Two more states whose migrating birds’ flight paths cross over much of the Prairies and Ontario now have outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian flu in commercial turkeys. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Tuesday expanded its restrictions on cross-border imports of U.S. birds, eggs and uncooked poultry products to include those from Missouri. The […] Read more
H5N2 avian flu spreads down Mississippi flyway
Canada blocking poultry, eggs from Minnesota
Discovery of H5N2 avian flu at a commercial turkey operation in central Minnesota has led Canada to curb cross-border imports of poultry and eggs from the state. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Friday announced restrictions blocking any raw poultry or poultry products or byproducts that aren’t fully cooked. Such products — including eggs […] Read more
Costco working to end use of human antibiotics in chicken
Chicago | Reuters — Costco Wholesale Corp. is working toward eliminating the sale of chicken and meat from other animals raised with antibiotics that are vital to fighting human infections, senior executives at the third-largest U.S. retailer told Reuters on Thursday. The ongoing push by Costco, which sells 80 million rotisserie chickens a year, highlights […] Read more
H5N2 avian flu found in Minnesota turkey flock
U.S. officials have confirmed a commercial turkey flock in central Minnesota to be the first in the Mississippi flyway with a highly pathogenic strain of H5N2 avian flu. The high-path strain is confirmed as the same seen in recent months in backyard flocks and wild birds in the Pacific flyway states of Washington, Oregon and […] Read more
Free quota allows producers to break into the egg industry
With the cost of quota north of $300 per bird, the New Entrant Program offers producers a way to beat the biggest barrier to egg production
Reading Time: 4 minutes Richard Molenaar wouldn’t have even considered becoming an egg farmer without free quota. “If we weren’t accepted for the New Entrant Program, we wouldn’t be doing it. I know that for a fact,” said Molenaar, who farms near Grande Prairie with wife Mandy and his parents. “Unless you’re born into an egg farm, you’re probably […] Read more
McDonald’s to ‘evaluate’ antibiotic use in Canadian chicken
The Canadian arm of fast-food giant McDonald’s isn’t yet moving to follow its U.S. counterpart’s plans to phase out use of certain antibiotics on chickens in its supply chain. The U.S. chain announced Wednesday it would move, over the next two years, to only purchase chicken “raised without antibiotics that are important to human medicine.” […] Read more
McDonald’s to phase out human antibiotics from U.S. chicken supply
Reuters — McDonald’s U.S. restaurants will gradually stop buying chicken raised with antibiotics vital to fighting human infections, the most aggressive step by a major food company to change chicken producers’ practices in the fight against dangerous “superbugs.” The world’s biggest restaurant chain announced on Wednesday that within two years, McDonald’s USA will only buy […] Read more
Killers sought in deaths of 300,000 chickens in South Carolina
Charleston | Reuters –– Revenge may be the motive for the killings in South Carolina of more than 300,000 commercial chickens worth about $1.7 million over the past two weeks, authorities said Monday. Birds have been found dead of unnatural causes in 16 chicken houses at six farms that grow chickens for Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., […] Read more
CFIA shrinks restricted zone in B.C. avian flu outbreak
Quarantines ending on poultry and egg farms in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley have allowed federal officials to slightly pull back their zone coverage against the spread of avian flu. As of last Thursday (Feb. 12), federal quarantines are lifted on five of the 11 commercial broiler, turkey and egg farms that were confirmed in December to be […] Read more
Love to eat eggs? U.S. panel now says they’re not a health risk
New York | Reuters — Egg and red meat lovers may find reason to rejoice in a decision by a U.S. advisory health panel to remove warnings about dietary cholesterol, saying that there is no link to dangerous levels of blood cholesterol that cause disease. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee until now had recommended that […] Read more
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