Marketing News
A Sizzling Sausage Success
British Sausage Week 2009 launched with a banger this week. Starting i n London on Monday, the British Sausage Week team and the nation’s favourite magical duo Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee travelled the length and breadth of the country awarding butchers with the much sort after title of the best magical banger in their region, along with a their very own Banger Award.
The quality of sausages was incredibly high this year, with the judges having a difficult challenge of picking the very best.
The winners in each region were:
London – Chris Blake Butchers for the Old Victorian Sausage
East – Cambridge Quality Meats for the Old Time Banger
South – G M Matthews Butchers for the ‘Devil’s Bite’ Sausage
South West – The Sausage Shed for the Pork and Orange Marmalade Sausage
West Midlands – George Turner & Sons for the Pelsall Old English Sausage
East Midlands – Owen Taylor & Sons Ltd for the Owen Taylor Country Special Sausage
North West – H Clewlow Butchers for the Pork and Nantwich Blue Sausage
Yorkshire and Humberside – Bolstermoor Farm Shop for the Cheddar and Chive Pork Sausage
North East – George Payne Butchers for the Flamethrower Sausage
To find out more about each of the winners click here.
Sausage Week on TV
You may have seen this week a few of our favourite TV programmes talki ng about British Sausage Week. Holly Willoughby from This Morning and Alan Titchmarsh were awarded the world famous Celebrity Banger Awards live on ITV 1 for their services to the great British banger. Rachel Riley from Countdown was presented with her very own Pork-trait in a sausage themed version of Countdown. Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee made a special appearance on Market Kitchen on the Good Food Channel to talk about the week, and radio shows including BBC Radio 2’s Terry Wogan, Chris Evans and Sarah Kennedy, plus a host of regional radio breakfast shows received early morning sausage sandwich deliveries to celebrate the week.
Butchers, Pubs and Restaurants Show Their Support
In addition, independent butchers across the country ran events and created mouth-watering bangers for customers to sample as part of British Sausage Week 2009. There were also unmissable offers on sausages from supermarkets, whilst pubs and restaurants joined in the festivities by offering special sausage meals on their menu.
Knowledge Transfer
Tip of the Week – Free Advice
Don’t forget 15 hours worth of free advice is available from the Environment Agency to assist with your Environmental Permit (IPPC) applications.
Visit the Environment Agency’s website for more details click here or call 08708 506 506.
Compensating for In-feed AGPs
This experiment, led by Prof Helen Miller at the University of Leeds and part funded by BPEX, investigated whether outdoor rearing and increased weaning age could compensate for the removal of AGPs and zinc oxide from piglet weaning diets.
The experiment utilised the unique opportunity provided at the University of Leeds Research Unit to rear pigs either indoors or outdoors from the same production herd, with the same location, genotype, management team, health status, piglet handling regimes, feeds and feeding systems.
Overall outdoor sows lost more body reserves than indoor sows, however there was no greater loss of reserves in either group when lactations were extended by a further 2 weeks and hence it is unsurprising that lactation length did not affect the subsequent weaning to oestrus interval.
Outdoor reared piglets performed better than indoor reared piglets in the immediate post weaning period, perhaps aided by the fact that they were heavier at weaning. The full results and paper can be found in the November Livestock Science journal.
The final part of the selection process for the 2010 Professional Managers Development Scheme has been completed. There was a strong group of applicants with varying levels of experience. What shone through from those selected was their desire to develop in their role and to progress further in the future with their career within their business.
Course leader Alistair Gibb said: "The PMDS programme is clearly seen as a vehicle to help them achieve this and address the challenges they currently face in their respective businesses." The 18 month course will start in January 2010.
Midlands Training Club
The new Midlands Training Hub swings into action this Tuesday, 10th November. Vet David Chenells will deliver the hub’s first course, focusing on the safe use of veterinary medicines.
The course is aimed at anyone involved with the daily care of pigs, as well as candidates preparing for the Stage 2 – Certificate of Competence in the Safe Use of Veterinary Medicines.
