Ralph Cator
Joining Meat Hall's Class of 2010 - Canadian Meat Business
Joining Meat Hall's Class of 2010 - Canadian Meat Business
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
September/October 2010<br />
<strong>Ralph</strong> <strong>Cator</strong><br />
Joining Meat Hall's Class of 2010<br />
Canada's Sodium<br />
Reduction Strategy<br />
Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement 41689029<br />
Return undeliverable copies to: 7-1080 Waverley Street, WPG, MB, R3T 5S4<br />
Temple Grandin Wins<br />
Big at Emmys<br />
Guest Editorial:<br />
Building a True National<br />
Food Strategy<br />
pg.5<br />
meatbusiness.ca $6.00
201 Don Park Road Unit 1, Markham, Ontario, L3R 1C2<br />
Phone: 905-470-1135 1-800-465-3536 Fax: 905-470-8417<br />
Website: www.yesgroup.ca email: sales@yesgroup.ca<br />
Remco and The Yes Group<br />
Protecting your Customers<br />
Remco products are colour-coded to help<br />
divide the production cycle into different zones.<br />
By identifying these zones as different cleaning<br />
areas, the movement of bacteria around the<br />
production area can be blocked.<br />
Our products were developed with<br />
the Hazard Analysis Critical<br />
Control Point (HACCP) in mind.<br />
No matter what colour-coding plan is<br />
implemented, Remco Products from The Yes<br />
Group provides significant added value at no<br />
additional cost. From scoops to squeegees, from<br />
brushes to shovels, we have the products and<br />
the colours to enhance any professional quality<br />
assurance program.
Volume 9, Number 5 September/October 2010<br />
5 Guest Editorial<br />
by Robert de Valk<br />
6 Hold the Salt: Health Canada’s new sodium strategy<br />
by Alan MacKenzie<br />
9 Joining the Class of 2010: <strong>Ralph</strong> <strong>Cator</strong><br />
6<br />
12 Temple Grandin Wins Big at TV Awards Show<br />
14 The Evolution of a Classic Pairing: Wine-fed beef<br />
by Alan MacKenzie<br />
16 The Value of Challenge and Shelf-Life Studies<br />
by Dawn Van Dam<br />
17 Raising Awareness of Canadian Beef with Chefs<br />
18 Assembly Line<br />
20 Cross Country News<br />
22 Early vs. Late Calving<br />
by Debbie Lockrey-Wessel<br />
24 One Step Closer: Novel genes combat costly poultry disease<br />
by Debbie Lockrey-Wessel<br />
26 Manitoba Urges Producers to Target Halal and Kosher Markets<br />
by Alan MacKenzie<br />
28 Industry Roundup<br />
30 Canadian Beef: Goodness in Every Bite<br />
by Susan Evans<br />
9<br />
34 Meat Industry Business Watch<br />
by Gerry Kaplan<br />
12<br />
14<br />
meatbusiness.ca<br />
September/October 2010 Canadian Meat Business
| Guest Editorial |<br />
September/October 2010 Volume 9 Number 5<br />
PUBLISHER<br />
Ray Blumenfeld<br />
ray@meatbusiness.ca<br />
EXECUTIVE EDITOR<br />
Alan MacKenzie<br />
alan@meatbusiness.ca<br />
ADVERTISING SALES<br />
Sam Mayer<br />
sam@meatbusiness.ca<br />
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS<br />
Robert de Valk, Dawn Van Dam, Debbie<br />
Lockrey-Wessel, Susan Evans, Gerry Kaplan<br />
CREATIVE DIRECTOR<br />
Krista Rutledge<br />
FINANCE<br />
Jerry Butler<br />
Canadian Meat Business is published<br />
six times a year by We Communications West Inc.<br />
COMMUNICATIONS WEST INC.<br />
We Communications West Inc.<br />
7-1080 Waverley Street<br />
Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 5S4<br />
Phone: 204.985.9502 Fax: 204.582.9800<br />
Toll Free: 1.800.344.7055<br />
E-mail: publishing@meatbusiness.ca<br />
Website: www.meatbusiness.ca<br />
Canadian Meat Business subscriptions are<br />
available for $28.00/year or $46.00/two years<br />
and includes the annual Buyers Guide issue.<br />
©2010 We Communications West Inc.<br />
All rights reserved.<br />
The contents of this publication may not be<br />
reproduced by any means in whole or in part,<br />
without prior written consent from the publisher.<br />
Printed in Canada.<br />
ISSN 1715-6726<br />
Cover Photo: Cardinal Meat Specialists<br />
Building a True<br />
National Food Strategy<br />
I<br />
t seems that over the last 30<br />
years there have been numerous<br />
attempts at developing a national<br />
food strategy (NFS). All these efforts<br />
produced many good ideas and there<br />
are many similar themes found in<br />
each. What usually is missing, however,<br />
is the fundamental recognition by<br />
all players that Canada’s agricultural<br />
endowments are a key asset upon which<br />
Canadian prosperity and economic<br />
success depends and, therefore, should<br />
have a higher priority standing.<br />
For example, agriculture and food<br />
resources should have the same status<br />
politically and economically as oil and<br />
gas, lumber and minerals. After all, the<br />
food industry is one of Canada’s largest<br />
employers and it makes a significant<br />
contribution to the Canadian economy.<br />
Yet, although agriculture has its own<br />
minister federally and provincially, no<br />
department or minister represents the<br />
beyond the farmgate food industry.<br />
Agriculture ministers often add<br />
food to their departments, but such<br />
additions are usually more cosmetic<br />
than real. A credible and lasting food<br />
strategy must recognize and correct<br />
both these deficiencies. Making<br />
food a higher priority is particularly<br />
essential for Canada since agriculture<br />
and food is a shared jurisdiction. The<br />
only successful agriculture program to<br />
overcome the shared jurisdiction issue<br />
is the federal supply management<br />
programs.<br />
Perhaps this approach of combining<br />
powers into one national agency<br />
needs to be more broadly applied to<br />
achieve a truly national food industry.<br />
This does not mean more production<br />
and pricing powers should be put in<br />
the hands of only farmers, but rather<br />
that the entire food production and<br />
distribution chain works together on<br />
a national basis under one umbrella.<br />
The current value chain round tables<br />
are a good example but they are<br />
limited to examining areas under<br />
federal jurisdiction. Much has been<br />
tried and hopefully learned from past<br />
efforts at building a food strategy and<br />
now such efforts have become even<br />
more complicated as environmental,<br />
health and animal welfare issues<br />
have to be encompassed in a holistic<br />
approach. The past efforts have been<br />
driven mainly by government.<br />
CFA's new attempt<br />
In the new attempt at an NFS by the<br />
Canadian Federation of Agriculture<br />
(CFA) the foundation mentioned<br />
above is still missing – however the<br />
ten principles developed so far are<br />
well thought out. If the consultation<br />
phase now taking place with the entire<br />
food industry is equally successful,<br />
the possibility of developing a<br />
meaningful NFS is real. The key will<br />
be the degree of buy-in achieved from<br />
federal and provincial governments<br />
as well as industry participants. How<br />
to implement the principles will need<br />
to be worked out later. However, if<br />
we can get the governments to agree<br />
to the principles put forward by a<br />
united Canadian food industry all<br />
sending the same message, a true NFS<br />
may finally be put in place. This will<br />
allow Canada’s full potential as a food<br />
producer to be reached and allow<br />
Canada to take its rightful place among<br />
the food producers of the world.<br />
It will also make it easier to allow<br />
both provincial and federal plants to<br />
ship meat and poultry to Canadian<br />
consumers, as the differences<br />
between such plants would disappear.<br />
Anyone producing food in Canada or<br />
importers of food into Canada should<br />
be subject to the same rules and food<br />
safety criteria. These are all elements<br />
of a sound NFS.<br />
Finally, the strategy should ensure<br />
that sufficient resources are in place<br />
to carry out effective enforcement by<br />
the CFIA. The enforcement aspect of<br />
food policy is often an afterthought.<br />
Let’s make it part of the process this<br />
time.<br />
Robert de Valk is an Ottawa-based food<br />
consultant who has served the Canadian meat<br />
and poultry industry for over 25 years.<br />
Cert no. SW-COC000952<br />
meatbusiness.ca<br />
September/October 2010 Canadian Meat Business
Salt<br />
Hold the<br />
Health Canada working group makes recommendations toward reducing<br />
Canada’s overall sodium intake.<br />
By Alan MacKenzie<br />
H<br />
ealth Canada’s federally<br />
mandated Sodium Working<br />
Group (SWG) in July released<br />
the Sodium Reduction Strategy for<br />
Canada, a report that contains a “threepronged<br />
approach,” six overarching<br />
recommendations and 27 specific<br />
recommendations to reduce sodium<br />
intake among Canadians.<br />
The group said the average Canadian<br />
consumes 3,400 mg of sodium per day<br />
– more than double what is needed<br />
according to Health Canada guidelines.<br />
“The Sodium Reduction Strategy for<br />
Canada has an interim sodium intake<br />
goal of a population average of 2,300 mg<br />
of sodium per day to be achieved by 2016,”<br />
group member Dr. Norm Campbell of the<br />
University of Calgary said in a release.<br />
The group also noted there is a<br />
significant body of evidence linking high<br />
sodium intake to elevated blood pressure,<br />
cardiovascular disease, strokes and kidney<br />
disease. There is also evidence to suggest<br />
that a diet high in sodium is a risk factor<br />
for osteoporosis, stomach cancer and<br />
asthma. The group estimates that<br />
commercially processed foods currently<br />
account for 77 per cent of sodium<br />
intake.<br />
The three prongs outlined in the<br />
strategy are: research, education and a<br />
structured voluntary reduction of sodium<br />
levels in processed foods and foods sold<br />
at foodservice.<br />
The SWG was established in late<br />
2007 and includes representatives from<br />
food manufacturing and foodservice<br />
industry groups, health-focused nongovernmental<br />
organizations, the scientific<br />
community, consumer advocacy groups,<br />
health professional organizations and<br />
government representatives.<br />
Each of these representatives heads a<br />
sub-working group that deals specifically<br />
Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010<br />
meatbusiness.ca
with his or her sector – Mary Ann Binnie<br />
of the Canadian Meat Council (CMC)<br />
leads one looking at sodium in processed<br />
meat products. While fresh meat is<br />
naturally low in sodium, many processed<br />
meats have high levels due to salts and<br />
phosphates that are added to improve<br />
flavour and functionality, as well as for<br />
food safety as a preservative. According<br />
to Malabar Super Spice president Doris<br />
Valade, one of 12 members of the CMC<br />
group, processed meats are one of the<br />
main sources of sodium, along with<br />
breads and snack foods.<br />
Finding alternatives<br />
The challenge for meat processors<br />
looking to develop low-sodium options<br />
using salt replacers, Valade said, is that<br />
salt plays a significant role not only in the<br />
taste of processed meats but in the<br />
functionality as well, as salt works to<br />
increase ions in the meat.<br />
“In meat products you need to find<br />
something that will replace the ionic<br />
activity that you lose when you reduce<br />
sodium,” she said. “You can’t simply<br />
reduce sodium by 25 per cent because<br />
you also decrease the functionality.”<br />
Valade said one strategy to reduce<br />
sodium is to replace it with potassium,<br />
noting the most functional alternative<br />
to sodium chloride is potassium chloride<br />
– meaning meat made using potassium<br />
chloride will have a similar texture to its<br />
higher-sodium counterpart. However,<br />
she added, traditionally the drawback of<br />
using potassium chloride is the presence<br />
of a metallic aftertaste in the meat.<br />
“The Sodium Reduction<br />
Strategy for Canada has<br />
an interim sodium intake<br />
goal of a population<br />
average of 2,300 mg of<br />
sodium per day to be<br />
achieved by 2016.”<br />
– Dr. Norm Campbell, Sodium<br />
Working Group<br />
“We’ve been testing different meat<br />
products and we’ve found some that<br />
were lower sodium, but then we noticed<br />
that the product would be much softer<br />
– the whole mouth feel and the texture<br />
of the product becomes affected,” she<br />
explained. “So some meat processors<br />
have looked at adding just flavour<br />
enhancers, but the flavour enhancers had<br />
no function, and so we find that the meat<br />
