Page: Meat and Beef Products

While the majority of Australians live with food security, the long term forecast shows our current food resources will be insufficient to feed the increased population, especially with alarming climate change forecasts, nor is the demand sustainable for the environment, particularly in the beef industry. The real cost of beef is not understood by most consumers, which could be because this country has not experienced shortages sufficient to demand radical diet changes. Beef has been a staple part of the Australian diet and landscape for many

The beef industry is an important asset to United States agriculture as a whole. Over a million agricultural entities benefited from the sales of cattle and calves in the year 2000. Gross totals from sales of cattle and calves in 2000 totaled $40.76 billion accounting of 21% of all agricultural receipts making the beef sector the largest single agricultural enterprise. Direct and indirect employment in or related to the production and processing of beef supports over 1.4 million full-time-equivalent jobs in the US as well. Cattle are produced in all 50 states and their economic impact contributes to nearly every county in the nation and they are a significant economic driver (Lawerance and Otto, 2000).

In the article, “Another Year of the Chicken: U.S. Beef Supply Will Fall Again in 2015” (2014) the author, Vanessa Wong, analyzes how the the price of beef and been increasing resulting in more of a demand in chicken. Wong goes on to state that the increase in beef resulted from an extreme drought in 2012 “caused feed prices to spike and, in response, farmers thinned their herds” (Wong, 2012). More of a demand in chicken has also been noticed in restaurants. The price of chicken increased five percent as opposed to the nine percent increase in beef at Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. However, by the year 2016 Tyson Foods has projected that the cattle supplies will be down to has little as one percent. In truth, the price of beef will decrease.

Western diet and culture are responsible for the increase of global meat consumption, over the last few decades. This is why the global trend of moving “towards concentrated animal feeding operations is expected

Every year, an average American will consume approximately one hundred-twenty six pounds of meat. This meat can be traced back to factory farms where the animals are kept to be tortured to turn into a product for the appetite of humans. The terrible treatment these animals are forced to endure is the outcome of the greed and want for a faster production of their product. The industry of factory farming works to maximize the output of the meat while maintaining low costs,but will sadly always comes at the animals’ expense.

The last forty-five years has seen a significant increase in world animal protein production. Since 1967 global production of poultry meat has increased by around 700%, eggs by 350%, pig meat by 290%, sheep and goat meat by 200%, beef and buffalo meat by 180% and milk by 180%. Livestock are increasingly important to the food security of millions of people. (Leyonhjelm 3)

The world has a need for meat, and it is almost obsessive. Most cultures typically consume some sort of domesticated animal in agriculture. Whether it is cows, chicken, lamb, deer, turkey, or fish, many people are not educated to the fact that the alternative diets are better for their health. There are different animal products for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hundreds if not thousands of diverse chain restaurants dedicated to meat consumption.There are also many different holidays around the world such as Thanksgiving and Christmas where meat is consumed. With affordable prices and an acquired taste, it is likely to be a lifelong habit. There are vast miles of subsidized agricultural land dedicated to the cultivation of animals. According to Amir Khan, staff writer for U.S.News, reporting on the American Meat Institute, Americans consume, “57 pounds more meat than they were in the 1950s”(Khan).

The meat industry today is not what it was nearly a century ago. While improvements are thought to have been made, an ever changing society has brought upon new problems that have been piled on to the previously existing ones. While these problems are not like those found in The Jungle, they do parallel how by exposing what is going on in the meat industry; new regulations would be the answer to the noted problems. The increased demand for meat has made it a rushed mutated production instead of a means to raise livestock for consumers. Taking into consideration the demand for cheap meat that will be used for in quick and high demanded products such as frozen and fast food, this demand of meat has greatly skyrocketed. Animals whose sole

Pollan argues that transparency in the meat industry would hold businesses accountable to regulations and to the desires of the consumer as well as preventing the abuse of our natural resources. Pollan’s statement in Omnivore’s Dilemma, ‘No other country raises and slaughters its food animals quite as intensively or as brutally as we do’, is not a claim to fame for the USA. Many Americans would not necessarily agree with this statement because they are ignorant of the system, they have chosen not to see what really happens to the animals they eat every day. Corporations have been permitted to pursue profit irrespective of the cost. Pollan explores the issue by discovering what he would consider the wrong ways as well as the right ways to slaughter animals for their meat.

America’s meat industry hides from the consumer, according to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. The consumer, as well as corporations, have built walls instead of demanding transparency. Journalists and the general public are not permitted to enter abattoirs of many corporations, leaving the judgement of slaughtering methods to the businesses themselves. State and federal regulations aren’t always enforced, thus corporations decide what is ‘humane’. Profit organisations find the most efficient and lucrative system, yet ignore the secondary costs to natural systems. Pollan argues that in preventing abuse, only transparency holds businesses accountable to regulations. He states in Omnivore’s Dilemma, ‘No other country raises and slaughters its food animals quite as intensively or as brutally as we do’. Many Americans would disagree because they are ignorant of the system. We have chosen not to see what really happens to the animals we eat, understandably, due to the unpleasant truths Pollan uncovers. As a summary, slaughterhouses kill a steer by stunning it, hanging it upside down by its leg and bleeding it out by cutting its throat. However, (according to McDonald’s) they accept a five percent error rate, meaning when the first ‘stunning’ does not kill the animal, the steer continues along the conveyor belt for processing. Animal rights group’s accounts have revealed that live animals have been skinned alive and go through immense suffering. Despite the

In the current retail food industry there are numerous competitors fighting for the same dollar. It is important for each company to identify their target market, identify their competitors, and then build their marketing plan. The information below will detail Kudler Fine Foods marketing strategy which includes expanding its services, improving its efficiency of operations, and increasing the customer purchase cycle. The paper will also discuss areas where Kudler Fine Foods needs to further their market research.

Butcher and handling offices are reviewed to confirm that industry is taking after procedures and practices that outcome in meat that is protected to eat. Controllers check for the nearness of pesticides, medication buildups, and infection in creatures. Creatures must be butchered in governmentally enlisted and investigated foundations and meat should likewise be handled in these sorts of foundations. Assessors isolate their time between surveying every foundation's security confirmation programs (counting HACCP) and conduction on location

Studies have been done, but nothing is set in stone. I can't say it is the truth

In the modern era, large corporations are holding feedlots without respect for ethics or safety. They don’t consider the magnitude of the effects of their actions, and are heedless of the safety of the environment, the animals, and the public. In the end, these large corporations get away with it because of the lack of regulations and penalties that deter them from such practices. In essence, these problems have, and will continue, to persist due to the lack of funding for federal regulatory agencies, as well as the lack of public knowledge and outreach upon the issue. It’s important to note that the food industry must adapt to the demands of the market. If the public calls for safe and wholesome food, then it is the responsibility of producers

The cattle industry produces vast amounts of strain in the environment. It is energy inefficient, pollutes water, occupies many acres of land, and deteriorates the health of the people who abuse its consumption. The government subsidizes this industry. Therefore, the price paid for meat doesn’t reflect the environmental hazards involved in the process. In order to protect our health and the health of the environment we should pay close attention to our food choices and make sure we don’t support industries that degrade it.