20°c A few clouds
7°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
That pig an alien or a Product of Canada?
OTTAWA -- When can a chick or a pig claim Canadian residency?
It's a tricky question that's confounding the federal government as it struggles to sort out what meat products can claim to be a "Product of Canada" on food packaging.
The conundrum dates back to 2008, when the government didn't factor in how imported live animals fit strict new Product of Canada-labelling guidelines unveiled by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. The new policy, in effect since the beginning of 2009, requires any food to contain 98 per cent Canadian ingredients to be considered a Product of Canada.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency now has interim guidelines for imported cows, permitting cattle to be considered Canadian for labelling purposes if they live in Canada for 60 days before being slaughtered and processed in Canada. But the CFIA says it has yet to establish residency rules for other animals such as imported chicks and swine so, for now, the 60-day residency period only applies to cattle.
"The Product of Canada guidelines did not explicitly deal with live animals when they were put in place. At that time, the application of the guidelines to imported animals was not highlighted as an issue," the agency said in a statement, adding it's still reviewing "how these guidelines can be best applied to meat products from live animals imported into Canada."
Ron Bonnett, who operates a cow and calf farm at Bruce Mines in northern Ontario, said the 60-day residency rule for cattle "definitely helps."
That's because the life of a cow, which usually spans 20 to 26 months from birth to slaughter, often involves cross-border travel, Bonnett said.
He chalks up a resolution of the cattle-residency question to the government's "cross-border harmonization effort."
But Bonnett, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, said the government still has to address serious concerns from producers about requiring virtually all ingredients in a food product to be Canadian in order to be marketed as a Product of Canada.
His organization has been pushing the government to establish a threshold of 85 per cent to allow processed foods made from local produce, such as Saskatoon-berry jam, to be sold as a Canadian product, even if incidental secondary ingredients, many not available in Canada, are sourced outside the country.
"Very few products actually meet that requirement," Bonnett said of the 98 per cent threshold.
"I'm not really sure what happened there. I think one of the problems is they made a decision to go with the 98 per cent, and then they realized, 'Well, that isn't working,' " he said. "I don't think they want to trip on this again."
-- Postmedia News
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 15, 2012 B4
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Winnipeg woman camps out in front of legislature to protest child welfare
- New owner for lumber stores
- Peeping Tom portrayed as sexual deviant in court
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Two men now facing first-degree murder charges in Tim Bosma test drive death
- Man killed after test drive a regular guy, and it cost him his life: widow
- Man shot to death in Fla. while being questioned in Boston Marathon bombing investigation
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Winnipeg woman camps out in front of legislature to protest child welfare
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Driver crashes into tree near golf course
- Arrests made after raids on local head shops
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- News of city's $17-million winner leaks out on FB
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Susan Griffiths dies in Switzerland
- New owner for lumber stores
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Order of Manitoba recipients announced
- Paying bills and consumer consumption hurting Canadians' ability to save: study
- MP Bruinooge says Bill 18 could infringe on religious freedoms
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Elijah Harper: The humble man who said no
- Two charged in golf course burglary
- New owner for lumber stores
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Marsh Madness: Photographers Fred Greenslade and Joe Bryksa capture spring migration's grandeur at Delta Marsh
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Province removing red tape in alcohol sales
- Animals are animals, new ads say
- Skin picking gets status as distinct disorder, should help sufferers access help
- New owner for lumber stores
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- Ontario steps in to help save ELA
- Saskatchewan professor wants to test the health benefits of nose-picking
- 'Revenge of the redheads': Ginger-haired Montrealers gather in celebration
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Retail sales in province see 2 per cent increase in February
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.