Meat packer Olymel is set to close a chapter in its acquisition history when it shuts down two Montreal-area pork further-processing plants it bought five years ago. Olymel, a division of ag co-operative Sollio, announced Wednesday it will close the former Aliments Triomphe plant at Blainville and its sister plant about 18 km southeast at […] Read more

Olymel to shut two pork processing plants
Triomphe ham, deli meat plants to close in late April

The end of pink ham? France to cut use of nitrite in cured meats
Paris | Reuters — France’s parliament has approved a bill that aims to gradually reduce the use of nitrite in cured meats and has ordered a review of the potential health risks by the end of June. Nitrite salts are widely used in cured meats such as ham, bacon and sausages, extend the shelf life […] Read more

Expansions boost Maple Leaf plant’s bacon offerings
Pre-cooked bacon capability sets up Winnipeg plant as 'bacon centre of excellence'
The Winnipeg pork further-processing plant previously earmarked as Maple Leaf Foods’ “ham centre of excellence” now gets the same billing for bacon. The major Toronto meat processor announced Tuesday it had completed a $182 million, 73,000-square foot expansion at its Lagimodiere Boulevard prepared meats plant, to “significantly” increase its bacon production capacity. The expansion, Maple […] Read more

Maple Leaf to buy Quebec pepperoni processor
Meat processor Maple Leaf Foods plans to boost its space in the pepperoni and dry-cured meats market with a deal for Montreal-based Viau Foods. Toronto-based Maple Leaf announced Tuesday it will pay $215 million, including $30 million in Maple Leaf shares, for Viau, which today bills itself as “Canada’s most important independent producer of pepperoni.” […] Read more

JBS to buy U.S. pork processor Plumrose
U.S. ham and bacon processor Plumrose is set to become an arm of major Brazilian meatpacker JBS. JBS, whose holdings include one of Canada’s biggest beef packing plants at Brooks, Alta., announced Monday it has an agreement in place to buy Plumrose from Danish co-operative Danish Crown for US$230 million. The deal would give JBS […] Read more

Olymel ham consolidation spurs more plant upgrades
Meat packer Olymel’s plans to consolidate its ham production work has led to a new round of plant upgrades. Olymel, the protein arm of Quebec agricultural co-operative La Coop federee, announced Wednesday it has budgeted $3 million in “redevelopment” work for its Beauce-region hog slaughter plant at Vallee-Jonction, about 60 km southeast of Quebec City. […] Read more

Olymel pork plant to get $11 million in upgrades
Pork and poultry packer Olymel has budgeted $11 million in expansions and new equipment for a Quebec sausage processing plant to handle hams and other smoked meats and boost its output by about 50 per cent. The company, part of agrifood and ag retail co-operative La Coop federee, announced Thursday that upgrades are expected to […] Read more