Meat Coverage

Tar Heel Traveler: Rayfield Meat Center

The convenience store, breakfast spot and meat market is famous for it's sausage. It has operated since 1967 in the Andson County town of Wadesboro.

Lab-grown meat coming to NC

Cultivated or cultured meat uses cells to grow beef, chicken and lamb without the resources needed to farm and slaughter animals. In 2024, Believer Meats is opening the first large-scale cultivated meat facility in Wilson.

Real meat, without the animal: Lab-grown meat makes its way to NC

Cultivated or cultured meat uses cells to grow beef, chicken and lamb without the resources needed to farm and slaughter animals. In 2024, Believer Meats is opening the first large-scale cultivated meat facility in Wilson.

Liz McLaughlin, WRAL News

Silicon Valley is newest source of 'meat'

No farms, no oops, no pollution, just meat made in a lab.

No sweat: Raleigh-based brothers launch 'Meat Sweats'

Inventiveness combined with a sense of humor led to 'Meat Sweats,' a product birthed by two Raleigh-based brothers with a veteran presence to supplement the barbecue boom.

Ryan Bisesi, WRAL multiplatform producer

Raleigh-based 'Meat Sweats' a welcome addition to the grill

Some inventiveness combined with a sense of humor led to 'Meat Sweats,' a product birthed by two Raleigh-based brothers with a veteran presence to supplement the barbecue boom.

Recall alert: Ham, pepperoni pulled off shelves nationwide

Alexander & Hornung, a business unit of the Perdue premium meat company based out of Michigan, is recalling 200,000 pounds of its sliced ham and pepperoni products over concerns those products could have listeria contamination.

Smithfield Foods to pay fine, develop new plan to prevent infectious disease in meat-packing plants

The company's processing plant in Tar Heel, NC, is its largest, employing 4,500. Workers there told WRAL News in May 2020 that there was no social distancing and that close contacts were not notified when workers fell ill.

By STEPHEN GROVES, Associated Press

What's causing bigger grocery bills? Economists debate causes, length of inflation

Take a closer look at your next grocery store receipt. Prices are going up. From beef to paper towels, everyday household goods simply cost more. Economists differ on when prices will get better.

Rick Armstrong, WRAL photojournalist

Russian hackers likely behind attack on meat supplier

Ransomware attacks in the last few weeks have hiked gas prices and delayed travel. Now, hackers may cause a surge in meat price after the world's largest meat producer, was attacked. Homeland security officials warn these hacks could affect any sector of the U.S. economy.

Experts optmistic about meat supply, despite cyberattack

A ransomware attack on the world's largest meat processing company disrupted production around the world just weeks after a similar incident shut down a U.S. oil pipeline.

Supply chain expert: We need to take cyber security more seriously, but no need to rush out to buy meat

Dr. Robert Handfield, executive director of supply chain resource cooperative at North Carolina State University's Poole College of Management, says hack of meat processor unlikely to cause panic, put pressure on supply.

Private butchers see business boom during coronavirus pandemic

More Americans are buying animals directly from ranchers for the first time and using private butchers.

Contactless cookouts give free meals to Durham residents despite meat shortages

A nonprofit in Durham that hosts "no-contact cookouts" to give food to those in need is not letting food shortages stop them from cooking.

Rick Armstrong, WRAL multimedia journalist

Beef prices continue to soar during summer season

If you thought grocery prices were high a month ago, think again. Just in time for the start of summer, many of the meats we throw on the grill are spiking in price.

Conservation, farm worker groups press Cooper on coronavirus transparency

Eighteen advocacy groups call on the Cooper administration to release and require more information on meat plant coronavirus outbreaks.

Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter

Meatpacking workers: We're feeding America, but we're sacrificing ourselves

Tyson Foods continues to run its processing lines at a breakneck speed, making it impossible for workers to social distance

Triangle area butchers and meat markets

If you are looking for additional resources for buying meat, consider some of these area meat markets, butchers and more.

Undocumented workers at processing plants can't take sick leave, get jobless benefits

COVID-19 is spreading rapidly though meat processing plants in North Carolina as state health and agriculture officials work to keep production lines running.

'We can't stay home': Undocumented meat packers sacrifice safety for paycheck

COVID-19 is spreading rapidly though meat processing plants in North Carolina as state health and agriculture officials work to keep production lines running.

Joe Fisher, WRAL multimedia journalist

Too many animals, but not enough meat?

Ripple effects are being felt due to meat processing plants shut down by COVID-19 outbreaks: too much livestock on farms, but not enough meat on shelves.

White House: Meat supply 'fully back up' in a week

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue says the country has "turned a corner" on the meat shortage problem and he said consumers should be seeing store shelves fully supplied again within a week to ten days.

State workers helping move food to NC tables

State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler says his agency is working to make sure North Carolinians have plenty of food despite supply-chain problems caused by the virus outbreak.

Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief

Some local grocery stories limiting the sale of meat

Several local grocery chains are bracing for meat shortages as COVID-19 halts productions.

Local grocery stores limit amount of meat shoppers can buy

Several local grocery chains are bracing for meat shortages as COVID-19 halts productions.

Aaron Thomas, WRAL reporter