Tyson agrees to pay $47 million

 

Tyson has agreed to pay $47 million to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged beef price-fixing.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of commercial and institutional indirect purchasers such as restaurants and covers purchases between Jan. 1, 2015, and May 6, 2026,

The covered products include brisket, chuck, loin, rib and round cuts, excluding ground beef, trim, USDA Prime products and further processed items.

The settlement involves Tyson Foods Inc. and Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. Tyson did not oppose the motion for preliminary approval.

The litigation against Tyson and other released parties will remain stayed pending final approval of the settlement. The order stated the settlement does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing or liability by Tyson.

Proposition 12 to be curbed

 

The United States House of Representatives has passed a new farm bill that includes a provision curbing California’s animal welfare rules from impeding pork from other states that do not meet the standards set out in Proposition 12.

The National Pork Producers Council called the vote a “massive victory” but it must pass the Senate to become law.

Proposition 12 has hindered the sale of Canadian pork to the United States if the buyer sells into California.

Among Proposition 12 rules is a ban on housing sows in gestation crates and minimum space requirements for housing pigs.

CFIA suspends Tigi’s Legacy licence

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the licence for Tig’s Legacy Collections Inc. of Longueuil, Que.

The CFIA said it failed to keep satisfactory import controls and traceability records.

The company’s main business is women’s fashion clothing.

Pseudorabies prompts trade bans

Canada and Mexico have announced some trade bans on pork from the United States after a recent discovery of pseudorabies antibodies in breeding stock in Iowa.

Canada has banned pig snouts.

Mexico, which is the biggest export market for U.S. pork, is banning non-muscle pork.

The bans are still under negotiation, the U.S. said.

Agri Stats data open to everybody

The United States Department of Justice has proposed a settlement of its lawsuit against Agri Stats that would require it to sell its reports and manuals to anyone, including livestock and poultry producers and meat-company customers.

It would also ban the sale of books revealing companies’ sales volumes and also reporting sales volumes other than to the company asking for its own sales data.

The proposals were revealed in a Minnesota court this week.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described the agreement as a “historic settlement” and said the company’s business model contributed to higher meat prices.

Agri Stats was named in a number of class-action lawsuits alleging price-fixing among the largest chicken, turkey, pork and beef packers.

The agreement also imposes confidentiality and recency requirements on reporting data, including provisions requiring some reports to contain information from at least three meat processors and limiting the use of recent production data.

A court-appointed monitor would oversee compliance for up to seven years, while Agri Stats also would be required to implement an antitrust compliance program that includes employee training, whistleblower protections and mandatory disclosure of potential violations.

Federal officials announced the settlement proposal alongside broader discussions of ongoing antitrust investigations into the meatpacking industry, including concerns over market concentration and information-sharing practices. 

“This is one step forward to stopping anticompetitive behavior in the food supply chain,” Blanche wrote

Al Mussell joins C.D. Howe Institute

 

The C.D. Howe Institute has chosen Dr. Al Mussell to be its Fellow-in-Residence and Supply Chains Policy Scholar.

Mussell is an agriculture economist who has published many research reports on Canadian Agriculture, trade and policy.

He is currently senior researcher for the Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute. He often co-authores reports with Ted Bilyea and Doug Hedley.

Mussell said “it is a distinct honour, and really quite humbling, to join a remarkable group of people as a Fellow-in-Residence at the C.D. Howe Institute. 

"I’m very pleased that the C.D. Howe Institute is taking a focused interest in agriculture, food and all that Canada has to offer, and to be given an opportunity to contribute my insights to its work in this critical area.’

Mussell has also been president of the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society, chair of the Ontario Pork Industry Council, and has served on the board of the Progressive Dairy Operators.”

He founded the George Morrris Center at the University of Guelph and Agri-Food Economic Systems.

He will continue to work with Agri-Food Economic Systems.

Study raises mycotoxin concerns

 Mycotoxins have shown up in almost all plant-based proteins and beverages tested in the United Kingdom and Italy, but it’s unlikely to be a health threat to most people.

The researchers studied 212 plant-based products such as burgers, vegan sausages, chicken mimics and milks made of oats, almonds or soybeans.

All of them contained at least one of 19 mycotoxins, with multiple products containing more than one.

The study says that previous research has demonstrated that even at low levels, if consumed often, mycotoxin can build up exposure and lead to potential health concerns, but occasional consumption should not pose a danger. 

In extreme cases mycotoxin exposure can lead to liver and kidney damage, immune system suppression, and cancer, the report said.

The researchers advise that monitoring of raw materials be extended.

“Mycotoxins occur naturally in foods and cannot be completely avoided. As consumers, we should not be frightened or deterred from enjoying a variety of products,” said Andrea Patriarca, senior lecturer in mycology at Cranfield University.

“However, a significant concern arises when new foods enter the market, as there are currently no established regulations to monitor mycotoxins.” she said.

The study found that mycotoxin levels United Kingdom plant-based foods that were tested were lower than recommended European Union guideline levels, which it said reflected the high-quality standards of the UK food industry.

The study was a joint effort by the University of Parma in Italy and Cranfield University in the United Kingdom.