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IOL News
4 days ago
- Health
- IOL News
South Africa faces poultry supply concerns amid Brazilian import ban
Farming associations and agricultural associations have raised concern about the impact of the Department of Agriculture's ban on chicken from Brazil due to an avian influenza outbreak. Image: supplied South Africa is grappling with potential food insecurity this winter after the Department of Agriculture's has banned chicken from Brazil due to an avian influenza outbreak. The ban, effective since May 15, 2023, halts imports of live poultry, eggs, and fresh or frozen poultry meat, raising alarms over the supply of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) and poultry offal critical for affordable processed meats like polony, viennas, and sausages. The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters warned on Wednesday of serious economic and food insecurity consequences for South Africa as a result of the recent outbreak of Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Brazil. 'Local producers cannot, and will not be able to meet the gap in supply of poultry offal (feet, gizzards, and skins) and MDM, driving up prices and threatening the affordability and accessibility of basic protein for millions,' it said. Georg Southey, the manager at Merlog Foods, said on Wednesday said there is likely to be a shortage of 400 million meals per month, which equates to seven meals per person per month across the country. Two weeks of import shipments have already been wasted, and a further 100 million meals will be lost every week if the government continues with business as usual. Southey added that the country has only 2.5 weeks of food reserves in some key categories. 'This will have devastating consequences for food security and exacerbate a dreadful reality that estimates suggest over 30% of South African households in at least four provinces already have inadequate food and often go hungry,' he added. Video Player is loading. 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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Arnold Prinsloo, CEO of meat producer Eskort, noted that MDM from Brazil is used by Eskort and its competitors to make polony, viennas, Russians, and Braaiwors. "Production lines will come to a standstill before the end of June if the ban on Brazilian chicken is not lifted. This will deprive South Africa's most vulnerable citizens of more than 400 million low-cost meals per month,' he said. Prinsloo added that vulnerable families and thousands of school feeding schemes rely heavily on polony, and there is a real danger of widespread hunger and malnutrition if Eskort and its competitors cannot sustain supplies. 'The Department of Agriculture, which imposed the Brazil ban on 15 May, should follow the example of Namibia and Mozambique by narrowing the ban to chicken from Rio Grande do Sul, the only state affected by avian flu. The rest of Brazil can be regarded as safe, and a pragmatic and proactive decision to accept imports on that basis will go a long way to heading off the looming crisis in South Africa.' However, Izaak Breitenbach, the CEO of the South African Poultry Association, offered a counterpoint, suggesting the impact on poultry meat supply may be overstated. 'South Africa imports a reduced volume of chicken meat from Brazil, and local production can ramp up quickly, especially as demand typically dips this time of year,' Breitenbach said. While acknowledging a shortage of MDM, which is predominantly imported from Brazil, he noted that South Africa produces minimal MDM domestically and may shift imports to countries like Thailand. 'There will not be a shortage of chicken meat, but MDM supply will be constrained,' he clarified. Investment analyst Anthony Clark from Smalltalkdaily Research said that America and Europe have also reported avian influenza outbreaks. 'Brazil is the biggest exporter of poultry products into South Africa. They have a market share of around 80%, so it is concerning that there is a ban on their products. This means that there is very little chicken coming into this country. However, products that are coming in from Brazil are MDM which goes into processed meat such as polony, viennas, and Russians. The other products that are still coming in from Brazil are chicken offals such as carcasses, heads, and livers.'
TimesLIVE
19-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- TimesLIVE
Air fryer guava ribs with a spicy kick
Try this 20-minute recipe for a delectable dish with a spicy twist When dining in restaurants, it's common for people to be hit with a spark of inspiration. Be it a bartender's take on an old-fashioned favourite or how a simple dish is elevated through presentation, there's always a lot to learn from eating out. However, with Johannesburg's revolving door of clubs, I was impressed with a Caribbean spin on sticky ribs with a guava marinade. When Eskort dropped a pack of easy cook riblets, I couldn't help but wonder if the recipe would work with their offering, especially for those lazy days or when a craving for something sweet and spicy hits. Here's a look at how you can make dinner fun and easy with a remix of a pre-marinated dish. SPICY GUAVA RIBS Ingredients 2½ guavas, peeled 1½ chopped chilli pepper 100ml whisky or rum 1kg Eskort BBQ cocktail ribs Instructions Add slices of guava to a blender. You can also use canned guavas. Feel free to remove pips if preferred. Chop chilli pepper and add to the blender. Green chilli peppers or scotch bonnets would be recommended to get the necessary kick and complement the sweetness of the dish. Add the whisky or rum and blend until guava is no longer lumpy. Scoop it out of the blender and baste on one side of the ribs. Place the ribs with the unbasted side facing the bottom of the air fryer (1700W, 5.5 l) and cook for 10 minutes at 180°C. Once it's done, take the ribs out and baste the bottom half. Flip them over and cook for another 10 minutes at 180°C. Once cooked, serve the ribs on a plate and use any leftover sauce to baste the ribs. Serve with a salad and/or bread of your choice.
