Meatingpoint, the leading provider
of web-based solutions for the buying and selling of meat, today announced that
it has launched in the UK. This follows Meatingpoint’s successful launch in Sweden,
Denmark and Finland in September this year.

From now on, users of Meatingpoint
in the UK will be able to buy and sell meat over the internet, enabling them
to reduce costs significantly. Users can chose to trade via open or exclusive
marketplaces. The open marketplace makes it possible to trade with any of the
Meatingpoint listed buyers and suppliers of meat. The exclusive marketplace
allows companies control over which parties they are trading with, and every
aspect of how that trade is conducted. Whichever way they trade, users will
be able to benefit from Meatingpoint’s language services, which offer instant
translations.

In addition to the marketplace,
Meatingpoint provides a comprehensive news and information service. Meatingpoint
also offers transport services, for example in partnership with Frigoscandia
who are able to guarantee delivery throughout Europe.

Malcolm Morrison, Meatingpoint’s
UK Area Manager, said:

"I am delighted that
Meatingpoint has now launched in the UK. This is a company equipped with an
insider’s knowledge of the meat market coupled with a superior expertise in
technology and e-commerce. In my view, Meatingpoint has a unique focus on making
the entire supply chain more efficient through detailed and easy trading. By
grasping the opportunities that the Internet presents, the UK meat industry
can greatly enhance its competitive position in Europe."

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In conjunction with the
UK launch, it was also announced that Andrew Johnson has been appointed Chief
Executive of Meatingpoint. Andrew Johnson said:

"Today’s launch in
the UK marks an important step in our ongoing European expansion. We believe
that we have a solution that will increase trade and facilitate supply chain
management for meat trading across Europe."

Meatingpoint estimates that
3.0 % of all meat trading in Europe will be transacted online by the year 2003.
This represents an annual turnover of 1.5 billion euros.

For further information,
please contact:

Andrew Johnson, Chief Executive
Meatingpoint: +44 (0) 7801 77 34 39

Malcolm Morrison, UK Area
Manager Meatingpoint: +44 (0) 7801 358 498

Anders Dahlberg, Head of
Business Development: +46 (0) 709 39 44 99

Nik Ekholm, Hill & Knowlton:
+44 (0) 207 973 4446

You can also find more information
at www.meatingpoint.com


Notes to editors

  • Andrew Johnson, Chief
    Executive Meatingpoint
  • Andrew Johnson is the former
    Chief Executive of Dairy Crest Cheese Business where he was responsible for
    2 businesses at 11 sites, supplying 25 % of all UK made cheese. He has also
    been a Business Development Manager, Production Manager and Head of Quality
    Assurance at Mars Inc. His responsibilities at Mars included the implementation
    of production and export control systems for all manufactured and sourced products.

    Most recently, Andrew Johnson
    was Vice President of Transport Services at Alstom S.A. He has also been Divisional
    Chief Executive of the TT Group, in charge of a diversified portfolio of 14
    autonomous businesses on 16 sites in the UK, France, the Netherlands, and Africa.

  • Colin Maclean O.B.E.
    Advisory Board Member Meatingpoint
  • Colin Maclean was Director
    General of the Meat and Livestock Commission from 1992 to 1999. He has also
    been Deputy Managing Director of Glaxo Animal Health, and Area General Manager
    of Unilever. He is Chairman of Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals NHS Trust.

  • Malcolm Morrison, UK
    Area Manager Meatingpoint
  • Malcolm Morrison was Chairman
    of the Livestock Committee of the National Farmers Union of Scotland between
    1997-2000. He has also been Chairman of the Highlands & Islands Committee,
    and has served as a member of the Scottish Meat Industry Liaison Group.

    Meatingpoint

    Established in January 2000
    by executives from the Meat Industry and professionals within IT and E-commerce,
    Meatingpoint is headquartered in Amsterdam. Meatingpoint was made available
    to users in Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Further European launches will follow
    in Ireland, Benelux, Germany, France and Italy. More information can be found
    at www.meatingpoint.com

    Meatingpoint’s transaction
    platform

    Meatingpoint’s transaction
    platform consists of both open and exclusive marketplaces.

    The open marketplace gives
    a standard ordering procedure for trading with any of the Meatingpoint listed
    buyers and suppliers of meat. In addition, users of the marketplace can draw
    from a comprehensive overview of prices, news and products. The open marketplace
    is also an excellent vehicle to reach new markets, and find new customers.

    The exclusive marketplaces
    give companies control over which parties they are trading with, and how that
    trade is conducted. Through the closed marketplace, users can streamline processes
    by having all activities organized in and run from a single hub.

    Users of Meatingpoint can
    of course choose to use both the open and exclusive marketplaces. For example,
    a supplier can expose parts of their catalogue to selected buyers with which
    they have had long standing relationships, whilst exposing by-products to a
    much wider audience in the open marketplace.

    Whether they are buying
    or selling meat, users of Meatingpoint will be able to benefit from a sophisticated
    search and matching mechanism built around a state of the art platform with
    the highest level of security. Meatingpoint’s transaction platform also comprises
    a negotiation protocol.

    Meatingpoint’s services

    Meatingpoint is committed
    to adding value, not only by offering users a transaction platform, but also
    by providing them with specialised services – including news and information,
    marketing and logistical support.

    Meatingpoint’s information
    portal provides the industry with the latest news and prices, as well as an
    industry calendar detailing upcoming events.

    Meatingpoint’s logistical
    services are carried out in partnership with Frigoscandia, who are able to undertake
    express deliveries of meat products throughout Europe.

    As for marketing opportunities,
    Meatingpoint’s web-based transaction platform means that users can promote their
    brand and their products to a global audience without having to invest major
    resources in selling and marketing activities.

    Further information is available
    at www.meatingpoint.com, where meat industry news is published daily.

    Facts & Figures

    Meat is one of the world’s
    most important food sources. The European food market has a turnover of $1400
    billion, and of that, the meat market accounts for a significant proportion.

    Meat
    Trade Turnover
    Total
    world meat trade turnover amounts to $270 billion.
    In Europe alone, the meat trade accounts for $50 billion annually.

    The predictions of the growth
    in online trade of food, including meat trade within Europe are encouraging.
    In 2000, only 0.2% of EU food was traded online but this is set to increase
    to 15.4% by 2005 (Forrester).

    Meatingpoint estimates that
    in three years time, 3.0% of meat in Europe will be traded online.

    The International Meat
    Market

    At present, 75 – 85% of
    meat is traded domestically. The history and geography of meat trading has created
    varying levels of fragmentation European food supply chain.

    The most highly fragmented
    part of the supply chain is the food service sector. Conversely, the food retailing
    sector has undergone a period of consolidation, resulting in a low level of
    fragmentation. The food manufacturing and meat supply sectors have medium levels
    of fragmentation.

    Meanwhile, the increasing
    number of international retail chains has laid the foundations for the emerging
    globalisation of the meat industry. This trend will have a lasting effect on
    retailers’ supply chain as they seek to achieve economies of scale and the quality
    assurance necessary to protect their brand.

    At present, countries such
    as Denmark and Ireland have strong meat export industries, supported by highly
    efficient meat producers. Other European countries have increased their import
    of meat. The historically valued state of self-sufficiency in meat production
    of a nation is therefore no longer a political priority. For this reason, the
    World Trade Organisation is backing attempts to increase the global trade of
    meat products.

    Trends

    The volumes of meat consumption
    are stable but there are shifts between products. The following trends in meat
    consumption have emerged in the last decade:

    • In Western countries,
      white meat consumption is higher than red meat consumption.
    • Across both the developed
      and developing worlds, consumer demand has risen for high quality cuts of
      meat as household incomes have increased.
    • There has been a firm
      establishment of the organic meat market, especially in the UK where demand
      is increasing by 40% per annum, whilst supply is only increasing by 25% per
      annum. The Danish organic meat market has responded to the UK demand, and
      is predicted to increase by more than five times in the next five years.