The secret to China's Olympic success

The Chinese athletes have been victorious in the Olympics winning 100 medals 51 of which gold and winning the overall medal race.

And now I can reveal the secret of the Chinese athletes’ success – Scottish deer penis, regarded as the most virile in the world.

The stars use it to boost stamina and for its alleged anti-inflammatory, immune stimulant and injury-healing properties. The deers penis is also rich in protein, vitamins, calcium, magnesium and hormones and low in cholesterol.

Chinese traders have visited the Highlands to view the deer and have been training dealers on how to process the penises which are frozen or dried before export.

Finlay Clark, of the Association of Deer Management Groups, added: “I have never tried it, but if there are any Scottish athletes who want to give it a go I’m sure we could arrange it.”

More people are buyng British

Shoppers buying British produce instead of foreign alternatives have helped to reduce meat imports in the first half of this year.

The number of shoppers choosing British-reared meat over foreign competitors appears to be on the increase, with the amount of beef, lamb and pork entering the country all declining.

The news will be a welcome relief to farmers who faced a torrid 2007, as the devastating impact of the summer floods, foot and mouth disease worries, blue tongue and avian flu all contributed to one of the most depressing years for agriculture in recent memory, leading to meat imports at an all-time high.

Now, new figures from pig, beef and sheep industry groups show a significant reduction in the amount of foreign meat being imported.

Latest statistics from the British Pig Executive (Bpex) show the amount of pork entering the UK between January and May was nearly 20,000 tonnes lower than the same period last year, a reduction of nearly 10 per cent year on year.

Figures from Eblex, the industry body for beef and lamb levy-payers for the UK, revealed the amount of sheep meat being imported fell by more than 2,000 tonnes since the start of the year, nearly four per cent lower than the corresponding period in 2007. And beef imports declined by more than three per cent to 105,000 tonnes, as compared with 109,000 in 2007.

Calls for honest labelling

Country of origin labelling of meat products is not clear enough despite three-quarters of consumers wanting to see the name of the country of origin on the pack, according to a new NFU report.

The report, issued by the Meat and Livestock Commission on behalf of the union, has urged supermarkets to clearly label food with country of origin information so consumers can choose to buy food reared to high standards on British farms.

NFU president Peter Kendall said better labelling was vital to help farmers harness consumer demand to support British produce. “The need for honest and clear labelling is hugely important,” he said.

Burt sources all its meats from reputable suppliers that we trust. Whilst most of them have been supplying us for many years, each of them must still meet our most stringent quality control standards.

Best of British!

We have been buying fine beef and lamb from Scotland for many years now. Scotland has long enjoyed a deserved reputation for high quality meat and our beef is hung for 14 days at source then hung for a further 7 days on our own premises to ensure a consistent quality.

In addition to supplying pork and chicken we also offer an extensive range of cooked meats and other wholesale catering supplies including:

Burt’s Famous home-made sausages
Finest scottish beef
Beautiful home cooked meats

So, if you want reassurance about the origin of your meat - why not pay Burts a visit?

Men v Women - a question of meat?

The differences between the sexes extends to the dinner plate with men preferring meat and women opting for fruit and vegetables, according to a report in today's Daily Telegraph.

Apparently, research has found that women are programmed to choose a healthier diet.

Favourites such as duck, veal and ham are high on men's menus and they are also more likely to eat shellfish such as shrimp and oysters. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to choose vegetables, especially carrots and tomatoes, and love strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and apples. Women also prefer dry foods, such as almonds and walnuts, and are more likely to consume eggs and yogurt compared with men.

However, the study of more than 14,000 Americans found some exceptions to the rules. Women loved fresh burgers while men preferred frozen ones and men were significantly more likely to eat asparagus and Brussels sprouts than women.

More news on meat prices

The price of meat will have to rise to protect the health of the livestock industry, which is reeling from the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth and the wettest summer on record, according to a study published today.

The EU export ban on British meat that was lifted over the weekend cost farmers £1.8m a day since it was imposed at the start of the month. Farmers are also suffering from the rising costs of wheat and soft commodities. Some producers are facing almost 100 per cent price rises in feed costs, according to the Deloitte consultancy.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said many farmers were reducing their stock or considering quitting livestock farming.

Richard Crane, food and agriculture partner at Deloitte, said: "UK shoppers will have to pay more for their meat. Increased prices will allow farmers to continue to meet the increasing demand for local, high-quality meat. Without it, the opportunity to enjoy home-grown quality produce and British meat could become a rarity on supermarket shelves."

Peter King, the NFU's chief livestock adviser, said that, following the dismantling of the Common Agricultural Policy, which guaranteed a minimum price to producers, British livestock farmers have been struggling. Farmers are paid 200p per kilogram for cattle but this is 15-20 per cent less than the cost it takes to produce it, he said. The doubling of wheat prices has added an extra 45-50p to the cost of a kilogram, which farmers are unable to get back.

"It is just at the point where consumers are demanding more local and more home-grown products that British farmers are most under threat," said Mr King. "Everybody in the supply chain has a responsibility to recognise that farmers are producing meat well below the cost of production."

He said that, over the past two years, cattle stock had reduced by 7 per cent and this looked set to continue.

Mr Crane said vaccinations of animals are likely to be introduced to ensure no further outbreaks occur, which would be an extra burden on farmers. Furthermore foreign markets could still close their doors to UK meat.

"The export of animal by-products, for example, the sub-prime cuts which are exported to maximise returns, would not be available," he said. "The upshot is reduced returns to the farmers and the processors which could hurt the UK's £493m-a-year meat export industry."

In February, following the outbreak of bird flu, Sainsbury's and Morrisons reported a 10 per cent week-on-week drop across all fresh and frozen poultry products and Sainsbury's said sales of its own-brand poultry products were down by 5 per cent.

The EU ban was imposed after foot-and-mouth was first confirmed at a farm near Guildford in Surrey on 3 August.

Meat foils thief!

A meat thief in Gloucester met his match when a restaurant owner fought off the assault by hitting the thief with a frozen ham.

The owner heard a noise in his restaurant and saw a man fleeing with his arms full of meat from his freezer. That’s when the man raised a five pound log of frozen prosciutto over his head, to attack the owner.

Luckily, he had his own frozen pig product on hand and attacked the thief with a frozen ham - and the thief was so stunned, he dropped the meat and ran.

Police searched the area, but couldn’t find the suspect.