SOUTH AFRICA – Hume International, a global leader in the import, export, and distribution of frozen foods, has urged the South African meat industry to urgently agree on a heat treatment protocol for mechanically deboned meat (MDM), such as the protocol currently in place for pork sourced from approved markets abroad, in case of a bird flu outbreak.

MDM is already subjected to heat treatment to reduce the risk of microbial contamination and improve its safety for consumption. The process typically involves cooking meat at a high temperature for a specific period.

Hume International MD Fred Hume explained that while the presence of bird flu typically does not impact the safety of poultry for human consumption, having such a protocol in place could simultaneously safeguard MDM supply chains while setting consumers’ minds at ease.

The global bird flu outbreak is posing a significant risk to South Africa’s food security, especially given the dependence of many households on chicken as an affordable protein.

Bird flu has continued to spread further into Latin America, getting closer to Brazil’s southern production states, which account for more than 60% of the country’s production, according to Rabobank’s poultry quarterly.

Brazil is also the biggest exporter of protein to Africa, and especially South Africa for poultry. Last year, Hume International imported about 60 000 t of poultry, while importation in the country stood at three times as much poultry as it exported in terms of nominal value.

“Brazil supplies the country with more than half of our imported poultry meat. By comparison, the US provides only 10% to 15% of our imports a year,” Hume said.

“When, not if, Brazil faces a bird-flu outbreak. The consequences may prove to be dire for South Africa’s poultry supply.”

The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group reported in its March 2023 Household Affordability Index that frozen chicken portions saw an average price increase of 9% relative to the same period last year. Chicken feet rose by 11%, gizzards by 10%, and chicken livers by 5% over the same period.

Without a heat treatment protocol, Hume underscored that South Africans should prepare for impact, as the serious threat of an outbreak in Brazil could have a devastating impact on local supply chains, significantly driving up prices or even causing shortages.

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