Heat stress management must start before finishing if beef quality is to be protected
The backgrounding phase of fall-born calves is at the centre of a new project at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. The team is investigating whether a commercial omega-3 polyunsaturated-fatty-acid feed additive can reduce the physiological consequences of summer heat stress. The project addresses a specific gap: much heat-stress research concentrates on finishing cattle, whereas animals in fall-calving systems experience summer heat during backgrounding.
Slaughter numbers show why meat availability must be read through carcass weights
September figures published by Defra show year-on-year declines across the United Kingdom’s three main livestock categories. Prime-cattle slaughter fell 6.5% to 160,000 head, while beef and veal output reached 73,000 tonnes, down 5.4%. Clean-sheep slaughter declined 6.3% and mutton and lamb production fell 3.7%. In pigs, the reduction was more moderate: 1.1% fewer animals and 0.2% less output.
Food-crime prevention depends on records that connect animal, lot and physical product flow
The UK Food Standards Agency and Crown Prosecution Service have announced that seven people appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 14 October. The charges authorised by the CPS allege conspiracy to supply unfit meat; two defendants also face animal-cruelty charges. The case follows a lengthy and complex investigation by the Food Standards Agency’s National Food Crime Unit.
Colombia’s pork opening turns export approval into a product-by-product compliance task
Colombia has lifted pseudorabies virus, or PRV, restrictions on pork and pork products from the United States. According to APHIS, all pork products listed as eligible in the FSIS export library may now be shipped to Colombia, provided that they meet the sanitary requirements agreed between the two countries.
Spanish beef export growth shows that international value depends on whole-carcass market work
Spain’s beef interprofessional organisation, PROVACUNO, received the 2026 Alimentos de España award for food internationalisation on 14 October. The award from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food recognises the organisation’s strategy for opening and consolidating overseas markets, developed together with companies and public authorities.
Cuts & Colours: A colouring book brings the butcher’s craft into family conversations
Where does meat come from, what does a butcher do, and why do different cuts look different? Vienna-based M.E.A.T. GmbH has introduced “Cuts & Colours – Ein Fleisch-Malbuch”, a colouring book that explores these questions. Written by meat sommelier Ronny Paulusch, the 52-page book combines illustrations with short explanations and discovery activities. Its story follows the journey from the farm and pasture through the meat business to a shared meal.
