Recall of U.S. ground beef spurred by E. coli-related death
One person has died in the U.S. from Escherichia coli O26 contamination linked to ground beef, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Seventeen others have also become sick...
View ArticleFarm visit connects culinary art students to their food
What do you do when two busloads of students come to your farm? Well, of course you welcome them, show them around, and feed them lunch. On a rainy day during harvest, students from Saskatchewan...
View ArticleLatest public trust survey suggests animal welfare concerns on the rise
The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity rolls out its latest public trust data this week in conjunction with its third annual Public Trust Summit, being held at Gatineau, Quebec. The centre conducted...
View ArticleConsumers, farmers, and industry all benefit from a trusted regulatory system
Regulations are often disliked by by both producers and consumers. Producers think there is too much red tape and consumers think regulators are too accommodating to business. But when the regulatory...
View ArticleFederal government supports two agriculture public trust initiatives
The news Parliamentary secretary Jean-Claude Poissant, on behalf of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay, was in Gatineau, Quebec, this week to announce funding for two projects...
View ArticleGet your Safe Food license ahead of 2019 regulation change
If you export or import food products across federal or provincial boundaries you’ll need to obtain a Safe Food for Canadians license soon. New regulations governing food exports come into effect as...
View ArticleWho’s responsible for what in the Canadian sheep traceability system?
The Canadian Sheep Federation and the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) recently reached an agreement outlining the roles and responsibilities of each group in delivery of the Canadian Sheep...
View ArticleLacy the detecter dog gets 13/10 for stopping pork products at Ottawa airport
A four-legged friend is being commended for her perfect sniffing skills at the Ottawa airport. Lacy the detector dog sniffed out undeclared pork products from a traveller who came from a region that is...
View ArticleSheepChain pilot project provides proof-of-concept, Canadian value chain...
In a recent proof-of-concept field trial, the Canadian Sheep Federation partnered with SheepChain LLC to demonstrate how the Canadian sheep industry can capitalize on blockchain-based traceability to...
View ArticleNew Mexico dairy to euthanize 4,000 cows following well contamination
In August of last year Art Shaap’s life and livelihood changed in a heart beat. It was then that the owner of Highland Dairy in Clovis, New Mexico, started dumping 15,000 gallons of milk each day...
View ArticleStudy launched to evaluate withdrawal interval of meloxicam in veal production
Researchers in Ontario are working on establishing safe use guidelines for meloxicam, a pain relief and anti-inflammatory medication, in grain-fed veal production. The product is currently approved for...
View ArticleBusinesses that break food safety rules could be fined up to $15,000
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has announced it will be fining food businesses for violating federal food safety rules. Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMP) can range from a notice of...
View ArticleHow perceptions of agriculture can impact Canada’s 2019 election
What do Canadians think of our agriculture and agri-food industry as the calendar closes in on a federal election later this year? A new poll published this week by Grassroots Public Affairs offers...
View ArticleHealth Canada warns farmers to stop using “purple spray”
Often prescribed for curing thrush and other fungal infections of humans and a common ingredient in foot and hoof treatments for livestock, Health Canada has come out and said gentian violet increases...
View ArticleFeds announce funds for food fraud crack down
What do honey, olive oil, and organic food have in common? They’re high on the list of food fraud cases in Canada. Food fraud, defined as mislabeling and misrepresentation of food products to deceive...
View ArticleTattoos or GMOs? Scenes From the ‘Natural Foods’ Section
The “Natural Foods” section of any grocery store is a truly fascinating place. Here you find clusters of people intently reading fine print ingredient labels and sorting through the growing number of...
View ArticleLet’s Put Food Cost in Context: Canadians Get a Sweet Deal
If you believe the headlines this week, Canadians will soon not be able to afford to eat. Fruit and vegetables will be beyond an ordinary person’s capacity to pay and consumers wanting to chomp down on...
View ArticleFood Safety is More Robust with Beefed-Up Support
Guess how many people are entrusted to answer more than 1,500 queries a year from veterinarians across Canada asking case-specific, time-sensitive questions about withdrawal times for extra-label use...
View ArticleOntario Farm and Food Sectors Team Up to Tackle Sustainability
The media firestorm caused by Earls Kitchen + Bar’s pursuit of the “Certified Humane” standard has quickly become a cautionary tale for both the farm and food industry. It’s a situation a coalition of...
View ArticleHealth Canada Renews Proposal to Allow Irradiation of Ground Beef
Update: Health Canada formally announced its proposal to approve irradiation of fresh and frozen ground beef on June 17th. A 75-day consultation period with Canadians will end on September 1, 2016. The...
View ArticleKeep an Eye on the Customer While on the Combine
A guest editorial by Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada. Warren Buffet, once quipped “it takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things...
View ArticleTeens Taking Chances with Food Safety — And We’re All Affected
Safety is one of the key selling points that agriculture uses to promote food produced on Canadian farms. It’s often mentioned in the same breath as freshness, wholesomeness and nutrition, mirroring...
View ArticleHealth Canada Approves Irradiated Fresh and Frozen Ground Beef
Recognizing irradiation as a safe and effective treatment to reduce bacteria in ground beef, Health Canada has published new regulations allowing the sale of irradiated fresh and frozen raw ground...
View ArticleCFIA’s Mixed Priorities Holding Back Canadian Agriculture
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is one of the cornerstones of food safety in Canada. Federal inspectors monitor meat and food processing plants, feed mills, and even farms. But beyond what...
View ArticleIs Glyphosate the Next Honeybee?
