2018 Fall BLOCKtalk by Meat & Poultry Ontario

Keeping Ontario’s Meat and Poultry Industry Informed Fall 2018

Vol. 24, Issue 3

$10.00

Y ou Gotta Try 22 the Duck AKR: A King’s 24 Ransom ALSO INSIDE:

Four Food Industry Trends pg. 18

VFO: 2019 Marketing Initiatives pg. 26

Getting Back to Basics pg. 34

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THE

MEATING PLACE 2018

Index BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

Vol. 24, Issue 3

Managing the Impact of Marijuana

Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition

Sourcing the Right Protein Processing Solutions

President’s Message......................................................... 4 Welcome to the Association.............................................. 5 Member Achievements..................................................... 6 Salmonella in Raw Chicken............................................... 8 Names in the News......................................................... 10 Why Implement Microbial Control Interventions............. 12 Sourcing the Right Protein Processing Solution............. 14 Four Food Industry Trends.............................................. 18 2018 Supporters.............................................................. 21 You Gotta Try the Duck................................................... 22 AKR: A King’s Ransom.................................................... 24 VFO: 2019 Marketing Initiatives...................................... 26 Cold Spot Evaluation....................................................... 28 Fine-Tune Your Strategic Planning.................................. 30 How the Internet of Things can Help............................... 32 Getting Back to Basics.................................................... 34 Managing the Impact of Marijuana.................................. 36 Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition............................. 37 Power Factor Correction................................................. 38 5 Common Workplace Injuries........................................ 40 Advertiser Index.............................................................. 42 www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

On Cover: King Cole Ducks Limited Robin Kelly: Hatchery Manager, Debbi Conzelmann: CEO, Patti Thompson: VP Sales and Marketing, Jackie Fisher: Breeder Division Manager BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

Busy Times for OIMP

t certainly has been a hot summer! I hope our members have had an opportunity to enjoy the summer and were able to set aside time for family and friends.

Things have been a buzz in the office at OIMP. Franco Naccarato, our new Executive Director has been busy making new connections for our organization. With a new provincial government in place, it’s important to have our voice heard and Franco has arranged several meetings with government and industry to make sure that happens. Our top two issues, as reported through our membership survey, remain skilled labour and high energy costs. We need a more permanent plan sooner than later. OIMP is also preparing for our biennial conference in October. You should have received your Meating Place materials by now. I hope you have reserved your hotel rooms and obtained your tickets. It’s two days to learn, have some fun and meet new people. The Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition final round is a great crowd pleaser, as is the bragging rights for Dave Tiller’s People’s Choice Award. Our associate members will be there too! Please be sure to support them. The staff have organized a great event and I do hope you can participate for some or all of it. It is a huge opportunity to connect with fellow members, meet new people and share ideas. It’s unreal the things you learn after a weekend such as this. It sure is nice to know you do not stand alone. Communication is key. This is a great place to share it. Carol Goriup, President

Forward Together

’ve always been a fan of the Musketeers. No, I’m not a fanatic historian, but a believer in good theories. “All for one, and one for all” is beautiful in both its simplicity and application. The sum is greater than any one part. If all the individuals look out for the good of the whole, then the whole will in turn protect every individual. United, we are all greater together than we are as individuals. Yet over the years we have developed the need to compete and push each other down, instead of finding ways to work together to lift each other up. Over the course of coming months and years I am going to ask you to challenge that need to compete and ask you to replace it with a compassion/desire to grow. Together. Not as individual companies, but as an organization. To stand side by side with your neighbour and say we can do more #TOGETHER than we can alone. Do that, and there isn’t anything we cannot accomplish together. Sometime soon I will be calling on you for your wisdom, your ideas and your concerns. I will challenge you to join your colleagues at events and meetings, so we can grow #TOGETHER. I know you are thinking “it’s impossible to get away” because you have too much work. The question is, can you afford NOT to join us? I am reminded of a quote I once saw on the importance of training. A CEO responded to manager’s request to train his staff. “What if we train them and they leave” to which the manager responded, “What if we don’t and they stay”. Invest in yourself, your industry and your people... I am thrilled to join you on this journey and excited to be moving #ForwardTogether.

MEMBERSHIP Contact us and ask how you can help increase our voice in the industry. If you require membership literature, please let us know. (800) 263-3797 | info@oimp.ca | www.oimp.ca Affiliate Members - 6 Associate Members - 51

Business Retail Members - 46 Retail Associate Members - 35

Business Members - 132

Total Members - 270

OIMP LIFETIME MEMBERS • Joe Abate (2017) • Brian Quinn (2016) • Graham Dalziel (2015) • Tony Facciolo (2011) • Pat Johnson (2005) • Gerry Houtzager (2003)

• Leo Rocheleau (2001) • Jim Vidoczy (2000) • Nancy Ackert (1997) • Dr. Ron Usborne (1996) • Ron Deeth (1995)

OIMP LONG TIME MEMBERS Thank you to our long time members who have been helping move the industry forward for over 25 years. • Ontario Pork, Guelph (1980) • Gord’s Abattoir, Leamington (1982) • L’Orignal Packing, L’Orignal (1986) • MMIS/MONDO, Aurora (1986) • Nitta Casings, Markham (1986) • Walnut Hill Farms, Gads Hill (1986) • VG Meats, Simcoe (1987) • Rothsay, Dundas (1988) • Stemmler Meat & Cheese, Heidelberg (1988) • Chicken Farmers of Ontario, Burlington (1989) • Jetnet Norstar, Toronto (1989) • Schinkels’ Gourmet Meats, Chatham (1989)

• Springer’s Meats, Hamilton (1989) • Barron Poultry, Amherstburg (1991) • Brenner Packers, Windsor (1991) • Norwich Packers, Norwich (1991) • Weston Abattoir, Maidstone (1991) • Handtmann Canada, Waterloo (1992) • Hay’s Custom Cutting, Campbellford (1992) • Hoffman Meats & European Deli, Stayner (1992) • Newmarket Meat Packers, Newmarket (1992) • WIBERG Corporation, Oakville (1992)

MEAT INDUSTRY ACHIEVEMENT (MIA) AWARD RECIPIENTS • Hayter’s Farm, Dashwood (2016) • Schinkel’s Legacy, Chatham (2014) • Conestoga Meat Packers, Breslau (2013) • In Memory of Dave Tiller (2012) • Halenda’s Fine Foods, Oshawa (2011)

• Springer’s Meats, Hamilton (2010) • VG Meats, Simcoe (2009) • Stemmler’s Meat & Cheese, Heidelberg (2008) • Leo Rocheleau, Maidstone (2007)

OIMP Vision

To be the unified voice for Ontario’s meat and poultry industry.

OIMP Mission

To connect, support, and advocate for our members.

Franco Naccarato, Executive Director 4

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

www.oimp.ca

OIMP

Welcome to the Association

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Franco Naccarato franco@oimp.ca

Building an informed and engaged membership representing a diverse Ontario meat and poultry industry. blueRover Kyle Arbuckle 140 Turnbull Ct, Cambridge (855) 682-2874 safefood.blue

KF Trade & Commercial Co. Ltd. Leo Wu 22 Bellside Dr, Markham (647) 865-5187 zhouziwang.com

Bright Immigration Blayne Kumar 407 Yonge St, Toronto (888) 404-8472 brightimmigration.com

Mueller Sausages Julian Crisol 159 Balm Beach Rd E, Tiny (705) 527-7263 muellersfinefoods.com

European Meats & Deli Jukka Liimu 1149 Carrick St, Thunder Bay (807) 623-6322

Peel Sausage Inc. Maynard Brubacher 7860 6th Line, Drayton (519) 638-3444

ForeQuarter Butcher Shop Colby LeMoine 217 Louisa St, Kitchener (519) 741-5958

Glogowski Euro Food Ltd. Tom Chudyk 407 Highland Rd W, Kitchener (519) 584-7190

ADMINISTRATION

Simcoe Street Meat Packers Wahab Zamani 18619 Simcoe St, Oakwood (705) 821-3151 simcoemeats.com Trotters Butcher Shop & Charcuterie Brett MacDonald 42 Cork St E, Guelph (519) 763-0555 trottersbutchershop.com

BOARD LISTING

PRESIDENT | Carol Goriup Florence Meats, Oakville PAST PRESIDENT Cory Van Groningen VG Meats, Simcoe

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Daphne Nuys-Hall technical@oimp.ca

VICE PRESIDENT Christine Hobson Halenda’s Fine Foods, Oshawa

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Derek Boudreau d.boudreau@oimp.ca

SECRETARY/TREASURER Marc Oliver Sargent Farms, Milton

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Heather Nahatchewitz heather@oimp.ca

DIRECTOR | Peter Baarda J&G Quality Meats, Burlington DIRECTOR | Adam Hayward Nesbitt’s Meat Market, Lindsay

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Jessy Courtemanche member@oimp.ca

DIRECTOR | Gerhard Metzger Metzger Meats, Hensall DIRECTOR | Maurizo Racco fudi, Brampton DIRECTOR | Kevin Schinkel Schinkel’s Legacy, Chatham DIRECTOR | Kevin Stemmler Stemmler Meats & Cheese, Heidelberg

Meat Industry Achievement Award Submit your nomination by September 28, 2018 Do you know an OIMP Business Member company or individual that deserves recognition for their achievements in the meat and poultry industry? Now is the time to submit your nominations for the Meat Industry Achievement (MIA) award. Self-nominations are also welcome. All nominations must be submitted to the Executive Director, no later than September 28, 2018.

BLOCKtalk is the official publication of the OIMP, distributed to over 2000 OIMP members, commodity groups, and others throughout the industry, providing excellent advertising opportunities for suppliers of the meat and poultry industry to promote their newest, most innovative, supplies, equipment, and technology. BLOCKtalk encourages Associate Members and supporters of the industry to submit articles which would be beneficial to our members. ADVERTISING DEADLINES 2018 Winter November 9 The information published in BLOCKtalk is compiled from a variety of sources, which we believe to be reliable; however, OIMP does not guarantee, and assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the information.

