American Lamb Board officials are pleased with the recommendations that came out of the first American Lamb Summit. Sponsored by the American Lamb Board (ALB) and Premier 1 Supplies, the summit brought together 200 sheep producers, feeders and packers from all over the country to Colorado State University (CSU) in Ft. Collins, CO, August 27-28. The summit concluded that all … Read More
Study Finds Lamb Checkoff Has Positive ROI
U.S. lamb producers have received a positive return on investment from the American Lamb Checkoff Program since it started in 2002, according to a new Texas A&M University report. The study prepared by agricultural economists Gary Williams, Ph.D., and Dan Hanselka concluded that the American Lamb Checkoff Program added 2.4% to 2.7% of the annual value of retail lamb. The … Read More
USDA and FDA to Jointly Regulate Cell-Cultured Meat
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have announced plans to jointly oversee the production of cell-cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry, better known by meat producers as “fake meat.” The joint regulatory framework would include FDA overseeing cell collection, cell banks, and cell growth and differentiation. A transition from FDA to USDA … Read More
NCBA Advocates for USDA to Oversee Fake Meat
Officers of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) reiterated their unwavering support for USDA oversight of lab-grown fake meat during a public meeting this week, hosted jointly by USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). President-Elect Jennifer Houston explained why USDA is well-positioned to apply current food safety processes to lab-grown fake meat products, since two-thirds of the facilities … Read More
Study Reveals Growing Interest in Lamb
A new survey from the American Lamb Board (ALB) reveals increasing consumer interest in lamb. “This study revealed positive trends for lamb in the US,” said Jim Percival, ALB board chairman and sheep producer from Xenia, Ohio. “Among the General Population, 24% reported eating lamb in the last year, up from 20% in 2011 and 21% in 2006.” The lamb … Read More
Seasonal Lamb Production White Paper Released
A new white paper addresses the seasonality of lamb production so members of the industry can understand it in more depth and make informed decisions about management alterations to better supply a more consistently available product. “Seasonality of the US Lamb Industry: A Review of Current Information” is now available for download at LambResourceCenter.com in the Production Resources section. The … Read More
FDA Considering Fake Meat and Milk
The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is spending time this month discussing meat and milk. Last week, FDA held a public meeting to discuss foods produced using animal cell culture technology – mainly lab-grown fake meat products – and which agency should be in charge of regulating. The meat industry believes fake meat should be regulated by USDA. “Any … Read More
Poultry Researchers Tackle Woody Breast Syndrome
A growing problem for the poultry industry is woody breast syndrome, a muscle myopathy that affects the most popular cut of poultry. While it doesn’t pose any harm to the consumer or the bird, it results in a product that is not palatable. In 2017, woody breast syndrome cost the U.S. poultry industry an estimated $200 million. Due to changes … Read More
American Lamb Board Sets Goal of 2 Percent Annual Growth
The American Lamb Board (ALB) has approved a new long range plan for 2018-2022 that sets a bold new demand growth goal. The strategic objective of the plan is to increase demand for American Lamb by 2 percent annually over the next five years, for a total demand growth of 10 percent. Per capita consumption of lamb in the U.S. … Read More
Veal Myths Busted
Did you know milk-fed veal calves are raised significantly different today? The American Veal Association (AVA) made a goal in 2007 to move completely to group housing over a ten-year period. Since then, AVA members have researched the best facilities to provide optimal care and the financial resources to make it happen by the end of 2017. I had the … Read More