Integrated Management Information (IMI Global) Receives USDA Approval for Non-Hormone Treated Cattle Program Required for Europe
12 Dezembro 2006 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Approval Expands IMI's Verification Offerings, Drives New Revenue
Opportunities CASTLE ROCK, Colo., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Integrated Management Information, Inc. (IMI Global) (OTC:INMG)
(BULLETIN BOARD: INMG) , a leading provider of verification and
Internet solutions for the agricultural/livestock industry, today
announced it has received USDA approval of its Non-Hormone Treated
Cattle (NHTC) umbrella program that allows beef from U.S. cattle to
qualify for export to the European Union. IMI Global's Process
Verified Program (PVP) offers beef producers an easy, cost
effective way to comply with E.U. export requirements and re-enter
the lucrative E.U. market, which has been essentially closed to
most American beef since 1989 when the E.U. instituted restrictions
on hormone treated cattle. E.U. market demand was subsequently
filled by South American beef suppliers, which in 2005 accounted
for 90% of the E.U.'s 264,300 tons of imported fresh, frozen and
chilled beef. Brazil was the leading supplier with 60% of the total
and Argentina was second with a 23% share. "USDA approval of IMI
Global represents an important new enhancement to our verification
product portfolio," said Leann Saunders, executive vice president
of quality services with IMI Global. "Our newly approved umbrella
program for NHTC offers producers direct access to a rapidly
growing, value- added market for their cattle in the E.U. It also
provides packers with additional opportunity to optimize carcass
utilization. Initial customer response to our program has been
positive, and we believe this approval will help our customers open
new markets and build new revenue streams while also helping IMI
Global build value for its shareholders." Phil Seng, president and
CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, said, "We have made
significant progress in gaining greater access for U.S. beef to the
European market. Programs like this will help meet market demands
as well as provide greater value to the US beef industry." In
addition to placing stringent requirements on cattle ranchers and
feed yards that hope to export cattle, the E.U. has a comprehensive
set of eligibility criteria that apply to U.S. meat packing
facilities. To date only four U.S. meat packers have received NHTC
approval. One of them is Creekstone Farms. John Stewart, founder of
Creekstone Farms, said, "The E.U. has strict requirements on
facility sanitation and product packaging that can only be met by
the most modern facilities, like the one we have in Arkansas City.
In addition to these sanitation and packaging requirements, an E.U.
approved facility must comply with animal handling and water
quality standards and all livestock is subject to testing for
hormones." Another major U.S. meat packer with NHTC approval is
Tyson Foods, Inc., the nation's largest packer. The company's
Lexington plant shipped NHTC beef to the E.U. in the 1990s and
received renewed E.U. approval in 2005 to resume shipments. "We
have great confidence in the quality and safety of all of our
products and are anxious to resume our beef business in Europe,"
said Roel Andriessen, senior vice president-international for Tyson
Foods. "While our Lexington, Nebraska, plant has approval to export
to Europe, we need a steady supply of E.U. qualified cattle to
resume shipments. We're hopeful some producers in the Lexington
region will take advantage of this opportunity by raising cattle
that meet the required specifications." John Saunders, president
and CEO of IMI Global, said IMI Global's PVP program is the first
approved NHTC umbrella program available to U.S. cattle ranchers
and feed yards. "As more and more packing plants gain NHTC
approval, the demand for NHTC approved cattle is expected to
increase dramatically. Right now cattle producers seeking to enter
the lucrative E.U. market have few options available to them to
meet NHTC requirements. We believe our PVP program is the most
efficient and cost effective of those options. Our aggressive and
successful efforts to gain USDA approved status underscores IMI
Global's commitment to creating value and growth opportunities for
our customers in the cattle industry while at the same time
expanding our own growth opportunities." About IMI Global Founded
in 1995, IMI Global is a leading provider of verification and
Internet solutions for the agricultural/livestock industry. Go to
http://www.imiglobal.com/ for additional information. IMI has
worked with some of the largest agricultural organizations in the
United States, providing web-based applications for verification
and identification as well as a range of consulting services
tailored to meet each customer's needs. IMI operations include
CattleNetwork.com, an online service offering market information
and industry news to the cattle industry, and CattleStore.com, an
online source for livestock supplies, such as animal
identification, medical equipment and veterinarian supplies.
Additional IMI web sites include USVerified.com and AgNetwork.com.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT This news release contains "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, based on current expectations,
estimates and projections that are subject to risk. Forward-
looking statements are inherently uncertain, and actual events
could differ materially from the Company's predictions. Important
factors that could cause actual events to vary from predictions
include those discussed in our SEC filings. Specifically,
statements in this news release about growth, building value, the
impact and efficacy of, and demand for, the Company's products and
services in the marketplace, are forward-looking statements.
Readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update its
forward-looking statements to reflect new information or
developments. For a more extensive discussion of the Company's
business, please refer to the Company's SEC filings at
http://www.sec.gov/. DATASOURCE: Integrated Management Information,
Inc. CONTACT: John Saunders, Chief Executive Officer of Integrated
Management Information, Inc., +1-303-895-3002; or Jay Pfeiffer of
Pfeiffer High Investor Relations, Inc., +1-303-393-7044, for
Integrated Management Information, Inc. Web site:
http://www.imiglobal.com/
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