Chicken welfare targeted by McDonald’s

First it was eggs. Now it’s chickens.

McDonald’s Corp. has announced it will require welfare standards for raising chickens for the products it markets, such as McNuggets.

Among its standards will be barn lighting and perches for the birds.

The fast-food chain said it will set targets for chickens’ health, including how well they walk and whether they have broken wings, and use third-party audits to ensure that farms comply.

McDonald’s says it will work with suppliers and technology companies to develop monitoring systems that automatically gather data on chickens’ behaviour on farms.

It expects the new standards to take effect by 2024.

There was no word about whether McDonald’s was pressured by animal welfare organizations, such as the Humane Society of the United States which has been successful pressuring retailers on housing standards for egg-laying hens and for gestating sows.

There has also been no word so far about McDonald’s intentions for Canadian suppliers.

Pork still faces EU challenges

The Canadian pork industry still faces some challenges to begin exporting to the European Union under the new free trade agreement.

Last week it cleared a labeling challenge.

Now it needs to deal with the issue of antimicrobials farmers use when raising pigs. A number of other countries, including Japan and the United States, approve what Canadian farmers use, but not yet the European Union.

On the labeling issue, Ron Davidson, who has been handling trade issues for the Canadian Pork Countil, said “we’ll only be selling certain cuts from each carcass, so it’s very important that we apply the EU health label only to the boxes that are going to Europe, not to those that will be going someplace else.”

Rick Bergman, chairman of the council, said “the elimination of this barrier enables increased sales, which is of utmost importance to a prosperous pork sector.”

“We also use antimicrobial treatments in Canada which have not been approved by the European Union so there is additional research required on the antimicrobial part,” Davidson said.

Shoppers confuse organic and non-GMO

A Florida study has found that many shoppers don’t understand the difference between foods labeled organic and non-GMO.

Some view the two labels as synonymous, according to a new study by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

That’s understandable because organic standards ban GMOs.

The study, led by assistant professor Brandon McFadden with Purdue University agricultural economics professor Jayson Lusk, explored ways to communicate to consumers whether food has genetically modified ingredients. 

Researchers conducted a national survey of 1,132 respondents and found they are willing to pay nine cents more for a box of 12 granola bars labeled non-GMO, but 25 cents more for boxes labeled “contains genetically engineered ingredients”.

The situation was different for apples. They were willing to pay 35 cents more for those labeled non-GMO and 40 cent more for those labeled USDA organic.

The results led McFadden to conclude that consumers don't distinguish definitions of the two food labels.

"For example, it's possible that a product labeled, 'Non-GMO Project Verified' more clearly communicates the absence of GM ingredients than a product labeled 'USDA Organic,'" he said.

The study is published in the Journal Applied Economics: Perspectives and Policy.

But, then again, you have to consider that U.S. citizens elected Donald Trump president. 

Saputo buys another Australian dairy

Saputo has won the bidding for Murray Goulburn Co-operative which is Australia's largest milk processor.

It said today that it will take out a new bank loan to pay for the $625-million purchase.

If Saputo decides to buy all of the remaining business, including debts and liabilities, it would cost about $1 billion.

Murray Goulburn got into financial difficulty when it aggressively pursued expansion into Asian markets.

Saputo will be the dominant dairy in Australia because it also owns Warrnambool Cheese Butter.

It is by far the largest dairy company in Canada at roughly twice the size of second-place Agropur cooperative.

Maple Leaf profits soar

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. profits soared by 31.8 per cent for the third quarter this year, rising to $37.6 million.

President Michael McCain said that was achieved even though margins were squeezed by higher input costs.

Sales increased by 6.5 per cent to $908.4 million.

The company has become consistently profitable since it closed most of its small and scattered meat-processing facilities to concentrate operations at a new plant at Hamilton.

The former J.M. Schneider plant in downtown Kitchener was sold this fall for an undisclosed price.

The purchaser intends to develop the large acreage for residential and office buildings.