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

MAR

.. ate n i om

Visit www.oimp.ca to download the nomination form or call (519) 763-4558 for more information. BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS Launch of new BSA-Frutarom Website In keeping with its long tradition of innovation, BSA-Frutarom is proud to launch its user-friendly and informative website (www.bsa.ca) where people will be able to find BSA’s complete offering of products and services. “We are excited to introduce the food industry to a comprehensive website where our natural solutions (e.g. antioxidants and microbial agents) and our exclusive services, such as the conceptualization of finished products, a pilot plant, and a culinary centre, can be fully appreciated,” said Pascal de Champlain, Vice-president, Sales and Marketing. “Since BSA is always on the lookout for the latest trends, visitors to the website will have access to the most updated information.” ForeQuarter Butcher Shop Opens its Doors ForeQuarter is a small butcher shop in the heart of residential Kitchener - the creation of Colby LeMoine and Waseam Masri. Between the two, there is a combined 25 years of butchery experience. They both worked tirelessly honing their trade before they decided to open a shop on their own. But, not just any butcher shop. They wanted to provide the highest quality meat, locally sourced exactly how the customer wants it. They want to take the time to connect with the patrons and work with them to help build their meal ideas. If you don’t have a meal in mind, they will help you create it.

Visitors will also be able to link to BSA’s Small and Medium Butcher Shops (SMB) site, which is designed to meet the specific needs of artisans, butcher shops, industrial kitchens, and caterers.

Their focus is customizing fresh, quality and locally sourced meat, to their customers.

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MEATING PLACE 2018

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

Salmonella in Raw Chicken What is the issue?

Wayne Sprung, Technical Specialist, Food Safety Alliance

ecently there have been CFIA recalls due to Salmonella presence in certain breaded and par-fried chicken products.

products could contain pathogenic microorganisms, CFIA will issue recalls if there is any illness connected to the consumption of products like these despite all regulatory compliance.

Specifically, Loblaw Companies Ltd. recalled No Name Breaded Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Fries. By the third week in July, there had been seven reported illnesses and one hospitalization. More could be expected. The investigation linked the chicken products to the illnesses since the food samples had the same genetic fingerprint (using whole genome sequencing) of Salmonella as did the ill consumers.

Note how this differs from other recent recalls for Salmonella in Pepperidge Farms Goldfish Crackers and Ritz Cheese Bits. In these cases, the whey powder in the products may have been contaminated according to the supplier. Thus precautionary recalls were done despite there being no reported illnesses. The expectation is, of course, that such products, since they are consumed as sold, would not ever contain pathogens.

What is the issue? The products are clearly labelled as UNCOOKED and have cooking instructions as per regulations. However, the print size for “uncooked” is not as large as the common name and the instructions are in even smaller size. But, the most important point is that since the products are par-fried they appear to be cooked and thus safe to only reheat to a sublethal temperature.

The recall of the chicken products mentioned earlier is not the first time this has been required. In October of last year Sofina Foods recalled Janes brand chicken products due to Salmonella contamination which resulted in 18 victims with six requiring hospitalization and one death which may be linked. As well, around the same time, there was recall on Presidents Choice chicken nuggets for the same reason.

While it would seem logical that such non-Ready-To-Eat

CFIA are taking what may be considered unusual steps because of the ongoing concerns. In March of this year they issued a notice that requires industry to implement measures at the plant level to reduce Salmonella to below detectable levels in such products. They presently specify only raw breaded frozen retail products which appear cooked and made from non-intact chicken meat. The CFIA are requiring such compliance by March of next year.

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

This has caused some processors to consider changing from Ready-To-Cook products to Ready-To-Eat. Such a drastic change cannot likely be completed in the time frame specified. A more practical approach would seem to be to employ some sort of pathogen control on the raw materials (chicken meat) used in these products. Many antimicrobial products are approved for chicken carcasses and a few are permitted on parts which may be subsequently comminuted before forming. In prior articles in BLOCKtalk, Food Safety Alliance has described the use of Peroxyacetic acid (PAA) for use in pathogen reduction. In the CFIA notice mentioned earlier, they list several options which processors may wish to take. For example, one option (possibly the best option) is to implement a testing program to ensure compliance with a non-detectable level of Salmonella in 25 gram samples of finished product.

www.oimp.ca

Is this possible? The recent CFIA microbiological baseline done on chicken broilers listed the geometric mean for a gram of sample of whole carcass at 0.05 cells of Salmonella. Thus 25 grams would contain just over 1 cell on average. Research at Auburn U. showed that treating chicken parts with 700 ppm PAA would result in achieving a 1.5 log reduction of Salmonella in ground meat made from treated parts. PAA was superior to other antimicrobials tested. Other cited research in this paper had similar findings. Therefore it should be entirely feasible to reduce Salmonella levels in the raw material used to make chicken nugget like products to non-detectable levels. One question that begs asking is why there is no expressed concern with Campylobacter in these nugget-like products. We know from the microbial baseline and an abundance of other data that chicken carcasses contain about 10 times as many cells of Campylobacter compared to Salmonella. But one reason is related to the heat sensitivity of the pathogens. Quite simply put, Campylobacter is more easily destroyed by heat. Microbiologists refer to D values to measure this. The D value is the time it takes at a specific temperature to achieve a 1 log (90%) reduction in the number of the specific microorganism. For example the D value at 55 C (131F) for Salmonella is 43 minutes but for Campylobacter

is less than 6 minutes. Another difference is in the infective dose necessary. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada the dose for Campylobacter is 500 to 800 cells but for Salmonella less than 25. Thus Salmonella is the problem pathogen which CFIA wants to address. In summary, the goal of CFIA is to reduce or eliminate cases of Salmonella food poisoning from consuming chicken nuggets and like products. Perhaps this is just a first step. In a recent MEATINGPLACE editorial the opinion was that sometime in the future Salmonella (at least some serotypes of it) would be declared an adulterant in all meat and poultry products in the USA. Food Safety Alliance (FSA) 1020 Hargrieve Road London, ON N6E 1P5 (519) 601-4444 abrock@thefsa.ca thefsa.ca

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

Names in the News Food & Beverage Canada Hires First CEO The Ottawa-based national advocacy organization for food and beverage manufacturers across the country has appointed Kathleen Sullivan as chief executive officer. This announcement closely follows the recent launch of Food & Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC), which represents over 1,500 businesses and 7 regional food and beverage manufacturing associations from coast to coast. “Kathleen brings extraordinary leadership skills and an impressive resume of agriculture and food industry expertise to Food & Beverage Canada,” said Michael Burrows co-chair of FBCABC and chief executive officer of Maple Lodge Farms. “Under Kathleen’s leadership, Food & Beverage Canada will advance business-led solutions that improve competitiveness, encourage innovation and deliver value to the food and beverage industry in Canada.” “I3.5 look forward to working with ourPM members x 4.5 ads_Layout 1 2/5/13 5:22 Page 2 and government to achieve the full economic potential of this vital sector,” said

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Kathleen Sullivan, chief executive officer of Food & Beverage Canada. “To ensure our industry’s competitiveness and to reach the federal government’s goal of $75 billion in agriculture and food exports by 2025, there is a lot of hard policy and planning work ahead. This is a challenge I am excited to embrace.” Ontario Goat Departs from Livestock Alliance Veal Farmers of Ontario (VFO) and Ontario Goat (OG) jointly announced the departure of OG from the Livestock Alliance partnership, and as a result, the dissolution of the Livestock Alliance, by the end of 2018. “OG as an organization will still exist but our capacity to function as a member of the Livestock Alliance will wind up and be completed by the end of 2018,” stated Dirk Boogerd, OG President. “It is important to OG that we are able to meet our responsibilities as part of the partnership that has shown us so much support and value over the years, and at this time, we are unable to do that.” Despite the best efforts of OG to try and bring the Ontario goat industry together with a united voice, the sector remains divided. With two failed attempts to become a recognized commodity organization that would see the implementation of stable funding, the volunteer board of OG is left with no other choice but to wind up its partnership with VFO. “While we still firmly believe in the concept of the Livestock Alliance and what it can do for our members, the reality is that in order for it to work effectively, all partners must have stable funding so that costs are shared equitably on a consistent and ongoing basis,” stated Tom Kroesbergen, VFO Chair. “We have appreciated all of the efforts of the OG Board members and while we are disappointed with the outcome, we respect their decision to depart the partnership on good terms as they assess their current needs and resources. Moving forward, our dedicated staff will focus solely on a number of key VFO priorities and issues that will benefit the veal industry,” added Kroesbergen. OG remains a non-profit agricultural organization in good standing recognized under the Agricultural & Horticultural Organizations Act with voluntary membership and a voluntary board comprised of producers elected by their peers. “As we work through this transition, we will have a better idea of what the role of OG will be in the future,” stated Boogerd.

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

Why Implement Microbial Control Interventions in Your Abattoir?

ome types of E. coli bacteria can cause disease in humans that can lead to severe infections, and even death. They are found in the feces of cattle and can cause contamination of beef and veal carcasses during the slaughter and dressing procedures.

In 2016, OMAFRA conducted a baseline study to quantify the prevalence of E. coli O157 and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) on beef and veal carcasses slaughtered in Ontario’s provincially licensed plants. The baseline study showed that there is a need to focus attention on hygienic slaughter and dressing practices, and on the implementation of microbial control interventions to mitigate food safety risks on carcasses. Microbial control interventions may be applied to beef and veal carcasses during and/or after the dressing procedure to remove or reduce bacterial contamination. Using sanitary slaughter and dressing procedures is essential to reduce bacterial contamination on beef and veal carcasses. These, combined with the use of microbial control interventions, can provide significant reduction in bacterial numbers, lowering risk of food-borne illness. You can find more information about microbial control interventions on MICROBIAL CONTROL INTERVENTIONS Hot water Hot water wash cabinet Steam pasteurization Steam vacuuming Peroxyacetic acid Acetic acid Lactic acid Citric acid Sodium hypochlorite

Dry aging ** Any other microbial control intervention that is effective in reducing carcass microbial loads. 12

the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ website at ontario.ca/meatinspection. See below for a list of microbial control interventions and implementation guidance. By law, operators are required to prevent contamination of carcasses and meat products. Many provincially licensed meat plant operators have already implemented these carcass interventions and use hygienic slaughter and dressing procedures for every animal they slaughter. We encourage you to adopt a microbial control intervention for your plant to help minimize risks of contamination. Using good manufacturing practices means safe meat for your customers. When combined with hygienic slaughter and dressing practices, microbial control interventions will provide added assurance that you are producing safe food for consumers, reducing risks of costly recalls and protecting your reputation.

