*USDA's latest report on the 'problem' of meat industry concentration has the hollow ring of a campaign commercial * By Dan Murphy, Contributing Editor Like "negative campa

*With amber waves of grain in shortage, experts believe the food and meat industries could be in dire straits.* by Larry Aylward, managing editor Most Americans who shop at

*Supermarket demand for fresh, case-ready red meat is growing, but products must effectively meet retailers' needs* by Bryan Salvage, editor Many executives in the meat pac

by Bryan Salvage, editor When it comes to maintaining and enhancing meat safety, no other link in the meat chain is more scrutinized by consumers than the fast-food segment.

*FDA has approved a synthetic, tasty fat replacer for use in salty snack foods. Is it applicable to meat products?* by Larry Aylward, managing editor Junk-food connoisseurs

*NCBA's new marketing center may be the best thing to hit the retail meat department since boxed beef* by Dan Murphy, contributing editor On the industry's agenda of "thing

*The beef industry continues to be frustrated in its efforts to regain market share from pork and poultry* by Ken Krizner, senior editor It wasn't too difficult to decipher

*Properly freezing meat products will lead to improved quality, quantity and sales* After spending the previous decade in stagnation, the frozen-food case has rebounded in the 1990

*If you're instituting a HACCP program, don't forget to include an efficient dehorning process.* Any beef packer in the process of implementing a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point

*Gas formation in vacuum packaged refrigerated meat products remains a prolem, but can be dealt with.* by Charles F. Cook Charles F. Cook Ph.D. is managing partner of Cook and Thurb