CFIA Winnipeg lab wins global recognition

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s lab at Winnipeg has won global recognition as one of seven reference labs for foreign animal diseases, including African Swine Fever.

The seven global labs are designated as World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) Reference Laboratories.

The CFIA said it learned of the designation last week and it included Dr. Aruna Ambagala as Canada's designated expert for African Swine Fever.

"These laboratories play a critical role in the international monitoring and control of animal diseases, in applied research, as well as in providing support for diagnosis, training and advice to member countries," CFIA said.

"This designation by the WOAH is a sign of Canada's scientific excellence and demonstrates Canada's increasing ability, capacity, and readiness to detect and respond to an outbreak of ASF as well as support global efforts to manage the disease."

Province is placing rabies vaccines

The province has begun to place rabies vaccines in urban areas frequented by skunks and raccoons and will be dropping them from aircraft in rural areas.

The urban baiting will last into September in  Brant, Haldimand, Halton, Hamilton, Niagara, Norfolk, Ohsweken, Oxford, Waterloo and Wellington. Baiting will also occur in the city of Cornwall and Cornwall Island in mid-August.

.Baits are not distributed near schools, playgrounds, or where children are likely to be present.

The government said “baiting is an important part of our rabies control plan – one of the most successful in North America.”

Baiting by aircraft will start August 7 in St. Lawrence in Frontenac and Leeds & Grenville counties, and August 15 in Brant, Brantford, Haldimand, Halton, Hamilton, Niagara, Norfolk, Ohsweken, Oxford, Waterloo and Wellington. All baiting dates are subject to change depending on weather conditions.

Since 2015, the ministry has distributed more than 7.5 million vaccine baits and tested more than 25,000 wildlife samples. This action has contained the original outbreak to within 65 kilometres of the original case and the number of positive cases has dropped by 95 per cent since 2016.

The khaki-green coloured bait is made of wax-fat and smells like marshmallow to attract animals. A label with a toll-free telephone number (1-888-574-6656) and the message “Do not eat” are printed on the bait, and a plastic package containing the liquid rabies vaccine is embedded in the centre. If found, the bait should not be touched, but left for raccoons, skunks and foxes to consume.

Court orders a new glyphosate review

 An appeals court in California has ordered the United States Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a new review of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup and similar weed killers.

In a 3-0 decision, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with several environmental, farmworker and food-safety advocacy groups that the EPA did not adequately consider whether glyphosate causes cancer and threatens endangered species.

The litigation began after the EPA reauthorized the use of glyphosate in January 2020.

Groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Food Safety and the Rural Coalition, which represents farmworkers, faulted the agency for approving glyphosate despite its alleged harms to agriculture, farmers exposed during spraying, and wildlife such as the monarch butterfly.

Circuit Judge Michelle Friedland wrote for the Pasadena, California-based appeals court that the EPA did not properly justify its findings that glyphosate did not threaten human health and was unlikely to be carcinogenic to humans. She also faulted aspects of the agency’s approval process.

Health community pushes meat labeling

 Canada’s health community has launched a lobbying campaign to counter a lobbying campaign by the Canadian beef and pork industries.

At issue is a Health Canada proposal to label ground meat as high in saturated fat.

The beef and pork industries fear it will reduce sales. The health lobby said the labeling is needed so consumers will know the risks presented by eating a lot of saturated fats.

Health Canada has yet to publish its proposals, but the meat industry with backing from the Alberta government and the federal Conservate Party has been lobbying for an exemption.

Health Canada has been pondering warning labels about saturated fats, sugar and salt.

Infant formula recall – again

 

Shoppers Drug Mart is recalling Similac baby formula made by Abbott Laboratories in Michigan because of contamination with salmonella and Coronobacter sakazakii.

This is a new recall. There was a previous recall of almost all of the company’s infant formulas because of salmonella food-poisoning bacteria in the manufacturing plant.

It was cleaned and sanitized and went back into production, but was shut down again last week because of flooding. It once again has to undergo cleaning and sanitation.

The new recall was triggered after an investigation that ensued after consumers complained their infants got sick. There have been no similar complaints in Canada, said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Chicken company runs short of feed

 Foster Farms, a large chicken-production business in California, is running short of feed and so is asking the federal government to issue an emergency order to Union Pacific Railway to deliver corn from the mid-west.

An emergency order would force the railway to give priority to moving corn to Foster Farms.

Trains magazine reported that Foster Farms  has faced repeated service disruptions that left it short of feed to “the point has been reached when millions of chickens will be killed and other livestock will suffer because of UP’s service failures."

Specifically, Foster Farms’ facilities in Traver and Turlock, Calif. rely on a 100-car Union Pacific route that transports corn from the Midwest; Foster Farms then uses the corn for feed on its chicken and turkey farms.

Since February of this year, however, Union Pacific’s service failures have resulted in “numerous instances” of Foster Farms suspending production, and the processor has incurred “considerable costs” in seeking alternate transportation modes, Trains magazine reported.

                           

 

Revive smoothies on recall

 

Revive Organics Inc. of the Toronto area is recalling smoothies that contain raspberries because they might be contaminated with novovirus.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency identified the problem and is supervising the nation-wide recall.

It said it has no reports of consumers falling ill.