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE Minimum 74°C (165°F) for 5 seconds As per manufacturer’s instructions, water temperature minimum 74°C (165°F) for 5 seconds As per manufacturer’s instructions

SUGGESTED RECORD KEEPING (1) Periodic check of water temperature, and (2) documentation of application to carcass (1) Periodic check of water temperature, and (2) documentation of application to carcass (1) Periodic check of water temperature, and (2) documentation of application to carcass

As per manufacturer’s instructions; Steam is delivered by (1) Periodic check of water temperature, and a continuous stream of 7-10 psi water at 82-94°C while simultaneously vacuuming the area around the stream of hot water (2) documentation of application to carcass (1) Documenting proper concentration of Not greater than 220 parts per million (ppm) solution at make-up, and (2) documentation of application to carcass (1) Documenting proper concentration of 2.5% applied with warm water (up to 54.5°C / 130°F) solution at make-up, and (2) documentation of application to carcass (1) Documenting proper concentration of 5% applied with warm water (up to 54.5°C / 130°F) solution at make-up, and (2) documentation of application to carcass (1) Documenting proper concentration of 2.5% applied with warm water (up to 54.5°C / 130°F) solution at make-up, and (2) documentation of application to carcass (1) Documenting proper concentration of Not greater than 20 ppm, followed by a potable water rinse solution at make-up, and (2) documentation of application to carcass (1) Cooler temperature less than 4°C, No more than 90% relative humidity, temperature of 4°C or less for (2) relative humidity is maintained at less than at least 6 days 90% and (3) documentation that carcasses are chilled/aged for at least 6 days Scientifically validated by the operator and submitted for review and approval by the Food Inspection Branch

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

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Sourcing the Right Protein Processing Solution Best of Breed software helps drive continuous improvement, cost control and profits Wayne Slater, VP Channel Sales, SYSPRO Canada

s a food processor, your life is never boring! Your typical day-to-day is full of challenges: maintaining a reliable and high performing labour force, machinery uptime, shipping deadlines, bringing in enough sales, cashflow, packaging and so much more. Then, add external influences like: • Ever-increasing regulations • Branding and educating consumers that meat is a natural and healthy source of protein • Rising costs of raw materials • And, if you export or import, global uncertainty like the impact of Trump imposed tariffs, etc.

You need to ensure your business is positioned both operationally and financially to navigate these challenges. In the Spring Edition of BLOCKtalk titled “Industrial Revolution and the Meat Industry”, I introduced the concept that to remain viable, meat processors need to adopt technology and best practices that enable them to have greater insight, reduce costs and increase productivity. This can be achieved when software is fully integrated with your plant floor hardware. In the Summer Edition of BLOCKtalk titled “The Efficiencies of Automation”, I took that concept to the next level by illustrating how robotic devices, such as automated weighing and labelling solutions, can provide an almost immediate ROI from a predictability and performance perspective. When connected to the right software, they can provide new-found insights into your production efficiency and enable you to make better informed decisions. Where am I going with all of this? Well, in this article, I’d like to get into more detail about the software required by manufacturers to enable this transformation. It’s called Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software and it allows an organization to collect, store, manage, and interpret data from business activities. An ERP system is typically a company’s main system of record and home to all the business-critical data from which it reports on key performance metrics. These can include sales, costing, profits, inventory, production, picking, shipping, receiving and much more. 14

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

Most food manufacturers require additional software “add-ons” to their ERP to provide a complete 360-degree view of their operations. There are two approaches ERP vendors take: 1. Single Vendor Suite This is a comprehensive suite of software that links every component across an entire organization using one central database. • Pros: - Integrated and consistent processes throughout all modules in the value chain - You only need to know one system or platform • Cons: - You may steer your organization into a technological dead-end if your vendor is not using current technologies - Databases or programs may be out-dated and ineffective - Lack in-depth detailed features and functionality within specific modules - The rate of innovation is typically slower because of limited development resources and a broader focus

Continued on page 16

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Spreadsheets and clipboards can only take you so far. You need management tools designed for your business to maximize operational effectiveness, minimize giveaway and ensure food safety. SYSPRO ERP Software for food is built to solve challenges across your entire manufacturing operation. The SYSPRO difference: World-class business and finance ERP – Improve budgeting, accounting, forecasting and traceability Production control and insight – Manage the entire production process from receiving to finished goods Compliance – Capture important data required to ensure product quality and control Automated data collection – Real-time collection of data from scanners, scales and more Affordable and modular – Buy what you need today, ready for tomorrow’s growth THE

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018 15 syspro.com

Continued from page 14 – SOURCING

THE RIGHT PROTEIN PROCESSING SOLUTION

2. Best of Breed ERP Solution Often called BOB, is a combination of tightly-integrated leading products or software tools in a particular market segment such as meat processing. BOB focuses on providing the best features and functions for each component throughout the entire value chain. • Pros: - You can choose the products with the best features and functions right for you - You get to have the best possible type of product in each department - More flexibility to substitute individual elements - Vendors and software involved are more specialized to your industry - Its easier to replace one component in the system when needed, decreasing risk • Cons: - Different user interfaces for every BOB product - It can be more difficult to troubleshoot problems because of the number of products in play - End user training could be more complex While each approach has its merits, the best overall experience and results for your dollar is a BOB solution because of the depth of expertise and functionality inherently found in each component. Here are some examples of BOB solutions for meat processors: PROCESSOR:

ABATTOIR:

•E RP Software: Finance,

inventory, traceability

settlement, inventory,

• S canning Software: Receiving / shipping,

traceability • S canning Software:

WIP tracking, inventory

Receiving / shipping,

movement

inventory movement

• Labelling Software:

System (MES): Ear

identification

tag collection, weigh

Hardware: Scanners,

Often overlooked, but shouldn’t be, is the integration and communication of data to and from the hardware as this contributes to huge gains in efficiency. Today’s scales, label printers and other plant floor devices are becoming more and more intelligent. Software can interface directly with the hardware to send important data, like production scheduling, down to the plant floor or making sure the right product files are configured on the weighing and labelling equipment. This data integration enables you to save time and remove errors and costs associated with traditional manual data collection. The best part? No more clipboards! The concept is simple: Choose the best possible software in the areas where you need it and remove human inefficiencies and error where you can. The cost of the investment is quickly recouped, paving the way for tomorrow’s profits. On Friday, October 19 at 3:00pm, SYSPRO will be demonstrating a fully integrated Best-of-Breed processing solution at this year’s The Meating Place. Be sure to check it out and bring your questions! SYSPRO Canada 5995 Avebury Road, Suite 902 Mississauga, ON L5R 3P9 (905) 502-5502 info@ca.syspro.com • ca.syspro.com @SYSPROCanada SYSPRO Canada SYSPRO Canada

•M anufacturing Execution

Piece, carton and pallet

•A pproved / Tested

The key to success is to choose an ERP vendor that has tight partnerships with other BOB vendors and that the integration is seamless. This ensures data flows naturally throughout the solution in real-time and is ready to be leveraged when the user needs it.

collection, grading •L abelling Software:

printers, scales, plant floor

Piece, carton and pallet

data collection devices

identification •A pproved / Tested Hardware: Scanners, printers, scales, plant floor data collection devices

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

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MULTIVAC COMPACT PACKAGING EQUIPMENT

VACUUM PACKAGING FOR SMALL TO LARGE BATCHES

Compact Traysealer + Labelling + Date/Batch Code Printer Manual Traysealer Compact Thermofromer + Labeller + Film = ONE SINGLE SOURCE

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

visit us online ca.multivac.com BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018 17

Four Food Industry Trends

That could change the way you do business Lilian Schaer

apidly evolving consumer demands and technological advances are changing the food business, affecting everyone from the farm and processing through to retail and consumption.

According to the Agri-Food Management Institute (AMI), staying on top of the latest trends and being aware of what’s happening in the broader food industry is essential for anyone looking to the longerterm future of the industry and the profitability of their business.

“Being proactive is an important part of business planning and ensuring food business profitability – and that includes keeping an eye out for trends and developments right across the agri-food spectrum,” says AMI Executive Director Ashley Honsberger. “Knowing what the trends are and how they might impact your business can both help you identify new opportunities and alert you to potential threats that could affect your long-term sustainability,” she adds. Now trending… 1. Alternative proteins An area experiencing rapid and significant growth with direct impact on OIMP members is alternative proteins. Burger chain A&W has just started selling a plant-based burger that looks and tastes – and even “bleeds” – like a real meat burger. Cricket powder is now part of the President’s Choice product line up at Loblaw. And the new Canadian plant protein supercluster that was recently

announced under the $950-million federal superclusters initiative shows the government is also supportive of increasing production of plant-based meat alternatives. Flexitarians, consumers who eat a predominantly vegetarian diet, are becoming more mainstream and a recent Dalhousie University poll shows that vegans and vegetarians make up almost 10 per cent of today’s Canadian market. Also, of note is that consumers under age 35 – the vaunted millennial generation – are three times more likely to consider themselves vegan or vegetarian than consumers over age 49. According data from Guelph –based agri-technology accelerator Bioenterprise, sales of plant-based proteins in Canada are growing at approximately seven per cent a year, representing a $1.5 billion market in 2017. 2. It’s a digital world There’s opportunity in the online world. According to Fabio Vaccarono, Managing Director of Google Italy, more than 3.6 billion people worldwide are online today; by the end of 2020, he expects that number to surpass six billion. “Regardless of the profession, job, or industry you are working on, you will soon become digital in a world with six to seven connected devices per head,” he said while speaking at the Global Food Innovation Summit in Italy earlier this year. His comments were echoed by Stephane Coum, operations director with Carrefour Italy, a French-based supermarket chain with stores in

THE

MEATING PLACE 2018

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

www.oimp.ca

more than 30 countries. Today’s customers want convenience, speed and connectivity, he said, and e-commerce is a way to make that happen.