When I’m knee-deep (ankle, for most of you) in discussions about challenges in agriculture, I often ask, “What’s the next bee?” I’m used to the funny looks I get, but what I mean, once I clarify, is...
View ArticleKrajnc acquitted of criminal mischief charge in pig transport trial
Despite the defence creating over-the-top, headline-grabbing statements in court and using arguments not based on science, Justice David Harris has acquitted activist Anita Krajnc on the charge of...
View ArticleCBC runs a story smearing University of Saskatchewan professor for alleged...
As universities encourage researchers to collaborate with industry, activists are looking to discredit academics they declare to be compromised. This week, an American anti-GMO activist organization,...
View ArticleNeither side wins with ‘Pig Trial’ verdict
The recent court case of Anita Krajnc, informally called the “Pig Trial,” has come to a close, and the farming community leaves the courtroom with disappointment. Sort of. Rather than a one-sided legal...
View ArticleThe case for human intervention in nature
Over the past couple of decades, those who make a profit off of the environment — farmers, ranchers, miners, and loggers — have seen a fair amount of negative publicity. As people involved in some of...
View ArticleCanadians want GMOs labeled, study suggests
While consumer opinion is split on the health and safety of food and food ingredients derived from genetic modification (GMOs), the majority of Canadians support labeling foods that contain GMOs,...
View ArticleMind Your Farm Business — Ep 32: Putting a value on public trust
If we can’t manage what we can’t measure, how do we approach the very real risk of losing public trust in how food gets grown? “Public trust is one of those things where we don’t know the full value of...
View ArticleFood Truths From Farm to Table addresses food guilt, shares farmers’ stories
If the conversation around farming and food is really going to change for the better, we have to get past talking to each other and reach out to our customers. In writing her book, Food Truths From...
View ArticleNew food safety regulations finalized for cross-border sales
What’s new The Safe Food for Canadians Act was drafted in 2012 and on Wednesday, after years of industry consultation and review, the regulations were finalized. The federal government has consolidated...
View ArticleGetting involved in the conversation with Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan
Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan was launched in 2015 to foster conversations with people in Saskatchewan about food and farming. We recently had a chance to catch up with Clint Monchuk, Executive...
View ArticleCFIA prioritizing critical food safety work during COVID-19 pandemic
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it’s prioritizing critical services to preserve the integrity of Canada’s food safety system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with that, the agency says it...
View ArticleCFIA offering flexibility on compliance with upcoming food safety rules
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says until further notice, it will not be placing a priority on compliance with new food safety regulations that are set to take effect this summer. New rules for...
View ArticleProcessing industry collaborating to keep meat coolers stocked
Meat coolers are going to look a lot different as we navigate COVID-19, but according to the Canadian Meat Council, each step of the livestock processing chain is collaborating, communicating, and...
View ArticleAlberta modernizes meat inspection regulations
Amendments to Alberta’s Meat Inspection Regulations could mean greater access for consumers to locally produced meat while still maintaining food safety standards, the province says. Alberta...
View ArticleFederally-inspected Ontario slaughter plant gets new life with new owners
The former Frey’s slaughter facility at Mount Forest, Ontario, will re-open soon as Local Harvest Ontario, with a focus on beef and lamb for the Toronto area and beyond. Brian Read, vice president and...
View ArticleHow a pandemic has accelerated some food trends, while slowing others
Dr. David Hughes, aka Dr. Food, has travelled the world speaking about the business of food and drink. Recently, he didn’t have to travel far from his home in Wales — only as far as his armchair — to...
View ArticleFederal government adds $11.6 million to Ontario’s workplace protection program
The federal government has stepped in to top up provincial funding for workplace health and safety measures on-farm in Ontario. Agriculture and Agri-Food minister Marie-Claude Bibeau previously...
View ArticleAg processing sector struggling to fill job vacancies
Statistics Canada’s recent September job market data is reassuring. Overall, employment in the country increased in September, creating 378,000 jobs, the majority of which were full-time jobs. This...
View ArticleFeed additive research will target E. coli infection in pigs
Scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Western University have teamed up with PlantForm Corporation to develop an edible antibody therapeutic that will protect human and animal health by...
View ArticleLet’s talk about butterfat, palm oil, and customer feedback
While there are people on social media trying to cast a shadow on the quality and safety of Canadian butter due to a perceived change in its melting point, industry experts say butter consistency,...
View ArticleFarm trespassing bill passes second reading in House of Commons
A Conservative private member’s bill that aims to address the risks from biosecurity breaches and trespassing on farms was approved at the second reading stage in the House of Commons on Wednesday....
View ArticleRealAg LIVE! with Christina Crowley-Arklie on the mainstream perception of...
How did one tweet change an entire conversation surrounding butter in this country? What role did social media play in this thing called #buttergate? What can we, as an industry, learn from one...
View ArticleAgriculture wins big when Canadians visit the farm, says poll
Seven in 10 Canadians have never visited an operational commercial farm, but those who have had the opportunity form positive perceptions of modern agriculture. That’s one of the findings emerging from...
View ArticleHow Canada’s agri-food system policies need to adjust for new global realities
Over the past few years the phrase “unprecedented times” has been used often and for good reason. There has been a continual domino effect of global events that has put a unique strain on many things,...
View ArticleCanadian beef products approved for export to Brazil for the first time since...
Canada has once again been approved to export not only live cattle, but also beef products, to Brazil, who shut the doors on Canadian beef exports after Canada confirmed a case of BSE in 2003. Based on...
View ArticleTelling the farm story is critical in a growing age of misinformation
Misinformation is nothing new. Humans have been stretching the truth since the beginning of time, but the growing amount of misinformation generated today and the speed at which it moves is one of the...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....