Knowledge Transfer

Ask BPEX
Until recently a vegetarian, I have decided to start eating meat providing it meets high animal welfare standards - only eating products from pigs if they are outdoor bred and reared. Can you please tell me whether the British Meat Quality Standard for bacon, pork and sausages requires pigs to be outdoor bred and reared?

The Quality Standard for pig meat requires all pig meat that displays the mark to have upheld the standards it represents ie if an outdoor producer wishes to use the mark on pig meat produce it must have upheld the standards of the scheme. The initiative provides a single, comprehensive and recognisable Quality Standard for all Pork and pork products ie bacon, ham and sausages. All packs that carry this mark come from farmers committed to these high standards which include: animal welfare, quality control and traceability. Animal welfare issues are important as food shoppers increasingly want to be reassured that what happens on the farm and in transport is professionally carried out using acceptable welfare, husbandry and healthcare practices. This standard and all its elements are independently audited to ensure compliance. And so, where you see the Quality Standard Mark on packs you can be assured of the highest standards of animal welfare, quality control and traceability of the product. Further detailed information can be found here: http://www.bpex.org.uk/PracticalAdvice/ProducerKt/Assurance.aspx  

To ‘ask BPEX’ a question, or see other previously asked questions, click here.

West Midlands farmers invited to free workshop
Farmers in the West Midlands are invited to attend a free workshop to discuss the risks and opportunities climate change presents to their businesses.

Organised by Farming Futures, in partnership with the NFU, the event will focus on the regional impacts of climate change, what farmers can do now to prepare their businesses and focus on the opportunities provided by renewable energy.

Date: Wednesday 24 September Time: 14:00 – 17:15 (refreshments provided)
Venue: Wolford College, Shropshire.
To register, please call Claire Wyatt on: 0207 324 3670 / 07825204434.

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
This week the legislation amending the Nitrate Vulnerable Zone Action programme was laid before parliament and will come into force on 1 January 2009 with phased implementation of some elements over the following 3 years.  The full Statutory Instrument can be found at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/pdf/uksi_20082349_en.pdf

IPPC Ammonia Reductions
The Environment Agency have let it be known that there are a number of pig and poultry farms with IPPC Permits where they have identified that ammonia may be impacting on sensitive habitats such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).  The EA may contact permit holders to notify them of this, the farms will then be set Permit conditions requiring them to reduce ammonia. Those farmers who already need to reduce ammonia levels should have received revised permit conditions and details of the modeling input data used by the EA. If you have received such information we would urge you to check it thoroughly as we have been shown examples where the data does not match that submitted on the application form.

If you are in doubt or have questions, contact Nigel Penlington at BPEX on 01908 844276.

Targeting Pork Quality
Excellent pork eating quality is one of the main drivers for consumers and a consistently high quality product is essential to keep them coming back for more.  BPEX has produced two new fact sheets in its Target Pork Quality series, focusing specifically on the impact of ageing and carcase chilling systems on improving meat quality.

The sheets look at the effects of ageing, post slaughter treatment, packaging, chilling systems and electrical stimulation together with BPEX recommendations.

BPEX Director of Pig Industry Development Mark Wilson said: “The guides are aimed at all processing businesses from the large scale to the smaller specialist farm shops. “They hopefully give sensible, practical advice to see fantastic eating quality and highest value pork produced consistently to keep the consumer coming back for more.

”Advice on how to implement the fact sheets is available from BPEX. Copies of the publications can be downloaded from the BPEX website, www.bpex.org.uk, or by contacting Michelle Horan on 01908 844734.

To download the factsheet on ageing, click here and for the one on chilling, click here.

Marketing News

Pigs are Worth It

MP Farm Visits
MP Mr Paddy Tipping visited Andrew Baugh – Sherwood on 3rd Sept, and coverage was seen in Newark Advertiser, Nottingham Evening Post, Times Today as well as Lincs FM.  Other visits confirmed are: 24th Sept – MP Richard Benyon to meet Frank Clothier; 29th Sept, MP Janet Dean to meet Martin Baker; 2nd October MP Ian Causeway to meet John Godfrey; 10th October MP Gregory to Meet James Hart and 14th October MP Greg Knight to meet Mr Lockwood.

*Alert - Celebrity Chefs Choose Pork Recipe Booklet
In all Morrisons stores from Monday 15 September, over 27,000 will be available free, from the fresh meat serve-over counters.

British Sausage Week - 3-9 November 2008
Launch of British Sausage Week, by our mystery celebrity, is taking place today, Friday 12th September.  He is doing a day of regional and national radio interviews. Circulation of launch press releases to all regional and national media will have already been sent, so information about the week including details of our celebrity, will start to appear in the media in due course. Promotional activities for the week are also beginning to gear up with the Landmark Banger product competition. 

Entries have been flooding in with more than 140 products now entered, from 87 companies.  The judging will take place next week, 17/18th Sept.  Where among the industry judges we have two consumer magazine editors, Gina Steer from Take a Break magazine and Emma Marsden from Good Housekeeping

Do you have a Family Favourite Meal?
This week, 10th Sept Meatmatters.com (a generic consumer PR activity supported by BPEX) launched a competition to find 6 of the best Family Favourite meals.  Looking for traditional and interesting recipes that invoke pleasant memories of family meals, the competition launched by Greg Wallace, of Master Chef fame held a day of radio interviews. The competition will be open until 1st November.  An online entry form is available now at www.meatmatters.com.  The 6 winning recipes will ultimately be given a contemporary twist and be featured in a recipe booklet, to be published in early 2009.

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