Many waste reduction and sustainability resources and tools are available for food processors from Provision Coalition, www. provisioncoalition.com.

New in-home assistants like Alexa and Google Home will make it even easier to reach consumers online and bringing products straight to their doorsteps, keeping them out of bricks and mortar establishments.

So how can you prepare for the new food future? The AMI business scorecard is an online tool that can help you identify strengths and weaknesses in your business. It also helps set priority tasks and provide advice on how these tasks can be accomplished.

3. Trust and transparency Distrust of “big food” and the rise of ethical consumption have given consumers more power today than ever before to shape the “Knowing where your business is strong and where it might be marketplace, so trust and transparency matter. People want to know vulnerable will go a long way to helping you respond to both threats where and how their food was produced and what’s in it and increasing and opportunities,” says Honsberger. “The scorecard helps you take make purchasing decisions based on natural or ethical claims. stock and give you a sense of where you need to focus your energies to make improvements or how you can set about making a new “Trust is our biggest value proposition. Traceability, quality and vertical opportunity a reality.” integration are absolutely important,” says Fabio Ziemssen, director of food innovation with German retailer Metro AG. “We need to work And AMI’s guide to food and beverage manufacturing provides on customer education; trust is the biggest power source we have as a important information about key areas like productivity, increasing retailer, so we need to create the best dialogue with consumers.” efficiencies, and reducing waste. The need for trust has made local production popular, which creates business opportunities for small and medium size businesses on a regional level that aren’t feasible on a larger scale.

For more information, visit www.takeanewapproach.ca or call (519) 822-6618.

4. Waste reduction The industry today is focused on sustainable production and reducing food waste is a key part of this. In Canada, it is estimated that over $30 billion of food is wasted annually. But if done right, according to Value Chain Management International, reducing that waste can be good for both the planet and the business bottom line. Improving processes automatically reduces waste in areas like labour, energy, packaging and transportation, which can improve business profitability while also benefitting the environment.

The Agri-food Management Institute is funded through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Agri-food Management Institute 100 Stone Road West, Suite #303 Guelph, ON N1G 5L3 (519) 822-6618 takeanewapproach.ca @AMIOntario

Quality meat, Quality Connections. We’re more than just your average meat supplier. Our strong network of local partners means whether you’re a producer, purchaser or chef, we can connect you to the services and products you need.

Wholesale PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION | WAREHOUSING

CONSIGNMENT SALES | Third Party logistics artisanfarms.com | info@artisanfarms.com

Connecting Farm To Market www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

Food Handler Training Workshop Sept. 19-20, 2018 Guelph

oimp.ca

Food Handler Training

for the meat processing industr y

(519) 763-4558

NUTRITION ANALYSIS SERVICE Cost effective, compliant, confidential.

Need a label? Contact technical@oimp.ca

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

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The service includes a nutritional analysis and a Nutrition Facts label.

2018 S U P P O R T E R S DIAMOND

PLATINUM

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE AgSights | Florence Meats | Pemberton & Associates | Stemmler's | Yes Group Our association is dependent upon the ongoing financial commitment of its members. These corporate supporters, by providing monetary contributions beyond membership dues, allow us to focus resources on the continued success of the sector. For more information on how you can become part of the OIMP Supporter Program contact Derek Boudreau at - Fall 2018 BLOCKtalk www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca d.boudreau@oimp.ca or (519) 635-9281.

BUSINESS MEMBER PROFILE

You Gotta Try the Duck

DUCK-FEST 2018

Heather Nahatchewitz, OIMP Marketing and Communications Director

t’s a beautiful drive to King Cole Ducks in Stouffville, and the delicacies you find at the end of the drive makes it all the more worthwhile. Patti Thompson, VP Sales and Marketing, and I sat outside on the wrap-around veranda attached to their retail store and offices – not a bad location for a meeting.

“There’s never a dull day on the duck farm,” says Patti and I was appreciative for her time knowing how busy she is with the dayto-day operations, let alone the upcoming Duck-Fest planning and preparation (see right). But first, a bit of background. King Cole is the only fully vertically integrated farm of its kind in North America, including a breeder and hatchery department, duck farm, abattoir, processing and further processing facilities, and a beautiful and spacious retail store. Established in 1951, and employing 165 staff members, King Cole serves the Ontario market through its provincial plant, and through the federal plant exports duck products around the world. Patti’s grandfather started the business with her father, who along with his sister are still owners but have since retired.

there a job opening? If so, they can apply for it.”

Sunday, September 23rd, 2018 12 noon to 4pm Main Farm/Store: 15351 Warden Ave., Stouffville Free Event • Great in-store specials! Visit the 20+ chef stations, all sampling different and delicious ways to enjoy duck, including duck spiedini, pulled duck meat, smoked duck breast, duck burgers, duck paté, duck confit…and more!

“The farm is a great place to grow up and develop a work ethic. Even if family members are working full-time jobs elsewhere, they come home weekends to help when needed. We’re really big on team – which probably comes from being a family business – there’s always someone there to support you.”

“Membership with OIMP is important because as an industry its important for us to support one another. We have a similar message and with the help of OIMP it’s a message we can spread through the community. We’ve got a really good story to tell and we need help to share it.”

Patti and her three sisters, Debbi Conzelmann, CEO, Jackie Fisher, Director of Breeder and Baby Duck Operations, Robin Kelly, Hatchery Manager, operate the business today. Each contributes o the success with their own strengths and attributes. “We all went out and did something else after graduating,” says Patti. “And now we all bring something different to the table. Individually we’re nothing but together we make one strong team.”

Communication is a priority for the sisters. Every month there’s a sister meeting where they talk about business, deal with issues, share dreams and goals. All to ensure everyone is still happy with the direction. There’s also a weekly senior management meeting, as a way to keep all departments abreast of what’s going on, what’s coming up, what to watch for, etc.

The same philosophy applies to the next generation. “We have a sister pact,” says Patti. “If any of the fourth generation wants to be part of the business they must first go away, get a post-secondary education, work somewhere else for 3, 5, 10 years, and if they have something of value to bring to the business, that’s going to make us better, we ask ourselves first - Is there an opportunity? Is

For 60 years, the operation was run out of a trailer-size office with everyone piled atop one another and it was decided “if we’re in business, we’re in business” and the joint farm fresh store and office space was built three short years ago. They also added a demo kitchen and have duck school once a month, where they talk to consumers about how they farm, and chefs from all over

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

~Patti Thompson

www.oimp.ca

guest host and showcase different duck dishes from appetizers to desserts. “Decades of experience tells us that many people who say they don’t like duck have tried it once and it wasn’t done well. But more people are seeing it on menus, seeing it in stores, and that visibility is growing the market. They may not be brave enough to cook it at home, so it’s important that we have the cook plant to make items one step easier, taking the fear factor out of the equation. For example, we have pulled duck, spiedini, duck confit, and more. It makes duck accessible to the average consumer.” Smoked duck breast is King Cole’s bestselling product due to versatility. It’s an ingredient and not just centre of the plate and chefs can incorporate giving customers something they are familiar with but with a twist think sliced duck on salad, in a wrap, a pasta, as poutine. The options are endless. “One of the things people don’t understand about duck is that its like a red meat. You can serve it medium-rare. That’s a big hurdle for the everyday consumer and we tell our restaurant clients to think of it as ‘duck steak’ so they can in turn educate their customers.” Foodservice accounts for nearly one-third of sales, with a considerable amount of attention given to it – more so than the average OIMP member. That focus includes what King Cole calls their Future Chefs Program. “As the name clearly implies, students are the future foundation for the foodservice and hospitality industry,” says Patti. “It is therefore important they receive as much support and opportunity as possible to hone their craft and enter the market with confidence and skill. We’re proud to partner with culinary schools and the students and play this leadership role.” In addition to sponsoring competitions and provide products, guidance, and education, King Cole holds an annual Great Amazing Duck Race in April. It’s a cooking competition unlike any other. “This is as much about providing Ontario’s culinary students with a true ‘Farm-to-Fork’ experience, as the recipe development and cooking portion of the competition.” What’s exciting is that each year the colleges put more time and effort than the year before. Some even have competitions within their school to select who will represent them!

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

“And perhaps the biggest pay-back,” says Patti, “is the fact so many grads who have participated in the competition reach out to us in their place of employment when their restaurant is looking to add duck to the menu and they need a supplier.” Case in point – A ‘future chef ’ participated in the duck race, went on to graduate, then a couple years later called, interested in starting a food truck and wondering if they could buy duck from King Cole. Today it’s a very successful food truck that uses more duck then any restaurant in Canada (heirloomtoronto.com). “He’s super creative and his whole truck is focused on local foods. The response to the duck has been great.”

King Cole has been fortunate with funding applications with a list of grants being awarded. “It’s been a life-changer,” says Patti, “in particular, for the marketing. People outside our borders knew us but those in our own backyard did not. The funding allowed us to market ourselves and tell our story.” And what a story it is. How they treat their animals, how they feed them, how they process them and the products they make available, all have that end-user in mind. Even with a combined 1497 years experience, the team at King Cole continues to ask, how do we learn more, how do we do better. “It takes a commitment to deliver really good food and being in family business means we can count on one another – always,” says Patti. “I’m so lucky to have this job, and excited to think about what else can we do, what the future holds.” Seeing first-hand the passion for the industry Patti shares on behalf of their company makes us so proud to call King Cole Ducks a member. All I can say in conclusion is… I’ve tried the duck and trust me you gotta try the duck too! King Cole Ducks Limited 15351 Warden Avenue Stouffville, ON L4A 2V5 (800) 363-DUCK kingcoleducks.com @KingColeDucks @KingColeDucks kingcoleducks King Cole Ducks

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

ASSOCIATE MEMBER PROFILE

AKR: A King’s Ransom Heather Nahatchewitz, OIMP Marketing and Communications Director

t was with great pleasure I met with Bonny Koabel and Ray Mendonza of AKR Consulting Canada. Long-time supporters of OIMP, AKR is comprised of a team of 20 specializing in government grants, subsidies, tax credits, refunds and rebates for the food industry including abattoirs and meat processors.

