Mexico bans U.S. livestock

Mexico will stop most imports of live animals from the United States because New World screwworms were found in Texas and New Mexico,.

It’s a case of the pot calling the kettle black because the U.S. screwworms were probably from Mexico which has registered more than 28,200 cases of screwworm since November 2024.

Mexico said it is protecting its cattle herd in the northern states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua and Sinaloa, where there are currently no confirmed cases of screwworm.

Dairy farm fined for manure pollution

 

Henro Dairy Farms Ltd., in Blanford-Blenheim has been fined $270,000 plus a $67,500 victim surcharge for a manure spill that killed about 1,700 fish along a three-kilometre ditch and waterway.

The farm’s manure storage overflowed.

Lactalis milk on recall

Lactalis Canada is recalling its Lactantia UltraPur 2% Protein milk because it has been too heavily supplemented with Vitamins D and A.

Much of it was sold in Costco stores in May and June.

It’s lactose-free milk is also on recall. 

Both were packaged in two-litre cartons.

There is no food safety risk with these milks.

The federal government requires milk to be fortified with Vitamins D and A.

Lactalis said only one batch of milk is involved in the recall.

CFIA tallies 19 avian flu outbreaks

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency reported there have been 19 outbreaks of highly-;pathogenic avian influenza in the first five months of this year.

One of them was in Amherstburg Township, Ont., in February.

There have also been five cases of chronic wasting disease and five of equine infectious anemia, none of them in Ontario.

Goat milk marketing board approved

More than two-thirds of Ontario’s goat milk producers have voted in favour of setting up a marketing board so the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission has granted its approval.

The board will be able to charge a fee on goat-milk marketing to fund research and promotion programs.

It will not have supply-management power.

“The creation of a new statutory organization for Ontario’s dairy goat sector is one of the most significant governance changes the industry has faced in decades,” said Michele Bowering, Ontario Goat president. 

“Of additional concern is the fact that a significant number of eligible producers from Amish and Mennonite communities were unable to participate in the vote due to religious objections to voting.”

She said calling it a marketing board prompted concerns from about 200 goat-milk producers in the province, but she said it’s really just an association with power to raise money for research and promotion.

Agropur recalls Costco organic milk

Sanitizer contaminated a batch of one per cent milk Agropur made for Costco, so the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it’s under recall.

The product involved in the recall is the Kirkland Signature brand Organic 1% Partly Skimmed Milk, sold in packs of three one-litre pouches.

According to the official regulatory filing, the milk carries a best-before date of July 12, 2026 and the plant registration code 1490.

Some milk from the Agropur batch was also distributed by other retailers.

The CFIA said consuming milk contaminated with these chemical agents can cause immediate gastrointestinal distress, burning sensations, or nausea.

There have been no officially verified reports of consumer illnesses or adverse medical events linked to consumption. 

Costco Canada used its membership networks to alert shoppers who purchased the specific organic milk lot to immediately halt consumption. 

Retail managers are authorizing full corporate refunds upon the return of the merchandise to local warehouses.

Japanese soy milk targets U.S. market

The Japanese Soy Milk Exchange (JSME) has launched a campaign in the United States.

It brings together soybean innovators, culinary experts, nutrition professionals and food industry executives to introduce Japanese soy milk.

JMSE will establish Japanese soy milk as a distinct premium category in the U.S. and serve as its authoritative voice, educating consumers on what sets it apart from other soy milks, the organizers wrote in a news release.

It said soy is at the heart of Japan’s food culture, and Japanese soy milk is rooted in centuries of craftsmanship. 

It’s made with soybeans grown in North America, using specialized Japanese technology and processing methods that ensure a silky texture, mild scent and subtly nutty flavor, it said.

Nutritionally, Japanese soy milk is comparable to dairy milk with nine to 10 grams of plant protein per serving and about half the carbohydrates of cows’ milk.