ASIA-PACIFIC | JAPAN: Japan could lift ban on beef and milk from cloned cows

ASIA-PACIFIC

JAPAN: Japan could lift ban on beef and milk from cloned cows 15 August 2002The Japanese farm ministry is considering lifting the ban on the sale of beef and milk from cows that have been cloned.

Police to take up beef probe Nippon Ham will be the third firm hit with criminal complaints over false meat labels. The government will file criminal complaints with police in connection with the beef-mislabeling scandal embroiling Nippon Meat Packers Inc., the nation's largest meat processing firm, officials said Wednesday.

Nippon Ham to slash production by 40% as boycotts take toll Nippon Meat Packers Inc., stung by boycotts of retailers infuriated with a beef mislabeling scandal, will slash production of processed foods by 40 percent by the end of August, company sources said.

Nippon Meat beef scandal to affect earnings  TOKYO Aug. 15 Kyodo - Nippon Meat Packers Inc. is expected to sustain heavy damage to its earnings as the company started Thursday limiting its beef-related business activities as requested by the agriculture ministry.

Daiei, Aeon see sales decline in July on year  TOKYO Aug. 15 Kyodo - Daiei Inc. and Aeon Co., two of Japan's three largest supermarket chain operators, saw their sales decline in July from a year earlier, mainly due to bad weather, the two companies said Thursday.

Listed Firms Post All-time High Net Profit  Main share market-listed firms in the country posted all-time highs for a combined net profit of W17 trillion in the first half of this year.

Korea's Terms of Trade Worsen in 2Q  Korea's terms of foreign trade deteriorated in the second quarter this year, breaking the upward t...

Chinese Exports Threaten Korean Textile Industry China’s rapid growing textile exports are threatening Korea’s textile export industry. According to the Korea Textile Trade Association (KTTA) yesterday, China’s total textile exports in the first half of this year amounted to $9.9 billion, up 11.3 percent..

N. Korean Leader to Visit Russia MOSCOW (AP) - North Korea ( news - web sites)'s leader will travel to the Russian Far East this month, the Kremlin announced Thursday. It did not say whether he would meet with President Vladimir Putin ( news - web sites), but the Russian leader is expected to visit the same region in the next few weeks.

ASEAN cornerstone for Indonesian foreign policy: FM( 08/15-18:07)  JAKARTA, Aug. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Indonesian Foreign Minister HassanWirajuda affirmed Thursday that the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN) remains a cornerstone for the country's foreign policy.

Australia's Cattle Council Calls For Auction Of US Quota (08/14, Dow Jones) The Cattle Council of Australia, a producer lobby group, Tuesday proposed using auctions to distribute the U.S. quota for Australian beef exports for 2003 and beyond.

Australia to host world trade summit Australia will host a summit of 25 World Trade Organisation member countries in Sydney in [FULL STORY]

Grocery prices will reflect tough farming conditions Shoppers are likely to pay more for their groceries over the next 12 months, as the retail sector begins to [FULL STORY]

AMERICAS

Mexico's President Fox Cancels Visit to Texas After U.S. Executes Mexican Mexico's President Vicente Fox canceled a visit to Texas after the state executed a Mexican man convicted of murdering a police officer in 1988, Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press said. More...

Argentina Still a Whipping Boy?  Argentine officials who believe that their country is being unfairly punished for its loan defaults find hope in the recent bailouts of Brazil and Uruguay.

EUROPE-RUSSIA-ME

UK: FDF unveils blueprint for food industry sustainability 15 August 2002The UK's Food and Drink Federation has today [Thursday] published an industry-wide plan for involving businesses in developing strategies for sustainable development.

USA

FSIS seeks comments on E. coli in ground beef policy A draft notice entitled "FSIS Actions Concerning Suppliers that May Be Associated With Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 Positive Raw Ground Beef Product" is now available for comment on the Food Safety and Inspection Service Website at FSIS.gov.

Irradiation technology provider reports growth in food irradiation Mulberry, Fla.-based Food Technology Service Inc.'s total revenue for the first half of the fiscal year ending June 30 was $662,314 compared to $702,346 for the same period in 2001. This is a decrease of about 6 percent compared to the same period in 2001.

Perdue shuts down West Virginia plant, phases out product line Salisbury, Md.-based Perdue Farms is closing its Petersburg, W. Va., deboning plant and is phasing out production of its DeLuca line of refrigerated entrees, according to a news release.

Earnings soar at Cargill Net earnings were up 131% this fiscal year at Cargill. The company today reported net earnings of $827 million for the 2002 fiscal year, compared with fiscal 2001 earnings of $358 million. Revenues climbed to $50.8 billion. Fourth quarter earnings were $144 million, compared with a loss of $87 million last year. Though results across most of the company were strong, Cargill says beef processing results were below last year due to weaker demand at home and abroad. Flour milling in Argentina took a hit too, due to the country's economic woes. 08/13/2002 01:44 p.m. CDT

Checkoff Promotes Pork During Fourth Quarter - 8/15/2002  Partnering helps boost consumption in preparation for large supplies.

Pork Checkoff Funds Research on Alternatives to Antibiotics - 8/14/2002 Current research focus is on weaned pigs.

Meat Business Bought 08/15/2002 U.S. custom meat processor is sold to diversified business firm.

Anti-Meat Propaganda Halted 08/15/2002 A vegetarian group has been told to stop making unsubstantiated health claims about eating meat

Bush sees lift for Iowa exports President Bush said Wednesday that his newly expanded trade-negotiating authority would be a boon to the Iowa economy, while he criticized Senate Democrats for moving too slowly on his economic and homeland-security agendas.

Hormel Foods Reports Third Quarter Performance; Branded Products Offset Negative... (08/15, Business Wire) Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL), the multinational marketer of consumer-branded meat and food products, today reported net earnings for the fiscal 2002 third quarter of $38.3 million, versus $37.2 million a year earlier.

NCBA Asks for Waiver of Japanese Trade Safeguard (08/14, NCBA) A huge dent in the Japanese beef market was created when BSE was discovered in that country Sept. 10, 2001.  The National Cattlemen's Beef Association NCBA has asked two U.S. government offices to take the lead in making sure this extraordinary event doesn't further slow U.S. exports to that country.

Menu spat: More cattle beefing up on lowly grass (08/14, Chicago Tribune) What the nation's cattle eat before they are eaten has sparked an impassioned debate among the nation's
culinary elite who have the potential to redefine what is onsidered
the gourmet standard for meat across the nation.

NIH FUNDING STUDY OF ATKINS DIET (105 Washington Times 8/14) The National Institutes of Health is funding a large-scale, five-year study of the popular meat-centric Atkins diet, to be conducted at three national nutrition centers.  The research will attempt to give the definitive word on the diet's effect on long-term weight loss, cardiovascular health and overall wellness.