When Bonny started AKR in 2003, she was pregnant with her third child and had no intention of growing it to the size it is today. Initially writing hiring grants exclusively, she slowly added on programs and team members as time passed. Today the funding programs they work with include the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), energy savings, Local Food, SR&ED Tax Refunds, and training grants – too many to list really. Perhaps a bit cheeky at the time, but making perfect sense today, AKR stands for “A King’s Ransom”, as in we will get you…

But where did it all start? After graduating from U of T in 1992 with a BA in General Arts, Bonny obtained her designation as a Chartered Professional Accountant. “My family owns a label manufacturing company and I started working there,” explains Bonny. “These were Bob Rae days, we were in a recession, and I was introduced to the hiring grants the government was implementing to revive the economy.” The Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit program - also known as SR&ED or SHRED came around a couple of years later. “I used these programs first hand,” says Bonny. “I developed a skill set. I wrote the applications for my family’s business and was quite good at it. I told business associates about SHRED and the free money, but they didn’t really do anything about it.”

“Supporting OIMP is important because it allows OIMP members to produce quality food products for Ontario families.” ~Bonny Koabel, President, AKR Consulting Canada

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

“So when I started AKR with the hiring grants I thought why don’t we take on something like SHRED. It’s lucrative. A lot of people could make use of it. That was the next step and grew from there.”

www.oimp.ca

Ray Mendonza joined the company in 2009, started with SHRED then took on Grant applications like GF2. “He has a real aptitude for it,” says Bonny. “It’s more than just working with the client to put forward an application,” says Ray. “You have to involve everyone. In more than one case, we introduced the client to OMAFRA as it gives them better visibility; increasing our chance for success.” According to Bonny, government funding is moving away from SHRED (indirect funding) to more direct funding or grants like the Canada Ontario Job Grant, training, upgrading, and CAP, and supporting industries that represent a significant number of employees in Ontario, like the food industry. “The trickle effect is huge,” says Bonny. “Government can see the correlation as every dollar they give out, three dollars come back into the economy. And if an industry is highly regulated like the meat industry, they need to provide funding to meet regulations.” “Sometimes when you’re in the day-to-day operations of the business you don’t always see the money-saving opportunities,” says Ray, who has business and manufacturing experience. “When we come in with a fresh set of eyes, we can point out areas where they can save money. It might seem like peanuts but over time it adds up.” “Business owners need to focus on their business,” he explains further. “Taking away from operations to write a grant application is not the best use of their time. That’s what we’re here for.” AKR charges contingency fees for most funding programs. And when they do get the funding, AKR is with them through every step of the process - helping to submit claims and reports, and ensuring they are reimbursed for expenses related to the project. “We have a very high success rates with grants,” says Bonny. “And that ensures repeat business. There are so many programs available, and it’s our job to be in the know. With our contacts and knowledge, we know what members can take advantage of.” I asked Bonny why it’s important to support OIMP and her answer more than warrants the space. “Very interesting question, and I really want to elaborate on this because its important. We have been an OIMP Associate member since 2007. Over that time many staff members have had the privilege to tour OIMP facilities and see first-hand the pride taken and the quality of the product these facilities produce. It far exceeds the quality in most major grocery stores, where quantity, not quality, is the focus. This is something each and every OIMP member should be proud of.”

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

AN AKR FUNDING SUCCESS STORY

One of the many success stories AKR has had so far was with a smaller meat processor in the Dufferin County area. Initially when they were approached by AKR around five years back, they could not be bothered with government funding. Programs were viewed as an obstacle with an additional workload in gathering information and documentation, with little return for time and effort invested. In addition, the programs represented potential for unwarranted scrutiny from the government into business processes and quality systems. At the same time, the business was growing rapidly, and they needed financial assistance to expand their operations to realize their true growth potential. Several discussions later, AKR convinced them to apply for funding to expand their processing facility. AKR made sure that the entire process was effortless on their part and compiled the application. This first success paved the way for future funding programs. To date AKR has helped them access about $350,000 in non-refundable funding and other rebates. Since then, the company with 12 employees has grown to a medium-size facility with roughly 25 employees and sales turnover has more than doubled in the same timeframe “I try to serve OIMP member products for my family as often as possible, and my children can taste the difference. I have recommended OIMP products to many friends and family members over the years. I am very pleased that over the last 4-5 years with this local food movement, many more Ontario families are fortunate to see OIMP member products in their local grocery stores, and they can now enjoy these great products.” Some parting words of advice? Hiring grants the easiest to get, often being approved in seven days. Once you identify the skills gap between what they know and what they need to know, the money will offset payroll for that employee, up to 50% of the person’s salary up to $6000. Still not convinced? AKR offers a free initial consultation. If you’re even thinking of doing anything within the next couple years, just pick up the phone. It could save you thousands of dollars and benefit your operations with increased productivity, and enhanced competitiveness. It’s worth the dime. AKR Consulting Canada Inc. 151 Courtneypark Drive West, Suite 100 Mississauga ON L5W 0A5 (905) 678-6368 info@akrconsulting.com akrconsulting.com @AKRConsulting akr-consulting-canada-inc BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

AFFILIATE MEMBER PROFILE

2019 Marketing Initiatives will Build on VFO’s 2018 Successes

ntario’s Best Veal Sandwich program reaches an audience of more than 4.4 million with messages of pride in serving locally-grown product

“This competition has helped drive conversations in traditional and social media that support and create awareness for locally-grown The 2018 search for Ontario’s Best Veal Sandwich by the Veal veal, educated the nominees about Farmers of Ontario (VFO) was a huge success! Building on the the availability and value of local momentum from the first search in 2016, this year’s competition product and opened the doors had 129 Ontario restaurants nominated and to date has secured for processors and distributors media coverage and social media impressions reaching a to reach out to their customers combined audience more than 4.4 million consumers. and promote Ontario veal,” says Jennifer Haley, executive director, Veal Farmers of Ontario. “This The evaluation of the 14 semi-finalists saw the judging panel, competition is also a vehicle to show the food service industry including John Catucci, host of the Food Network TV show ‘You that we believe in and support our products. Almost all the Gotta Eat Here’, visit each restaurant to taste test their acclaimed restaurants nominated are like our farmers; family-run and proud veal sandwiches. The search concluded in June with a head-toof the quality product they produce. Throughout this contest it head judging of four finalists at the Market Kitchen in Toronto’s has been a great honour to bring attention to these wonderful historic St. Lawrence Market. In the end, the months of searching businesses, their owners and their delicious Ontario veal paid off as the VFO bestowed the title of Ontario’s Best Veal sandwiches.” Sandwich 2018 to Kitchener’s Nostra Cucina restaurant. Seeing this kind growth in interest and participation, the VFO has Nostra Cucina’s co-owners, Dina committed to undertaking a third year of the competition in 2019 Marsillo and Sian Burns, are and will further build on it’s success through the introduction firm believers in serving their of a culinary arts education program aimed at teaching the next customers food they would generation of culinary professionals about the ease and benefits of prepare for themselves. Their procuring and serving Ontario-raised veal. sandwiches are carefully stacked with Ontario grain-fed veal that Initially planned for 2017/2018, the unexpected strike by they source from a local farm the union representing Ontario’s college faculty resulted the and butcher. The rich housepostponement of this initiative. However, in the fall of 2018, VFO made sauce marries perfectly will reinvigorate its program to find The Best Veal Sandwich with the lightly breaded tender cutlet. created by an Ontario Culinary Arts Student.

“We have been blown away by how many people have responded to this competition and have noticed a huge influx of customers,” says Burns. “In 13 years of business I would say that being part of this competition is the best thing that has happened to us.”

This program will encompass: • Direct contact with the larger food service and hospitality education institutions across Ontario • Creating and delivering educational presentations featuring the benefits of serving and how-to of procuring Ontario veal • Promotion and execution of the culinary contest • Publicizing the results to reach an even wider audience with the message of buying local Along with the chef trainer, the VFO’s goal is to include an Ontario veal farmer, as well as input from processors and distributors in these presentations. Those institutions not able to book a presentation will receive educational materials and contest information. The culmination of this program will take place at the 2019 Restaurant Canada Show in Toronto. The three student finalists will compete to impress a selection of industry, media and chef judges for the honour and recognition of their vealsandwich superiority in Ontario.

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

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A representative of Veal Farmers of Ontario will also be attending The Meating Place 2018 this fall. Veal Farmers of Ontario (519) 824-2942 info@livestockalliance.ca ontarioveal.on.ca ontariovealappeal.ca @OntarioVeal @OntVealAppeal @OntarioVealAppeal @ontariovealappeal These strategic and integrated programs will begin in the fall of 2018 and continue until June 2019. Based on the ongoing success of its previous programs, the VFO is confident that they will increase education and awareness of the quality, availability and benefits of supporting Ontario food products among foodservice, distributor and consumer audiences. Considering the immediate business benefits realized by Nostra Cucina, primary processors and distributors of Ontario veal will want to reach out to their customers and encourage them to participate in the 2019 search for Ontario’s Best Veal Sandwich. For further information and to be alerted to the launch of the 2019 program, please contact Jason Chennette at 416-894-0190 or email bestvealsandwich@ ontariovealappeal.ca.

