Meat & Poultry

Muslims in the Chicago area are finding it tough to be both observant and health-conscious when it comes to meat. They need to find meat that is halal, which means it was slaughtered according to Islamic ritual, but they also want it to have been raised naturally. As a growing number of concerned Muslims try to find some options, one entrepreneur has stepped in to fill the void. …

Mexican conglomerate Alfa said it acquired Arizona meat processing company Bar-S Foods Co to boost its presence in the U.S. market. Terms were not disclosed. …

Valley Meat Company, a Modesto, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately one million pounds of frozen ground beef patties and bulk ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. …

Pork-belly futures surged to a record $1.185 a pound after a plunge in U.S. inventories of the meat, which is used to make bacon. Hogs dropped the most in a year, and cattle gained. …

Demand for “grass-fed beef” – beef from cattle exclusively grazed on pastures and ranges, often qualifying as natural or organic product – is rapidly increasing in the US, and now makes up three per cent of the US beef market, according to Kenneth H. Mathews Jr. and Rachel J. Johnson at the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS). …