The Citizen
30-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Citizen
Budget-friendly Vienna stir-fry with 2-minute noodles
It's the end of the month, the budget's looking tight, and you're staring into the fridge wondering what you can throw together without another trip to the shops. That's where this Vienna stir-fry with 2-minute noodles comes in. It's quick, cheap, and surprisingly tasty. A few simple ingredients, a hot pan, and dinner's sorted in no time. Recipe compliments of Eskort. Prep time: 10 min | Cook time: 15 min | Total time: 25 min | Serves: 4 Ingredients 8 Eskort smoked viennas, sliced into 2cm lengths 2 x 68g packets chicken-flavoured 2-minute noodles 500g packet rainbow stir fry vegetable mix 90ml shop-bought sweet and sour sauce Salt, to taste Spring onion, sliced, for garnish Method Cook the 2-minute noodles according to the package instructions, set aside, and keep warm. In a large pan or wok, stir fry the sliced viennas over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Add the 500g stir-fry vegetable mix to the pan and stir fry until just tender but still crisp. Stir in the 90ml sweet and sour sauce and season with salt to taste. Combine the cooked noodles with the stir-fried viennas and vegetables, tossing to mix evenly. Serve hot, topped with sliced spring onion for garnish.
IOL News
29-04-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Eskort expands its retail presence with new stores across South Africa
A South African tucks into pork ribs, which are among the products sold at Eskort's 30 retail stores across the country. The company plans to open four more stores this year. Image: Supplied Eskort is not just about bacon or Viennas; the food processing company behind the brand has added four retail stores across the country in a growth spurt at the end of last year, with more planned for the future. As the manufacturer and processor of iconic antibiotic-free pork products, growing a retail chain may not seem like an obvious path to profit. However, for Eskort, it has proven a successful strategy. The company now operates 30 stores nationwide, with the first one opened in the Western Cape among the four new locations recently launched. Most of these are owned and operated by Eskort, while a handful are run by franchisees. In an interview with BR, Eskort's marketing director, Marcelle Pienaar, said that the company opened its first retail store in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, in 1951, near its first manufacturing facility. The second store followed in the 1970s in Heidelberg, where a second manufacturing plant was established. Pienaar explains that establishing these stores requires careful consideration, as the intention is not to compete with existing retail stores that stock Eskort products. The stores aim to cater to both high and low-income consumers, necessitating strategic positioning. Additionally, production must be scaled up at the manufacturing facilities to supply the stores effectively. High-end shop fittings and colourful packaging create cheerful environments, but a striking aspect is the range available in their open fridges. Pienaar said that while the average supermarket shopper may be familiar with about 40 Eskort products, the Eskort stores carry over 300. 'They're the result of our investment in world-leading technology, as well as the innovative efforts of our in-house team of food technologists and recipe developers,' she said. One of the store favourites are the hampers, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses. As expected from a company founded by a group of farmers in a KwaZulu-Natal "bacon factory" in 1917, bacon remains a staple alongside sausages and Viennas. The stores also offers fresh and braai pork cuts, many targeting the premium market. Pienaar said that Eskort's convenience foods have significantly contributed to driving retail revenue and attracting repeat customers. She adds that pork ranks fourth in the lineup of meat proteins consumed in South Africa, following chicken, beef, and lamb. In contrast, pork is the primary protein in many parts of Europe and most of Asia, which indicates that there is still big potential for increased pork consumption among South Africans. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕
