda at www.usaha.org for more details on the symposium.

“USAHA embarked on new strategic planning last year, and one of the results of that was to continue evolving USAHA’s efforts outside of its annual meeting,” Hoenig adds. “The Future of the National Tuberculosis Program is the type of event that allows USAHA to have a positive impact on important animal health issues.”

A block of rooms has been held at the Radisson Hotel Denver-Stapleton, at a rate of $129 per night, plus tax. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-333-333, and referencing “2009 Bovine Tuberculosis Meeting.” A complimentary airport shuttle is also available for transportation to the hotel.

— Release provided by USAHA.

Food Institute Calls Meat a Functional Food

Research on the disease-preventing, health-promoting benefits of meat and meat products makes them a viable contender in the functional food arena. Enriching meats with fiber, probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids may help consumers to associate meat with a healthy lifestyle, according to the Institute of Food Technologies.

“Meat contains many important nutrients, including bioactive compounds such as taurine, L-carnitine, creatine, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and endogenous antioxidants,” said Yeonhwa Park, Ph.D., and secretary for the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Food Chemistry Division. Studies show CLA may reduce cancer incidence, although this has not yet been shown with human studies.

Meat also contains unique endogenous antioxidants including carosine, anserine and others, along with iron and zinc, nutrients often lacking in the average diet. “Meat also contains a significant source of Vitamin B-12,” Park said.

Educating consumers about meat creates a challenge for meat marketers, said Shalene McNeill, Ph.D., executive director of nutrition research for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). “Fifteen to twenty of the most popular retail cuts — including filet mignon — are considered ‘lean’ choices,” McNeill said. “But many misconceptions about fat content in meat exist. For example, while meat’s saturated fat content is widely publicized, it’s also the number one source of monounsaturated fat in the diet.”

Marketing meat and meat products as functional foods requires focusing on the benefits of the nutrients, particularly meat’s high protein content. “Weight control is a major consumer concern,” McNeill said. “New advertising helps overcome misconceptions about beef, calling it “a smart choice.’”

— Article provided by Newswise.

— Compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.