product is not palatable.”<br />
Valade noted that earlier this year her<br />
company began working with a modified<br />
potassium chloride product from<br />
Minnestoa-based Nu-Tek to create a new<br />
line of low sodium seasonings.<br />
“We’d been actively looking at<br />
alternatives to flavour enhancers,” she<br />
said. “We looked at a pure potassium<br />
blend two years ago, but we didn’t like the<br />
taste at all. It wasn’t until about six months<br />
ago that we came across this one in the<br />
U.S.. We started working on seasonings<br />
that incorporate it and we have had some<br />
very good success with it.”<br />
Consumer acceptance<br />
In a recent statement supporting the<br />
strategy, CMC executive director Jim Laws<br />
said a well-funded consumer education<br />
program needs to be developed to explain<br />
the health benefits of reducing sodium<br />
intake. He also noted there is a need for<br />
continued research into sodium reduction<br />
techniques and the development of salt<br />
replacers with full functionality.<br />
meatbusiness.ca<br />
September/October 2010 Canadian Meat Business
“Critical to the success of this new voluntary sodium reduction<br />
strategy is consumer acceptance,” Laws stated. “Consumers<br />
need to be aware of why the changes are occurring and they<br />
need to accept the changes in products for the strategy to be<br />
successful.”<br />
Laws also stressed that the meat industry is fully aware of the<br />
importance of reducing sodium intake in Canada.<br />
“Our members are committed to providing Canadians with<br />
sodium-reduced options – and have been for several years<br />
– evidenced by the many sodium reduced processed meat<br />
products already available to consumers in grocery stores,” he<br />
stated.<br />
Looking ahead<br />
According to Valade, the work of the SWG is far from over. She<br />
said she expects one of the next steps may be the development<br />
of a labelling system, similar to one used in the United Kingdom<br />
(which, she noted, inspired Health Canada to create the SWG).<br />
The U.K. system is based on using coloured traffic lights<br />
symbols to warn consumers of sodium levels – for example a<br />
product containing 1.25g of salt (or 0.5g sodium) is labelled red<br />
while 0.25g salt (0.1g sodium) is labelled green.<br />
“We’ll be looking at labelling options to support lower sodium<br />
products and at a review as to whether the targets recommended<br />
are in fact being met by industry,” she said.<br />
Some specific targets for sodium reduction have been set (see<br />
table) and more will be finalized in 2011. However, these targets<br />
will be re-established over time as progress toward the 2016<br />
interim goal is tracked.<br />
For more information on the Sodium Reduction Strategy and how it<br />
affects the meat industry, read Susan Evans’ article on page 30.<br />
Sodium Reduction Strategy's<br />
six overarching recommendations:<br />
• Interim intake goal of 2,300 mg of sodium/day by<br />
2016 – with a longer-term goal of 95 per cent of<br />
population with a daily intake below the UL.<br />
• Widespread collaboration across governments,<br />
health professional organizations, NGOs, media,<br />
industry and academia to implement the SWG’s<br />
full slate of recommendations.<br />
• Adequate federal/provincial/territorial funding to<br />
support the SWGs full slate of recommendations.<br />
• Integration of sodium reduction into government<br />
and stakeholder nutrition programs, guidelines<br />
and policies.<br />
• Implementation process to include identifying<br />
individual steps (including timelines) for each<br />
recommendation, as well as monitoring completion<br />
of each step.<br />
• Canadians take personal steps to reduce sodium<br />
consumption as part of a healthy diet.<br />
Targeted Recommendations in Four<br />
Areas:<br />
• Food supply<br />
• Awareness and education<br />
• Research<br />
• Monitoring and evaluation<br />
For more information, read the full report, Sodium<br />
Reduction Strategy for Canada, at www.hc-sc.gc.ca.<br />
Draft Targets for Meat Products<br />
The Sodium Working Group divided the food<br />
supply into two groups: Group I foods (combined<br />
contribute over 50% of the sodium in the diet) and<br />
Group II foods which includes the remaining food<br />
categories and restaurant and foodservice. Table 1<br />
compares the current average sodium content of<br />
the Group I meat products to the draft maximum<br />
sodium levels to be achieved by 2016.<br />
Categorization<br />
Sodium average<br />
mg/100g<br />
Maximum<br />
sodium level by<br />
2016 (mg/100 g)<br />
Uncooked Bacon - Belly and Back<br />
Bacon<br />
Fully Cooked Bacon - Breakfast<br />
Strips, Substitutes and Back Bacon<br />
Packaged Deli Meats - Pâtés and<br />
Spreads<br />
Packaged Deli Meats - excludes<br />
Pâté and Spreads<br />
Packaged Deli Meats – Dry Cured,<br />
Fermented, No Thermal Processing<br />
Uncooked Fresh Sausage -<br />
Breakfast and Dinner Varieties<br />
Fully Cooked Sausage - Smoked,<br />
Not Smoked and Wieners<br />
808.9 610<br />
1388.2 1150<br />
781.5 600<br />
1029.7 890<br />
1617.4 1400<br />
789.1 690<br />
992.7 870<br />
Data compiled by Mary Ann Binne based on label<br />
data and the proposed draft targets found at the<br />
Health Canada website (www.hc-sc.gc.ca).<br />
Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010<br />
meatbusiness.ca
| Cover Stor y |<br />
Joining the<br />
Class of 2010<br />
Cardinal Meat Specialists’ <strong>Ralph</strong> <strong>Cator</strong> among 12 new Meat<br />
Industry Hall of Fame Members.<br />
L<br />
eading the list of industry greats<br />
being nominated into the Meat<br />
Industry Hall of Fame’s (MIHoF)<br />
Class of 2010 is <strong>Ralph</strong> <strong>Cator</strong>, founder<br />
and chairman of the board of Cardinal<br />
Meat Specialists, a major supplier of<br />
beef patties and further processed meats<br />
based in Mississauga, Ont. He is the first<br />
Canadian to be inducted into the hall.<br />
<strong>Cator</strong> is one of 12 new members<br />
chosen from a list of over 50 nominees<br />
by the hall’s board of trustees and<br />
inductees from last year’s inaugural class.<br />
The nominees included an all-star list of<br />
executives, academicians, innovators and<br />
association leaders from all sectors of the<br />
industry.<br />
The Induction Ceremony for the new MIHoF members will<br />
be on Oct. 30, 2010 at the Fairmont Scottsdale in Scottsdale,<br />
Arizona. The gala event will begin with a Reception at 5:00<br />
p.m. and the evening’s festivities will conclude with the North<br />
Photos: Cardinal Meat Specialists<br />
American Meat Processors Association<br />
(NAMP) President’s Reception, Dinner<br />
& Ball which closes the association’s<br />
Annual Outlook Conference.<br />
“It will be a special evening to formally<br />
honour a ‘who’s who’ of the industry,”<br />
said Chuck Jolley, MIHoF president and<br />
co-founder. “Our thanks to our board of<br />
trustees and our members who elected<br />
an elite group from an impressive list of<br />
nominees. We are thrilled to be able to<br />
induct people who truly represent the<br />
best of the best.”<br />
<strong>Cator</strong> started his meat career at the age<br />
of eight while working after school in one<br />
of his father’s butcher shops in Toronto.<br />
By the ripe old age of 18, he found himself managing one of<br />
those shops. An ambitious young man, he soon persuaded his<br />
father to sell him part ownership in all four stores.<br />
<strong>Cator</strong> founded Cardinal Meat Specialists, now one of<br />
Canada’s largest producers of ground beef patties, in 1966 to<br />
<strong>Ralph</strong> <strong>Cator</strong> also enjoys a second<br />
career as a photographer.<br />
meatbusiness.ca<br />
September/October 2010 Canadian Meat Business
(<strong>Ralph</strong> <strong>Cator</strong>) focused on being an innovative player in the meat industry by<br />
seeking out the best minds in each field and then capitalized on their knowledge.<br />
serve the rapidly growing food service market. He focused on<br />
being an innovative player in the meat industry by seeking<br />
out the best minds in each field and then capitalized on their<br />
knowledge. He continues to be a huge believer in “no one of<br />
us is as smart as all of us” and made this a key business strategy<br />
while driving the company’s growth.<br />
<strong>Cator</strong> was always active in the industry and knew that<br />
expanding the knowledge of the Cardinal team was<br />
imperative to remaining innovative and competitive. By<br />
joining the National Association of Meat Purveyors in 1969,<br />
He established Cardinal’s long-standing relationship with<br />
NAMP and in 1992 became the association’s first Canadian<br />
president. <strong>Cator</strong> helped broaden the association’s scope to<br />
become a truly North American organization leading the<br />
group to change their name to the North American Meat<br />
Processors Association.<br />
At the forefront<br />
To keep his company of the forefront of the industry, he was<br />
always seeking new and improved technologies. Cardinal’s<br />
ability to differentiate itself from the competition was driven<br />
in large part by its innovation. His efforts to expand the<br />
business and provide superior products to the market led<br />
Cardinal to become the first meat processor to utilize many<br />
new technologies that have become industry standards today.<br />
Under <strong>Cator</strong>’s leadership, the company continued a steady<br />
introduction of new equipment, production methods and<br />
product innovation, many of which are the basis of Cardinal’s<br />
leading position today. Always a risk taker, he spearheaded a<br />
bold move for Cardinal introducing Canada’s first national<br />
brand premium burger in foodservice: Cardinal’s Roadhouse<br />
Beef Burger.<br />
Today, Cardinal’s product line covers the gamut of meatbased<br />
proteins. Pork mini-ribs, pulled beef au jus, meatloaf<br />
and gravy, and Kettle Cooked Ribs are all on their menu.<br />
In 1990, <strong>Cator</strong> turned over day-to-day management of the<br />
company to his two sons, Mark and Brent, allowing him to<br />
return to school to pursue his love of art. He graduated from<br />
Humber College in 1992 and soon after, became a licentiate of<br />
the Professional Photographers of Canada – a second career,<br />
which he pursues to this day.<br />
Next generation<br />
<strong>Cator</strong> continues as chairman of the board for Cardinal<br />
Meat Specialists, advising his son Brent, who now owns the<br />
company and continues the growth of this third generation<br />
business at an astounding pace.<br />
His lifetime of service is far broader than his<br />
accomplishments in the meat industry. During his term with<br />
NAMP, he was presented with the NAMP President’s Award,<br />
The Angus Award and The Fifty Year Service Award. He<br />
has also served as the Foundation Chair for the Canadian<br />
Association of Family Enterprise and is an Associate of the<br />
Trillium Health Centre Foundation.<br />
Along with a successful stock photography business, his<br />
photographs have been used to promote such things as the<br />
Canadian Open Golf Tournament and charitable causes such<br />
as the United Way, Rally for the Cure, the Hospital for Sick<br />
Children and Habitat for Humanity.<br />
Other inductees<br />
Other members of MIHoF’s Class of 2010 include:<br />
• Richard Bond, CEO, president and director of Tyson<br />
Foods Inc.<br />
• William D. Farr, of Farr Feeders (deceased)<br />
• Joel Johnson, chairman, president and CEO of Hormel<br />
Foods Corporation<br />
• H. Kenneth Johnson, vice president of meat science for the<br />
National Live Stock and Meat Board; executive director of<br />
the National Cattlemen's Beef Association<br />
• Ray Kroc, founder and chairman of McDonald's<br />
Corporation (deceased)<br />
• Dr. Roger Mandigo, professor at the animal science<br />
department of the University of Nebraska<br />
• Robert E. Rust, professor emeritus, animal science at Iowa<br />
State University<br />
• Col. Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken<br />
(deceased)<br />
• Dr. Jeff W. Savell, regents professor and E.M. "Manny"<br />
Rosenthal, chairholder in animal science at Texas A&M<br />
University<br />
• Deven Scott, vice president - member services for the<br />
American Meat Institute; executive vice president of<br />
NAMP<br />
• Dave Thomas, founder, CEO, Wendy's Old Fashioned<br />
Hamburgers (deceased)<br />
-staff<br />
10 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca
Let BEACON customize<br />