Skills covered will include the safe storage, administration, disposal and maintenance of veterinary medicines, in accordance with the holding’s animal health management plan. On completion of the afternoon trainees will be able to:
- comply with current, relevant health and safety legislation
- follow an animal health management plan
- administer a range of veterinary medicine types, safely and humanely
- store and transport veterinary medicines correctly
- maintain the health of user, public and animals
- dispose of unwanted veterinary medicines safely
- record the use of veterinary medicines
- prevent unnecessary pain and unnecessary distress to the animals
- identify signs of health and ill-health in animals
The course fee is £15 per trainee. The course will be held at: The Crossroads Inn – Premier, Weedon, Northampton, NN7 4PX.
It starts with lunch at 12.30pm, ready for a 1.00pm start and will finish at approximately 4.30pm.
To register, please contact Angela Cliff on 07967 788484 or email [email protected].
Water Protection Zones
So far the Environment Agency (EA) has only used the existing legislation for WPZs once. They introduced a WPZ on the River Dee (Wales) in 1999; this controls point sources of industrial chemical pollution in the river.
Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government are currently amending the provisions of the Water Resources Act 1991, to widen the legislation on WPZs (Section 93 of the Water Resources Act 1991 England and Wales). This will increase its scope to tackle Diffuse Water Pollution and protect the morphology of surface water bodies.
WPZs will be a regulatory mechanism to address water pollution and hydro-morphological damage that will lead to failure of WFD objectives. A WPZ will be a recognised geographical area in which the EA has additional powers to protect water. The EA will be able to use positive and prohibitive measures to address activities which cause direct or indirect damage.
The EA estimate an average lead time of at least 15 months to establish a WPZ. For more information on this topic visit the BPEX Environment Hub or in case of further queries please contact Charlie Corbishley, WPZ Project Executive 0117 915 2570 or by email at [email protected].
Introduction to the Pig Industry
The 4th Introduction to the industry day was held on the 4th November at the Old Mill, Langtoft. Thirteen people attended the course to find out more about pig production in the UK. Talks were presented on the practical and financial implications of pig production and an overview was given of all the legislation producers have to comply with. For many, the most interesting part of the day was the visit to a nearby breeding unit run by the Morgan Family. Feedback from the course delegates shows that they found the day very informative and enjoyable and many commented on how much they had learnt.
We are looking to book the next day in the East of England in February, if you are interested please contact Tess Howe (07779 321 078).
National News:
Salmonella Code of Practice
The revised Code of Practice for the Control of Salmonella in Animal Feeds has been published in partnership with the Food Standards Agency.
One route for Salmonella entering the food chain is through animals eating contaminated animal feed. The main purpose of the Code is to provide information on best practice, and to help those involved in the manufacture, storage and transport of feeds to minimise the risk of Salmonella contamination.
To assist users, the Code brings together in one document, the advice that was previously dispersed in three codes and this has been updated after an extensive consultation of stakeholders. It has also been considered and endorsed by the independent Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs.
Georgina Cherrill, who works for Meryl Ward, of Ermine Farms in North Lincolnshire, is the United Kingdom pig industry’s Trainee of the Year 2009.
Georgina is pictured above receiving her award at the House of Commons today, from farms minister Jim Fitzpatrick — including a £2,000 training for Ermine Farms, from Pfizer; a £500 cheque for Georgina from Pig World; and the Trainee of the Year trophy.
Ermine Farms staff were out in force at the House of Commons, to see one of their own honoured with one of the industry’s top awards.
Expressing her pride in Georgina’s success, Meryl Ward cited a Farm Animal Welfare Council report published 18 months ago on stockmanship which identified the right attitude as being one of the key ingredients in successful stockmanship.
"Well Georgina has been an excellent employee and a fantastic role model — not just for young people already in the industry but for those contemplating coming into it."
Good stockmanship was what made the British pig industry special, she said. "You can’t bottle it, Georgina has got lots of it, and events like this help us highlight how many people have that special quality in our high-welfare industry."
NADIS Latest – Grading and Slaughter Weight
With a tendency to push slaughter weights higher and get closer to abattoir limits, coupled with erratic demand occasionally leading to “rollover” of slaughter pigs, there is an increasing danger of pigs becoming overweight. If you produce a carcass that is too big for the market into which you are supplying, it is hardly surprising that a severe cost penalty is imposed. The tendency for most producers nowadays to select for slaughter by eye rather than by weighing increases the risk of mistakes. Whilst maximising weight off the farm is an attractive economic proposition, care should be taken not to exceed established limits for the market.
