The Canadian Meat Council is hoping
for two changes to European regulations to improve pork and beef access under
the new free trade agreement.
For pork, it’s a change to allow
food-safety labeling to be applied immediately before export and only on boxes
destined for the European market.
That will enable packers to continue
as usual with cooler storage and packaging for the Canadian and other export
markets.
For beef, council spokesman Ron
Davidson said it may take longer to address the more difficult issue of
clarifying which antibiotics are/are not acceptable for on-farm use for beef
destined for Europe, and to gain European acceptance for that list.
Davidson said this issue will likely
remain open when Sept. 21, the free-trade implementation date, arrives, meaning
packers will have to wait to start exporting.