Ontario Veal Parmigiana

se. Using a meat Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan chee es of plastic wrap to mallet, pound veal slices between two piec r; then beaten egg; then flatten. Coat veal slices in seasoned flou bread crumbs/Parmesan mixture. heat, heat oil. Add veal, In a non-stick skillet, over medium high , until browned and veal sauté veal slices 3 to 4 minutes per side ove to serving dish to is cooked through. Do not overcook. Rem s of veal. Add tomato keep warm. Repeat with remaining slice and heat to boiling. sauce to skillet with thyme and cayenne s, sprinkling tops Simmer 5 minutes and serve over veal slice with mozzarella cheese, if desired. ive. Grill your Tip: Ontario veal on a bun is a tasty alternat e. Layer vegetables tast favourite mix of vegetables and season to and enjoy! and veal parmigiana on a fresh bakery bun www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) bread crumbs ese • 1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Parmesan che ets cutl or ini • 1 lb (500 g) Ontario veal scalopp and pepper to taste • 2 tbsp (30 mL) flour, seasoned with salt • 1 egg, beaten • 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil ce • 1 cup (250 mL) spaghetti or tomato sau • pinch each, dried thyme and cayenne ese • 1/2 cup (125 mL) grated mozzarella che Source: www.ontariovealappeal.ca s Protein, Nutrition Information: 403 Calories, 34 gram rate 17 grams Fat, 25 grams Carbohyd

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

Cold Spot Evaluation Frequently Asked Questions Renzo Gómez, B.Sc. Bio. Eng. (Hons.)

s of 2010, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) made cold spot evaluation a mandatory requirement for all federal meat establishments. In addition, as of January 2019, as part of the Safe Food for Canadians regulations, all Canadian meat processors producing high-risk category products are also required to validate their cooking processes¹.

However, as of January 2019, this requirement will be enforced across all establishments producing cooked meat products in Canada (i.e. high-risk meat products) ¹.

The main purpose of cold spot evaluation is to ensure that all pieces of product inside a cooking oven receive an adequate thermal treatment. An adequate thermal treatment is one that is lethal to the most heat resistant pathogens of public concern (e.g. mainly Salmonella spp, Listeria mono and E. coli O157: H7), under worst case scenario conditions.

How are cold spots, or cold zones formed? With so many different types of cooking systems being used in industry, cold spots are can be formed for a variety of reasons. However, the most common factors leading to cold spot formation include, but are not limited to: i. Improper loading practices (i.e. ‘touchers’ scattered throughout smokehouse) ii. Inconsistent loading practice (i.e. partial vs. fully-loaded oven) iii. Critical probes go out of calibration (i.e. product, drybulb and wet-bulb) iv. Dampers go out of alignment causing a large variation in air velocity from side to side of the oven v. Critical components such as burners are unable to generate sufficient thermal capacity (i.e. not designed for purpose, or component failure)

Are any establishments exempt? Currently, the CFIA has listed cold spot evaluation as a requirement in the current federal regulations (Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures, Chapter 4, Section 4.4.1) ².

How often should you conduct cold spot evaluation? By current HACCP guidelines, since cooking is classified as a critical-control-point (CCP), a cooking oven needs to be evaluated for cold spots upon installation and before first use.

What is Cold Spot Evaluation? Within the context of manufacturing safe cooked meat products, cold spot evaluation refers to the measurement of the maximum thermal differential within a cooking vessel. Examples include forced-convection ovens or smokehouses (i.e. batch and continuous), impingement ovens, among other oven types.

THE STEAKS HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER– IT’S TIME TO GET YOUR BUSINESS PLAN IN PLACE. #pledgetoplan

Why plan? The processing industry has a dynamic marketplace filled with opportunities and the best way to prepare for any opportunity or to manage change is strong business management. Find tools and resources to help you create a plan at: TakeANewApproach.ca

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

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Once the first evaluation has been completed, the establishment is still responsible to re-evaluate / reassess each critical-controlpoint on a yearly basis (FSEP Manual sections 3.3 Validation and 3.4 Maintenance and Reassessment of the HACCP System). Can cold spot evaluation be conducted in an empty oven? No. By current regulatory requirements, the establishment is responsible to include in the cold spot evaluation by taking into account: “Worst case scenarios […], specifically, the coldest spot of both the equipment and the product.” ² Who is qualified to conduct cold spot evaluations? Given that modern cooking systems can be complex, this work must be completed by a competent person, who should have an adequate technical background, knowledge and experience with cooking systems, as well as a basic foundation in regulatory requirements. Examples include technical backgrounds in food science, food microbiology, engineering, or equivalent. The regulations describe such competent person with the term ‘process authority’. However, establishments may also designate their own personnel, provided they meet CFIA’s qualification criteria². What happens when the establishment does not conduct cold spot evaluation? For any federal establishment, the inspector in charge is required to review this regulatory requirement as part of on-going CVS tasks. Since the process of cooking is critical to product safety, the inspector may issue a Corrective Action Request (CAR) to the establishment. At that point, and subject to MHMOP Chapter 18 guidelines, the establishment is normally given one month to

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comply. After this period has elapsed, the inspector in charge may recommend further regulatory enforcement actions depending on the specific scenario. Is cold spot evaluation also required for global food safety standards? Yes. Global food safety standards also require on-going validation (incl. Cooking CCP) as follows: i. B RC Standard, section 2.14.1 The HACCP food safety team shall review the HACCP plan and prerequisite programmes at least annually and prior to any changes which may affect product safety. Appropriate changes resulting from the review shall be incorporated into the HACCP plan and/or prerequisite programmes, fully documented and validation recorded. See Appendix 3 for further details; ii. S QF Code Ed. 8, 2.5.1.1, ii.) Critical food safety limits are validated and re-validated annually. 1. S afe Food for Canadian Regulations: Preventive controls for food – Meat products; Section V. Validation documentation/Evidence of effectiveness 2. M eat Hygiene Manual of Procedures: Chapter 4, Section 4.4.1 Disclaimer: Any information contained in this document is intended for informational purposes only and cannot be misinterpreted as binding ‘consulting advice’, nor be referenced in any way, shape or form by any persons.

Quantum Food Solutions Inc. 35 Brian Peck Crescent, Suite 510 East York, ON M4G 0A5 (647) 963-0182 renzo.gomez@quantumfoodsolutions.com quantumfoodsolutions.com

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

Fine-Tune Your Business’ Strategic Planning in 2018 Jeff Shepherd, Marketing Coordinator, Mentor Works Ltd.

s the owner of an Ontario-based meat processing business, you understand the critical role that strategic planning has on long-term success. You’ve developed a mature, growth-oriented, and financially stable company that is poised for future growth, but without maintenance on your strategic plan, it can become less useful in helping the business respond to new opportunities or threats.

Spring is a great time for businesses in the agri-food industry to revisit their strategic plan and build on it for the year ahead. Are you actively focused on growth-based projects? Do you have the internal capacity to grow, and a plan to finance these activities? Understanding how (and how quickly) your business is growing is critical to making quality investment decisions. Business leaders could use the key tips found within this article to deploy best-practices when it comes to the planning and execution of strategic activities. How to Build a Superior Strategic Plan for Your Business Unlike routine planning, strategic planning tends to focus on how you want your company to mature. It provides an ideal state

for where the company could be in years to come and may also suggest an action plan to achieve that vision. Strategic planning activities should be performed routinely; many companies devote resources to strategic planning annually or bi-annually. There isn’t one right way to create effective strategic planning; it involves ‘feel’ just as much as it depends on management science. That said, there are a few best-practices that can help to keep you and your team moving in the right direction: SWOT Analysis: Your strategic planning tools don’t need to be complex to provide great insights. As a team, develop a list of key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, then decide what can be acted on in the short-to-medium term future. Define Key Stakeholders and Ask for Input: Operational success depends on multiple stakeholders being on-board with your plan. Developing a strategy that everyone agrees on may be difficult, but it will help to keep everybody moving toward a common goal. SMART Goal Setting: Stakeholders should be accountable to the goals and strategies outlined in your plan. Use specific,

CMY

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

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measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely targets to ensure everybody has a clear definition of success. Evaluate Progress: Prior to developing strategic plans for the next period, reflect on how the goals of last period were exceeded, met, or unmet. What caused these results, and how could they be approached differently to improve outcomes? Align Strategies to Financial Capabilities: Some companies develop a long ‘wish list’ through strategic planning activities that may be difficult to finance. To keep a clear focus of what is/isn’t possible for your business, integrate budgeting into the process and ensure that projects are feasible. Support Strategic Growth Plans with Government Funding Strategic planning sessions are a great time to evaluate how growth will be financed. How much capital is needed to accomplish the growth projects? Are cash flows a sufficient source of funding for these tasks? Are there other resources that can help reduce project costs? Business leaders should consider their mix of project financing, including cash flow, debt and equity financing, and government funding to ensure growth isn’t hindered by lack of capital. Most companies are unaware at the full spectrum of financial supports available to scale production and overall growth.

Canadian government funding is one of the best ways for Ontario-based meat processors to accomplish growth projects while minimizing impacts on cash flow. Government grants and loans can help food processors hire and train employees, purchase equipment, reach new markets, and engage in R&D activities. Is 2018 the year your business will access government funding programs? Be sure to consider their use during your strategic planning sessions over the coming year. Jeff Shepherd is a Marketing Coordinator at Mentor Works Ltd., a business that specializes in the development and execution of strategic government funding plans. Mentor Works has helped thousands of businesses across Canada discover and leverage funding to optimize their growth plans. Mentor Works Ltd. 28 Bett Court, Unit B Guelph ON N1C 0A5 888-599-3111 contact@mentorworks.ca www.mentorworks.ca

THE

MEATING PLACE 2018

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

How the ‘Internet of Things’ can help improve Food Processing Operations in Ontario Kyle Arbuckle, member of the blueRover team

omplying with food safety legislation in 2018 has become increasingly complex. Businesses of all sizes are turning to technology to help them comply with this legislation. One of these useful emerging technologies has been coined the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT). Simply put, the IoT can be defined as a set of data-reporting sensors that can be managed by software to determine what variables are deemed optimal (and thus nonoptimal) across a business. This smart system can sometimes replace tasks that have traditionally been manually completed. The following is a high-level overview of the value IoT data brings to food-based businesses: Mitigate Risk: Due to the sheer amount of data points IoT sensors can produce, risk is dramatically reduced by having site variables constantly monitored. Traditional methods involve manually writing down a temperature 2x daily. Sometimes, however, issues happen in between those manual data points: power outages, doors left open, compressor issues… all can reduce quality and compromise food safety. The worse-case scenario is if a diner gets sick while eating food you were responsible for serving and a legislative body taps your team on the shoulder to provide proof of your adherence to food safety. IoT mitigates that risk.