our standard designs for you<br />
STAINLESS STEEL PROCESSING TRUCKS<br />
All Trucks, Racks & Cages are manufactured from<br />
heavy-duty T-304 Stainless Steel. We can engineer<br />
to your exact specifications, and whatever product<br />
you are processing - BEACON has the right product<br />
for you.<br />
The Nesting design allows the<br />
processor greater versatility,<br />
by providing a heavy-duty<br />
Truck that can save on storage<br />
space when not in use.<br />
BEACON also manufactures<br />
the Stainless Steel SCREENS<br />
& SHELVES for all Truck<br />
designs.<br />
CALL US FOR A<br />
QUOTATION!!!<br />
BEACON has many designs for many products!!!<br />
• Four-upright design • Nesting Trucks • Bacon Racks<br />
• Trucks for Smokesticks • Bologna trucks<br />
...and many more designs.<br />
BEACON, Inc. 12223 S. Laramie Ave, Alsip, IL 60803 (708) 544-9900 Fax (708) 544-9999<br />
www.beaconmetals.com
Grandin Wins Big at<br />
TV Awards<br />
Show<br />
Photos: Corus Entertainment / HBO Canada<br />
Temple Grandin and Claire Danes on the set of the film.<br />
Claire Danes in a scene from Temple Grandin.<br />
HBO bio-film about meat<br />
industry legend Temple Grandin<br />
takes home top honours at<br />
Primetime Emmy Awards.<br />
By Alan MacKenzie<br />
A<br />
Alongside what can easily be described as more<br />
glamorous fare – including the acclaimed TV<br />
series Mad Men and Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks<br />
miniseries The Pacific – one of the big winners at this year’s<br />
Primetime Emmy Awards was the true story of one of the meat<br />
industry’s most fascinating innovators.<br />
The HBO film Temple Grandin tells the story of Dr. Temple<br />
Grandin, the well-respected autistic animal welfare activist who<br />
uses her unique view of the world to develop more humane<br />
treatment methods for livestock.<br />
The film took home honours for Outstanding Made for<br />
Television Movie and Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries,<br />
Movie or a Dramatic Special, as well as acting awards for Julia<br />
Ormond, David Strathairn and Claire Danes, who played<br />
Grandin.<br />
The made-for-TV movie won a total of five awards at the<br />
Aug. 30 ceremony (and previously won two for its score and<br />
single-camera editing at the Creative Arts Primetime Emmy<br />
Awards, which were announced on Aug. 21, coincidentally<br />
Grandin’s 63rd birthday). Grandin herself attended the<br />
ceremony and was noted for her enthusiastic response to each<br />
win (at one point she rose from her chair and excitedly swung<br />
her hand “lasso-style”, the Los Angeles Times reported). She<br />
even received a standing ovation from the audience.<br />
In her acceptance speech, Danes called Grandin “the most<br />
brave woman I've known.”<br />
Born in 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts, Grandin was<br />
diagnosed with autism at the age of three, at a time when<br />
little was known about the condition. Through the support<br />
of family and teachers she pursued higher education and<br />
obtained a B.A. in psychology at Frankin Pierce College in 1970<br />
and a Master of Science in Animal Science at Arizona State<br />
University in 1975. The curved livestock handling facilities<br />
that she designed to reduce animal stress are used not only<br />
in the United States and Canada, but throughout the world<br />
– including in Europe, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.<br />
Almost half of all cattle in North America are handled in a<br />
centre track restrainer system that she designed.<br />
The film chronicles Grandin’s life from her adolescence<br />
through her university career to becoming an unexpected<br />
pioneer in the male-dominated meat industry and eventually<br />
a spokesperson for autism (she has written several books on<br />
the subject including the acclaimed Thinking in Pictures).<br />
12 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca
To show how Grandin views the world<br />
around her director Mick Jackson utilized<br />
several visual effects, such as onscreen<br />
diagrams, a technique that Grandin<br />
herself praised.<br />
“It did a very good job of accurately<br />
showing my visual thinking, sensory<br />
issues, anxiety issues. That was the work<br />
of Mick Jackson, the director – he just did<br />
a fabulous job on that,” Grandin recently<br />
told Canadian Meat Business. She also<br />
praised Danes’ performance, saying it<br />
was “like watching myself.”<br />
“The movie also did a great job of<br />
showing that I was in a man’s world<br />
back in the early ’70s with a bunch of<br />
male chauvinist pigs,” the Meat Industry<br />
Hall of Fame member added, noting<br />
that an emotional scene in which her<br />
car was vandalized by being covered in<br />
bull testicles at a slaughter facility was<br />
accurate.<br />
Grandin was originally approached<br />
about the film over 10 years ago by<br />
executive producer Emily Gerson Saines.<br />
Saines has an autistic child and after<br />
reading some of Grandin’s books wanted<br />
to bring her inspirational story to the<br />
screen. Grandin was involved in the<br />
project from the beginning and spent<br />
time working with Jackson, Danes and<br />
the film’s writers, Christopher Monger<br />
and Merritt Johnson.<br />
Claire Danes as Temple Grandin.<br />
“I had a lot of input into it on cattle<br />
accuracy,” she said. “I spent a half a day<br />
with Clare Danes and I gave her all of<br />
these ancient VHS tapes from the ’80s<br />
and early ’90s of interviews and lectures<br />
– they were the oldest tapes I had.”<br />
The film was considered an<br />
unexpected winner, beating out five<br />
other nominees including HBO’s You<br />
In her acceptance speech,<br />
Danes called Grandin<br />
“the most brave woman<br />
I've known.”<br />
Don’t Know Jack, which stars Al Pacino<br />
as Dr. Jack Kevorkian, and The Special<br />
Relationship, featuring Michael Sheen<br />
as Tony Blair and Dennis Quaid as Bill<br />
Clinton. Danes won her trophy over<br />
such notable actresses as Dame Judy<br />
Dench, Maggie Smith and Hope Davis.<br />
It was released on DVD in August.<br />
This year Grandin was also named<br />
one of Time magazine’s Most Influential<br />
People and in July the National<br />
Cattlemen’s Beef Association gave her a<br />
lifetime achievement award. Watch for<br />
a full interview with Grandin about her<br />
extraordinary year in our next issue.<br />
meatbusiness.ca<br />
September/October 2010 Canadian Meat Business 13
The Evolution of a<br />
Classic Pairing<br />
By Alan MacKenzie<br />
B.C. restaurants put locally produced wine-fed beef on their menus.<br />
A<br />
s most foodies know, red wine and beef make a great<br />
pairing. So, what if that wine is added directly to the<br />
meat before it’s even led to slaughter? That question is<br />
being answered at Sezmu Meats, a Kelowna, British Columbia<br />
company that specializes in producing wine-fed beef.<br />
Janice Ravndahl, who owns the company with her brother<br />
Darrel Timm, began experimenting with feeding wine to<br />
bovine in April 2009 and earlier this year brought their product<br />
to the marketplace.<br />
For 90 days prior to slaughter her cattle is fed one litre of<br />
wine a day per head.<br />
“The beef is really, really red – it’s much more red than<br />
regular beef. And the smell – I opened a container of ground<br />
beef here the other night and it smelled like I opened a bottle<br />
of wine for a few moments,” she said, noting the flavour of the<br />
meat is also affected by feeding the cattle wine. “It does give it a<br />
slight sweet tinge to the taste.”<br />
Ravndahl said the idea of feeding wine to cattle came to<br />
her while watching The F Word, a reality TV show featuring<br />
renowned British chef Gordon Ramsay.<br />
“One of the objectives of his show is to show his kids where<br />
food comes from, so every season he raises a different animal.<br />
In his third season he raised pigs, and he decided to do a little<br />
experiment – he fed one of them beer,” Ravndahl said. “That<br />
got my brain ticking. I grew up on a beef farm, I live in the<br />
Okanagan Valley and I’m surrounded by vineyards – I just<br />
thought red wine would make a better combination for beef,<br />
as opposed to beer.”<br />
In Japan, Kobe beef is produced using beer-fed cattle, but<br />
Ravndahl said she only knows of one other company – in<br />
Australia – that produces wine-fed beef.<br />
Response<br />
The response to the product, Ravndahl said, has been very<br />
enthusiastic. Michael Allemeier, a culinary arts instructor at<br />
SAIT Polytechnic College in Calgary, was so impressed that it<br />
led to the product being served at Mission Hill Family Estate,<br />
a Kelowna winery where he recently served as executive chef.<br />
A handful of other restaurants in the area also serve the<br />
company’s wine-fed beef – and Sezmu steaks are now available<br />
at the retail counter of Cook’s Quality Meats in nearby<br />
Westbank.<br />
Ken Briden, owner of Cook’s Quality Meats, said the feedback<br />
from customers has been very positive.<br />
“It’s definitely AAA, and it’s better than most of the stuff<br />
that’s out there,” he said. “As soon as I sampled it I knew it<br />
would sell for sure.”<br />
Ravndahl noted the product is also being used in processed<br />
meat products such as smokies, sausages and pepperoni at<br />
Johnny’s Meats and Deli in the nearby community of Rutland.<br />
CFIA approval<br />
But just as Sezmu Meats began gaining momentum for its<br />
wine-fed meat, the company hit a snag – in late August the<br />
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) called Ravndahl and<br />
told her that wine is not an approved feed ingredient for cattle<br />
and that she could no longer sell the product. The agency told<br />
her the concern was mostly about sediments in the wine. The<br />
unfortunate news quickly made headlines across the country<br />
and within days the CFIA backed off, Ravndahl said.<br />
Ravndahl and Dr. John Church, a professor and cattle<br />
research chair at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops,<br />
both said they didn’t understand the CFIA’s initial stance, as all<br />
ingredients in the wine are also approved ingredients for feed.<br />
“This is wine that we’re using for human consumption – so<br />
if we’re worried about feeding it to cattle, maybe we should be<br />
re-examining giving it to people,” Church said with a laugh,<br />
adding that he’s relieved that the agency backed off, as he is<br />
in the early planning stages of a research study on the wine-fed<br />
cattle.<br />
14 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca
Research study<br />
Specifically, Church said,<br />
the study – which, pending<br />
provincial funding, he hopes<br />
will start in October – will<br />
look at the effects of certain<br />
ingredients that may reduce<br />
methane emissions and<br />
harmful bacteria.<br />
“ Wine is a very good source<br />
of tannins, a secondary plant<br />
metabolite has been shown<br />
to be one of the best ways to<br />
reduce methane. We want to<br />
look at the tannins found in<br />
wine and see if the addition to<br />
the feed actually reduces the<br />
methane,” he explained.<br />
“There’s also a compound<br />
found in wine called reservatrol<br />
that has been shown in vitro to<br />
be quite a powerful microbial.<br />
So we’re also geared up to look<br />
at the microbiology – we want<br />
to see what the impact is on E. coli and antibiotic resistance<br />
in general,” he said, adding that fatty acid profiles will also<br />
be examined to see if there are any changes to omega-3 or<br />
conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content.<br />
Church also noted that the effect on the meat itself,<br />
specifically its tenderness and flavour and colour, will be<br />
studied. “I’ve certainly had the wine-fed beef myself and at the<br />
time it seemed sweeter. It was a really nice product, but it’s kind<br />
Photos: Trudephoto.com<br />
of anecdotal – you don’t know if<br />
that’s how the steak would have<br />
been anyway,” he said.<br />
Church added that he’s<br />
surprised there has been little<br />
backlash about boozing-up the<br />
cows, particularly from “activist<br />
types” – but he noted that part<br />
of his study will look into the<br />
alcohol’s effect on the animals.<br />
“We’re going to set up a<br />
behavioural test and measure<br />
their chute exit speed,” he<br />
said. “I’ve actually gone to the<br />
feedlot and seen the cattle.<br />
My academic background is in<br />
animal behaviour and I certainly<br />
