Meat + Poultry - February 2006 - 63

The Insider
Beef is ugly

Stepping in it

During a conference call
announcing Tyson Foods'
2006 first quarter financial
results, the following exchange was noted by our
editors during the Q&A
portion of the presentation:
John McMillin (Prudential Securities analyst):
Dick, when you said that

beef would be worse in
the March quarter, were
you talking sequentially
or were you talking about
versus a year ago?
Dick Bond (Tyson's
president and C.O.O.):

I was just making a statement about second quarter.
John McMillin:
And can you repeat the
statement? You said beef
would be worse...
Dick Bond:
I'm making a statement
about second quarter relative to first quarter.
John McMillin:
So you expect beef to lose
more than $64 million
as you look at the March
quarter?
Dick Bond:
Yes.
John McMillin:
Oh. I guess I knew it was
tough, I just didn't think it
was this tough.
John Tyson (Tyson's
chairman and C.E.O.):
That's why you heard us use
the word, "Beef is ugly."

A British meat processor
scrambled to recall packages of its sliced ham product from supermarkets last
month after learning that
dog feces was listed as one
of the ingredients.
According to the U.K.based newspaper The Mirror, Mick Woods lost his
appetite after opening the
package labeled as "premium" and reading the ingredients, which listed "Dog
Sh@!" as one of them. He
said he and his wife laughed
long and hard but didn't eat
the ham.

Brought to you by
MEAT&POULTRY Magazine
Cartoon by Bob Bliss

Prime Ribbing

The company, Manchester-based H.R. Hargreaves & Son, blamed the
problem on a prank by an
employee, who has since
been fired.
We always say you can
never underestimate the
power of the pen, especially
when it's in the hand of a
disgruntled employee.

Over herd
"Changes at retailers are
happening at light speed and a lot
of it is not good for retailers."
Paul Weitzel, vice president of Willard Bishop Consulting, Ltd.,
speaking at the 13th Annual Executive Poultry Conference,
suggesting poultry processors need to form closer relationships
with retailers.

Air-chilled fever
At last month's International Poultry Expo, conference
organizers allowed suppliers to give 30-minute presentations on their products during show hours, in soundproof rooms situated at the end of each show floor.
M&P editors acted as moderators during several
of the presentations, most of which were attended
by a dozen or so attendees. However, air chilled
poultry seemed to be a red hot topic. During a
presentation by Mike Ruscitti, a representative
of Stork Gamco, nearly 40 attendees shuffled in,
including some from one of the largest poultry
processors in the country. We assume industry naysayers, who claimed the technology was overpriced
and cumbersome might be in for a helping of crow
in years to come.

The U.S. poultry industry unveils its secret
weapons to keep bird ﬂu out of the country
66

MEAT&POULTRY

February 2006

www.MEATPOULTRY.com

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Meat + Poultry - February 2006

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