Increase Compliance: Food businesses are governed by legislative bodies such as CFIA, OMAFRA and Public Health in Ontario. Those bodies require food safety records as proof of adherence to HACCP programs. This is typically done with pen and paper. In food processing facilities, this is a tedious task. Consider using the data collected by IoT sensors to populate the necessary reports required by legislative bodies. Businesses enjoy benefits from IoT such as: digital records (ensuring you can find them when required), properly filled-out reports, and quick identification of trends and non-compliant data.

Decrease Cost: IoT can decrease costs in two ways: opportunity cost and hard costs. For food processing businesses, the opportunity cost is the labour cost recovered by having sensors collect the data rather than a person. This itself can generate positive ROI, especially if

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

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you’re working in busy facilities that require ‘all hands on deck’ to serve customers and get orders processed and shipped. The hard costs come in the form of reduced or eliminated food spoilage and fewer truckloads turned away. Food business walk-in coolers and freezers typically carry $10,000’s+ worth of product, so pre-warning staff 24/7 of any non-optimal - or even dangerous temperatures - can dramatically reduce or eliminate the hard cost of food spoilage. Be Different: You know why your business has success and why your customers buy from you. Consider layering that with real-time data to ensure quality and food safety as an additional selling tool. Some OIMP members use IoT to ensure compliance and some use IoT to prove cold-chain traceability in both warehousing/plant and trucks. This differentiation around compliance can allow you to ‘level up’ your customer base. Setting yourself apart from competitors by using smart technology will ensure the best customer experience, which historically results in a higher volume of sales. What to look for in a solution to accomplish this: There are 3 key areas that should be considered when selecting an IoT solution provider: Subscribe to a service: Subscribing to a service allows you to guarantee the system is always working - especially when you require it to. Several benefits of services include: ongoing support /customer success (helping you get to your desired outcomes over time), an operating financial model, fully warrantied hardware for the term, and flexible payment options. Subscribing to a service helps you

focus on your desired business outcome. Focus on the business outcome: Ensuring the health of an IoT solution means that the service will alert the user and the provider to any issues in proper data reporting. This could be hardware-, software- or server-related. Any ‘break in the chain’ of the information would mean that the information may not be available when you need it most. IoT services typically come with ‘unit health’ alerts, thereby ensuring the service is always working. Consider an END to END solution: This is crucial. Many IoT solutions are integrated or ‘glued’ together, meaning different companies provide different aspects of the solution. Sometimes, in business-critical applications, more time is spent ensuring that the service works than enjoying the benefits to the business. A provider that touches all aspects of the IoT stack - hardware, software, servers, firmware - will have the highest likelihood of providing a consistent service that delivers a chosen business outcome. To learn more how IoT can benefit your specific organization, please visit www.safefood.blue and fill out the ‘contact us’ form. Kyle Arbuckle is a member of the blueRover team and loves helping OIMP members use technology to reach their goals. blueRover Inc. 140 Turnbull Court, Cambridge ON N1T 1C6 (855) 682-2874 bluerover.ca

Meet us at the OIMP TableTALK October 20, 2018! We specialize in sales and service of smokehouses, fermenting, chilling, drying and clean room equipment. We offer a wide rage of products, services, support and expert advice to improve production process and increase customers’ profit. Contact us: Office: +1.905.532.0330 Fax: +1.905.532.9898 Email: info@goklever.com Learn about our suppliers:

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

TECH TALK

Getting Back to Basics The foundations of a food safety culture Daphne Nuys-Hall, OIMP Technical Director

hat does food safety culture look like? Start with your employees. Are their uniforms clean? Are they wearing hair coverings? Is their footwear of good quality and cleanable? How is their personal hygiene? Do all employees practice good handwashing? These observations plus good recordkeeping lay the foundation of a favourable food safety culture. As we get busier, and the demands of production increase, the commitment to the food safety culture may wane, oftentimes unintentionally. Employees are rushed to get an order out and take shortcuts, such as skipping handwashing to get back on the line. Or, due to increase in sales, additional shifts are added to accommodate but there aren’t enough clean white coats for the extra days, forcing staff to wear soiled garments. The day-to-day behavior of a company’s employees and management defines and reflects its food safety culture. When a facility implements a food safety program the need to make behaviour changes is often necessary. Employees need to be shown that the risks are real and may have consequences as they are more likely to be supportive if they can relate and see a benefit to following the required practices.

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

The personal practices of food plant workers and all other personnel who enter a meat plant are among the most important factors affecting the safety of food, as most foodborne outbreaks result from food handlers. From handwashing, to wearing clean work clothing, to avoiding handling food when ill, personnel practices are key to food safety. They’ve all been trained and that’s important but it’s not enough because people often don’t do what they should. So, let’s go back the basics and build from there. Hands are our employees’ primary tool. In meat processing operations, hands do many things and are often in direct contact with food, food contact surfaces and packaging. Hands also touch many non-food contact surfaces such as door handles, stair rails, control knobs and buttons. It is easy for hands to become contaminated. For these reasons, handwashing is one of the most important parts of a plant’s food safety program. Handwashing removes pathogens to reduce them to a safe level, if it is done properly, and minimizes the risk of foodborne illness. Proper handwashing requires wetting hands with water, using liquid soap, rubbing to create a soapy lather for at least 20 seconds, rinsing well, patting hands dry with a singleuse paper towel and turning off water hygienically. Handwashing should be carried out whenever the hands may have become

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contaminated. By practicing good handwashing procedures and practices, contamination of food can be prevented. However, proper handwashing can only be accomplished if employees are provided the proper facilities to do so. It is management’s responsibility to ensure that handwashing stations are equipped with a continuous supply of hot and cold running water, liquid soap, single-use disposable towels and be knee, foot or sensoroperated. Signs should be posted near the handwashing station reminding employees to wash their hands. Gloves, if used properly, provide additional protection from contamination. If they are used improperly, they may cause additional contamination. Gloves should be changed at times like those when handwashing is required. Employees should be provided with an adequate supply of single-use gloves in suitable sizes. Clean, protective clothing is an important measure to help prevent food contamination. Clothing may become soiled and contaminated with pathogens in a meat plant. To prevent transfer of pathogens and soil to food, clothing worn in the plant must be kept in clean condition. The following general rules are used by many food processors • Do not wear street clothing in meat handling and processing areas unless clean protective over-garments are worn over the clothing • Do not wear protective work clothing outside the plant except in designated areas • Change protective work clothing when soiled Soiled clothing can cause contamination of food, clean clothing,

food contact and non-food contact surfaces such as utensils, equipment and packaging if it is improperly stored. Management must ensure that sufficient facilities are provided so that soiled and clean clothing can be stored in separate areas and in a manner to prevent contact between them. Employees are required to follow the plant’s policy for soiled clothing. Hair coverings are the easiest and least expensive piece of protective clothing that must be worn in a meat plant, however it is often the most overlooked or disregarded. It is required by the regulations that any person who is in a room where meat products are handled must wear hair coverings, not just those who are handling the meat. This includes supervisors, managers, owners, inspectors, contractors and visitors to name a few. Always keep plenty on hand and ensure that all persons entering the facility wear them and wear them properly. Not only is hair a physical contaminant of food but can also carry micro-organisms that can contaminate the food. Besides, no one wants to find a hair in the food they are about to eat. Employee education is not a one-and-done with orientation. Ongoing training reinforces the company’s expectations for food safety behaviour. Employees have critical roles and responsibilities in preventing foodborne illness outbreaks, starting with basic good personnel practices. Having a strong food safety culture is a choice. Food safety must be woven through the very fabric of a meat processing operation. The success of implementing and maintaining a food safety program depends on having a positive food safety culture. An organization with a strong food safety culture demonstrates to its employees and customers that making safe food is an important commitment. It is not enough to know better, we must do better.

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

SAFETY FIRST

Managing the Impact of Marijuana in the Workplace

arijuana is set to be legalized for recreational use as of October 17, 2018. For many employers still struggling with how to accommodate employees who have been prescribed cannabis for medicinal purposes, this will create new challenges and questions. How do you define impairment and fitness for work? What types of tasks are safety sensitive? These are key concerns that leadership needs to manage before the legislation passes. What employers need to know • Prior to legalization, marijuana is the most prevalently used illicit drug in Canada. • Consuming recreational marijuana at work is and will remain illegal. • Marijuana use, particularly THC products (the principal psychoactive constituent), can cause residual impairment for 24 to 48 hours. • The legislation may affect the entire organization, not just safety-sensitive positions.

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Basic principles when dealing with marijuana in the workplace • Safety should always come first. • Protecting employees’ rights is important, but employers have rights too. How to move your organization forward • Review highlights of the federal cannabis legislation and Ontario’s new workplace rules. • Update your hazard assessments to include the potential for impairment. • Create a policy and program on the use of any substance that can cause impairment. Write the policy in a way that leaves room for dialogue. Include definitions of key terms, such as “impairment” and “fitness to work”. • Consider the entire organization’s needs, not just safetysensitive positions. • Consult with stakeholders and experts. • Follow what leading organizations are doing, such as the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). In the white paper, you’ll find an interview with Megan MacRae, the TTC’s Executive Director, Human Resources, on the organization’s drug and alcohol testing program. How WSPS can help • Attend a half day workshop on Marijuana and the Workplace: Managing the Impact of Legalization and Policy Development to avoid making policy missteps when updating employee policies and procedures. • Download WSPS white paper, Marijuana in the Workplace: Conversations About the Impact on Employers and Employees. • Sign up for these training and education opportunities: - Impairment and Cannabis in the Workplace (90-minute online e-course) - WSPS Mental Health First Aid. This 2-day course addresses several issues, including cannabis under the substance-related disorders section. Public and on-site sessions are available. Workplace Safety & Prevention Services 5110 Creekbank Road Mississauga, ON L4W 0A1 (877) 494-9777 customercare@wsps.ca wsps.ca

1-800-665-cold www.erbgroup.com 36

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

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COMPETITION 2018 ragging rights! Imagine the b

At the elimination round September 10, 2018, our competitors faced off in a head-to-head battle for meat cutting supremacy, showcasing their technical knowledge and mad knife skills. The top three are proceeding to the finals, October 20, 2018 at The Meating Place Conference and Retreat, held at Blue Mountain Village. In a ‘black box’ round, each competitor will have thirty minutes to transform their secret protein(s) into merchandisable cuts ready to market. A team of judges plus attendee’s votes will determine the next Ontario’s Finest Butcher to be announced that evening at the banquet. Register to attend The Meating Place this fall, October 19 – 20, and witness the final round first hand. Contact the office for registration details.

