PAGES

Monday, April 09, 2012

'Pink slime' controversy oozes into pork industry

The controversy about lean finely textured beef, dubbed "pink slime," is now affecting the pork industry, Rita Gabbett of MeatingPlace reports. Demand for meat products is dropping, and pork trim, or scraps of pork used mainly in hot dogs and bologna, is more expensive than beef trim, pork industry analyst Steve Meyer told Gabbett.

Pork-trim prices are usually steady to strong as baseball and hot-dog season starts, but prices for most such products have fallen 22 percent since March, when the "pink slime" controversy began. Meyer said he didn't think the prices would have fallen so much without the controversy, but Gabbett reports it's not the only factor affecting prices. Exports of pork trim and domestic demand have been "held back by economic uncertainty," she writes.

Consumers made uneasy by the controversy could switch from ground beef to ground pork, which is typically used by sausage makers, but they are not, Gabbett reports. "Fresh ground pork is not a typical substitute for a hamburger on the grill," Gabbett reports. (Read more)

No comments:

Post a Comment