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THE BEEF, PORK & POULTRY INDUSTRY DIGITAL MAGAZINE

June 2021

NORTH AMERICAN MEAT INSTITUTE PROVIDES FACTS ON COMMON BEEF MARKET MYTHS TrustBIX Inc. Receives National Research Council Funding Cargill Heads to Record Profit on Booming Agriculture Market PGA Golfer Graham DeLaet Teams Up with Think Turkey Assessing Stun Effectiveness for Birds During Slaughter Protecting Your Agri-business from Cyber Fraud meatbusinesspro.com

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MEAT BUSINESS July/August 2017 MEATBUSINESSPRO June 2021 2 CANADIAN

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Future of Food: A Canadian Perspective North American Meat Institute Provides Facts on Common Beef Market Myths

Animal Care is Egg Farmers’ Top Priority

TrustBIX Inc. Receives National Research Council Funding Cargill Heads to Record Profit on Booming Agriculture Market

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PGA Golfer Graham DeLaet Teams Up with Think Turkey

Assessing Stun Effectiveness for Birds During Slaughter

1st Annual Yellow River Economic Belt Meat & Aquatics Expo in China

Protecting Your Agri-business from Cyber Fraud

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June 2021 Volume 21 Number 6 PUBLISHER Ray Blumenfeld ray@meatbusiness.ca MANAGING EDITOR Scott Taylor publishing@meatbusiness.ca DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR Cam Patterson cam@meatbusiness.ca CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cam Patterson, Scott Taylor, Javier Blas, Michael Hirtzer, Barbara Scherzinger, Dr. Martin Appelt, Virginia Labbie CREATIVE DIRECTOR Patrick Cairns Meat Business Pro is published 12 times a year by We Communications West Inc.

COMMUNICATIONS WEST INC.

We Communications West Inc. 106-530 Kenaston Boulevard Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3N 1Z4 Phone: 204.985.9502 Fax: 204.582.9800 Toll Free: 1.800.344.7055 E-mail: publishing@meatbusiness.ca Website: www.meatbusinesspro.com Meat Business Pro subscriptions are available for $28.00/year or $46.00/two years and includes the annual Buyers Guide issue. ©2020 We Communications West Inc. All rights reserved.

The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means in whole or in part, without prior written consent from the publisher.

FUTURE OF FOOD: A CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE The Conflicted Consumer: 2021 food consumer survey is the first in a series of articles published by Deloitte on the future of the food in a postpandemic world. This research explores the tensions that are driving consumer behaviours and trends, along with the resulting effect on food and grocery retailers. The findings are based on a survey of more than 1,000 Canadian consumers across age groups, financial situations, and geographic regions.

More than a year of living with a global pandemic has revealed a series of contradictory tensions among Canadian consumers. We’re baking our own bread, yet ordering in more than ever. We’re obsessed with fresh fruit and vegetables, but we can’t get enough of sugary, salty snacks. We’re committed to supporting local businesses, yet we’re shopping on Amazon more than ever.

Are these duelling consumer personalities simply a response to intense feelings of scarcity? Has the pandemic experience unlocked new needs and preferences that are here to stay? Or did the crisis simply accelerate impulses that have been here all along?

The pandemic has become both a catalyst and disruptor for retail businesses worldwide, including those in the food and grocery sector. Its impact likely will be lasting and wide-ranging, and several key trends are expected to reshape consumer behaviour in the years to come, including:

• Home cooking • Shopping basket bifurcation • Grocers go green and double down on diversity, equity, and inclusion • Healthy diet, healthy mind • Virtually identical experiences

Printed in Canada. ISSN 1715-6726

Read the report to explore what the future of food looks like in Canada. https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ca/Documents/ consumer-business/ca_futureoffood_pov_en_AODA.pdf

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NORTH AMERICAN MEAT INSTITUTE PROVIDES FACTS ON COMMON BEEF MARKET MYTHS The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) has released the following document to clarify common misunderstandings about the complex and competitive beef market in the United States.

“The members of the Meat Institute and their livestock suppliers benefit from a fair and competitive market,” said Meat Institute Vice President of Communications Sarah Little. “This document uses public sources to give an accurate picture of the dynamic beef market, especially given the COVID pandemic.

“The Meat Institute will continue to work with livestock producer organizations to ensure proposed changes to the beef markets do not have unintended consequences for producers and consumers.”

COMMON BEEF MARKET MYTHS AND FACTS MYTH: FOUR LARGE MEAT PACKING COMPANIES CONTROL OVER 80% OF THE PROCESSING MARKET. FACT: The top four beef packers in the U.S. account for the purchase and slaughter of about 85% of all fed cattle in the U.S., according to the most recent report from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Packer and Stockyards Division (P&S). Fed cattle, however, make up 79% of the Federally Inspected cattle slaughter in the U.S. The other 21% is made up of cows, both dairy and beef, and some bulls.

Fed cattle are steers and heifers that packers purchase from feedlots after being brought to market weight on a diet of grain to produce boxed beef, i.e. primarily the muscle cuts that consumers demand as steaks, ribs, and roasts. Cows and other non-fed cattle, on the other hand, are primarily slaughtered to be made into hamburger. The lean meat from these animals is a necessary ingredient to be made into America’s supply of hamburger produced in combination with the less demanded muscle cuts from the fed cattle.

Why is that important? About 50% of all beef in the U.S. is consumed as hamburger.

