What's happening in the European poultry industry?

Despite a sluggish economic environment, stricter regulations and increasing competition from overseas, the European poultry industry is still expecting to grow over the next decade. But this growth will be "slow," and the European poultry sector will have "to challenge its imagination to continue the 'success of poultry.'"

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European poultry meat production, consumption and imports are expected to be slightly higher in 10 years' time.
European poultry meat production, consumption and imports are expected to be slightly higher in 10 years' time.

Despite a sluggish economic environment, stricter regulations and increasing competition from overseas, the European poultry industry is still expecting to grow over the next decade. But this growth will be "slow," and the European poultry sector will have "to challenge its imagination to continue the 'success of poultry.'"

In its annual review of the year and industry activities, Avec -- the Association of Poultry Processors and Poultry Trade in the EU -- notes that the Old World continues to be affected by the economic downturn and historically high levels of unemployment. Combined with factors such as an aging population and changing attitudes toward meat, this means that the opportunities for growth in meat consumption in Europe can only be very limited.

Harnessing innovation

Poultry is one of the most integrated meat production systems in Europe, so it is already highly innovative along the entire production chain. However, the industry cannot stand still, and further innovations will be needed if it is to remain competitive and address various pressures. 

For example, Avec says that at the farm level, poultry producers will have to develop new tools for the efficient rearing of birds while at the same time adhering to animal welfare requirements. Poultry equipment manufacturers will have an important role to play in designing an environment in which birds feel well and perform as well as possible, while complying with the welfare standards that society demands.

At the slaughterhouse, equipment manufacturers and processors will have to design new equipment to maintain or improve productivity levels and to improve control of bacterial contamination. Poultry processors will need to develop new products to not be left behind in the ongoing shift to processed food and to cater to changing lifestyles.

Yet the European poultry industry cannot only look within to survive. Developing countries are experiencing extraordinary growth rates. If European businesses want to continue to succeed, they may need to look for opportunities in these developing markets where 80 percent of the growth in global meat production is predicted to occur, according to Avec.

Trade negotiations

The EU is in free-trade talks with three major poultry meat producing and exporting countries: Brazil, Thailand and the U.S.

As far as European poultry meat exports are concerned, almost all of Europe's exports come from "conventionally farmed poultry." Avec urges that any promotion of the poultry sector undertaken by the European Commission must not focus solely on "quality" or "niche" products, which could prove prohibitively expensive for some lower income markets, and must include standard products.

In any free-trade agreement, imported poultry meat must comply with the welfare, safety and quality standards that are imposed on European poultry producers if there is to be a level playing field, Avec stresses.

As far as import quotas are concerned, Avec argues that they should be allocated to certain tariff lines, instead of granting quotas in general and allowing traders, importers and exporters to decide what to import. Should the latter occur, the entire quota would be used for breast meat only.

Avec is also urging the European Commission to recognize the potential risk to consumer confidence in the industry should use of chemical substances for carcass contamination be allowed.

Marketing standards and origin labeling

European Commission Regulation 543/2008 covers marketing standards for poultry. Avec has presented a number of ideas for its revision due to occur once the first new legislative package relating to the Common Agricultural Policy has been adopted. Its suggestions are particularly related to definitions, chilling methods and origin labeling, along with registration and record-keeping for various farming methods.

Origin labeling is one of the main issues under the revision of the EU food labeling rules, which has come about following the adoption of Regulation 1169/2011, covering food information for consumers; several opinions for the labeling of fresh meat and meat as an ingredient are under consideration. Avec advocates that poultry meat labeling with the place of farming -- indicating EU plus Member State name, or non-EU plus third country name -- should be mandatory for all products containing 25 percent or more poultry meat.

Food and feed safety

In May 2013, the European Commission adopted a proposal on official controls, which broadens the scope and simplifies and clarifies the legal framework applicable to official controls on animals and goods entering the EU. In the financing chapter, the commission defined a general obligation for Member States to resource control authorities through cost-based mandatory fees for most official controls. This would assign more responsibility to the various operators in the agrifood chain, introduce "cost-covering fee" for the official controls and offer risk-based control as the key principle for achieving a level playing field.

Salmonella and Campylobacter

A decreasing trend in human cases of salmonellosis in Europe was revealed in the EU Summary Report of Trends and Sources of Zooneses, Zoonotic Agents and Food-Bourne Outbreaks. Most Member States have met their reduction targets for poultry, Avec notes, and Salmonella is declining across Europe's flocks.

Avec has discussed with the European Commission that the same Salmonella criterion applied to fresh poultry meat should be also applied to poultry meat preparations.

Cases of campylobacteriosis in Europe have increased, and monitoring and control remain important to reduce the risk of human exposure. Avec has expressed its position to the Directorate General for Health and Consumers (DG Sanco) on Campylobacter and the possible introduction of a Campylobacter hygiene criterion in future poultry meat inspections. Evaluation of this is ongoing.

Meat inspection

Avec has established a poultry meat inspection working group to develop more risk-based approaches for considering specific hazards or production systems for poultry meat.

Its experts have started drafting a common chapter on good practice at the slaughterhouse, which aims to achieve added value compared to the legal requirements of HACCP. The guide should offer additional practical information to better control the process, especially for the hygiene management, risk management and the monitoring and surveillance of Campylobacter.

Processed animal proteins

Since June 1, 2013, processed animal proteins (PAP) from poultry and pork have been permitted in fish feed in Europe. Avec has welcomed this reintroduction but notes that the change could have been extended to monogastric feeds while still respecting the intra-species recycling ban.

Poultry and the environment

While poultry may be more efficient at converting plant protein than other meat-producing animals commonly consumed in Europe, the poultry industry will still have to look at the possibilities for improving its environmental impact along the supply chain.

Avec notes that to help to achieve this, it is collaborating in the EU Sustainable Consumption roundtable -- a multi-stakeholder initiative launched in 2009 to establish the food chain as a major contributor to sustainable production and consumption in Europe.

Among other activities to further improve the environmental profile of the poultry industry is Avec's participation, through the International Poultry Council, in a partnership with the FAO to work with governmental and non-governmental bodies to strengthen the science behind environmental benching of livestock supply chains.

Poultry welfare

Avec notes that European legislation governing animal welfare is stricter than anywhere else in the world and continues to evolve.

A number of changes were implemented in 2013. For example, since January 1, 2013, slaughterhouses in the EU have had to implement stricter stunning requirements guaranteeing bird welfare.

In May, the European Commission presented a Proposal for the new Animal Health Law framework offering a broader animal, plant and control package. This package of measures is intended to provide a robust and comprehensive, more risk-based approach to the protection of animal health and to ensure the effective application of the rules covering the operation of the food chain. The European Commission defined the main scope of the proposal and expressed the need to continue with the approach of prevention being better than a cure.

The main focus of the commission's strategy is on interpretation, implementation and the enforcement of current rules. Avec has supported this through the drawing up of a Turkey Management Guide, which was adopted in 2013.

Business should benefit from simpler, science-based rules in terms of the administrative burden, in addition to more efficient processes and measures to finance and strengthen the control and eradication of animal diseases. More effective and more transparent controls along the food chain will allow consumers to gain from products being safer.

Avec has welcomed the Animal Health Law Proposal and agrees that a risk-based approach is needed to avoid bottlenecks within the European internal market. However, it is also considering whether this legislation may produce a framework that is too general, thus overlooking some of the specific needs for individual poultry species.

The association is also contributing to the preparation of a guidance document to ensure that poultry welfare is respected during transport.

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