Corn demand losses steam for time being
It seams corn demand has lost steam and average prices showed a decline this week to $ 127.2 per MT, over last weeks $129.2. The prices are also lower than last years price of $130 per Mt in the first week of May 2005. This is probably due to high heat in North, which has led to lower placements of chicks and slow down in demand of feed and hence corn. In Maharashtra too as prices of chicken are still not up to normal and are at Rs.13.00 per kg live (Dressed Chicken Rs.32 – 35 per kg at live market), the placements are yet to pick up.
Barley prices on the other hand have notched a peak at $164.5 per Mt in the market, $10 higher than last weeks $154 per MT. The prices are higher by approximately 30% over last year’s May first week prices.
Sorghum prices are up to $180.2 per MT from last weeks $165 per MT, an increase of 9.2% in a week. The prices are higher than last years price of $173 per MT, up by 4.19%.
Pearl Millet prices dropped to $149.2 per MT from last week’s $153 per MT, a drop of 2.5%. The prices are higher still ruling higher than last years prices of $141 per MT (%.8% higher) during the same period last year.
Prices of Corn on CBOT for May closed at $90.76 per MT, while for July 2006 delivery the prices were close to $94.6 per MT. The crop progress report will be out on Monday, May 8, 2006 and will determine the prices for the week.
USGC organises interactive session on poultry processing and Food safety
U S Grains Council, organised an interactive session on poultry processing and food safety with Dr.James Denton, Professor Emeritus, University of Arkansas at Bombay, Calcutta and New Delhi in the week of May 01 – 05, 2006 for the benefit of poultry processors and value added product manufacturers. The session with the theme ‘New Threats in Poultry Processing and Need for Consumer Awareness’.
In the wake of drop in consumption due to the Avian Influenza issue and as the industry moves forward to value added products, Dr.James Denton advised the industry to make a road map with steps outlining specific goals to reach the final goal, SAFE FOOD FOR ALL. In his deliberations he pointed out that the industry needs to learn the lessons from other countries who have retained their consumers even in the wake of threats. It is necessary to win the confidence of the consumer and keep the trust of the consumer and it is only possible by having a feasible inspection system in place, wherein there could be government intervention and government can provide oversight.
It is also necessary to regulate the live markets and take steps that a bad product does not reach the consumer and in an event that happens there is a recall system in place. In his presentation he emphasised the need for the consumer awareness and making products as per the needs of the consumer.
In order for the industry to regain the lost ground with regard to consumption it is necessary to make the consumer aware about few things specially the difference between bacteria that are food safety hazard and that cause food spoilage. Ultimately the consumers also need to understand the value of cleanliness and take some steps at their end to keep the products safe.
On the new threats that are likely to engage the industry in near future are Generic E Coli, Listeria Monocytogenes, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter and Staphylococcus which might cause problems in the raw and Ready to Eat products.
It was pointed out that none of the above is such a issue that cannot be handled and if effect the product only if products somehow is mishandled at some point in the production, distribution, retail chain or the consumers end. Listeria is one such organism which can survive cold temperatures and can be found on luncheon meats and is a major threat to expectant mothers. Staphylococcus on the other hand is found on human hands and will find its way on the system if personnel do not follow Good Hygienic Practises. In case of Staphylococcus, the disease is not caused by the bacteria but the toxin produced by the bacteria which is heat stable.
The council distributed some material which can be used by the companies to educate the consumers. The material can be found on the website www.fightbac.org.
The brochure can be downloaded from the following link
http://www.fightbac.org/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,67/Itemid,83/
Amit Sachdev
Representative
U S Grains Council, India
bluecross303@gmail.com
May 06, 2006
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FOOD SAFETY – Some recommendations
The recent workshop organized by the US Grains Council on May 5th 2006 in New Delhi was certainly a serious effort to start a dialogue on various issues pertaining to the Food Safety measures in the processed meat industry. As a technical consultant on Food production and processing systems, the meat & poultry specific discussions carried lots of relevance for me. The exchange of ideas and opinions helped initiating a thought process to correlate the relevance of those discussions with the other food production and processing sectors, eg, dairy, fruits and vegetables, etc. to name a few.
Dairy processing in India works under a very well defined infrastructure supported with the latest technological innovations and easily accessible technical know-how. The processors try to incorporate the best equipment for processing and packaging to cater the market with safe foods. But the question arises that how safe that food would be, if the raw materials do not conform to the food quality and safety standards. Milk is an essential commodity with largest consumer segment represented by the infants and the growing children. Unfortunately, the milking practices followed by most of the milk producers are unhygienic and may be deemed as very unsafe. Ignorance at the level of milk producers to a larger extent, improper dissemination of information and lack of training contributes to the increase in the risk.
In order to eliminate this risk, the Government should enforce laws which mandate clean milk production at farms and its transportation under controlled environment.
Important aspects to be factored:
1. Personal hygiene of the milk men
2. Hygienic conditions at the farm
3. Clean milk production
4. Clean handling of milk, e.g., utensils cleaning, hermetic containment & chilling, etc.
5. Safe transportation of milk
6. Elimination of multi-level procurement system
7. Identification & cataloguing of milk producers
8. Development of an intelligent system to mark lots of raw milk in transit
9. Regular monitoring & evaluation of milk samples
10. Empowerment of Food Safety Enforcement Agencies with industry & producer participation
I congratulate and thank the organizers to have taken the lead catalyzing this thought process and to provide us with a common platform to nurture these thoughts. Organizing similar events in the future with active participation from Government, large producers, processors, integrators/consolidators, researchers & policy makers would certainly help the focus industry segments to formulate strategies on the effective implementation of food safety norms.
Upneet Rajorhia
Technical Consultant
Market Visions Consultants
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