Katie Boswell Sanagan's Meat Locker, Toronto

Reed Curry

Stephen's Butcher Shop, Port Carling

Doug Easterbrook Townsend Butchers , Simcoe

Brent Herrington Herrington's Quality Butcher's, Port Perry

Izudin Karic Florence Meats, Oakville

Paul Kennedy Nesbitt's Meat Market, Lindsay

Waseam Masri ForeQuarter Butcher Shop, Kitchener

Nicholas Matusiak Halenda's Meats, Oshawa

Stuart Saunders Happy Hog Sausage Company, East York

Keith Vogler Halenda's Meats , Whitby

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

member@oimp.ca | (519) 763-4558

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

Power Factor Correction Learn how to reduce your hydro bill Bonny Koabel CGA, CPA, President AKR Consulting Canada Paying too much for Hydro? For most food processors, utility bills represent a major cost of operations and with hydro rates increasing, it makes staying competitive more difficult. One of the biggest obstacles to reducing a plant’s hydro costs is understanding exactly what your company is being billed for. Hydro bills are so complex, accounting staff (who are often the people reviewing these bills), do not have the required engineering background to understand the charges. Due to the complexity of hydro bills, we will focus on one component that is most likely leading to penalties and surcharges that you are not even aware of – Power Factor. What is Power Factor? Power Factor is the ratio of actual energy used, called ‘real power’, measured in kW (kilowatts) divided by the amount of energy your company uses at peak demand, called ‘reactive power’, measured in kVar (kilovolt amperes reactive). This number varies between 0 and 1 and is given as a percentage (0 to 100%) on

your hydro bill. Hydro companies apply a surcharge to business customers whose Power Factor drops below 90%. Why do I have to pay a surcharge? When your Power Factor is below 100%, your facility is drawing both reactive and real power, and the energy charges (cents per KWh) applied to your account only reflects the cost of providing your facility with real power you have consumed. The surcharge is used to recover the cost of supplying reactive power to your facility, which isn’t included in other charges. What causes poor Power Factor? Poor Power Factor quality may be caused by surges from turning on equipment and machinery that have power transformers and electric motor-driven loads i.e. starting up processing equipment in a facility at the start of the day. Also, equipment that does not use a consistent supply of electricity, such as variable speed drives and compressors, computers, compact fluorescent and LED lighting, electrical chargers, induction furnaces and many other devices may also contribute to low Power Factor in a facility. Another contributing factor to low Power Factor is poor quality of electricity supplied in areas often referred to as “dirty power”. Power Factor surcharges The lower your Power Factor, the more a company pays — and the amount goes up rapidly. If your power factor is 87%, you pay a surcharge of 4% on your electricity usage. But if your power factor drops to 77% for example, your surcharge is 16%.

Call us and ﬁnd out how you can start saving money AKR CONSULTING CANADA INC. 151 Courtneypark Drive West, Suite #100 Mississauga, ON L5W 0A5 T: (905) 678-6368 | F: (905) 677-1700 info@akrconsulting.com www.akrconsulting.com

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

How to correct low Power Factor If your facility is experiencing low Power Factor, you should contact an electrician who can help you. Here are some recommendations for improving Power Factor: • Install Capacitors - Capacitors are recommended when the low Power Factor is the result of power surging from turning of electrical motors as Capacitors produce a leading power factor to counteract the power surge. • Harmonics Filters - may be needed in your facility to improve Power Factor if the cause is a non-linear load. • Load Rating - Sometimes operational changes in a facility are all that are needed to improve Power Factor. For example, you can operate a motor closer to the full-load rating. The benefits of correcting your Power Factor There are many reasons for improving Power Factor including: www.oimp.ca

• Reducing electricity bills by eliminating Power Factor surcharges • Enhancing equipment operation by improving voltage • Eliminating or reducing transformer maintenance or upgrades How to get started Firstly, have your hydro bills from the last year on hand and contact your local hydro company to go over the billing and understand what your Power Factor correction rate is. Secondly, call an electrician to see if a capacitor bank will help to further reduce your hydro costs. AKR has spoken to many companies that have had great results once the capacitor banks were installed. Bonny Koabel CPA, CGA is President of AKR Consulting Canada, a Mississauga firm specializing in Government Grants, Subsidies, Tax Credits, Refunds and Rebates since 2003. AKR Consulting Canada Inc. 151 Courtneypark Drive West, Suite 100 Mississauga ON L5W 0A5 (905) 678-6368 info@akrconsulting.com akrconsulting.com

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5 Common Workplace Injuries Business Owners Can Prevent

n Ontario, someone gets injured on the job every 10 minutes according to the Association of Worker’s Compensation Boards of Canada. Many of these workplace injuries can be prevented with a commitment from business owners to create a work environment where health and safety are a priority. Because we know the safety of your workers matters to you, we’ve compiled a list of five of the most common injuries workers sustain as well as tips to prevent them.

1. Overexertion Injuries The top workplace injury employees report involves overexertion while lifting, carrying, pulling, holding or throwing something while performing their work duties. These painful injuries often result in employees taking time off from work and in some cases needing costly physical therapy or other medical care. If a strenuous activity is part of the job description for any of your employees, be sure to properly train them on how to perform the task in the safest manner. Refresher training should also be repeated at least once a year. It also helps to provide workers with equipment that makes the task easier such as a dolly and lifting support belt.

2. Slipping or Tripping The second leading cause of workplace injury is falling on slippery floors or tripping over items left in the walking path. To prevent these completely avoidable injuries, make sure you have a policy in place for safe and immediate cleanup of spills and zero tolerance for leaving boxes and other obstructions in areas with heavy foot traffic. 3. Falling from Heights If your employees work on roofing or use a ladder to perform their job duties, there is a risk of falling and suffering serious injury. You can reduce the chance of this happening by giving employees proper training on ladder safety and providing appropriate protective gear to keep them safe whenever they perform tasks on elevated ground. 4. Repetitive Motion Injuries Although not as obvious as other injuries on the list, repetitive motion injury can be just as harmful and impact the productivity of your employees. Outfitting your employees’ workspace with ergonomic equipment for repetitive tasks can help reduce muscle strain, back pain, vision problems and prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. It’s also important to train employees on the proper use of ergonomic equipment.

THE

MEATING PLACE 2018

(905) 319-2252 | (877) 338-2252 | peterd@donnellins.com 40

BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

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5. Vehicle Accidents On-the-clock vehicle accidents are common for businesses where employees have to drive to do their job. Even employees with an excellent driving record can get into the occasional backing accident or fender bender. Conducting regular safe driver training and reminding employees often about safe driving policies can help reduce accidents. Remember, both employer and employee play an important role in preventing these five workplace injuries. If you have an employee newsletter, share this list with your workers and remind them how important it is to make safety a priority for themselves and their fellow co-workers. Finally, if you have concerns about your liability coverage in the event that one of these injuries occurs at your workplace, talk to your insurance provider

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BLOCKtalk - Fall 2018

Advertiser Index Abate Packers abatepackers.com

pg. 18 & 31

Handtmann Canada handtmann.ca

pg. 43

Agri-food Management Institute takeanewapproach.ca

pg. 28

Klever Equipped Inc. Goklever.com

pg. 33

AKR Consulting akrconsulting.com

pg. 38

Meat Depot, The themeatdepot.ca

pg. 35

Artisan Farms artisanfarms.com

pg. 19

Multivac Canada ca.multivac.com

pg. 17

Bizerba Canada Inc. Bizerba.ca

pg. 29

Pemberton & Associates pemcom.com

Buster Rhinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Busterrhinos.com

pg. 30

Poly-Clip System polyclip.com

pg. 10

Canada Compound canadacompound.com

pg. 39

Reiser reiser.com

pg. 11

CanTex Protective Systems Inc. can-texfloors.com

pg. 32

Rothsay rothsay.ca

pg. 41

SGS sgs.ca

pg. 41 pg. 15

Carlisle Technology carlisletechnology.com

pg. 6

pg. 9

Donnell Insurance Brokers Ltd. donnellins.com

pg. 40

SYSPRO Canada ca.syspro.com

Duropac duropac.com

pg. 39

Weber Inc. Canada weberslicer.com

Erb Transport erbgroup.com

pg. 36

VC999 vc999.com

Finest Sausage & Meat finestsausageandmeat.com

pg. 34

Venetian Meats Venetianmeats.com

pg. 32

Viscofan viscofan.com

pg. 13

Food Safety Alliance thefsa.ca

pg. 8

pg. 7 pg. 2 & 44

MEMBERS, ARE YOU RECEIVING OIMP ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS? Word on the BLOCK, our bi-weekly email delivered Monday morning, highlights the latest news within the industry including upcoming training events and funding opportunities. Technical eBulletins are distributed as needed with information including regulatory changes, MOL blitzes, animal rights activist events, and business opportunities. As this important industry information is often time-sensitive, please make sure your spam safe list includes news@oimp.ca, technical@oimp.ca, and member@oimp.ca. If there are other people within your company that should be receiving information contact Jessy at (519) 763-4558 or member@oimp.ca to have them added to our lists. 42

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OIMP Meat Expo • PackEX IPPE • Pack Expo Process Expo, And More!

XtraVac Multihead and Rotary Bagging System Solutions Excellent for Jerky, Baked goods, Pet Supplies, Fruits & Veggies, Fresh or Frozen. Simple to Control, with everything needed to load, weigh, bag, and seal perfectly preserved products... ready for Retail Shelves! XtraVac provides economic machine solutions for packaging products of all kinds.

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877-435-4555 · Sales.Canada@XtraVac.com

THE

MEATING PLACE 2018