New biosecurity protocols for pork industry

The Canadian Pork Council and provincial hog marketing boards have a new set of biosecurity protocols.

The Canadian Pork Excellence (CPE) program’s updated guidelines reflect more than a decade of new industry knowledge, evolving disease risks, and advancements in biosecurity technologies since the original guidelines were introduced in 2010, the council said.

According to Alison Sullivan, producer services manager with Sask Pork, biosecurity remains one of the most critical priorities for the Canadian pork sector as global disease pressures continue to grow.

The updated guidelines are designed to help producers minimize disease risk, improve employee training, and promote long-term sustainability on Canadian pork farms. Alongside the refreshed guidelines, the new benchmarking tool provides producers with an interactive way to evaluate and strengthen their on-farm biosecurity systems.

The benchmarking system uses a four-level progression model that allows producers to assess where they stand and identify opportunities for improvement. Areas evaluated include controlled access zones, people movement, feed transportation, mortality disposal, pets and wildlife exposure, sanitation practices, and other key disease risk factors.

Producers complete the assessment by assigning scores within the tool, helping determine whether their operation is ready to advance to the next biosecurity level.

Gnossen buys Mapleton Organics

 

 

Gnossen Holsteins is buying next-door Mapleton Organics, a pioneer in the Ontario organic dairy sector.

Korb Whale and his late wife, Kelly Forster, took over Mapleton Organics in 2022.

Gnossen said he’s going to clean up the facilities so it can be like his home farm – a place to welcome tourists and students.

Mapleton was founded by Martin de Groot and Ineke Booy. 

Tractor in crash near Ripley

 Two people were seriously hurt in a weekend crash near Ripley that involved a tractor and a passenger car.

The crash on Highway 21 northwest of Ripley happened soon after midnight Saturday.

CFIA cancels another licence

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has cancelled the licence for a numbered company in Quebec City.

It is the second licence cancellation this month.

But numbered company 9259-8785 Québec Inc. had its licence suspended in January.

The CFIA said it failed because it fell short in the Identification and analysis of hazards, the development and implementation of a preventive control plan and traceability and recall procedures.

Licence cancellations for failure to comply with CFIA standards are rare.

 

CFIA cancels a licence

 

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has cancelled the licence held by TC Distributor Inc. of North York.

It is extreme punishment because the CFIA usually follows up on warnings with a suspension of a licence until compliance is achieved.

In this case the CFIA said TC Distributor mislabeled or did not label meat products from a country not approved by the CFIA.

Halton Hills seeks 911 expansion

 

Halton Hills council has voted unanimously to ask that property identification numbers be issued for fields and woodlots that are far from numbered buildings.

Their call comes after 911 emergency responders had difficulty locating a seven-year old Emily Trudeau who was in a field in Hastings County.

That 2014 incident has prompted other municipal councils to make similar requests for more property identification numbers to help emergency responders to 911 calls.

Broccoli on recall

 

There is a recall for Les Fermes Lufa brand broccoli that was sold online to customers in Ontario and Quebec.

The company initiated the recall which the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is monitoring because E. coli and other food-poisoning bacteria were found in the broccoli.