couldn’t see a difference.”<br />
He estimated that, based on<br />
body mass alone, a litre of wine a<br />
day for a cow may be equivalent to<br />
a glass of wine a day for a person<br />
– an amount widely determined<br />
to be heart-healthy for humans.<br />
“Cows are also ruminants, so<br />
I’m not sure how much wine would actually get through the<br />
rumen,” he said. “I can’t see it having any impact on them<br />
whatsoever.”<br />
Ravndahl said the only difference she’s seen after adding<br />
wine to the cattle’s feed is that the animals are calmer.<br />
Currently Sezmu’s wine-fed beef is only available in B.C., but<br />
there are plans to expand to other markets in the near future.<br />
Janice Ravndahl and Darrel Timm<br />
operate Sezmu Meats in Kelowna, B.C.<br />
“I opened a container of ground beef<br />
here the other night and it smelled<br />
like I opened a bottle of wine for a<br />
few moments.” – Janice Ravndahl<br />
please visit us at: www.sperlingind.com<br />
“BOSS” equipment<br />
Industry providers to the food industry for over 100 years...<br />
• Focused on food safety with enhanced production reliability.<br />
• Specializing in engineering, fabrication, installations, Beef & Pork.<br />
• BOSS provides packers with reliable efficient equipment.<br />
Sperling<br />
Industries Ltd.<br />
51 Station St, (Box 100)<br />
Sperling, MB Canada R0G 2M0<br />
1-204-626-3401 or<br />
Fax 1-204-626-3252<br />
Also:<br />
Brandon, MB<br />
1-204-729-9190<br />
2420 Z Street, Omaha, NE 68107<br />
1-402-556-4070<br />
meatbusiness.ca<br />
September/October 2010 Canadian Meat Business 15
LifeStudies<br />
Challenge and Shelf<br />
Testing for the worst-case scenario, and pushing the limits of your<br />
food product.<br />
By Dawn Van Dam<br />
D<br />
etermining how your<br />
product reacts to microbial<br />
contamination and confirming<br />
shelf life provides invaluable information<br />
to the food industry in terms of product<br />
quality and safety. Challenge and shelf<br />
life studies provide this information by<br />
evaluating a product over the course of<br />
the intended shelf life.<br />
Challenge studies<br />
Drills are an essential component<br />
of safety; fire drills, lifeboat drills, CPR<br />
drills...their merit is unquestioned. The reason: learning<br />
how to deal with the worst-case scenario – safely. Challenge<br />
studies are of the same nature. They allow food producers<br />
to reduce risks to food safety by preparing for the worst-case<br />
scenario.<br />
Challenge studies are similar to shelf life studies in that<br />
they examine how microorganisms in a product change<br />
over time. The main difference is that in a challenge study<br />
the product is purposefully inoculated with pathogens,<br />
simulating a chance contamination.<br />
There are two types of challenge studies. The type<br />
known as an inactivation study determines the ability of a<br />
processing step or formulation to ‘inactivate’ the growth<br />
of pathogens of concern (pathogens that historically have<br />
been identified as a risk for a certain type of product). For<br />
example, physical processes such as heating, irradiation and<br />
high pressure treatments can ‘inactivate’ pathogens in a<br />
product.<br />
The other type of challenge study is called an inhibition<br />
study. This type of study confirms the success of a specific<br />
formulation and/or packaging strategy in inhibiting<br />
the growth of pathogens of concern. For example, the<br />
application of sodium acetate or diacetate has been shown<br />
to inhibit the growth of listeria during post-processing steps.<br />
For products like ready-to-eat meats, the application of<br />
antimicrobial additives can decrease the risk to consumers.<br />
So, with challenge studies you can determine how well<br />
your product stands up against microbial contamination.<br />
Shelf life studies<br />
While challenge studies address the issue of chance<br />
contamination, shelf life testing determines the length of<br />
time that a food product will maintain its quality before it<br />
begins to spoil.<br />
As a means of providing consumers with the most reliable<br />
information about the lifespan of a product, and as a measure<br />
of the success of your shelf life-extending strategies, these<br />
studies provide invaluable information to the food industry.<br />
Consumer preferences have shifted towards labels such<br />
as ‘no additives or preservatives’ or<br />
‘no sugar/sodium added.’ The food<br />
industry is continuously looking for<br />
new ways to preserve the freshness and<br />
quality of food over an extended period<br />
of time without the addition of such<br />
additives. Shelf life studies evaluate the<br />
efficacy of new technologies/methods<br />
for extending shelf life, so you can<br />
maintain product quality while adapting<br />
to consumer demands.<br />
Periodic reexamination of shelf life<br />
can also determine if changes made<br />
in your manufacturing process, such as new materials or<br />
suppliers, or new equipment or formulations have affected<br />
the microbiological profile and changed the shelf life.<br />
Shelf life studies are not simple step-by-step procedures;<br />
they rely heavily upon the experience and expertise of the<br />
scientists involved. Each individual shelf life study must<br />
be designed to reflect the unique conditions of a product<br />
including pH, moisture and temperature. Microbial<br />
examination is then conducted over the course of the<br />
intended shelf life, or even beyond to determine the point of<br />
spoilage. Ultimately, consumers use their senses to determine<br />
whether or not a product is desirable, but microbial growth<br />
can reach unsafe levels before any unpleasant changes are<br />
noted.<br />
Evaluating shelf life can help you identify and minimize<br />
risks, determine the most effective methods to prolong your<br />
products’ freshness or marketability, and provide information<br />
to consumers about the lifespan of your product.<br />
University of Guelph<br />
The University of Guelph, Agriculture & Food Laboratory<br />
(AFL) offers customized studies that provide reliable results<br />
and information on how your products react to microbial<br />
contaminations, and how to confirm the shelf life of your<br />
products. When it comes to protecting consumers and brand<br />
names, accurate results are paramount. The AFL is supported<br />
by an integrated quality management system that achieves<br />
the ISO 9001:2008 and ISO/IEC 17025 international quality<br />
standards as well as for specific tests listed on our Scope of<br />
Accreditation, and is happy to work with you to customize<br />
studies, providing the scientific support you need to have<br />
peace of mind.<br />
For more information about conducting shelf life or<br />
challenge studies, you can reach AFL at 519-767-6299 or<br />
1-877-863-4235 (1-877-UofG-AFL), or through email at<br />
aflinfo@uoguelph.ca.<br />
Dawn Van Dam is the Chief Marketing Officer for the University of<br />
Guelph, Laboratory Services, Agriculture & Food Laboratory.<br />
16 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca
Raising Awareness of Canadian Beef with Chefs<br />
T<br />
he American Culinary Federation (ACF),<br />
established in 1929, is the premier professional<br />
organization for chefs in the United States. With<br />
more than 20,000 members spanning 225 chapters<br />
nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering<br />
educational resources, training, apprenticeship and<br />
program accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the<br />
most comprehensive certification program for chefs in<br />
the United States.<br />
The Beef Information Centre (BIC) continues to work<br />
with the ACF to educate chefs on the Canadian Beef<br />
Advantage (CBA), communicating how these advantages<br />
align with the foodservice sectors. These educational<br />
seminars are aimed at raising awareness of Canadian beef<br />
products and highlighting how Canadian beef’s strong<br />
quality attributes fit the American guest’s expectations for<br />
an outstanding eating experience.<br />
“BIC is very active with the ACF because we recognize<br />
the importance of speaking directly with these key decision<br />
makers at the grassroots level,” says Judy Nelson, BIC<br />
chair and a cow-calf producer at Lundbreck, Alta. “Our<br />
presentations at seminars and conferences in key markets<br />
provide the opportunity to educate as well as network and<br />
develop relationships with potential partners.”<br />
Since July 2006, BIC has presented to thousands of<br />
local American chefs over the course of more than<br />
25 ACF national, regional and chapter events. These<br />
events are integral to BIC’s objectives of working with<br />
the ACF chapters to establish a better understanding of<br />
the Canadian beef quality attributes with chef members<br />
and to connect with local distributors to seek additional<br />
volume opportunities in these key markets.<br />
“The American Culinary Federation appreciates the<br />
expertise and unrivalled insight our sponsors bring to<br />
our annual events series,” says Michael Ty, ACF national<br />
president. “The Beef Information Centre is a recognized<br />
leader in the industry, and their presentations educate our<br />
chefs about beef trends. Then, in turn, our chefs put that<br />
knowledge into action in their dining establishments.”<br />
At the ACF National Convention in August, BIC<br />
and well-known Canadian Chef Michael Allemeier<br />
presented an hour-long seminar on Canadian beef, and<br />
demonstrated some fantastic new beef recipes created<br />
just for the event. The seminar left ACF members with a<br />
strong understanding of Canadian beef and key resources<br />
to promote Canadian beef within the foodservice<br />
industry. ACF continues to invite BIC to present at their<br />
national and regional events, recognizing the value of this<br />
information to their members.<br />
- Beef Information Centre (www.beefinfo.org)<br />
meatbusiness.ca<br />
September/October 2010 Canadian Meat Business 17
| Assembly Line |<br />
Assembly Line is an opportunity for companies to feature new products for the meat<br />
producing, processing, packaging and distribution industry. To include information about your<br />
new product e-mail alan@meatbusiness.ca.<br />
EasyPeelPoint a revolutionary opening aid<br />
for sealed trays<br />
Around 60 per cent of today’s<br />
fresh meat is sold pre-packed<br />
at retail. The case-ready tray,<br />
often 190 x 144 mm in size, has<br />
become an established standard,<br />
to which many logistical processes<br />
have been tuned. However, these<br />
hermetically closed packs often<br />
feature a disadvantage: the top<br />
film cannot be removed easily.<br />
Only too often, consumers need to use auxiliary tools,<br />
such as scissors or a knife, to attain the contents of the<br />
pack.<br />
By introducing an exceptionally consumer-friendly<br />
opening aid, SEALPAC makes the use of additional tools<br />
redundant. With its revolutionary EasyPeelPoint system,<br />
sealed trays can now be opened without effort.<br />
With EasyPeelPoint, the peel corner within the contours<br />
of the tray. This is how it works: the top film of the pack<br />
is pressed into a round cavity in one of the tray’s corners<br />
and is thus released from the sealing edge. The system<br />
convinces due to its natural feel: the peel corner can easily<br />
be gripped, after which the top film is removed from the<br />
tray with minimum effort.<br />
To guarantee an efficient production process, the trays<br />
are equipped with two opening points that are positioned<br />
diagonally opposite each other. This makes it irrelevant<br />
in which way the trays are placed on the in-feed conveyor,<br />
thus preventing costly errors due to rotation of the trays.<br />
Also in transport and storage, the system proves its<br />
added value. EasyPeelPoint can be applied on every<br />
standard packaging format and does not intervene<br />
with the existing logistical chain. It is feasible on all<br />
common SEALPAC traysealers and toolings, without<br />
demanding costly changes to existing formats. As a result,<br />
EasyPeelPoint complies with every demand towards a userfriendly<br />
and modern opening aid.<br />
(Please note: in the last issue of CMB a photo of the<br />
EasyPeelPoint system was mistakenly included with an entry on<br />
SEALPAC’s TenderPac meat packaging solution – our apologies<br />
for any confusion this may have caused.)<br />
sealpacinternational.com<br />
Metal detection system for<br />
