Slime armour | The organism forms a film on gloves, meat slicers, and other food utensils
TORONTO — Listeria is a nasty, dangerous bug that can be found almost everywhere. “(It) is a very dangerous pathogen,” said food safety microbiologist Dale Grinstead of Sealed Air Corp., a Wisconsin based company that makes protective packaging materials for food, medical equipment and other specialized systems. “It is ubiquitous. This organism is everywhere.” Grinstead […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Class action suit against XL Foods progressing
An Alberta judge has certified a $10 million class action lawsuit against XL Foods. The beef processing company in Brooks, Alta., was involved in Canada’s largest meat recall last year when E. coli O157: H7 contamination sickened 18 people across Canada. About 4,000 tonnes of beef were recalled. Court of Queen’s Bench associate chief justice […] Read more
Alta. releases land use plan
Conserving the South Sask. basin | Landowners can continue to manage their own property
A draft land use plan for southern Alberta includes proposals for more conservation areas, parks and protection of biodiversity in the province’s most heavily populated region. The 150 page South Saskatchewan Regional Plan draft, which covers the South Saskatchewan River basin, was released Oct. 10 in Calgary. “Every day we see growth pressures in this […] Read moreNew owner plans to reopen Alberta beef plant
An Alberta beef plant closed since 2007, could be reopened next year. The former Rancher’s Beef plant at Balzac, Alta., owned by Sunterra Farms, will be sold to Vesta Holdings, a Colorado investment company as of Nov. 1. Vesta owner Rich Vesta predicts the facility could be open by next June, following $18 million worth […] Read more
U.S. company trying to buy closed Rancher’s Beef plant in Alberta
An American company is in negotiations to buy the former Rancher’s Beef, a large processing facility northeast of Calgary that has been shuttered for the last six years. Vesta Holdings of Colorado will invest more than $18 million renovating Rancher’s Beef with plans to take over the plant from owners Sunterra Farms of Acme, Alta., […] Read more
U.S. company trying to buy closed Rancher’s Beef plant in Alberta
An American company is in negotiations to buy the former Rancher’s Beef, a large processing facility northeast of Calgary that has been shuttered for the last six years. Vesta Holdings of Colorado will invest more than $18 million renovating Rancher’s Beef with plans to take over the plant from owners Sunterra Farms of Acme, Alta., […] Read more
Alberta releases draft of South Saskatchewan land use plan
The Alberta government released a final draft of the South Saskatchewan regional land use plan Oct. 8. The plan covers most of southern Alberta from Calgary to the U.S. border. It calls for more parks, protected areas and watershed protection. It affects more than 1.6 million people living in the region and attempts to achieve […] Read more
Alta. lab to study efficiency of ear tag, scanner technology
A Calgary technical school has been selected to evaluate livestock ear tag and scanner technology. A new laboratory at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology becomes the first certified facility in North America to test new tags. The first tests will be for transponders in low frequency ear tags. Tags, boluses and microchips used in […] Read more
Retired couple start career in dairy
SUNDRE, Alta. — When Bob Griebel and Sandy Easterbrook bought their quarter section in the Alberta foothills, they thought they would have time for hiking and enjoying nature. As small mixed farmers, they spend much of their time hiking around the barnyard. Originally from Saskatoon, Griebel is a retired neurosurgeon and Easterbrook was an art […] Read more
Rapid cooling is paramount to food safety
Food-related illnesses | Dropping temperature of prepared food poses challenges for processors
TORONTO — As families struggled to make ends meet during the 2008 recession, there was also a spike in food poisoning. More people were eating leftovers that were not always cooled or reheated properly, said Keith Warriner of the University of Guelph’s department of food science. The matter of food borne illness was discussed at […] Read more
