El Boletón by Paul Knapp 9/16/2011
CUIDADOSO . . . “Thawing Frozen Chicken And Selling It As Fresh Can Result In A Salmonella Outbreak” . . . according to a report in the Caribbean Business edition of 09/08/11. It’s incredible that the guy in charge of the House Consumers Affair Committee, Chairman, Jorge Navarro (Of The Blue Party) could make such a ludicrous statement to the media and it’s even more completely STUPID that a reporter would print the statement without verifying the facts. YOO HOO . . . first of all if fresh chickens are frozen the decrease in temperature levels from fresh to frozen will result in the deterioration of any levels of bacteria. Some bacteria may survive the freezing process and when thawed out and offered for sale under refrigeration, their rate of growth (Salmonella) will be at the normal level of fresh chickens that have not been frozen. The title of the report indicated that “Feathers Fly In Imported VS. Local Fresh Poultry Flap” The only feathers that are “flying” are those of the once again “out of business” Avicultores Canto Alegre – Picu (Avicapri Inc,) Poultry Breeder Coop. As they grope and plead (once again) for government $$ aid and intervention they hide behind their inability to manage a poultry enterprise that at one time was the Pride Of Puerto Rico under the management and control of the late Tony Alvarez and his associates of knowledgeable and dedicated team members and growers. The only local chicken plant in operation at this time cannot keep up with the demand for fresh local To Ricos chickens under the management of Pedro Del Valle and sales and merchandising expertise of Rafael Ramirez. They are not complaining about competition or looking for government assistance. This whole mess of freezing fresh chickens began 10 months ago when Canto Alegre / Picu re-entered the market without a marketing plan (Except For A Great TV Commercial Apparently Created . . Produced . . and . . Financed By Arroz Rico-Pan Am Grain). Canto Alegre / Picu product was “dumped” on the market at reduced prices. Supermarkets that took advantage of the low costs had no other choice to buy the product with limited storage space . . .SO . . . some of the product had to be stored in supermarket freezers. It’s not a government function to use tax payers money to support a non profitable, poorly managed company despite their political alliance. So . . enough already about Ay Bendito Ying Ying Yang Yang Canto Alegre /Picu. And a suggestion for Caribbean Business . . . before you allow yourself to be manipulated and used as a vehicle of misinformation . . . check out the facts before you print intangible and misleading “indiscretions” that are in the article of 09/08/11. And what “visible evidence” was CB looking for when they checked out four supermarkets to determine if there was frozen product being sold as fresh?
This week AMIGO lowers the amount of a cover page special to 300 lbs. per store. To make matters worse they identify the product as “Chicken Legs” but the product is Legs WBP. YOO HOO! DACO wake up. PUEBLO is HOT with fresh pernil delantero at $1.19 lb. Current costs range between $1.25 and $ 1.35 lb. MR. SPECIAL does pernil at $1.25 lb. SUPER/MAX is into a NU WAY to feature a Chuck special with Chuck, California and Chuck T Bone steaks all at $2.17 lb. plus similar cuts (boneless) at higher prices. The only problem with that is customers will go for the California and Chuck T Bone steaks and hold back in buying the Chuck Steaks. I checked out a SUPER/MAX on Thursday and found an over abundance of Chuck Steaks but no Chuck T Bones or Californias. ECONO does Chuck Steaks (U.S./Canada) no grade at $1.98 lb. but their $2.78 lb. price on California steaks is 61 cents higher than the SUPER/MAX price. SELECTOS continues with HOT specials and a great cover page presentation with Mixed frozen chuletas at $1.39 lb. and fresh chickens at 89 lb. Out in the “Land Of Palau” they do Biftec Machacado at $2.48 lb. and Chulets CP at 99 lb. And PITUSA is ”liquidating” three Hyper stores???
PAUL KNAPP T/F 792 4125 . . C/ 640 2694. . em [email protected] BLOG http://boleton.tumblr.com