food industry protects both<br />
equipment and reputation<br />
The new<br />
SANICON<br />
high<br />
performance<br />
metal<br />
detection<br />
system<br />
manufactured<br />
by Niagara,<br />
New Yorkbased<br />
S+S Inspection Inc. in Niagara<br />
N.Y. is designed to meet the needs<br />
of the domestic food industry for<br />
goods-in, in-process and end of line<br />
applications. Units with standard<br />
size aperture are available for quick<br />
delivery.<br />
The risk of foreign body<br />
contamination is ever present in<br />
all manufacturing activities but<br />
it is in the food industry that the<br />
risk must be minimized, if not<br />
eliminated entirely, if productivity<br />
and profitability are to be optimized.<br />
Inspection of the packaged, finished<br />
product is almost universal to avoid<br />
any contaminated product reaching<br />
18 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca
the end consumer. There is equally good reason for<br />
similar inspection of incoming ingredients to minimize<br />
the amount of finished product that has to be rejected<br />
and eliminate the risk of introducing potentially<br />
machine-damaging materials into the production<br />
process.<br />
At the heart of the SANICON system is an advanced<br />
detection coil technology using multi-frequency, twochannel<br />
techniques to achieve the best sensitivity to<br />
all types of metals and the smallest possible metal-free<br />
zone for easy integration with existing production lines.<br />
The Genius+ control unit using digital signal<br />
processing and quartz stabilized search frequencies<br />
combined with microprocessor control allows precise<br />
matching to the demands of specific applications. The<br />
standard control unit may be configured to match over<br />
200 standard aperture sizes. Self-monitoring, autobalancing,<br />
and temperature compensation are standard<br />
as are product effect compensation with auto-learn.<br />
Non-volatile memory is used to store multiple product<br />
specifications to simplify product changeover and all<br />
machine parameters are password protected. An EMC<br />
filter is used to suppress external electromagnetic<br />
interference.<br />
A range of coil aperture size and belt width in<br />
both dry and wet area types offers IFS and HACCP<br />
compliance. All SANICON configurations can be fitted<br />
with a wide variety of separation systems to match<br />
specific operational requirements.<br />
sesotec-usa.com<br />
Automatic Hog Splitter provides<br />
perfectly split carcasses<br />
Jarvis’ new Automatic Hog<br />
Splitter, incorporating the latest,<br />
patented technology, perfectly<br />
splits up to 650 hogs per hour,<br />
in one operation, with uniform<br />
featherbone division – regardless<br />
of size or weight.<br />
Other features include<br />
customized PLC programs<br />
to handle individual plant<br />
processing requirements, a variable speed cutting head,<br />
and a unique Jarvis manufactured blade providing clean<br />
cuts with minimum saw dust and bone splinters. This<br />
rugged, stainless steel constructed machine provides<br />
higher production rates (including an increase in<br />
specialty products), cleaner cuts, easier spinal cord<br />
removal, reduced labour costs and faster line operations.<br />
Perfectly split carcasses have less loin damage, and also<br />
provide more bones being sent to a plant’s meat recovery<br />
system.<br />
The company has 28 Automatic Hog Splitters operating<br />
in the United States and Europe.<br />
Jarvis Products provides free customer service and<br />
training.<br />
jarviscanada.com<br />
| Assembly Line |
| Cross Countr y News |<br />
British Cloumbia<br />
Restaurants hit hard by HST: CRFA survey<br />
According to the Canadian Restaurant and<br />
Foodservices Association (CRFA), restaurants in British<br />
Columbia experienced a 10 per cent sales drop since the<br />
implementation of the harmonized sales tax (HST).<br />
“There’s no question the HST is hurting B.C. restaurants of<br />
all types, from fine dining to take-out,” CRFA president and<br />
CEO Garth Whyte said in a release. “On behalf of our members,<br />
we will continue to press premier Gordon Campbell for action.<br />
With numbers like these, we urgently need government to work<br />
with us to mitigate the negative impact of tax harmonization.”<br />
A province-wide survey by the CRFA found that:<br />
• only three per cent of respondents report the HST is having<br />
a positive impact on their business;<br />
• 72 per cent say the HST is having a negative impact;<br />
• 53 per cent say their customers are spending less;<br />
• 56 per cent have fewer customers;<br />
• 47 per cent have been forced to cut back on staff/staff<br />
hours to adjust to the HST; and<br />
• 26 per cent have had to offer more deals and promotions to<br />
mitigate the HST fallout.<br />
Since HST was first announced over a year ago, the CRFA<br />
has warned government that the new tax would result in<br />
significantly lower sales for B.C.’s fourth-largest private-sector<br />
employer.<br />
The CRFA survey was conducted online between July 26 and<br />
31, 2010. The findings represent 802 B.C. restaurants.<br />
Saskatchewan<br />
Ag council names new directors<br />
The Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan (ACS) announced<br />
three new members to its board of directors at its annual<br />
general meeting in June.<br />
ACS industry members, who represent all facets of<br />
Saskatchewan's agriculture and agri-food sector, welcomed<br />
the following new directors: Joy Smith, representing the<br />
Saskatchewan Egg Producers; Tim Wiens of the Saskatchewan<br />
Canola Development Commission; and Dan Prefontaine of the<br />
Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre. The new<br />
directors will join the newly elected executive which includes<br />
chair Neil Ketilson, of the Saskatchewan Pork Development<br />
Board, vice-chair Allen Kuhlmann of the Saskatchewan Flax<br />
Development Commission and secretary/treasurer Jason Dean<br />
of the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association. Kirk Flaman of<br />
the Saskatchewan Seed Potato Growers Association, and Darrell<br />
Schneider of the Saskatchewan Food Processors Association<br />
remain on the ACS Board.<br />
ACS also paid tribute to three retiring board<br />
members at the AGM: Valerie Pearson of the<br />
Saskatchewan 4-H Council, who served on<br />
the board since 2004; Murray Purcell of the<br />
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, first elected to<br />
the Board in 2003; and Bob Morgan, who<br />
represented the POS Pilot Plant Corporation<br />
and has served on the board since 2008.<br />
Manitoba<br />
New Manitoba building code<br />
offers increased fire protection to<br />
farms<br />
The Manitoba Government announced it will<br />
strengthen the building code for agriculture<br />
buildings to make them safer and offer increased<br />
fire protection to livestock and property.<br />
This year a number of fires caused millions<br />
of dollars in damages to large animal farming<br />
facilities in the province. On May 3 a blaze at<br />
a dairy farm outside of La Broquerie killed 450<br />
cows, causing $8.5 million in damage; a fire<br />
estimated at about $6 million at a southeastern<br />
Manitoba farm killed up to 7,500 hogs on May<br />
7, also in La Broquerie; on May 19 a chicken<br />
farm just outside of Steinbach was destroyed in<br />
a fire estimated at $1 million; and on June 23 a<br />
hog barn located approximately 100 kilometres<br />
southwest of Winnipeg was destroyed in a fire,<br />
just days after RCMP officers in the area began<br />
investigating the facility for possible animal<br />
cruelty.<br />
The new Farm Building Code includes the<br />
20 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca
| Cross Countr y News |<br />
following requirements:<br />
• attic spaces must have fire stops every 300 square metres;<br />
• fire alarm systems are to be installed in all farm buildings<br />
covered under the code;<br />
• travel distance to an exit must be less than 30 metres in all<br />
buildings; and<br />
• all new buildings and major renovations must be certified by<br />
a structural engineer.<br />
Before these changes, the Buildings and Mobile Homes Act<br />
excluded all farm buildings, with the exception of dwellings,<br />
from the requirements of the Manitoba Building Code. The<br />
changes mean all farm buildings more than 600 square metres,<br />
built after the legislation takes effect Nov. 1, must comply with<br />
the Farm Building Code.<br />
The changes will only affect new construction or buildings<br />
undergoing extensive renovation and there will be some<br />
flexibility within the regulations to allow for the construction<br />
to meet the goal of fire safety, the release said. Because of the<br />
variety of building designs, the codes will allow for equivalencies<br />
that will be reviewed by the Manitoba Farm Building Code<br />
Committee under the Office of the Fire Commissioner. Having<br />
codes in place will also set a standard, which will make it easier<br />
for producers to get insurance, the minister added.<br />
Ontario<br />
Province funds upgrades at Conestoga Meat<br />
Packers plant<br />
The Province of Ontario announced it will contribute $350,000<br />
in funding for upgrades to pork processor Conestoga Meat<br />
Packers’ plant in Breslau, Ont.<br />
The company is making improvements<br />
to the plant to increase its productivity and<br />
enhance its competitiveness, including<br />
new deboning technologies and a better<br />
product-packaging system.<br />
According to a release from the Ontario<br />
government, these improvements will<br />
retain 350 existing jobs, create as many<br />
as 40 new positions, provide specialized<br />
training for employees, and bolster export<br />
activity.<br />
“Conestoga Meat Packers is a vital<br />
contributor to our province’s agri-food<br />
sector and our workforce,” provincial<br />
agriculture minister Carol Mitchell said<br />
in the release. “This investment will help<br />
them respond to the growing demand for<br />
Ontario pork at home and abroad.”<br />
According to the CRFA:<br />
• the foodservice industry is the third largest employer in the<br />
province, with nearly 250,000 employees – more than finance<br />
and insurance, agriculture and forestry combined;<br />
• foodservice provides jobs for nearly one in five Quebec youth<br />
– which equals almost 100,000 young people;<br />
• with more than 20,500 establishments, the restaurant industry<br />
is a key element of the province’s social and economic fabric,<br />
creating jobs and investment across communities.<br />
New Brunswick<br />
Restaurant industry to hit $1B in sales<br />
This year, New Brunswick’s commercial foodservice industry<br />
will hit $1 billion in sales, the Canadian Restaurant and<br />
Foodservices Association (CRFA) announced.<br />
According to the CRFA, the restaurant industry is one of<br />
the province’s largest private-sector employers, with more<br />
than 24,000 direct employees – more than farming, fishing,<br />
forestry and mining combined. The CRFA also noted:<br />
• foodservice provides nearly one in five jobs for young<br />
people under the age of 25;<br />
• with more than 1,600 commercial establishments, the<br />
restaurant industry is a core part of the province’s social<br />
and economic fabric, generating jobs and investment<br />
across communities;<br />
• the restaurant industry supports and promotes local cuisine<br />
and agriculture and is a major buyer of chicken, dairy,<br />
seafood, potatoes and emerging crops such as cranberries<br />
and blueberries.<br />
Quebec<br />
CRFA celebrates provine’s $10-<br />
billion milestone<br />
According to the Canadian Restaurant<br />
and Foodservices Association (CRFA),<br />
Quebec’s commercial foodservice industry<br />
is poised to reach $10 billion in sales this<br />
year.<br />
meatbusiness.ca<br />
September/October 2010 Canadian Meat Business 21
Early vs. LateCalving<br />
The effect of spring or summer born calves on a farmer’s bottom line.<br />
By Debbie Lockrey-Wessel<br />
M<br />
any factors affect cattle<br />
performance and impact a<br />
farmer’s bottom line. We often<br />
think of things like weather and feed,<br />
and how much a calf gains before going<br />
to market. Now scientists are discovering<br />
that the season in which a calf is born<br />
can impact the bottom line as well.<br />
To help farmers in Western<br />
Canada make an informed decision,<br />
a collaborative project is underway<br />
involving scientists from Agriculture<br />
