Bird flu fears in Europe could boost SA ostrich meat exports

According to Johan Stumpf, managing director of Klein Karoo International (KKI), the largest processor and exporter of ostrich products from SA, the focus on avian influenza (AI) as a food safety factor would increase and this could improve the demand for pre-cooked products that were guaranteed to be free of AI.

KKI started producing pre-heated ostrich meat products when the EU placed a ban on raw meat exports from South Africa after an outbreak of H2N1 in 2011.

The SA ostrich industry had already started receiving enquiries from retailers in Europe, said Stumpf.