Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial - EU Council Fails to Agree on Cloning

Despite the best efforts from the Hungarian Presidency, the conciliation on novel foods failed after more than three years of negotiations, and the EU will stay with the status quo that cloning is not prohibited but foods must receive pre-market approval.

The Council has exhausted every possibility trying to reach a balanced solution on novel foods, it is reported, and in particular on the question of food from cloned animals.

It stated it was strongly committed to finding a compromise which met consumers' concerns about marketing and information about foods from cloned animals and their offspring. The Council wanted a solution that could be implemented in practice yet also comply with the international trade rules that the EU, with the European Parliament's consent, has signed.

The discussion reportedly failed because of the European Parliament's inability to compromise on its request for mandatory labelling for food derived from offspring of cloned animals irrespective of the technical feasibility and the practical implications of such mandatory labelling.

In the absence of an agreement, the EU stays with the status quo. The current EU legislation provides that food from cloned animals is subject to a pre-market authorisation. The cloning technique is not prohibited at EU level.

Commissioner Dalli commented: "After months of discussion on the Novel Food Regulation, many improvements had been agreed upon by the institutions. These included a legal definition of nano-materials and their mandatory labelling, a centralised and quicker authorisation procedure to facilitate innovation from the food industry and specific measures for traditional foods from third countries.

"If implemented this would have been beneficial for both consumers and the food industry. It is thus a great pity that we have lost the opportunity to codify these aspects already now," he said.

In company news, Cherkizovo has acquired another Russian poultry meat processor, Mosselprom, increasing its market share in this sector to an estimated nine per cent.

In the last week, there has been just one report of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry, which was in South Korea.

WHO reports that there have been 22 cases of H5N1 flu in humans so far this year, 11 of whom died. Most of the victims have been in Egypt (14 cases; five deaths) but there were also four cases in Indonesia, three in Cambodia and one in Bangladesh.

Jackie Linden

This Week's Feature Articles

Company News

Special Aviagen Eastern & Central European Vet Seminar
VIENNA, AUSTRIA - Aviagen?s Central and Eastern European (CEE) Team recently organised a special seminar focusing on gut health.

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Cobb Africa Strengthens Technical Team
AFRICA - Tom Wierda has joined the Cobb Africa technical team, bringing more than 30 years' experience in the poultry industry.

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Meriden Opens Subsidiary in Australia
AUSTRALIA - Meriden Animal Health Limited has recently opened a new office in Australia, further consolidating its sales network in South-East Asia and Australasia.

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Global Poultry Industry News

Viet Nam

 » BIRD FLU: HPAI Outbreaks in Viet Nam

Denmark

 » Course in Animal Stress Responses Well Received

Canada

 » Farmers Welcome New Compensation Programme

Nepal

 » Govt Starts Collecting Poultry Farm Details

Bangladesh

 » Bird Flu Costs Mount in Bangladesh
 » Poultry Show Highlights Need for Govt Support
 » 16 Tonnes of Toxic Poultry Feed Seized

United Kingdom

 » Poultry Smells Ended in Court
 » Moy Park is Northern Ireland's Top Company

Israel

 » Eight More ND Outbreaks Reported in Israel

Brazil

 » Sales Growth Recorded for JBS in 2010
 » Profit at BRF Grows 125 Per Cent in 2010

United Arab Emirates

 » Poultry Products Shortages Reported in Dubai

Russian Federation

 » Cherkizovo's CEO Welcomes Recent Govt Support
 » Cherkizovo Acquires Mosselprom

United States

 » RTC Weight Up Four Per Cent from Last Year
 » Plant Buffer Strips Cut Run-Off of Vet Products
 » Feasibility of Poultry Litter Power Plant to be Studied
 » Biodiesel Returns US Soybean Farmers? Investment
 » Cage-Free Eggs Not More Sustainable, Says Prof
 » CME: Great Interest Shown in Upcoming USDA Report
 » Weekly US Broiler Hatchery Report

Poland

 » FVO Cautiously Approves Polish Food Safety

Netherlands

 » New Method Can Distinguish Organic & Regular Eggs

Japan

 » Japan's Recovery Efforts and Feed Grain Trade

General

 » Saudi Arabia: Top Market for Brazilian Poultry
 » International Egg and Poultry Review: Brazil & EU

Australia

 » Conference on Genomics & Future Food Production
 » Coles Cuts Chicken Prices; Industry Angered

India

 » State Seeks to End Feed Withdrawal for Hens
 » Chicken Prices Rise in the South

Malaysia

 » Perak Poultry Producers Need to Register
 » Melaka is Poultry Export Hub

Korea, South

 » One New H5N1 Outbreak Reported in South Korea

Armenia

 » Armenian Antitrust Report on Egg Companies Imminent

European Union

 » EC Fails to Agree on Cloning, Novel Foods

Ireland

 » Cappoquin Poultry Cuts Production by 25 Per Cent

Trinidad and Tobago

 » Milk, Cheese, Eggs Go up by .2 Per Cent



That's all for this week!

Ed.