and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and<br />
the Western Beef Development Centre<br />
(WBDC). The project will be completed early in 2011 and<br />
involves Dr. Shannon Scott and Dr. Hushton Block of AAFC’s<br />
Brandon Research Centre in Manitoba, Dr. Alan Iwaasa at<br />
AAFC’s Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre in<br />
Swift Current, Sask., and Dr. Bart Lardner at the WBDC in<br />
Lanigan, Sask. These scientists have joined forces to examine<br />
how early versus late calving under western Canadian<br />
conditions can affect the economics,<br />
labour requirements and energy use<br />
efficiency of cow-calf production.<br />
In Saskatchewan, late calving is not a<br />
very common practice – only about 10-<br />
15 per cent of producers are currently<br />
calving in the summer. However, some<br />
producers may want to move their calving<br />
season later to take advantage of reduced<br />
labour requirements or may want to<br />
match the cow’s feed requirements with<br />
the available feed resources.<br />
“We’re trying to look at the impact<br />
of matching the feed resources that<br />
are available at different times of the year with the cow’s<br />
nutritional requirements,” explains Dr. Iwaasa. “Beef-cow<br />
feeding is 60 to 70 per cent of the total cost of production<br />
and the cow’s highest nutrient demand is 30 to 90 days after<br />
calving. How the cow takes in nutrients and processes those<br />
nutrients will also impact the calf’s growth. What we’re<br />
trying to do with a later calving season is work with Mother<br />
Nature.”<br />
“The May and June period is when pastures are starting<br />
to grow and you have the most forage production in the<br />
pastures,” he adds. “And that is also the same time when a<br />
cow has the greatest nutrient needs. Forages are used most<br />
efficiently when the nutrient requirements of the cow are<br />
matched with the nutrients available from forages. So we’re<br />
trying to just match those up.”<br />
While similar studies have been conducted in the United<br />
States, in places like Nebraska and Montana, and under<br />
Canadian conditions in Ontario, the conditions in Western<br />
Canada are quite different.<br />
“In Western Canada, where the bulk of the Canadian cowcalf<br />
herd is located, the climatic conditions, the types of<br />
feed that we have, and the marketing systems are all quite<br />
different,” explains Dr. Lardner. “We wanted to be able to<br />
provide the information to beef producers here who may<br />
be thinking about making a transition from early calving<br />
system, which would be somewhere around March and April,<br />
to a later calving season, which would be more like May and<br />
June.”<br />
Previous Canadian studies from Alberta showed no<br />
difference in calving and weaning rates, but lower birth<br />
weights for the early calving group compared with the late<br />
calving group, while studies from Ontario show heavier<br />
cow weights for the late calving group. Since Manitoba and<br />
Saskatchewan are physically located in the middle of the<br />
two Canadian studies, scientists needed to determine if the<br />
results from the other Canadian studies are applicable in<br />
these prairie provinces.<br />
To determine this, Drs. Iwaasa, Scott and Lardner<br />
launched a three-year study, beginning in January 2007<br />
with the first early calving season and ending in December<br />
22 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca
2009 with the last weaning date for the<br />
late-calving group, which involved two<br />
cow herds calving at different times at<br />
each of the research sites in Brandon,<br />
Swift Current and Lanigan. There the<br />
scientists followed the cow herds right<br />
from calving through to the time that<br />
the calves were weaned or separated<br />
from their mothers. After the calves<br />
were weaned, the male calves, or steers,<br />
were brought from all three sites to<br />
the Brandon Research Centre for the<br />
next phase of production, the finishing<br />
phase.<br />
During the finishing phase, the steers<br />
were split into two different feeding<br />
programs: a rapid (conventional)<br />
finishing with a short backgrounding<br />
period before high-grain feedlot<br />
finishing; or, a slow finishing system<br />
with a longer backgrounding period,<br />
pasture, swath grazing, and then highgrain<br />
feedlot finishing.<br />
“We wanted to be<br />
able to provide the<br />
information to beef<br />
producers here who may<br />
be thinking about making<br />
a transition from early<br />
calving system…to a<br />
later calving season…”<br />
– Dr. Bart Lardner, Western Beef<br />
Development Centre<br />
“This allows us to look at different<br />
opportunities for marketing those<br />
steers at different times of the year<br />
and varying the input necessary to<br />
get the animals ready for slaughter,”<br />
explains Dr. Scott. “Right now higher<br />
grain prices can increase the feed costs<br />
compared to lower forage costs. You<br />
can also weigh off the costs of the feed<br />
against the length of time that it’s going<br />
to take to finish them. Our colleagues<br />
at the University of Manitoba, Ms. Tanis<br />
Sirski and Dr. Derek Brewin and at<br />
AAFC Brandon and Summerland, Drs.<br />
Mohammad Khakbazan and Richard<br />
Carew, are looking at the economics<br />
of the whole system so we can provide<br />
the information to producers in terms<br />
of the different variables that we’ve<br />
examined and the impact they’ve had<br />
on profitability.”<br />
Preliminary results indicate that calf<br />
growth rate was significantly affected by<br />
location (Swift Current versus Lanigan<br />
and Brandon) and calving system<br />
(spring – early versus summer – late).<br />
Calf performance (average daily gain)<br />
was lower for calves in the late calving<br />
system compared to those in the early<br />
calving system. Cow reproductive<br />
efficiency (e.g., pregnancy rate, calving<br />
span, calving distribution over time,<br />
and weaning rate) was not affected by<br />
calving system. Body condition score<br />
decreased from breeding to weaning for<br />
cows in the late calving system, perhaps<br />
as a result of cold environmental<br />
temperatures coinciding with nursing<br />
calves.<br />
While the study is still on-going,<br />
preliminary results indicate that total<br />
production costs per head per year<br />
were lower in the late calving system<br />
compared to those in the early calving<br />
system. Increasing the number of<br />
days on pasture reduced overall costs.<br />
The late calving system decreased the<br />
amount of time required to feed cows<br />
in a drylot, therefore reducing the<br />
impact of this more expensive feeding<br />
system on total costs.<br />
The choice to consider changing<br />
the time of calving depends mainly on<br />
the ranch operator’s preference, but<br />
also on the herd size and the available<br />
labour, land and facilities. As noted<br />
above, preliminary results indicate that<br />
calf average daily gain was slightly lower<br />
for the late calving system, but delaying<br />
calving into the summer may be an<br />
efficient way for producers to reduce<br />
winter feeding costs.<br />
However, producers may have to deal<br />
with higher input costs during early<br />
spring calving period, compared to<br />
lower input costs during the summer<br />
calving period. Many beef producers<br />
also have crop operations, so summer<br />
calving might be a better balance of<br />
available labour on a mixed operation.<br />
Producers will also have to consider<br />
marketing options and calf prices<br />
when making the decision to change<br />
calving systems. Weather, feed supply<br />
and pasture condition are other factors<br />
that will affect decision-making.<br />
The study will be finished in early<br />
2011, including the analysis of cow-calf<br />
and finishing data, and the scientists<br />
hope to provide producers with more<br />
details on some of the pros and cons<br />
of early versus late calving so they can<br />
make their own informed decisions.<br />
Debbie Lockrey-Wessel is a communications<br />
advisor with Agriculture and Agri-Food<br />
Canada.<br />
meatbusiness.ca<br />
September/October 2010 Canadian Meat Business 23
One Step Closer<br />
Identification of novel genes can help scientists combat a costly poultry disease<br />
By Debbie Lockrey-Wessel<br />
N<br />
ecrotic enteritis (NE) is the most common disease<br />
encountered by poultry farmers today and is estimated<br />
to cost the international poultry industry US $2 billion<br />
each year. The disease is currently controlled by the prophylactic<br />
use of antibiotics, a practice that has now been banned in Europe,<br />
which quickly lead to a surge in NE cases there.<br />
Concerns by the poultry industry that a similar regulation will be<br />
implemented in North America have spawned intensified research<br />
into this disease, with the ultimate goal of developing alternative<br />
control strategies. Now a major breakthrough by Agriculture<br />
and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) researchers Dion Lepp and<br />
Joshua Gong at the Food Research Centre in Guelph, Ontario,<br />
in conjunction with other researchers, has identified the gene<br />
clusters likely responsible for this deadly disease and is bringing<br />
the research one step closer to developing effective controls.<br />
NE is caused by Clostridium perfringens, a species of bacteria<br />
that typically exists as a harmless inhabitant of the gastrointestinal<br />
tract. Until recently, it was believed that NE resulted from the<br />
production of alpha-toxin (the same toxin responsible for gas<br />
gangrene in humans), one of many toxins produced by this<br />
bacterium. However, this has been called into question recently<br />
and another toxin, NetB, has been implicated.<br />
Further to the discovery of NetB, the AAFC scientists have<br />
collaborated with colleagues at the University of Guelph and<br />
the University of Arizona and identified a set of approximately<br />
30 genes in NE – causing isolates of C. perfringens through a<br />
comparative genomic approach. These genes are divided into<br />
three major clusters, the largest of which also includes the NetB<br />
toxin.<br />
“Surprisingly, two of these clusters are located on plasmids,<br />
small segments of DNA that can be easily transferred from one<br />
bacterium to another,” explains Lepp. “These findings suggest<br />
that NE is caused by a number of genes that work together to<br />
generate the disease, as opposed to just one toxin, and that<br />
these genes may be passed on from one C. perfringens isolate<br />
to another.”<br />
“This is breaking news in the field and establishes a milestone<br />
in NE research,” emphasizes Gong. “The new discovery will<br />
have a significant impact on the direction of future research by<br />
influencing the view and thinking of researchers towards the<br />
disease and its control.”<br />
The results of the new discovery have been published in a<br />
prestigious biological journal, PLoS ONE (2010, Vol 5(5), e10795).<br />
The research is funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the<br />
Ontario Ministry of Food and Rural Affairs, the Poultry Industry<br />
Council, the United States Department of Agriculture and Pfizer<br />
Animal Health.<br />
Debbie Lockrey-Wessel is a communications advisor with Agriculture and<br />
Agri-Food Canada.<br />
events calendar<br />
October 2010<br />
21 - 24<br />
Canadian Health Food<br />
Association (CHFA) Expo East<br />
Metro Toronto Convention<br />
Centre<br />
Toronto, Ont.<br />
chfa.ca/events/expoeast<br />
24 - 25<br />
Alberta Foodservice Expo<br />
Calgary, Alta.<br />
albertafoodeserviceexpo.ca<br />
28 - 31<br />
NAMP 2010 Outlook Conference<br />
The Fairmont Scottsdale<br />
Scottsdale, Arizona<br />
namp.com<br />
March 2011<br />
6 - 8<br />
CRFA Show<br />
Direct Energy Centre<br />
Toronto, Ont.<br />
crfa.ca<br />
18 - 20<br />
NAMP Management Conference<br />
Chicago, Illinois<br />
namp.com<br />
May 2011<br />
4 - 6<br />
Canadian Meat Council 91st<br />
Annual Conference<br />
Halifax Marriott Harbourfront,<br />
Halifax, N.S.<br />
cmc-cvc.com<br />
June 2011<br />
21 - 23<br />
PACex International<br />
Direct Energy Centre<br />
Toronto, Ont.<br />
Thefoodnewz is an on line events calendar created by Debra Bradshaw of Zep Food<br />
& Beverage Division. To find out more about the events listed in this magazine visit<br />
thefoodnewz.com. If you know of events not listed please email Debra directly at<br />
zeprep@rogers.com.
