E. coli outbreak | Highly competitive industry likely contributed to food safety issues at XL Foods, says industry expert
Razor thin margins in the beef packing business likely contributed to the E. coli incident at XL Foods Inc., says an industry veteran. “Packers generally cost their operations in terms of dollars per minute,” said Gerald Third, who spent 32 years in the meat packing business. “That’s how tight these margins are. I can’t stress […] Read moreNews
Thin cattle margins could cause food safety shortcuts
B.C. ag gets $1.5 million for research
$1.5 million | Grain, weed, reclamation projects receive funds
Grain research plots, weed control and forage land reclamation projects are major recipients of funding announced last week by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia. The foundation earmarked $1.5 million in funding for research projects, and the B.C. Grain Producers Association will receive the largest single amount, $520,014. According to a foundation news release, […] Read moreOunce of prevention worth a pound of cure
Biosecurity breaches can cost big bucks. And building the best barn controls can be expensive. However, control measures are available that cost almost nothing and still improve disease control, producers said during the recent Canadian Swine Health Forum. “You can keep people in barns with walkie-talkies,” said Karen Sanders, a farrow-to-finish producer from Watford, Ont. […] Read more
Breeders work to develop camelina cultivars for Prairies
Researchers working to improve the performance of camelina see room for the oilseed in North American crop rotations. The crop’s potential has been touted for several years, but food, nutraceutical and biofuel markets, along with the corresponding acres, have been slow to materialize. Fledgling buyers and processors, regulatory hang-ups and growing competition from carinata seed […] Read more
Declining pea yields send pulse group into action
Experts to study problem | A seed grower blames blight while a plant pathologist says root rot is also a factor
Something is happening to pea yields, and Saskatchewan Pulse Growers is determined to get to the bottom of it. “We are taking some significant efforts to investigate the root causes of this issue and we are developing a plan to address the general (trend) of declining pea yields,” said SPG chair Morgan Nunweiler. The association […] Read morePortable scanner detects bacteria
University of Alberta researchers are studying technology that can detect bacteria on food processing surfaces. The Bactiscan is a portable light source that looks like a large flashlight. It emits four beams of radiation that, when aimed at surfaces, cause bacteria to fluoresce. Actions can then be taken to remove the bacteria. The technology, marketed […] Read more
Ag research a priority for Wall government
$20 million allocated | Value-added processing targeted, Opposition calls announcement a rehash of growth plan
The NDP opposition called it a rehash, and it’s true that the Oct. 25 throne speech to begin the Saskatchewan fall legislative session was mostly a rerun of the growth plan announced a week earlier by premier Brad Wall. Wall told reporters that the lieutenant-governor shouldn’t get to announce all the good things a government […] Read moreXL, budget cuts not linked: Ritz
Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz has denied opposition allegations that funding for food inspection has been cut and challenged his critics to provide the proof. New Democrats pointed to a budget claim of $56 million in cuts to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as part of deficit-reduction efforts. “We’re all looking for efficiencies and that’s […] Read more
CFIA should have played hard ball against XL Foods, says ag minister
Information slow coming Ritz says the Food Safety Act will give the CFIA authority to demand timely information if violations are suspected
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency should have been tougher in demanding information from XL Foods when E. coli was detected in meat from the plant, says agriculture minister Gerry Ritz. At least 16 Canadians reported becoming sick from contaminated meat connected to the plant in Brooks, Alta., although Ritz insisted last week not all of […] Read moreSask. candidate draws short straw in tie-breaker
Name drawn from hat | Unconventional decision part of municipal elections held in Saskatchewan
Two candidates running for a council seat in the Rural Municipality of Swift Current saw their campaigns end with an act of random chance. When the final votes were tallied in the Oct. 24 municipal elections in Saskatchewan, Chad Salter and Chad Tait, running in Division 5, were tied with 54 votes each. Election regulations […] Read more
