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 increase in September brought our total employment to 720,000, shy of the level we had before the pandemic. Obviously, children being back to school has helped bring some… Read More
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 announced $35 million for a federally-administered program, and this week, announced $11.6 million for the Ontario version — the Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program (EAWPP). Originally announced in… Read More
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 deliver his message as the opening keynote speaker at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference, held online… Read More
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 general manager of the plant, is very excited about the prospect of getting the plant up and running. Read has run… Read More
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 Agriculture and Forestry minister Devin Dreeshen has announced regulation changes to give operators more flexibility to meet legislated requirements. “Alberta produces the world’s best beef, pork, and poultry products,… Read More
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 committed to keeping food moving to grocery stores. Chris White, president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council, says the livestock processing sector is… Read More
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 manufactured foods under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations are set to come into force on July 15, 2020. However, due… Read More
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 has temporarily suspended “low-risk activities that do not immediately impact the production of safe food for Canadians.” The list of critical activities includes the following:… Read More
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 consumers or create unfair competition, may cost the global food industry between $10 and $15 billion per year, affecting about 10%… Read More
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 the risk of cancer and is urging everyone — farmers included — to stop using any products that include the ingredient. Following a… Read More
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 insight into Canadian public opinion on a range of agricultural issues and policies. Overall, Grassroots principal and senior consultant Peter Seemann says… Read More
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 violation with no monetary fine to as serious as up to $15,000 for serious offences or repeat violators. The penalties have been used in the… Read More
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 use in dairy and beef cattle, but not for veal as there is no established withdrawal interval. Two University of Guelph professors, Dr. Ron Johnston and Dr. Dave… Read More
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 because his animals and seven of his 13 wells had been contaminated with runoff from the nearby Cannon Air… Read More
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 add value to Canadian lamb. Canada is the first sheep industry to manage the technology in a real-world setting, tracking lamb from pasture to plate, according to the… Read More
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