An Opportunity Waiting to Happen<br />
Manitoba’s ag minister encourages producers, processors to<br />
explore growing halal and kosher markets.<br />
By Alan MacKenzie<br />
T<br />
he demand in Canada for specialized meat, such as<br />
halal and kosher products, is growing, according to<br />
Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives<br />
(MAFRI) Minister Stan Struthers.<br />
“A recently completed study by Interpoc Inc. clearly<br />
demonstrates there is a growing market for specialized beef<br />
products in Manitoba, Canada and internationally, driven by<br />
people who follow Jewish and Muslim religious food practices,”<br />
Struthers said in a release.<br />
He also noted there is a need for new suppliers to develop new<br />
halal and kosher products, including seasoned and marinated<br />
meats, hamburgers, hotdogs, sausages, beef jerky and deli<br />
meats.<br />
“Unique processing and production requirements are<br />
necessary to meet halal and kosher specifications and often<br />
contacts are needed to enter the market supply chain,” the<br />
minister added.<br />
The Interpoc study Struthers referred to indicated that a<br />
limited number of companies currently service the specialized<br />
halal and kosher demand in Canada, indicating there is room for<br />
more competition in this growing market.<br />
The province is urging its beef producers and food processors<br />
to try tapping into this market, and is offering support to those<br />
interested through the Manitoba Agri Innovation Suite (MAIS).<br />
“There are various components of the program and there is<br />
funding available for new product development or new process<br />
development, so there would be support there to facilitate some<br />
of the processing kind of endeavours,” said Jeff Fidyk, a MAFRI<br />
business development specialist.<br />
He said that although Manitoba’s domestic market for<br />
both halal and kosher products is relatively low – there are<br />
approximately 10,000 Muslims in Manitoba and 15,500 Jewish<br />
people – Manitoba producers and processors have a geographic<br />
advantage in taking on these markets.<br />
“Winnipeg and Manitoba are right in the centre of the<br />
continent. In terms of distribution to North America we are<br />
central – by truck we can get goods to market within two or three<br />
days to any point,” he noted, adding that Manitoban producers<br />
also offer an ability for marketers of halal and kosher products to<br />
offer more to their customers.<br />
“We are producing grass-fed beef, which is an area of interest<br />
to these markets, and there is local production – people in these<br />
markets want to buy local just like anyone else. They want to<br />
support that. People in general really want to know where their<br />
food is coming from and they want to feel safe about their food<br />
supply,” he said.<br />
The total halal meat market in Canada is estimated at $214<br />
million and the nationwide kosher beef market is calculated to<br />
be about $130 million.<br />
According to the Manitoba government, most of current<br />
supply of halal and kosher beef provided from within Canada<br />
is from Cargill, Prairie Halal, St. Helen’s and Ryding Regency<br />
packers situated in Central Canada. The market is also served<br />
“In terms of distribution to North<br />
America we are central – by truck we<br />
can get goods to market within two or<br />
three days to any point.”<br />
– Jeff Fidyk, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives<br />
by a limited amount of imports of Uruguayan, New Zealand and<br />
Australian beef.<br />
What is halal?<br />
Halal is an Islamic concept of spiritual belief originating from<br />
the Holy Qur’an and refers to food that is permissible to eat<br />
according to Islamic law. A common misconception is that Halal<br />
is simply the prohibition of alcohol and pork, according to the<br />
Interpoc study.<br />
The first requirement for Halal meat is that the product in<br />
question is from a species permitted by Islam – meaning not pig<br />
or swine, a carnivorous animal, a bird of prey, shellfish, or land<br />
animals without external ears, such as lizards. Beef and poultry<br />
products are permissible species for consumption, but are only<br />
Halal if they are slaughtered according to Islamic law, which<br />
includes being blessed.<br />
What is kosher?<br />
Kosher refers to food that was processed according to Jewish<br />
law. In order to be qualified as kosher meat, the animal must<br />
be of a kosher species (one that chews its cud and has cloven<br />
hooves), according to the study. The animal must be healthy<br />
before slaughter.<br />
The animal is slaughtered under kosher law, which emphasizes<br />
humane treatment by using the least painful methods. The<br />
kosher slaughtering process is called Shechita and involves<br />
cutting the trachea and esophagus with a sharp, flawless knife. A<br />
blessing must be performed the morning of the slaughter.<br />
26 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca
| Industr y Roundup |<br />
Inventories of major livestock on Canadian<br />
farms declined over last year<br />
Cattle and hog inventories in Canada declined between July<br />
1, 2009 and July 1, 2010, according to a report from Statistics<br />
Canada.<br />
The Canadian cattle herd fell by 4.9 per cent to 14.0 million<br />
and has been in a steady decline since its peak of 16.9 million<br />
in 2005, the agency reported. The hog inventory fell 2.4 per<br />
cent to 11.8 million.<br />
As of July 1, 99,026 farms reported beef or dairy cattle,<br />
down 3.5 per cent from the same date in 2009.<br />
During this period, the Canadian dairy herd fell 1.3 per<br />
cent, while the total beef herd declined 5.5 per cent. Statistics<br />
Canada said indications are that the beef herd is not rebuilding,<br />
as farmers reported a 5.1 per cent decline in the total number<br />
of beef cows and a 2.3 per cent drop in replacement heifers.<br />
The total number of dairy cows and replacement dairy heifers<br />
also declined compared with 2009.<br />
From January to July 2010, an estimated 1.9 million head of<br />
Canadian cattle and calves were sent to slaughter – a 6.5 per<br />
cent increase from the same period in 2009, but 0.3 per cent<br />
below levels reported for the July to December 2009 period.<br />
During the first six months of 2010, exports of live cattle and<br />
calves totalled 613,100 head, up 1.5 per cent from the same<br />
period in 2009.<br />
As of July 1, there were 7,050 hog farms in Canada, down<br />
10.6 per cent from the same date in 2009. Canadian hog<br />
producers reported an estimated 11.8 million hogs on their<br />
farms, down from 12.1 million hogs on the same date in<br />
2009.<br />
Farmers reported 1.3 million sows and gilts on their farms,<br />
down 4.8 per cent from July 1, 2009, and 9.4 per cent below<br />
levels as of July 1, 2008.<br />
Hogs that were sent to slaughter totalled 5.1 million during<br />
the second quarter, down 0.8 per cent from the same period<br />
in 2009. Canadian hog slaughter peaked in the fourth quarter<br />
of 2004 at just over 6.0 million head.<br />
During the second quarter, total hog exports amounted to<br />
1.4 million head, down 14.1 per cent from the same quarter<br />
in 2009. Second-quarter exports were 52.3 per cent below<br />
the peak of 2.9 million head recorded in the first quarter of<br />
2008.<br />
The number of sheep on Canadian farms also decreased, by<br />
1.9 per cent to 1.0 million head, the agency reported.<br />
Regionally, inventory levels of sheep fell across the country<br />
between July 1, 2009, and July 1, 2010, except in Alberta, the<br />
Atlantic region and Saskatchewan. The largest relative decline<br />
occurred in Manitoba, where the inventory declined 11.3 per<br />
cent.<br />
During the first six months of 2010, 325,900 sheep were<br />
sent to slaughter in Canada, down 4.5 per cent from the same<br />
period in 2009. Statistics Canada said the export market for<br />
sheep has remained virtually non-existent since 2003.<br />
Mexican market reopens for poultry<br />
genetics exporters<br />
Canadian poultry genetics exporters will again have access<br />
to the lucrative Mexican market since the doors were closed<br />
following the March 2004 outbreak of avian influenza,<br />
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) announced.<br />
Imports of day old chicks and poults and hatching eggs to<br />
Mexico from all countries reached $18.2 million in 2009. Due<br />
to this new agreement, AAFC estimates that exports of these<br />
products from Canada could reach $2 million annually.<br />
“We’re very pleased to hear that the export of hatching<br />
eggs, day-old chicks and turkey poults from Canada to Mexico<br />
can restart after Canada received confirmation that Mexican<br />
authorities informed their border points of entry,” Agriculture<br />
Minister Gerry Ritz said in a release. “This is great news for<br />
farmers.”<br />
In 2009, Canadian agri-food exports to Mexico were $1.5<br />
billion.<br />
Government secures new market access to<br />
the Philippines<br />
Canadian exporters of rendered animal products have<br />
gained important access to Philippine markets that were<br />
previously closed to them, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz<br />
recently announced.<br />
Following a concerted effort by government and industry,<br />
the Philippine government has agreed to open its market to<br />
Canadian rendered animal by-products including blood meal,<br />
poultry meal and fats.<br />
The Canada Beef Export Federation estimates that the<br />
Philippine market for Canadian exporters of rendered<br />
products could reach $20 million.<br />
Last year, existing Canadian agri-food exports to the<br />
Philippines totalled $250 million.<br />
New E. coli test unveiled at IAFP<br />
California-based Life Technologies announced at the<br />
International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) annual<br />
meeting the launch of the MicroSEQ E. coli O157:H7 assay,<br />
designed to detect the deadly strain of E. coli using the<br />
company’s real-time PCR technology.<br />
According to the company the test has secured Performance<br />
Tested Methods certification from the AOAC Research<br />
Institute for detection of E. coli O157:H7. The new product<br />
will enable more effective monitoring of the food supply for<br />
contamination and help ensure food safety.<br />
E. coli O157:H7 can cause severe illness, even death and has<br />
been responsible for significant outbreaks of food poisoning<br />
across the globe, the company said in a release.<br />
Usually culture-based assays can take up to five days to yield<br />
results, but this new test is highly specific and sensitive and can<br />
be run in as little as eight hours, Life Technologies noted.<br />
Maple Leaf sees profit drop in Q2<br />
Maple Leaf Foods’ profits saw a decrease in the second<br />
quarter of 2010 due to a change in long-term interest rate<br />
swaps, but the company said it was pleased with its overall<br />
performance, particularly in its meat products division.<br />
In its Q2 report released at the end of July, Maple Leaf<br />
Foods reported net earnings of $3.0 million compared to<br />
$4.9 million last year. This includes a non-cash pre-tax charge<br />
of $20.7 million due to the change in fair value of long-term<br />
interest rate swaps.<br />
“We are very pleased with the continued steady improvements<br />
across our business in spite of challenging market conditions.”<br />
Maple Leaf president and CEO Michael H. McCain said in a<br />
release. “The protein business saw healthy improvements in<br />
financial performance while facing significant raw material<br />
28 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca
| Industr y Roundup |<br />
cost increases. We expect this trend of improvement to<br />
continue. While our bakery business earnings were off slightly<br />
from year ago, there was a solid recovery in margin towards<br />
more normal levels that we expect to continue in the second<br />
half of the year.”<br />
Adjusted operating earnings increased 20 per cent to $52.2<br />
million from $43.6 million last year.<br />
The company reported that sales for the second quarter<br />
decreased four per cent due to currency impacts on U.S. and<br />
U.K. bakery operations and fresh pork sales, and lower sales<br />
volumes in prepared meats. These impacts were partly offset<br />
by higher sales values of fresh pork, according to the report.<br />
Sales in the meat products division declined two per cent<br />
in the second quarter. Price increases in the prepared meats<br />
business had the expected effect of reducing volumes in<br />
the short-term as consumers adjust to new price levels, the<br />
company said. The impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on<br />
fresh pork sales and the exit of a non-core business category<br />
reduced sales. These impacts were partly offset by improved<br />
pork markets and increased net pricing in prepared meats.<br />
Adjusted operating earnings in the meat products group<br />
increased to $14.4 million compared to $1.7 million last year,<br />
which the company said reflects better results in the its fresh<br />
poultry operations due to improved markets and operating<br />
efficiencies.<br />
Sales in the agribusiness group declined two per cent to<br />
$54.1 million from $55.0 million in the second quarter last<br />
year due to lower sales prices in the rendering operations.<br />
Government invests $6.5M in organic<br />
farming innovation<br />
On Sept. 1 the Government of Canada announced a $6.5<br />
million investment in cutting-edge research to develop more<br />
efficient and profitable processes for the Canadian organic<br />
industry.<br />
“Demand for organic products is growing and this<br />
government wants to help our hardworking Canadian farmers<br />
capture as much of this market as possible,” Agriculture<br />
Minister Gerry Ritz stated in a release. “By creating this all-star<br />
team, we can maximize the investment and focus Canada’s<br />
organic expertise on the research that shows the most promise<br />
in delivering a profitable, competitive edge to farmers.”<br />
The Organic Federation of Canada will manage this<br />
investment to address the priorities of organic producers.<br />
The research will focus on soil fertility, grain cropping,<br />