Furthermore, this time of the year traditionally sees a rise in back fat levels in pigs, which slower growth in the warmth of summer accelerating in the cooler weather as appetite improves. Slow early growth followed by rapid later growth is a recipe for fat deposition. The improving health of pigs, as the result of widespread use of PCV2 vaccines if anything, will encourage even better appetites, building on the potential problem.
Watch slaughter weights very carefully over the next few weeks.
A threatened strike by vets who inspect abattoirs and meat processing plants could affect the UK’s supply of meat could be affected.
According to Unison, the public sector trade union, vets are balloting for strike action in a dispute over union recognition with Yorkshire-based Grants Veterinary Services, one of the biggest suppliers of vets to the Meat Hygiene Service.
The vets, who work in abattoirs across the UK, have a responsibility to maintain animal welfare and ensure meat safety. However, they are threatening to walk out unless their employers recognise Unison and end plans to cut pay, terms and conditions, as well as impose new contracts. The stoppages could affect meat production in the run-up to Christmas.
Unison claims that Grants supply 150 vets on contract to the Meat Hygiene Service, which is around 25% of the veterinary inspectors employed in the UK meat industry.
Grants said they had no plans to cut pay, only to impose better “harmonisation” arising from taking over a number of smaller companies. They said Unison was demanding sole negotiating rights, which Grants thinks is unreasonable as it is not fair on staff who are not in Unison.
New research will develop detailed ‘resource maps’ to identify the amount of food and packaging waste generated and where it occurs as a step to delivering environmental and commercial benefits across the meat sector.
The amount of meat and its associated packaging ending up as waste in the UK retail supply chain is to be identified for the first time – and the team behind the research will also identify how to reduce it in order to realise cost savings and environmental benefits for the businesses participating.
The new research, led by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) and Envirowise, will develop detailed ‘resource maps’ to identify the amount of food and packaging waste generated and where it occurs. Data will be collected for four types of meat (poultry, beef, lamb and pork) at all points along the wholesale and retail supply chain within the UK.
International News:
OIE Statement on H1N1
Because so far pigs have caught H1N1 from people, but not the other way around, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) sees no need to im pose tests or other restrictions on international swine trade.
"Pandemic H1N1 2009 virus infections in pigs and other susceptible animals were assessed as probable from the very first days after the virus was detected in humans. So, it does not come as a surprise that notifications of infection in new animals species are received; on the contrary it demonstrates animal disease surveillance is efficient and functioning to the benefit of all," Dr Bernard Vallat, OIE Director General, said in a statement posted on the OIE Web site on Thursday.
The statement went on to say, "So far, no evidence has suggested that animals play any particular role in the epidemiology or the spread of the pandemic H1N1 2009 virus among humans. Instead, investigations led by competent national authorities point to possible human–to–animal transmission in most cases."
An international group of scientists has decoded the DNA of the domestic pig, research that may pave the way for new medical treatments.
It could even lead to a new swine flu vaccine for pigs themselves, the scientists say.
Pigs and humans are similar in size and make-up, and are often used in human research from obesity and heart disease to skin disorders.
"The pig is the ideal animal to look at lifestyle and health issues in the United States," said Larry Schook, a University of Illinois in Champaign biomedical science professor who led the DNA sequencing project.
Researchers announced the results of their work at a meeting at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, one of the organisations involved in the research.
Taiwan H1N1
A new outbreak of Pandemic Influenza A/H1N1 has been reported in Taiwan’s swine.
The country’s veterinary authorities sent an immediate notification to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) yesterday, 5 November. Prevalence of the H1N1 virus was confirmed on 2 November in the town of Guanshan.
According to the OIE, an A/H1N1 influenza virus surveillance programme began in January. Clinical signs were observed in a pig farm in T’ai-Tung County on 19 October.
Disinfection and cleaning of the index farm was conducted and completed. Movement control has been also implemented.
The OIE, in conjunction with the country’s specialists, has applied several measures to contain the spread of the disease.
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