Liver might not be what's for dinner in the United States, but it's a popular item in Egypt, and researchers at Colorado State University have helped it stay that way.
U.S. beef exports of organ meats regained strength in the Middle Eastern country after animal science researchers at Colorado State University persuaded the Egyptian government to extend its shelf life expiration dates for frozen imports.
The feat, while seemingly small, has ultimately benefited Colorado cattle ranchers and meat packagers who are still recovering after the 2003 diagnosis of mad cow disease in the United States dealt a serious blow to exports.
"It was a very, very good study, which obviously helped our customers and helped us as packers," said Mark Gustafson, vice president of international sales for Swift & Company, one of the country's largest meat packagers, in Greeley.
Animal science professors Keith Belk and John Scanga tested frozen meats for bacteria growth and rancidity and found that they could last for up to a year without significant degradation in quality.
After presenting their findings to the Egyptian government, the country changed shelf-life requirements from four months to 320 days, or almost 10 months, in 2006.
"The idea behind it was that Egypt had some unscientific laws that limited exports," Belk said.
As a result, beef organ exports to Egypt increased 48 percent in the first three months of the year from the same period last year, Belk said.
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