Science key to beef future, forum told

SUCCESS for the Irish beef industry will ultimately be determined by its capacity to harness advances in science and technology to meet the evolving needs of consumers, particularly in the areas of food safety, convenience and health.

Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter made this clear when he addressed 450 leading meat scientists from all over the world at the International Congress of Meat Science and Technology in Dublin yesterday.

Mr Cotter said Irish beef already enjoys an excellent reputation arising from its natural production off grass, its capacity to meet consumer expectations, and superior eating quality.

It can also claim competitive advantage over more distant suppliers arising from its market proximity and capacity to supply a fresh product, industry capability, and premium customer base, all of which it must now exploit to the full.

Mr Cotter said the Irish beef industry is the largest net exporter of beef in the northern hemisphere and 95% of its exports, worth €1.5 billion a year, are now destined for Europe.

“With imports mainly from South America set to grow to 1.3 million tonnes a year, the challenge facing the Irish beef industry will be to maintain its volumes while European production declines,” he said.

Mr Cotter said gaps in sanitary controls, traceability, wages, distance from market and environmental protection between EU and South American suppliers of beef to the EU market represent key issues to consumers.

In a pan-European study on behalf of Bord Bia across eight markets, the lack of safety assurances was cited as the number one reason for buying less beef in five out of eight countries surveyed.

“As health and wellness become the biggest driver of change in consumer markets today, the role of science in establishing and supporting the nutrition and health credentials of Irish beef will be increasingly important,” he said.