Hot dogs caught by Maple Leaf Foods’ listeria net were accidentally shipped anyway from a Hamilton processing plant, leading to a relatively small product recall, the company said Tuesday. The recall is for 450-gram packages of Shopsy’s Deli Fresh All Beef frankfurters (product code 20730, UPC 6487520730, best before April 22 and 23) and Maple […] Read more
Recalled wieners were quarantined: Maple Leaf
Maple Leaf narrows Q4 loss
Still smarting from last summer’s major deli meat recall, Maple Leaf Foods was nevertheless able to post a smaller net loss for its fourth fiscal quarter (Q4). The Toronto food manufacturing giant on Tuesday reported a net loss of $14.58 million on $1.34 billion in sales for its Q4 ending Dec. 31, up from a […] Read more
GrainWorld: Hog sector finally seeing some profits
Winnipeg (Resource News International) — Canadian hog producers are starting to see some profitability for the first time in over two years, but whether or not those profits stay is seen depending on the value of the Canadian dollar. Analyst Steve Dziver of Winnipeg-based Phoenix Agri-Tec Inc. told the Canadian Wheat Board’s annual GrainWorld conference […] Read more
Share slaughter funds beyond Alta., Ont.: report
A report from a council tasked with building Manitoba’s cattle slaughter capacity sees serious risk in flowing federal support to the “already overdeveloped” beef sectors in Alberta and Ontario. Following federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s budget in late January, the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council recently released a report on the “Manitoba pillar” in Canada’s federally […] Read more
NFU urges more disclosure on Lakeside deal
If Canada’s Competition Bureau approves the sale of Alberta’s Lakeside beef packing plant to XL Foods, it had better publicly cough up “voluminous and detailed justification” for such a decision, the National Farmers Union says. The NFU on Thursday wrote to the Competition Bureau regarding the sale of Lakeside, the Brooks, Alta. facility owned by […] Read more
U.S. COOL to go ahead under scrutiny
In a move expected to create more uncertainty for importers of Canadian livestock and meat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s final rule on country-of-origin labelling (COOL) will take effect as planned next month. President Barack Obama’s ag secretary, Tom Vilsack, confirmed that much in a release Friday, but Vilsack also published a letter he wrote […] Read more
B.C. beef cattle busted for bud at border
A truckload of beef cattle from British Columbia has been detained in Washington state after US$6 million in marijuana was allegedly found in the floor panels of their trailer. Their truck driver, Edwin Fuller of Langley, B.C., was arrested Tuesday at the Sumas, Wash. border crossing, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a […] Read more
Albertans would buy CO-treated meat: survey
Hamburger packaged with carbon monoxide to keep it cherry-red and fresh-looking would likely win consumers’ acceptance even if they knew that much detail, according to a new University of Alberta study. Modified atmosphere packaging, a process already used in the U.S., seals a small amount of carbon monoxide (CO) gas in a package of fresh […] Read more
Animals neglected at rural grow ops: RCMP
RCMP in Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley say a flock of neglected sheep at a rural marijuana “grow op” marks its second such find this year. The detachment’s street crew unit on Thursday reported that it had visited a rural North Cowichan property near Nanaimo on Wednesday to check on the livestock found there while they […] Read more
We’re not working with R-CALF: NFU
Attending the same meeting on North American livestock trade issues should not imply any coziness or partnership whatsoever with U.S. protectionist ranchers’ group R-CALF USA, according to Canada’s National Farmers Union. NFU directors Neil Peacock and Jan Slomp issued a press release Thursday after statements attributed to both farmers from a recent meeting of 14 […] Read more