WINNIPEG – Ground beef that contains pork may be mislabeled, but it’s not dangerous, says federal agriculture minister Ralph Goodale.
Scientists at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro, N.S. found in a recent study that 18 percent of 453 samples of ground meat purchased in grocery stores in the province and labeled as beef contained other meat, mainly pork.
While most of the cases contained only traces of meat other than beef, one sample was nearly one-third pork.
Goodale last week emphasized that consumers should not misinterpret the results.
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“The important thing to underscore is this is not a health or safety issue,” he said. “This is a matter of labeling and an economic issue.”
New test
The Nova Scotia scientists used a new technology that’s able to measure the precise percentage of non-beef products in ground meat.
The technology normally used by Agriculture Canada in regular testing identifies cases where foreign product content exceeds one percent.
Art Olson, assistant deputy minister of agriculture responsible for the food inspection division, said the department tested an additional 70 samples in the Atlantic region and found impurities in 15 to 20 percent.
The department sent warning letters to the businesses involved and in later tests of 43 samples from Atlantic Canada, none showed any foreign product content. Nor did any of the 77 samples tested elsewhere in the country.
“The warning letters had their impact. The people who were not in compliance obviously came into compliance pretty rapidly.”
Olson said in most cases the irregularities were the result of improper cleaning of grinding machines.
Olson said the federal department has been in contact with the Nova Scotia college and finds the new technology “quite interesting.”
Goodale said while Agriculture Canada’s tests are high calibre, it is looking for better methods.
