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Men who look at meat are less aggressive: study
By Dani Friedland
Looking at a picture of ready-to-eat meat appears to make men less aggressive, according to new research from McGill University in Montreal.
Researcher Frank Kachanoff set out to test a theory that humans are innately predisposed to have an aggressive response to meat. “I wanted to know if just looking at the meat would suffice to provoke an aggressive behavior,” Kachanoff said in a statement.
Toward that end, he used established techniques for provoking and measuring aggression in an experiment with 82 male subjects. These men were told to punish a script reader when he made a mistake, while they sorted either a group of photos including pictures of meat or a group of neutral images. As a punishment, the subjects thought they could inflict painful levels of sound on the reader.
As it turns out, the men sorting pictures of meat did not inflict more discomfort on the reader. In fact, they were significantly less aggressive than their counterparts who sorted groups of neutral images.
“We used imagery of meat that was ready to eat. In terms of behavior, with the benefit of hindsight, it would make sense that our ancestors would be calm, as they would be surrounded by friends and family at meal time,” Kachanoff explained in a statement. “I would like to run this experiment again, using hunting images.”
Oscar Mayer employees seek pay for donning, doffing
By Tom Johnston
Oscar Mayer employees at the company’s Davenport, Iowa, plant have filed a class action lawsuit seeking pay for time spent donning and doffing protective equipment, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The employees claim in their lawsuit that Oscar Mayer’s failure to pay them for putting on gear before and after their work shifts violates the law, the report said.
Kraft spokeswoman Rachel Larsen is quoted as saying the company feels it is fully compliant with state and federal law. Kraft, the parent company of Oscar Mayer’s, is named in the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs are four current employees at the plant, which processes beef, pork and poultry. Their attorneys, according to AP, seek to represent a class of 1,750 employees at the Davenport facility.
Pat Boone launches mail-order steak line
By Dani Friedland
Singer and actor Pat Boone, a popular entertainer in the ’50s, has launched a line of mail-order meats called Pat Boone All-American Meats.
The line includes filet mignon, ribeye, top sirloin, New York strip, T-Bone and porterhouse steaks, all made with U.S.-raised beef. The meats ship frozen.
The brand officially launches this week at www.patboonemeats.com.
At least 5 percent of each purchase goes to the Pat Boone Foundation, which funds Christian causes and education, and organizations that fight hunger. Boone was inspired by Paul Newman.
“I’ve been so impressed by what Paul was able to accomplish with his incredibly successful line of salad dressings, that this seemed the perfect way for me to build a legacy that will carry on in the spirit of giving for generations, ” Boone said in a statement. “What better way to enjoy time with family and friends than over a tender, juicy steak and know that your hard-earned money is going to support American ranchers and help feed the hungry all at the same time?”
Pat Boone’s line of meats is a brand of Worldwide Premium Packers Inc., which itself is a wholly owned subsidiary of Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Accredited Members Holdings Corporation.
U.S. beef, pork exports thrive
By Tom Johnston
U.S. beef and pork exports continued on a positive trajectory in September, according to USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
Beef exports jumped 30 percent in value over the year-ago level to $339.3 million while volume rose nearly 17 percent in the period to 86,182 metric tons. The top five markets during the month were Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea and the Middle East.
Year-to-date, U.S. beef exports are up 27 percent in value to $2.9 billion and 16 percent higher in volume to 766,791 metric tons, with the top five markets in the period Mexico, Canada, Japan, the ASEAN region and South Korea.
Pork exports also succeeded in September, with value rising 10 percent over 2009 totals to $332.6 million even as volume fell 3.6 percent to 148,416 metric tons. The top five value markets for pork in the month were Japan, Mexico, Canada, the Hong Kong/China region and Russia.
Over the first nine months of the year pork export volume is up 2 percent to nearly 1.4 million metric tons valued at $3.5 billion, a 9 percent increase in value over the same stretch of 2009.
“We are finding a very positive and receptive audience for U.S. red meat in the international market,” USMEF president and CEO Phil Seng said. “The challenge is to sustain this aggressive growth pace and continue to diversify our markets.”
Beef exports in September accounted for 11 percent of total U.S. production, and value rose about $33 to $151 per head of steer and heifer slaughtered. Year to date the value of beef exports per head was $145.07, $8.60 more than values in 2003 pre-BSE.
Pork exports were 22 percent production and up $6 in value to $41.33 per head during the month. Year-to-date value per head was $43.62, a $1.32 more than the per-head total in the record pork-export year of 2008
Working Safely
By: Steve Sayer
ALNews Columnist
Blogger For meatingplace.com
Understanding and then respecting anhydrous ammonia
(The views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly those of the author.)
As a refrigerant, the use of anhydrous ammonia remains ubiquitous in our industry. Intermittently, Meatingplace reports on plant evacuations, injuries, illnesses and sometimes deaths caused by accidental ammonia leaks.
It is the legal responsibility of companies to protect and educate their employees as required by prevailing city, county, state and federal regulators that police this highly corrosive and toxic chemical.
Though many plants choose to contract the maintenance and safety monitoring of their ammonia system to professional refrigeration contractors, this doesn’t diminish management’s legal responsibilities to employees, plant visitors and surrounding neighbors.
Listed below are eclectic facts concerning anhydrous ammonia, including websites for further reading;
Anhydrous ammonia (NH3) is one of the most commonly produced chemicals in the United States. When exposed to normal atmospheric pressure and temperatures, ammonia is an invisible gas that is manifestly pungent to the sense of olfactory; which is a natural safety feature.
Anhydrous is Greek meaning- without water. Consequently, when ammonia interacts with moisture on the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes (respiratory & digestive tracts) severe chemical burns can result; when exposed to very high concentrations death can be the outcome.
Though highly regulated and considered an extremely hazardous substance by governmental agencies, ammonia remains environmentally friendly; it won’t deplete the ozone layer unlike many of the alternative chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants.
When stored under pressure for use in refrigeration systems, anhydrous ammonia is in a clear liquefied state. However, when a leak occurs, the ammonia transforms into a buoyant gas cloud that can aerosolize forming small liquid droplets and act as a dense gas even though it is normally lighter than air. One liquid foot of anhydrous ammonia can expand exponentially to a whooping 855 cubic feet when released to ambient air.
Anhydrous ammonia is classified as non-flammable; however, ammonia becomes flammable when mixed with oil with concentrations of approximately 16 percent to 28 percent by volume in air. Ammonia will also detonate if released in an enclosed space when a source of ignition is present.
A review of anhydrous ammonias material safety data sheet evinces pertinent information ranging from exposure limits, spill and leak procedures, emergency aid, and labeling requirements, to recommended personal protective equipment.
Replacement costs of ammonia are considerably lower than competitive industrial refrigerants. Ammonia’s superior thermodynamic qualities (including less energy usage to the peripherals) when compared to the synthetic alternatives remains an incentive for many.
Despite ammonias inherent dangers, it is generally safe provided that the handling, operating, and maintenance procedures are conducted by knowledgeable and qualified technicians.
Is the refrigerant used at your facility anhydrous ammonia? If so, what type of safeguards do you have in place in the event there is an accidental release of ammonia?
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