greenhouse production and food processing. This cluster will<br />
also help develop a recognizable, high-quality brand to help<br />
establish Canada as a leader in organic production and help<br />
farmers expand their businesses, the Agriculture and Agri-<br />
Food Canada (AAFC) release said.<br />
“The Organic Science Cluster project, funded by the<br />
Government of Canada, is a major event in the development<br />
of this relatively new but rapidly growing segment of Canadian<br />
agriculture – organic food,” added Ted Zettel, president of<br />
the Organic Federation of Canada.<br />
In partnership with the OFC, the Organic Agriculture<br />
Centre of Canada (OACC) was instrumental in raising an<br />
industry contribution of $2.2 million for this project.<br />
“In this challenging period of declining oil supplies,<br />
increasing climate change and economic shifts, research<br />
results in organic agriculture offer options for all farmers and<br />
consumers,” stated Dr. <strong>Ralph</strong> Martin, founding director of<br />
meatbusiness.ca<br />
the OACC. “As Canadian consumers look for more organic<br />
products, this research will help Canadian farmers to benefit<br />
from this opportunity.”<br />
The Canadian organic sector has grown considerably in<br />
the last 10-15 years, AAFC noted. Retail sales of organic food<br />
products in Canada were valued at over $2 billion in 2008.<br />
The Organic Cluster is delivered by the Growing Forward<br />
framework under the Agri-Innovations program, a $158<br />
million five-year program announced to support industry-led<br />
science and technology projects.<br />
Food manufacturing industry continues to<br />
grow despite recession<br />
Canada’s food manufacturing industry outperformed its<br />
peers in the manufacturing sector during the recent recession,<br />
with profits, production and employment all rising last year,<br />
the Conference Board of Canada said.<br />
The industry will continue to expand this year and beyond,<br />
albeit at a modest pace, according to the board’s Canadian<br />
Industrial Outlook: Canada's Food Manufacturing Industry-<br />
Summer 2010.<br />
“The Canadian food manufacturing industry is often taken<br />
for granted,” Michael Burt, Conference Board associate<br />
director of industrial economic trends, said in a release.<br />
“The industry is one of the few components of Canada’s<br />
manufacturing sector that has recorded consistent growth<br />
in recent years. As a result, it is now the largest source of<br />
manufacturing employment in Canada, a total of 240,000,<br />
which is 14 per cent of the jobs in the sector.”<br />
September/October 2010 Canadian Meat Business 29
| Canadian Beef: Goodness in Ever y Bite |<br />
Sodium Reduction and the MeatIndustry<br />
Considerations for a strategy that will have implications for meat processors.<br />
By Susan Evans, Beef Information Centre<br />
H<br />
ealth Canada’s Sodium Reduction Strategy is aimed<br />
to lower sodium in the diets of Canadians through<br />
an industry-wide voluntary reduction of sodium<br />
levels in processed foods and foods sold in restaurants and<br />
foodservice establishments, along with education and awareness<br />
for consumers and research.<br />
The Sodium Working Group (SWG) set an interim dietary<br />
sodium intake goal of 2,300 mg per person (the amount of salt<br />
in about one teaspoon) per day by the year 2016. Compared<br />
with the average Canadian daily sodium intake of 3,400 mg, this<br />
goal represents a reduction of about 30 per cent overall or five<br />
per cent per year.<br />
Sodium is an essential element required for normal<br />
functioning of the body however there are health benefits<br />
to reducing sodium intake. Excessive sodium intake has<br />
been shown to cause high blood pressure (hypertension)<br />
among other health risks. Hypertension is a major cause of<br />
cardiovascular disease, which is the number one cause of death<br />
in Canada.<br />
This strategy will have implications for the grocery, meat<br />
processing and foodservice industries.<br />
The majority of sodium found in the typical diet comes from<br />
processed food products, accounting for 77 per cent of the total.<br />
Salt is used as flavouring, a preservative and an antibacterial<br />
agent; it also has many effects on the texture and structure of<br />
foods. In processed meat products salt is used for food safety,<br />
to enhance flavour and yield characteristics, and to improve<br />
texture.<br />
The SWG divided the food supply into two groups: Group I<br />
foods (which contribute over 50 per cent of the sodium in the<br />
diet and include everything from commercial bread products,<br />
potato chips and vegetable juices to processed meats) and<br />
Group II foods which includes the remaining food categories<br />
along with foods available from the restaurant and foodservice<br />
industry.<br />
The SWG will set new allowable sodium content for suppliers<br />
and manufacturers of the identified foods to assist the Canadian<br />
population to meet the daily intake goal for sodium of 2,300<br />
mg. Voluntary recommendations for Group I foods have been<br />
drafted and the rest of the targets will be established over time<br />
as progress towards the 2016 interim goal is tracked.<br />
For processed meats, there are potassium-based ingredients<br />
that can replace the functionality sodium provides however it<br />
may take multiple ingredients to do this. The Beef Information<br />
Centre can assist in reformulation by working with a company’s<br />
ingredient supplier of choice. For more information on how<br />
BIC can work with you, please contact Robert Serapiglia at<br />
rserapiglia@beefinfo.org.<br />
Recommendations also include plans for extensive consumer<br />
and industry education initiatives.<br />
“There is an opportunity to promote single-ingredient beef<br />
as a low sodium option for Canadians seeking to reduce their<br />
salt intake,” says Lisa Mina, registered dietitian and executive<br />
director, consumer marketing for the Beef Information Centre.<br />
“On average, 100g of raw beef contains only 64mg of sodium.<br />
This is considered “low sodium”, and represents less than three<br />
per cent daily value.”<br />
The meat industry can help Canadians adapt by using<br />
seasonings and spice blends with no or minimal amounts of salt<br />
in recipes and in new meat products.<br />
Resources<br />
For a copy of the report: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/sodium/<br />
strateg/index-eng.php<br />
The Canadian Restaurant and Food Service Association has prepared a<br />
foodservice operator’s guide to reducing sodium available at http://www.crfa.<br />
ca/pdf/sodium_guide.pdf<br />
The Canadian Meat Council has a factsheet on Sodium in Processed<br />
Meats available at http://www.cmc-cvc.com/english/documents/<br />
FactSheetonSodiuminProcessedMeatProducts_000.pdf<br />
Susan Evans is a trade communications manager with<br />
the Beef Information Centre, the beef market development<br />
division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.<br />
www.canadianbeef.info<br />
30 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca
| Business Spotlight |<br />
Packaging Materials Sales<br />
International Packaging Materials Supplier is currently<br />
seeking a Sales Representative for their Ontario and<br />
Western Canada territories. Knowledge of the food<br />
manufacturing industry a plus, but not required. Travel is<br />
required, home office. Comprehensive benefits program,<br />
travel budget and auto allowance make this an attractive<br />
opportunity. This company is rapidly growing in Canada<br />
and around the world, don’t miss your opportunity.<br />
Submit your resumes via Fax to 518-751-1587 or by<br />
Email to applynow@midwestcareerspecialist.com<br />
We can help you develop a range<br />
of quality materials that will make<br />
your brand and your message<br />
stand out above the rest.<br />
COMMUNICATIONS WEST INC.<br />
We have the answer!<br />
TF. 1.800.344.7055 ext.1 I P. 204.985.9516<br />
wecommunications.ca<br />
meatbusiness.ca<br />
September/October 2010 Canadian Meat Business 31
| Product Showcase |<br />
32 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca
| Product Showcase |<br />
STAINLESS STEEL TRUCKS / RACKS<br />
Let Beacon customize<br />
one of our standard Truck<br />
designs for your processing<br />
requirements. Our experts<br />
have 80 years of experience<br />
in engineering the right<br />
Truck for the right job.<br />
Whether it is a Nesting,<br />
Bacon, Sausage or Ham<br />
Rack, we will design the<br />
unit for your needs. We<br />
do not over design and<br />
add cost or under design<br />
and give our customers a<br />
Truck that will not perform.<br />
BEACON, Inc.<br />
12223 S. Laramie Ave, Alsip, IL 60803<br />
Phone (708) 544-9900 Fax (708) 544-9999<br />
beaconmetals.com<br />
meatbusiness.ca<br />
September/October 2010 Canadian Meat Business 33
| Meat Industr y Business Watch |<br />
Reducing Workplace Stress<br />
Untreated employee stress can lead to serious outcomes for<br />
both staff and employers.<br />
By Gerry Kaplan<br />
W<br />
orkplace stress is<br />
unavoidable. In fact, a<br />
certain amount of stress<br />
at work is essential to ensure that<br />
employees feel positively challenged,<br />
and that they continue to develop new<br />
skills and abilities. However, for some<br />
employees the stress they experience<br />
can become overwhelming, leading<br />
to frustration, disillusionment, and<br />
even anger. The American Institute<br />
of Stress estimates that negative<br />
workplace stress costs U.S. companies<br />
alone $150 million in losses annually.<br />
In addition, the National Institute<br />
of Occupational Safety and Health<br />
estimates that about 40 per cent of all<br />
employees experience moderate or<br />
“extreme” levels of stress.<br />
Moderate or high levels of workplace<br />
stress are often associated with:<br />
• increased absenteeism;<br />
• increased conflict in the<br />
workplace;<br />
• reduced productivity;<br />
• poor customer service;<br />
• reduced quality of work;<br />
• difficulty concentrating;<br />
• more workplace injuries.<br />
Workplace stress has also been<br />
linked to high blood pressure,<br />
heart and stomach problems, sleep<br />
disorders, depression, anxiety,<br />
and even problems in employees’<br />
relationships outside of work. If these<br />
conditions go unrecognized and<br />
untreated they can lead to much more<br />
serious outcomes for both employees<br />
and their companies.<br />
While the common factors that<br />
can cause workplace stress vary, they<br />
generally include:<br />
• not feeling valued at work;<br />
• not feeling meaningfully involved<br />
in decision-making and problemsolving;<br />
• having insufficient information to<br />
do their jobs well;<br />
• having insufficient training or<br />
professional development;<br />
• a lack of a work and life balance;<br />
• workload issues – too much work<br />
and not enough time;<br />
• the physical demands of the job;<br />
• workplace politics, including a<br />
lack of trust at work, gossip, and<br />
perceived favouratism;<br />
• poor relationships with their<br />
co-workers and immediate<br />
supervisors.<br />
The existence of negative workplace<br />
stress may not always be obvious. In<br />
workplaces with separate departments<br />
or work locations, the specific causes<br />
and levels of stress can vary widely<br />
across employee groups. Employees<br />
The good news is that<br />
negative workplace<br />
stress can be reduced<br />
significantly, through the<br />
outcomes of strategic<br />
planning processes<br />
based on formal research<br />
findings.<br />
who experience the highest levels of<br />
stress report, on average, from nine<br />
to 14 different stress factors. This<br />
means that no one solution alone is<br />
going to successfully reduce the levels<br />
of workplace stress experienced by<br />
these employees.<br />
The good news is that negative<br />
workplace stress can be reduced<br />
significantly, through the outcomes<br />
of strategic planning processes based<br />
on formal research findings. Below<br />
are some steps that will help ensure<br />
that your company gets the best value<br />
given the time and commitment<br />
of the managers and employees<br />
who complete a questionnaire,<br />
or participate in a focus group or<br />
interview.<br />
1) Ensure that your employee<br />
questionnaire or other research<br />
questions are specifically designed<br />
for your sector or industry. Avoid<br />
generic or ‘canned’ questionnaires<br />
often available online.<br />
2) Endeavour to include all<br />
managers and employees in your<br />
study. This can also include term<br />
employees and those who are on<br />
leaves of absence.<br />
3) Ensure that analysis is undertaken<br />
not just in the aggregate (i.e., all<br />
employees as a single group) but by<br />
factors such as employees’ positions,<br />
occupations, work locations,<br />
education and training, years of<br />
experiences, and even their gender<br />
and ages.<br />
4) Ensure that you have the data<br />
needed to help you to develop<br />
effective stress-reduction strategies.<br />
Don’t limit your process to a single<br />
question, such as ‘Do you experience<br />
workplace stress?’ Drill down with<br />
questions such as:<br />
• how much negative workplace<br />
stress do you experience?<br />
• what factors cause you stress at<br />
work?<br />
• what is the impact of workplace<br />
stress on your life outside of work,<br />
and vice versa?<br />
• what strategies do you personally<br />
use to resolve your own stress?<br />
• how effective are these strategies?<br />
• what changes should the company<br />
make to help reduce levels of<br />
negative workplace stress?<br />
5) Ensure that you receive a report<br />
that includes a full analysis and<br />
interpretation of all of your study<br />
findings. Also ensure that the report<br />
includes a clear and manageable set<br />
of recommendations designed to<br />
help you to develop, implement and<br />
assess your strategic plan.<br />
Gerry Kaplan MSW, is<br />
president of Kaplan Research<br />
Associates Inc. He can be<br />
reached at 204-957-5694 or at<br />
gskaplan@mts.net<br />
34 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca