Meat & Poultry

Hannaford, a Scarborough, Maine-based grocery chain, is recalling an undetermined amount of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with a strain of Salmonella Typhimurium, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. …

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association in Centennial, Colo., says sales of beef soar around Christmas. In 2010 the end of December represented the third highest week of retail beef sales for the year, according to Beef Association spokeswoman Karli Millspaugh. The only weeks with higher sales were holiday weeks when Americans like to slap beef steaks on the grill: Fourth of July and Memorial Day. …

Walmart's recent shift to sell higher-quality beef comes as music to the ears of those involved in the beef industry.  “Walmart's decision to offer USDA choice beef is a fantastic move from our point of view, because it helps renew consumers' interest in beef,” said Pat Huebner, vice president of research and development at JBS USA. “When any retailer increases demand for beef, it's great for the industry — and that means positive growth for us.” …

A new study published in the January 2012 edition of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that beef can play a role in a cholesterol-lowering diet, despite commonly held beliefs. The study found that diets including lean beef every day are as effective in lowering total and LDL "bad" cholesterol as the "gold standard" of heart-healthy diets (DASH, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). …

Traditionally, folks have celebrated the holidays over a honey-glazed ham or baked turkey, but in more recent times, the American Lamb Board has touted a leg-of-lamb or shoulder roast for those special times, said Margaret Magruder, a member of the Denver-based American Lamb Board. …