MYTH: THERE IS NO GROWTH IN THE PACKING INDUSTRY. FACT: Despite the pandemic’s challenges the market is competitive and growing. Since last year there have been several announcements about building new packing facilities or expanding capacity at existing plants that would increase cattle slaughter capacity by more than four percent, including new independent, local, and regional packers.

The “Big 4” beef packers, factoring in the non-fed slaughter plants they own, comprise about 70% of total U.S. beef production.

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Meat and poultry companies are utilizing capacity to the best of their abilities with COVID protocol constraints still in place and despite significant labor challenges that existed before – and have been exacerbated by – COVID. For example, slaughter as of May 22, 2021, for the year was 52% above last year and 67% over 2019 for the same period.

issues. The packer concentration ratio in beef packing is monitored every year by the P&S. Not only does P&S monitor the industry, any potential merger or acquisition that regulators believe threatens “too much market power” that could “yield less competition” and be “ripe for market abuse” is subject to review by the Justice Department or the Federal Trade Commission.

But labor is likely to remain a significant factor that affects utilization of production capacity; and is also a factor that will challenge new small and medium sized facilities entering the market. Brownfield News reports that Missouri Prime, one of the new smaller facilities to come online, is facing labor shortages, “Missouri Prime Beef started processing in March and is up to 150 head a day five days a week with a goal of 500 head a day in five years. But are looking for more cattle in addition to more workers. He says the labor shortage is largely why they are only operating five days a week.”

FACT: The last proposed merger of two the “big four” was in 2008 – and it was blocked by the Department of Justice. In fact, the four-firm concentration ratio in fed cattle beef packing has not changed meaningfully in more than 25 years.

MYTH: LAX OVERSIGHT HAS ALLOWED PACKER INDUSTRY CONCENTRATION. FACT: The beef packing industry has been and is one of the most highly scrutinized industries for antitrust

VEMAG

REPLACEMENT PARTS

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MYTH: CATTLE PRICES ARE NOT BEING DRIVEN BY THE MARKET. FACT: Cattle prices are where they are because they follow supply and demand.

MYTH: PACKERS ARE ABLE TO CONTROL PRICES AND DEFY EXPECTATIONS OF MARKET FUNDAMENTALS. FACT: The cattle market works just as economists would have predicted given the current conditions: when supplies of cattle increase, prices decrease and vice versa.

FACT: If packers are “able to control prices” why has that profitability not attracted more investors into the market?

MYTH: LARGE PRICE DISPARITIES ARE LEADING INDEPENDENT CATTLE PRODUCERS TO GO BROKE.

FACT: From 2002 to 2019, according to USDA data compiled by economist and industry expert Dr. Nevil Speer, while the number of cattle sold on a cash market basis has declined 55%, beef grading at the top two quality grades – Choice and Prime – has increased 39% and consumer per capita expenditures on beef have increased 56%.

MYTH: LEGALIZING THE SALE OF STATE INSPECTED MEAT IN INTERSTATE COMMERCE HAS BEEN THWARTED, FORCING LOCAL PRODUCERS TO BOTTLENECK THEIR BEEF PROCESSING AT MAJOR U.S. MEAT PACKING FACILITIES TO GET THE FEDERAL STAMP OF APPROVAL. FACT: Selling state inspected meat over state lines is a food safety issue -- plain and simple, which is why multiple consumer advocacy groups have long opposed the concept. Moreover, USDA has a program that allows state inspected plants to ship product in interstate commerce, so long as the plants meet federal standards.

FACT: Additionally, Congress has provided $60 million to USDA to fund a program that will assist state-inspected plants become federally-inspected plants, which would give them the ability to market out of state and even internationally. Bottomline, there is no “thwarting” involved. The federal-inspection-is-a-barrier-for-smallplants argument is a red-herring.

FACT: There are more than 5,000 small federally inspected plants.

FACT: The market suffered through COVID, and the effects are lingering, but Congress provided producers a safety net through CFAP to get through the impact of a once-in-a-century event.

MYTH: “CAPTIVE SUPPLY” PRACTICES SUCH AS FORWARD CONTRACTING AND FORMULA-BASED SALES, ALLOW MEATPACKERS TO EXERT MORE CONTROL, LIMIT COMPETITION AND DEPRESS SALES IN THE LIVE CASH MARKET. FACT: Forward contracts and formula-based sales provide an effective way for producers to hedge their risk and lock in prices. They also often pay premiums for quality. This allows packers and producers and feeders to predict needs in advance, which is a good thing.

In its 2018 report to Congress, AMS reported, “Stakeholders were in general agreement that formulabased purchases provide greater benefits, in terms of operational efficiency, for both packers and feedlots.”

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Despite COOL being in place, the fastest, largest growth in beef imports was in 2014 – which was the year the size of the U.S. cattle herd was at its lowest, as would be expected based on supply and demand fundamentals.

MYTH: IF BEEF MARKETS ARE NOT REFORMED, CONSUMERS WILL PAY MORE FOR LOWER QUALITY BEEF. MYTH: MEAT IMPORTS HURT DOMESTIC CATTLE PRODUCERS. FACT: Most of the beef imported into the U.S. is lean, grass fed trim and lower value cuts, which go into processed meat and ground beef. Because of this balance, steaks, loins and higher value cuts are not forced into such lower value products. This balance from imports supports U.S. beef exports at higher values. According to the U.S. Meat Export Federation, the per pound price of U.S. beef exports has averaged a 68-cent premium over the price of imports that go into lower value beef products.

MYTH: CATTLE PRICES WERE HIGHER WHEN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING (COOL) WAS IN EFFECT.

FACT: Since 2010, beef quality has increased. The percent of beef grading at Choice or Prime has grown from 68 percent to about 85%, cattle producers and meat companies are serving consumers well. This increase in quality has been driven by alternative marketing arrangements, which allow cattlemen to recover the value of their investments in genetics, feeding strategies, animal care, natural and other qualities desired by consumers.

For more information, visit https://www.meatinstitute.org/

FACT: In four rulings, each of which the U.S. lost, the WTO concluded that COOL was discriminatory and illegal under WTO rules, and if left in place would have triggered $1 billion in retaliatory tariffs, which is why Congress repealed COOL for beef and pork in 2015.

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ANIMAL CARE IS EGG FARMERS’ TOP PRIORITY For Canadian egg farmers, the health and welfare of their hens is a top priority. Every egg farmer shares this commitment by taking part in our comprehensive national Animal Care Program. The program reflects the highest standards in animal care, based on a code of practice developed in collaboration with animal welfare experts, scientists, veterinarians and government and industry representatives. The program is regularly reviewed and strengthened to ensure it reflects the latest science, animal welfare knowledge and new technology.

This national Animal Care Program includes many steps farmers must take to care for their hens on a daily basis.

The program also includes regular inspections and third-party audits, which hold farmers accountable and ensure standards are applied consistently across the country.

Here’s a closer look at what’s required as part of their national Animal Care Program.

INSPECTIONS AND THIRD-PARTY AUDITS Trained field inspectors and third-party auditors visit farms to conduct audits, reviewing practices and facilities to ensure that hens receive optimal care, and ensure a consistent application of welfare standards across the country. All auditors are certified through the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization and undergo rigorous training.

HEN CARE AND MONITORING Farmers inspect their flock at least twice per day, and take immediate action if a sick or injured hen is found.

They also keep records for feed and water consumption, and regularly monitor hen behaviour and feather condition. All of these offer critical insights into the health and welfare of a flock.

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EQA® CERTIFICATION PROGRAM The national Animal Care Program—alongside our Start Clean-Stay Clean® food safety program—is the foundation of our Egg Quality Assurance™ (EQA®) certification program, an industry-wide initiative that certifies Canadian eggs are produced according to strict food safety and animal welfare standards. When you enjoy Canadian eggs, you can trust you are eating the highest-quality food, produced by farmers who are Global public health organization showcases services growing upholdingfor theCanada’s highest standards forand foodfast-changing safety and food industry animal welfare.

NSF INTERNATIONAL FOCUSES ON CANADIAN FOOD INDUSTRY WITH NEW WEBSITE FOR SERVICES IN CANADA NSF International in Canada recently launched a new website - www.nsfcanada.ca - to give Canada’s growing and complex food and beverage industry easy access to the global public health organization’s expertise and services in Canada. The website combines information on the depth, experience and capabilities of the NSF International Canadian office with access to NSF International’s global services dedicated to food safety and quality.

Evolving regulations across countries and increasing

BARN ENVIRONMENT complexities associated with a globalized food supply network present challenges for NSF International clients in Barns depend an array of equipment to keep hens Canada andon around the world.

The new Canadian website offers expertise and services to help companies navigate safe and comfortable—from feeders and drinkers, to these challenges, including systems. certification and auditing, temperature and ventilation Farmers must consulting, technical services, training and education, keep their barns within a certain temperature range food and label compliance, packaging, and product and and process monitordevelopment. air quality. Ensuring barn equipment is

accredited International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) site. Topics include HACCP, food safety and quality, GFSI benchmarked standards, regulations (including FSMA), food science, food packaging, food microbiology and ISO standards. Training modalities include eLearning, on-site, customized and open enrolment.

Additionally, Click here: the website includes information about

management system registrations for the food, automotive,

https://www.eggfarmers.ca/2021/04/animal-care-isenvironmental, information security, medical devices, egg-farmers-top-priority/ aerospace and chemical industries, as well as for Ontario drinking water programs.

toVisit download our fact sheet and learn about the on-farm the new Canadian website at www.nsfcanada.ca to review the food standards in place onvideo, Canadian Youfood can learnlearn safety services capabilities find a listfarms. of Canadian experts, about upcoming events and global news releases, submit a question more about our national Start Clean-Stay Clean® onYesGroup_CanadianMeatBusiness-Qtr-pg.pdf 1 2014-05-16 1:20:17 PMor read an FAQ. farm food safety program by clicking here.

operating as expected is essential, so farmers regularly NSF International’s Canadian website provides information inspect and monitor equipment, as well as make repairs on the following services: when needed.

Certification & auditing: Third-party food safety audits and certifications, which are integral components of FARM ANDcompliance.

POLICIESAccurate supplierMANAGEMENT selection and regulatory audits are the first step toward successful verification of a company’s food system, Animal providing improved An important aspect ofsafety the national Care brand protection and customer confidence.

Certifications Program are the policies in place on each farm to and audits are available for Farmers animal and produce in the support good management. and their staff agriculture industry, GFSI certification and management are required to adhere to a number a critical policies system registration.

to meet the program’s requirements. For example, a A full-service providing FarmConsulting: Welfare Policy outlinesteam the approach farm’s commitment technical resources, expertise and insight for a wide range to animal welfare and zero tolerance policy towards of food safety and quality services. NSF International unacceptable treatment of animals. also provides finished product inspectionFarmers testing for food, maintain an Employee Codetesting of Conduct is signed packaging and non-food for rapidthat analysis and by employees, whichtheoutlines employee responsibility insight to protect brand, technical support services from requirements on-site temporary permanent technical towards fororhen wellbeing and staffing placements, and various types of consulting. expectations for the care and handling of hens.

Technical services: A one-stop for foodinclude product Additional policies required undersolution the program compliance from concept finished a Visitor Policy and and formulation, Code of Conduct, and antoEmergency including food and labelprocess compliance, packaging, Planproduct, that outlines a step-by-step for personnel product and process development, and shelf-life and to follow in case of emergency, such as a natural product evaluation. disaster or power outage.

https://www.yesgroup.ca

Training and education: Training for the global food and beverage industry across the supply chain as an

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TRUSTBIX INC. RECEIVES NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL FUNDING TrustBIX Inc. has announced it received funding approval on April 1, 2021 from the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) worth up to $300,000.

The funding will be used to finance a 2-year project running until March 31, 2023 with UK-based Arden Biotechnology Ltd. to provide traceability for the development of its poultry natural feed supplement "Sustavian". The overall project budget is up to $1.2 million, with TrustBIX and Arden Biotechnology each funding up to $300,000 and the balance of funding provided under a Canada-UK industrial research and development program. NRC announced the award on May 20 2021.

Sustavian is an antibiotic replacement technology for poultry and improves the feed conversion ratio, enabling faster production times and reduced emissions. In addition, demand for verified antibioticfree meat products is anticipated to grow significantly in the coming years.

TrustBIX will enhance its BIX software platform to trace products and analyze sustainability metrics for poultry produced using Sustavian. This will support producers and processors to identify best management practices and validate 'gate to plate' sustainability claims.

Dr. Doug Korver, Researcher at the University of Alberta notes, "The Sustavian approach takes advantage of the world-class facilities and poultry research team at the University of Alberta's Poultry Innovation Partnership.

These facilities allow us to conduct intensive screening of candidate products, and scale-up to facilities representative of commercial poultry operations.

Upon demonstration of efficacy, the close relationship between the research team at the University and the poultry industry in Alberta and Canada will be leveraged to implement the product in the real world."

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"We are delighted to collaborate with TrustBIX in the development of Sustavian," notes Dr. Chris Stanford, CEO, Arden Biotechnology. "As a recognized leader in livestock traceability and sustainability, TrustBIX is a natural partner. In response to a growing demand to enhance sustainability in poultry production in the UK, Canada and globally, the consortium wishes to address necrotic enteritis (NE), the financially debilitating and poor-feed disease in poultry, by utilizing a proprietary bacteriophage cocktail developed by Arden Biotechnology, 'Sustavian'."

Karen Haugen-Kozyra, President, Viresco, said, "We are delighted to work with the project partners to develop sustainability metrics prioritised by packers, retailers and consumers."

"TrustBIX is known for adding value to and accelerating the sustainable food chain," said Tom Ogaranko, TrustBIX Chief Innovation Officer. "Collaborating with innovators like Arden Biotechnology to develop and commercialize Sustavian will improve the productivity and sustainability of Canadian poultry farming by reducing emissions and antibiotic use. With our Canadian partners, the University of Alberta and Viresco Solutions, this project will enable our BIX team and platform to build on our experience in the beef industry and create new attributes for protein products."

For more information, visit www.trustbix.com

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CARGILL HEADS TO RECORD PROFIT ON BOOMING AGRICULTURE MARKET

By Javier Blas and Michael Hirtzer, Bloomberg News Cargill Inc., the commodity superpower is emerging as one of the biggest winners of the boom in global agricultural markets as it barrels toward its most profitable year ever in its 156-year run.

The company made almost $4.3 billion in net income during the first nine months of its fiscal year, according to data released by the trading house to tap the bond market. That figure already surpasses its best ever total annual profit.

Many in the market suspected that Cargill was performing well in the commodity boom, but this is the first time that actual data has become available. Cargill broke with a more than two-decade tradition in 2020 and stopped releasing its results publicly. It still shares financial results with its bankers and others. Ahead of a bond sale last week, the company opened its books to credit investors and credit rating agencies, disclosing the extent of its earnings.

Surging demand for meat, corn and soybeans has sent agricultural markets skyrocketing, sparking a bonanza for commodity producers and traders. While that means soaring profits for the likes of Cargill and its rivals, it also stokes the prospect of worsening food inflation at a time when supply chains are seizing up and the world is grappling with a hunger crisis.

The strong results at Cargill echo a trend across the commodity trading industry, which has profited handsomely from volatile markets over the last year.

Cargill reported net income of just above $3 billion in its 2020 fiscal year. The company’s best ever performance was set in fiscal 2008, when it reported net profit of $3.95 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News. The fiscal year runs through May.

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BET ON PROTEIN The profit boom vindicates the strategy of David MacLennan, who since taking over as chief executive in 2013 has sold under-performing businesses and bet heavily on demand for protein, including beef, chicken and fish.

With some 155,000 employees across 70 countries, Cargill is the “C” in the vaunted ABCD group of merchant companies that have dominated grain trading for a century. Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. is the “A,” Bunge Ltd. is the “B,” and Louis Dreyfus Co. is the “D.”

THE BEST DEFE A STRONG OFFE

PROMOTING THE HEALTH BENEFITS

By Ronnie P. Cons

Red meat is often wrongly portrayed as being unhealthy. some in the media as unhealthy or not environmentally fr Vegan, fish and other non-meat diets have been proposed as healthier alternatives. The result of this onslaught of negative meat messages has influenced many families to cut back on their meat and poultry purchases. Perceptions may reality but truth trumps misinformation. Parents and other consumers want what is best for their health and that of their families.

They are also aware that a lotHIT of false information MEAT EATERS HARDEST ASis out there and as such, are open to scientific facts that can correct their INFLATION SWEEPS U.S. GROCERY AISLES misconceptions.

This provides an opportunity for retail meat departments

Although better known‘Healthy for its sway in grain and to implement an instore Meat Facts’ nutritional campaign to set the record straight and convince their oilseeds markets, Cargill is also a large beef processor, customers that meat and poultry are actually good for one’s particularly in the U.S., where it ranks among the health and that they should increase rather than decrease biggest. During the early days of the Covid-19 their purchases of it. The campaign outlined below can have pandemic, many beef processors closed a direct impact on American sales: their slaughterhouses as the virus infected hundreds Start by displaying instore posters promoting the nutritional of workers. That allowed the few companies such as value of meat. They should be innovative, eye catching and Cargill that managed to keep their plants open to profit be designed to specifically contradict any meat myths.

The from extraordinary comments should all margins. be literature based quoting research

BEEF AND CORN The rating agencies pointed to two big factors behind the profit boom: strong beef processing margins and unprecedented corn demand in China.

“The solid underlying structural demand shift for food, fuel and feed within a tight commodity supply environment should provide support for good profit generation by global agribusiness companies,” Fitch said in a note.

papers or MDs for maximum effect. Various posters should be made - each with a brief but powerful message covering one theme.

Posters can convey the following healthy meat fact messages: 1. Let’s IRON out the Truth on Meat!

“You would need to eat a massive amount of spinach to equal (the iron content) in a steak,” says Christopher Golden, an ecologist and epidemiologist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (As quoted by nature.com in the article ‘Brain food- clever eating’.)

For a woman to receive her recommended daily intake of 18 mg of iron, she would need just 300 grams of cooked bovine

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PGA GOLFER GRAHAM DELAET TEAMS UP WITH THINK TURKEY Think Turkey, the five-year marketing campaign aimed at raising awareness of turkey as a delicious everyday protein option, is staking its place on Canadian grills this BBQ season with the launch of The Griller's Bird campaign.

The fully integrated, bilingual barbecue program kicked off June 1st to celebrate National Turkey month and will showcase the many ways to bring turkey to the grill with delicious recipe inspiration from Saskatchewanborn PGA golfer and barbecue enthusiast Graham DeLaet, plus a host of BBQ influencers across Canada like BBQ Quebec grill guru Max Lavoie.

"Growing up in Saskatchewan, my summers were happily spent golfing and grilling," said DeLaet. "That's why I'm thrilled to team up with Think Turkey this summer to share my passion for barbecue and why turkey is a regular on my home grill through some of my favourite recipes –from Texas-style turkey breast to smoked turkey legs."

From June to August, new recipes will be shared nationally by campaign partners from grill experts to food bloggers, influencers, chefs and more on thinkturkey.ca and Think Turkey's social channels. A self-proclaimed BBQ fanatic and multiple-time winner on the Canadian Tour, DeLaet will be sharing his three favourite BBQ'd turkey recipes in a 3-part video series that will go live on his and Think Turkey's social channels.

A robust digital ad campaign will run throughout June, broadcasting The Griller's Bird creative through several sports media partners, including DAZN, Sportsnet, the Score and Rogers. Additionally, Think Turkey will also be live in-market with a digital retail program at Walmart and IGA to help inspire Canadian grocery shoppers to add turkey to their shopping list and grill this summer.

"The Griller's Bird campaign will highlight turkey cuts that are perfect for the barbecue, including breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings, sausage, ground and whole turkeys," said Joël Cormier, Chair, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council. "It will also feature all the delicious ways to prepare them, from smokers to gas barbecues, deep fryers and charcoal grills."

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DF: I don’t think being on the island has really impacted us negatively one way or the other. We’ve traveled a lot, met a lot of other farmers and livestock producers in other parts of Canada, and we all seem to have the same issues and same concerns.

CMB: I understand that your farm was the first in Atlantic Canada to be involved in the TESA program.

DF: Yes, I think we were the first farm east of Ontario as far as I understand.

"As we head into National Turkey Month, I’m not sure why the eastern we're excited to inspire more Canadians associations wouldn’t have previouslyto try turkey on the grill," said Darrenthere Ference, nominated anybody because are many Farmers farms hereofonCanada.

PEI doing every is Chair, Turkey "Turkey bit as much as we as to attain a the perfect lean meat forare barbecue season high level of sustainability.

Anyway, and can take on so many delicious flavours were very surprised theand PEI through we marinating, basting, when spices Cattleman’s Association nominated our rubs." farm.

CMB: And thenseveral you wereGriller's attending the Throughout summer, BirdCanadian Beef conference in Calgary themed giveaways will also be live across and you won.

Think Turkey's social media channels, DF:turkey Yeah! That nice moment rewarding fanswas witha very prizes from brand for us. But I don’t like to use the new BBQs to grilling merch and accessories. word win actually. However, being To stay up to date with Griller's Bird, follow recognized for our commitment was along at athinkturkey.ca, across Think real honour. If you want to knowTurkey's social media channels (@canadianturkey) the truth, it was a pretty humbling and by searching and experience.#ThinkTurkey As I said to CBC when they phoned me after the conference, I was #GrillersBird all summer long. just floored, really couldn’t believe it.

PGA GOLFER GRAHAM DELAET

CMB: So now that you have been recognized, do you think that will draw more attention and garner more nominations out of Atlantic Canada going forward?

DF: Absolutely. We’ve gotten a lot of good press highlighting the island cattle industry. I’m positive you’ll see more farms in our neck of the woods nominated next year. And I have to give the Canadian Cattleman’s Association recognition for choosing a farm from Prince Edward Island. We are small players in the national beef industry and I think it was a real credit to their organization to recognize us. They treated all the nominees royally and it was a real class act. It was a wonderful experience.

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ASSESSING STUN EFFECTIVENESS FOR BIRDS DURING SLAUGHTER

By Barbara Scherzinger1 and Dr. Martin Appelt For stunning to be considered humane, the stunning method must produce a state of unconsciousness in the animal to the point where it is no longer aware of its environment or is feeling pain. But how do we know when this occurs?

Some studies have shown a correlation between electroencephalogram (EEG) readings (“brain waves”) of unconsciousness and specific outward signs in the animal that we can observe or trigger. These specific signs include behavioural signs assessed by observing the animal or neurophysiological reflexes triggered by a hands-on approach.

OPERATIONAL REALITY Considering that the operational reality in largescale poultry slaughter plants is very different from a laboratory or clinic, using signs to assess unconsciousness in birds after stunning is complicated.

Because of the globally high demand for poultry meat and meat products, there has been an increase in production volume, which has resulted in higher line speeds in slaughter plants. Canada is no exception. Most federally inspected poultry slaughter establishments operate today under higher slaughter line speeds than they did in the past, while remaining compatible with operational needs of production and regulatory requirements.

unconsciousness after stunning. The most common methods of stunning are gas stunning using CO2 and electrical multiple bird waterbath or plate equipment.

These methods stun groups of birds of variable numbers with the same gas dwell time or the same electrical current. Practically speaking, birds exiting the stunner can be observed in groups, rather than individually, for signs of effective stunning.

However, the signs that are probably more reliable for gauging unconsciousness require directly touching individual birds. For example, touching the cornea or lid (to gauge eye reflexes) or pinching the comb or toe (to gauge pain withdrawal reflexes). This is simply not practical in plants with production lines running at fast speeds. By contrast, in plants with batch stunning of swine using CO2, these signs are quite practical to use because production is slow enough to allow assessing of individual animals before shackling.3

INDIVIDUAL STUNNING VERSUS GROUP STUNNING Given these fast-paced operational conditions, it is challenging to monitor individual birds for signs of

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each other (taller/shorter, damp/soaked, denser/ looser feather cover etc.), the electrical current passing through each bird of the group may not be exactly the same. So while observing for signs compatible with consciousness (or with unconsciousness for that matter) in a group of birds is good, it does not guarantee that any given individual bird within the group actually has epileptiform brain activity. This leads to animal welfare risks when evaluating the birds as a group, rather than individually.

The current solution is to look for signs of failure in the stunning process that are showing up in the group of birds stunned with the same current or during the same dwell time for gas stunning. Consequently, observing the birds as groups as they exit the stunner should provide the required information. It is also more practical and faster than trying to focus on individual birds. Signs of wakefulness or consciousness in groups of birds after stunning is generally easier to see at a glance than signs of unconsciousness at high line speeds. Signs of consciousness include vocalization, spontaneous eye blinking and spontaneous wing flapping. These signs clearly indicate a failure in stunning and need to trigger an immediate investigation with follow-up corrective measures. Importantly, the presence of consciousness in the birds suggests that the birds could experience pain and fear. In this case, the animal welfare objectives of stunning have not been achieved. (See Table 1 for signs of consciousness and unconsciousness).

On the other hand, if we do not observe any of these signs of consciousness, it does not necessarily mean that all the birds are unconscious. In other words, “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”

Although this can apply to different types of stunning methods in all animals, it has particular significance for electrical multi-bird stunning systems.

Another concern with electrical stunning systems is that we cannot always tell if one or more birds are merely electro-immobilized (due to ineffective equipment or electrical parameter settings) rather than humanely stunned. Electro-immobilized birds cannot move to show signs compatible with consciousness/ unconsciousness because their muscles are paralyzed.

Of even more concern is that these electro-immobilized birds can remain conscious and feel pain.5,6 GAS STUNNING Assessing multiple birds upon exit from gas stunning with CO2 is similarly carried out by focusing on group signs. It is desirable to also see the birds during the induction phase, to observe signs of the onset of loss of consciousness. This allows rapid intervention if any signs of distress occur in the birds during this phase.

CO2 stunning has a delayed onset of action compared to electrical stunning, which, by contrast, is immediate.

In such a situation, any necessary adjustments in gas parameters and equipment settings can be made quickly to achieve effective stunning. Then the group of birds exiting the gas system is observed to assess adequate stunning before shackling and slaughter.

ELECTRICAL STUNNING To understand why, let us look into how electrical stunning works. The electrical current generated by these systems is supposed to produce the epileptiform brain activity that is considered to be the best measure of deep levels of unconsciousness and is synonymous with humane stunning.4,5 Because the same current is used for groups of birds that vary in number, as well as the birds having small individual differences between 20

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STRENGTHENING HUMANE STUNNING Despite the shortcomings and possible risks to the welfare of the birds, relying solely on group signs to assess effective stunning in the birds has become the practical norm in slaughter plants.

To help verify humane stunning, plant employees monitoring the birds should use as many signs at the same time as possible (such as those listed in the table) for group assessment of birds after stunning.

This should be done in conjunction with knowing how the equipment functions and the ideal parameters necessary for humane stunning. At the same time, it is also important to use more hands-on signs (such as the corneal or withdrawal reflexes for individual birds within a group), when operational conditions allow.

Using individual bird assessments can strengthen this validation of stunning effectiveness during operations.

Table 1: Signs commonly used for a group of birds or for individual birds to verify consciousness or unconsciousness6,7,8

REFERENCES 1. Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Veterinary Expertise and Advice, Animal Welfare at Slaughter 2. Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Animal Health, Welfare & Biosecurity Division 3. Grandin, T., Dept. of Animal Science, Colorado State University, How to Determine Insensibility (Unconsciousness) in Cattle, Pigs, and Sheep in Slaughter Plants, (Revised June 2017), accessed January 14, 2021; http://www.grandin.com/humane/ insensibility.html 4. Berg, C. ; M. Raj A review of different stunning methods for Poultry—animal welfare aspects (stunning methods for poultry), Animals 2015; 5(4): 1207-1219.

5. Shields, S. J.; Samiyun P.; A.B. M. Raj, A Critical Review of Electrical Water-bath Stun Systems for Poultry Slaughter and Recent Developments in Alternative Technologies, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 2010, 13 (4), 28–299.

6. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Scientific Opinion, Slaughter of animals: poultry, EFSA Journal, 2019; 17(11): 5849.

7. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Scientific Opinion on monitoring procedures at slaughterhouses for poultry. EFSA Journal 2013; 11(12): 3521.

8. Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Mechanical, electrical or gas stunning; slaughter methods and monitoring signs of unconsciousness or consciousness, accessed January 14, 2021; https:// www.inspection.gc.ca/food-safety-for-industry/ food-specific-requirements-and-guidance/meatproducts-and-food-animals/slaughter-methods-andmonitoring/eng/1539372028443/1539372028884.

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1ST ANNUAL YELLOW RIVER ECONOMIC BELT MEAT & AQUATICS EXPO IN CHINA The Canada-China Meat Exporter Council and Shineway International (Canada) Inc. has announced revised dates for the 1st Annual Yellow River Economic Belt Meat & Aquatic Products Expo which will now take place from August 2-5, 2021.

This event will be held at the Zhengzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center and is organized by the Henan Meat Association, this special event is sponsored by Department of Commerce, Henan Province; Trade Development Bureau of the State Ministry of Commerce; Zhengzhou Municipal People's Government; Shandong Province; Shaanxi Province; Sichuan Province; Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; and other meat associations along the Yellow River.

new development of the industry and provide meat processing, service, transportation, warehousing companies and supporting service organizations with a new "online + offline" model for exhibitors. The hope is to build an efficient and convenient one-stop business docking platform for the entire industry and provide a full range of solutions to the exhibitors based on innovations in marketing, service, and technology.

The ultimate aim is to provide an opportunity to gather professionals where information, technology, capital, and talents all convene together.

It is expected that the total space of ​​this first Expo will exceed 10,500 square meters, with more than 350 exhibitors and over 30,000 professional plus 20,000 public visitors from 20 different provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country.

This unique event has been organized to show new products, new technologies, and new equipment to help create a better future and further develop the Yellow River Basin.

The purpose of the event is to grow into the next stage of the digital economy and to promote the

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SCOPE OF EXHIBITS WILL SHOWCASE: • Meat - Pork, beef, lamb, chicken, duck and poultry eggs, organic meat • Meat products - All kinds of meat products, dried cured products, leisure meat products, canned food, prepared meat products, etc.

For more information, contact Eric Zhang at 1-416-938-6869

About Canada-China Meat Export Council The Canada-China Meat Export Council (CCMEC), headquartered in Toronto, is the main overseas co-organizer of this Expo. The CCMEC is a nonprofit international meat organization and aims to promote the export of Canadian meat products to China in a pragmatic and innovative manner.

CCMEC also provides corresponding consultation and aid from upstream to downstream, covering such as raising animals, slaughter production, processing, packaging, formulating industry standards and regulations, cold chain logistics, storage and other supporting formalities.

NEW SURREY SLAUGHTERHOUSE ‘WOULD OPEN DOOR’ TO NEW BEEF MARKETS

• Display pavilion for named brands - Ecological products, large brand-named enterprises, leading enterprises, industrialized enterprises, innovationoriented technological enterprises, industrialized demonstration parks for agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism, eco-transformation, etc.

• Comprehensive service pavilion - Promotion and release of imported products, time-honored brands, new products, new technologies, new inventions Proposed 30,000-square-foot beef abattoir in Cloverdale would be B.C.’s largest such facility and achievements, patented products, financial and

By Amy Reid, Peace Arch News insurance services, investment promotion, Internet sales platforms,Ascientific and technology consulting, so as to not emit odours. And while there is an operational federally licensed beef processing facility is in the works 6,000-square-foot abattoir on the property now, it’s can in Surrey, BC. etc.

“There’s a new building coming forward, a new abattoir, I think that’s the French pronunciation of slaughterhouse,” • Food materials hot pot service saidfor Councillor Mikecatering Starchuk. “So Surrey–will have a facility a better capacity soingredients, people will have Specials relatednewer to hot potwith food materials, the ability to not have to ship an animal to Alberta to have seasonings, prepared frozen foods, drinks and it processed. The applications have gone through the beverages, equipment, etc. Advisory Committee.”

Agriculturalfranchising, and Food Sustainability The facility is proposed on a 25-acre property within the

Agricultural Land Reserve 5175 184th St. The planned • Equipment - Meat equipment foratslaughtering, 30,000-square foot abattoir in Cloverdale would process up processing, packaging, breeding and farming to 100 head of cattle per day.

According to a city report, that would make it larger than

• Cold chain storage and logistics - Equipment and still be any other processing facility in B.C.. But it would small by industrycold standards, to the largest meat materials for refrigeration, chaincompared storage, logistics processing plants in Alberta that process 3,000 heads of and packaging, cattle covering from initial planning/designing, per day. equipment manufacturing to final stage installation The proposed facility would be fullyof enclosed and designed and testing, etc.

only process a limited number of cattle.

Chris Les is general manager of Meadow Valley Meats, the company behind the project. Meadow Valley Meats is seeking a Canadian Food Inspection Agency license for the proposed abattoir, to become a federally registered meat establishment and expand the operation. This would allow the meat products to be transported beyond B.C.’s boundaries.

“Our focus is on trying to bring a more efficient, sustainable local product to the market, realizing we can do that now in a very limited sense,” said Les. “I caution people when talking to them and they say, ‘What a big plant, that’s going to go allow you to go mainstream.’ Well, yes, if you look in the context of B.C., but this is still a very niche plant and we’ll serve a niche industry for producers and for the market. It’s certainly not going to be a monstrosity of a plant but it’ll be a big upgrade from the site currently.”

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PROTECTING YOUR AGRI-BUSINESS FROM CYBER FRAUD

By Virginia Labbie, Senior Policy Analyst, Agri-business Cyber fraud is a growing concern for small businesses especially as many have had to increase technology use and beef up their online presence to mitigate the negative effects of government mandated closures and other public health restrictions. Many small firms have had to pivot and change their sales model by developing a new or more comprehensive website and accepting more payments, orders, and reservations online. Agri-businesses are no exception.

The recent cyberattack at JBS, a major beef and pork producer, highlighted how devastating a cyberattack can be for any business.

Many may think that this is a problem that only impacts big business, but it is clear the pandemic has made smaller firms more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

According to recent research by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), nearly a quarter of businesses have experienced cyberattacks since March 2020, with five per cent saying the attack against them was successful. Relative to the whole economy, this means that about 61,000 small and midsized businesses were victims of cyberfraud last year.

When CFIB surveyed businesses that experienced a cyberattack, over 80 per cent said it came through e-mail scams and phishing attempts. Often these attempts aren’t obvious - they may even come through emails from others in the business. Additionally, almost 50 per cent encountered malicious software, and supplier payments fraud accounted for 44 per cent of attempted cyber fraud.

Whether you are a meat processor, farmer, or small business in the agri-food sector, it is more important than ever to protect your information systems. When a small business suffers a cyberattack, the effects can be very heavy, from stress and financial loss to compromised personal and banking information and negative impacts on business relationships. The losses and resulting costs of cyberattacks can be significant for small businesses and the chances of recovering data or money are low.

WHAT IS A CYBERATTACK? A cyberattack is any attempt to damage or hack someone’s computer system and steal the information on it or steal money from someone using the internet.

Examples of cyberattacks include malicious software, such as spyware and malware; e-mail scams and phishing; and supplier payments fraud where a business is tricked into wiring money to a scammer’s bank account thinking they are paying a supplier.

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SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS? Despite the challenging business circumstances since the onset of the pandemic, on average small businesses are investing about $6,700 more in their IT infrastructure to improve cybersecurity. They’re investing in new or upgraded technology including new software, enhancing their own technology departments, or expanding external technology services they were already using.

CFIB recommends that businesses consider cyber insurance to protect themselves in the event of a cyberattack. Cyber insurance coverage for cyber risks is relatively new and continually evolving. This type of insurance can cover legal and civil damages, crisis management expenses, computer programming and electronic data restoration expenses, business interruption and other expenses.

N ADDITION, BUSINESS OWNERS SHOULD: • Be aware of cyber risks to their business, using sources such as the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the Government of Canada’s National Security and Defence Cyber Security Unit, CFIB’s website and other business associations’ websites and resources.

• Raise awareness among employees about cyberattacks and train staff to detect and avoid them.

• Share information on scams and best practices for prevention with other business owners.

WHAT CAN GOVERNMENT DO? “I believe there should be better tracking measures with the cyber world to know where these attacks are coming from & harsher penalties for such hackers.”

CFIB Agri-business member, Alberta Governments, law enforcement agencies, and other authorities can help business owners protect themselves by using “cyber policing” resources adequately, proactively sharing information on existing resources and best practices with businesses and associations, and providing services specifically tailored to SMEs regarding cyber insurance and cyberattacks.

Governments can also provide small businesses with tax credits or grants to help them invest in IT protection equipment.

Over half of small business owners say they are more worried about potential cyberattacks since March 2020.

The best ways for small firms to protect themselves from cyber fraud is to be informed of the risks, invest in the right fraud prevention technology tools, and investigate whether cyber insurance would be an option for their business.

WHERE CAN YOU LEARN MORE? CFIB’s Business Advisors are available to answer your questions about the steps you can take to protect your business from cyber fraud. Contact them at cfib@cfib. ca or by calling 1-888-234-2232.

Not a member? JOIN CFIB today for more help and information.

• Report cyberattacks to law enforcement and other authorities, such as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the Competition Bureau, and the Better Business Bureau.

Virginia Labbie is the Senior Policy Analyst, Agri-business for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). CFIB is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 95,000 members (6,000 agri-business members) across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.

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