Beef And Dairy Find It Hard To Swallow Negative Nutritional Image
US - Dairy Management Incorporated (DMI) and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) held a first-of-its-kind joint meeting on nutrition at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver Tuesday.
19 July 2007
2 minute read
The meeting was apparently spurred in part by developments in the United Kingdom, where foods are now being labeled under a new government scheme as green for good, yellow for not so good and red for bad.
"We think that this is probably a landmark step - or giant step, I'll call it - between the two commodity groups"
DMI CEO Tom Gallagher
In fact, DMI CEO Tom Gallagher told the hundreds of beef and dairy producers at the meeting on nutrition that the new UK labeling scheme is something the entire U.S. food industry is anxious to avoid. And he said it makes perfect sense for the beef and dairy industries to work together on promoting the positive nutritional aspects of both commodities.
"When we take this concept to brand companies within dairy and those who want to be in dairy - whether it's a Kraft in dairy or a Pepsi who's trying to be in the dairy business or others - they all tell us you have picked THE issue that we are all focused and concerned about," Gallagher said. "The labeling in the United Kingdom - we don't want to see it here - red, yellow and green."
And DMI Industry Relations Director Joe Bavido told Brownfield the decision by the beef and dairy industries to work together on nutrition issues is significant. Indeed, Bavido sees it as a watershed moment for both commodities.
"We think that this is probably a landmark step - or giant step, I'll call it - between the two commodity groups," Bavido said, "this meeting of the minds, we'll call it, and how we go forward to develop both commodities."
Source: Brownfield
