2017 Summer BLOCKtalk

Keeping Ontario’s Meat and Poultry Industry Informed Summer 2017

Vol. 23, Issue 2

$10.00

Registration Now Open!

Pg. 11

A bate Packers

18 50 Years in the Making

D

uropac 20

The Expert in Food Packaging

ALSO INSIDE:

Names in the News Pg. 12

#ThinkOutsideTheChops Pg. 22

Food Fraud – How Vulnerable is your Business Pg. 28

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Index BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

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Vol. 23, Issue 2

Member Achievements

President’s Message......................................................... 4 Welcome to the Association.............................................. 5 New Product Showcase.................................................... 7 Improve Meat Processing Efficiency................................. 8 Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition............................... 9 Funding Programs........................................................... 10 Ontario Finest Meat Competition.................................... 11 Names in the News......................................................... 12 Product Development and Food Safety.......................... 14 Equipment Breakdown Coverage................................... 16 Feeding Families............................................................. 17 Business Member Profile: Abate Packers....................... 18 Associate Member Profile: Duropac................................ 20 Affiliate Member Profile: Ontario Pork............................. 22 Meat Industry Expo......................................................... 24 Information for Abattoirs................................................. 26 BFO Regional Marketing Initiative................................... 26 Safety First: MOL Blitz..................................................... 30 Sanitation: How to Lower Cost....................................... 32 Group Benefit Alternatives.............................................. 34 Effect of Sausage Casing Size........................................ 36 Meet our 2017 Supporters.............................................. 37 Advertiser Index.............................................................. 38 www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

23

24

Honey Garlic Ham Hocks

Innovations. Connections.

Solutions.

BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

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Thank you for the Honour

I

t is a great honour and privilege to be elected as your new president. I look forward to working with an amazing staff at OIMP and with such a dedicated group of Board Members. I would like to welcome new Board Member, Adam Hayward, Nesbitt’s Meat Market to our team. His contributions from the retail side will be very useful as we continue to create a Board that represents all the needs of our members.

Being a member now for just over 10 years, I have witnessed many changes in the industry. With new regulations, new developments, new government representation, new technologies and innovations, I realize that this will never end. Keeping informed and up to speed on all issues is vital. As time is always a restraint, it’s nice to know that help is just a phone call away. Reach out to staff or Board members with concerns. Talk freely about issues that impact you the most so that we can bring them forward and deal with them head on. This is your organization and communication is key.

Let’s stay connected!

Carol Goriup, President

The Road Forward

O

ne of the many reasons people become part of a trade association is knowing that someone is looking at issues that will impact their business. We recently provided input into the Agriculture Policy Framework consultations on what worked under the GF2 program, what were the challenges and what is needed for the suite of programs coming out of the next funding programs. We are meeting with government to ensure the recommendations pertaining to the provincial meat inspection program contained within the Red Tape Report are acted upon. We participated in the consultation on Safe Food for Canadians regulations identifying areas that will impact our members and looking at what support OIMP will need to provide.

We are also addressing the ongoing labour shortage through participation on the Careers in Food and Beverage Processing Implementation Team.

Connecting, supporting, and advocating for our members is what we do!

To ensure we are making the right choices in the most responsible way, your 2017/2019 Board will be participating in a governance training session and a facilitated strategic planning session. Using feedback from our membership research study, by identifying industry issues and evaluating member’s needs, we will develop a plan and membership model that will ensure financial sustainability to 2020 and beyond.

Laurie Nicol, Executive Director 4

BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

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

Business Retail Members - 46

Associate Members - 59

Retail Associate Members - 44

Business Members - 133

Total Members - 288

OIMP LIFETIME MEMBERS • 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)

• Jarvis Industries, Calgary (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)

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

Provide leadership for Ontario’s meat and poultry industry by fostering innovation, promoting food safety and integrity and recognizing excellence.

OIMP Mission

Strengthen Ontario’s meat and poultry industry by working with stakeholders, responding to challenges and identifying opportunities on behalf of the membership.www.oimp.ca

OIMP

ADMINISTRATION

Welcome to the Association

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | Laurie Nicol laurie.nicol@oimp.ca

Building an informed and engaged membership representing a diverse Ontario meat and poultry industry.

Atwood Heritage Processing Inc. Jonathan Ropp 6687 Line 71, Atwood (519) 356-8870

BOARD LISTING

DIRECTOR | Gerhard Metzger Metzger Meats, Hensall

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR | Daphne Nuys-Hall technical@oimp.ca

DIRECTOR | Kevin Schinkel Schinkel’s Legacy, Chatham

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

DIRECTOR | Kevin Stemmler Stemmler Meats & Cheese, Heidelberg

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR | Heather Nahatchewitz heather@oimp.ca

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.

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Jessy Courtemanche member@oimp.ca

Business Members Georgian Bay Meat Packers Inc. Christina Steele 3765 Line 12 N., Coldwater (705) 329-3765

&

PRESIDENT | Carol Goriup Florence Meats, Oakville PAST PRESIDENT | Cory Van Groningen VG Meats, Simcoe VICE PRESIDENT | Christine Hobson Halenda’s Fine Foods, Oshawa

The Honest Meat Company Inc. Mark Brown 182 Ottawa St. North, Hamilton (519) 497-7612

SECRETARY/TREASURER | Marc Oliver Sargent Farms, Milton

Retail Associate Members

Associate Members

5K Bison & Boar Ranch Bob Romaniuk 7793 Indian Line Rd, Hagersville (519) 900-4032

Stock Packaging Canada Eric Williamson 815A Tecumseh, Pointe-Claire (514) 426-1266

DIRECTOR | Shannon Desborough Finest Sausage & Meat, Kitchener

BLOCKtalk encourages Associate Members and supporters of the industry to submit articles which would be beneficial to our members.

ADVERTISING DEADLINES 2017 Fall August 11 Winter November 10 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.

DIRECTOR | Adam Hayward Nesbitt’s Meat Market, Lindsay

Welcome New OIMP President and Director

P

lease join us in welcoming Carol Goriup from Oakville, Ontario, as she steps into the role of president of the Ontario Independent Meat Processors (OIMP), as determined by the 2017-2019 Board of Directors. Carol and husband Damian own Florence Meats on Speers Road, a provincially licensed free-standing meat plant, fronted by a retail store, and are celebrating 40 years in business this year.

Joining Carol Goriup on OIMP’s Executive Committee is Cory Van Groningen, VG Meats, Simcoe, as Past President; Christine Hobson, Halenda’s Fine Foods, Oshawa, as Vice President; and Marc Oliver, Sargent Farms, Milton, as Secretary/Treasurer.

Please also welcome Adam Hayward, Nesbitt’s Meat Market, Lindsay, as www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

a newly elected Director. Returning to the Board are Shannon Desborough, Finest Sausage & Meats, Kitchener; Gerhard Metzger, Metzger Meats, Hensall; Kevin Schinkel, Schinkel’s Legacy, Chatham; and Kevin Stemmler, Stemmler Meats, Heidelberg.

Joe Abate has completed his term at Past President and we sincerely thank him for his years of dedicated service. Please see Abate Packers business profile on page 18.

OIMP Summer Student Aiyana Ramsahoi is our summer student working on our membership database. You will be receiving correspondence to update your business profile and we appreciate your time in assisting us. Current information will improve our communication with you and help to better direct inquiries from consumers or other members looking for products.

Adam Hayward BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

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MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS

Celebrating 40 years of Business!

Florence Meats celebrates 40 years of serving the Oakville community. Originally located at 81 Florence Dr. (Florence & Kerr Street), their new location on Speers Road is home to a larger, more modern facility. Expansion is on the horizon...in the fall of 2017, Florence Meats will be opening a facility solely to manufacture a dry-cured product they are famous for - Biltong.

Their current retail location will continue to serve Oakville for all their meaty needs.

Online Marketing Opens Consumer Doors Farm to City (a new marketing model from Beef Farmers of Ontario) with a web-based ordering system, is opening up directto-customer marketing opportunities for beef farmers and OIMP members, Rob and Maryjo Tait, of Celtic Ridge Farms. The young farm family recently launched the online ordering system and was thrilled by the response from customers.

Bay Meats Receives GMP Certification (Bay Meats logo) SAI Global performed the audit in April and awarded Bay Meats a score of 95%. What it will mean for Bay Meats Butcher Shop? The ability to sell their products to large institutional buyers, across the province of Ontario, such as Sodexo, Aramark and HMS Host. It is their hope that their certification will allow them to reach more customers, grow market share, and create more jobs.

Rob and Maryjo Tait of Celtic Ridge Farms

“We knew our farm meat products needed an online presence,” said Rob. “Our customers are shopping, researching and sharing their food experiences online. The Farm to City online model is attracting new customers and opening up new opportunities for us.”

Do you have an audit coming soon?

Do your floors need repairs or a pre-audit inspection?

That is our expertise.

Call Gary Hawco at: (519) 829-9942 or Josh Hawco at: (519) 829-9915

Salumeria Il Tagliere Now Federal Il Tagliere Salumeria is proud to announce that they’ve been licensed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Il Tagliere is a family owned salumeria nestled in the foothills of Caledon, Ontario. The Rizzardo family has taken their Italian families recipes passed down through generations to manufacture their award winning products. The salumeria has been built on top of the remnants of an old family farm and has been converted into a state-of-the-art facility to manufacture and cure a wide ride of air-dried cured meats.

Can-Tex Protective Systems Inc.

50 Fleming Drive, Unit 4 | Cambridge, Ontario | Toll-Free: 888-860-0012

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www.oimp.ca

New Product Showcase Jarvis Weasand Clips Jarvis has newly designed weasand clips for tightly sealing the esophagus of slaughtered beef and sheep during processing.

Made of plastic and manufactured in the U.S.A., they are available in white or black. For optimum hygiene and convenience, they are shipped in boxes of 2000 clips (beef), or boxes of 6000 clips (sheep).

For more information about these new weasand clips, please contact Sean Dougherty at (403) 236-5350 or (800) 661-8493.

Jarvis Industries Canada Ltd.

If you have a new product or service you would like to appear in the next issue of BLOCKtalk please email a brief paragraph and photo to heather@oimp.ca. Please note: Not all submissions are guaranteed to appear as they are subject to available space and appropriateness.

EDIBLE COLLAGEN - Shape, colour, shine transparency, juiciness, bite...on tailor-made, mulitple formats High Casing resistance during the stuffing process Constant and very uniform sizes to get an homogeneous finished product Permeable to smoke and steam Ensure faster and cleaner production processes A large variety for almost any application

COFFINET - Give your products an attractive high gloss finish for a whole new range of applications Easier than ever to produce collagen covered hams with COFFINET Nets in a wonderful variety of shapes and sizes Excellent smoking properties for optimal and attractive final products Improve your yields to keep weight loss to a minimum

For more information contact:

Tim Sylander Technical Sales Manager sylandert@canada.viscofan.com 519-217-4812

Introducing NEXTRUS - Our new boneless shrink bag designed for superior retail performance Outstanding film optics and clarity A high shrink to minimize ears and maintain vacuum tightness A polyester outer layer for excellent gloss and print shine The perfect way to showcase your meat.

Coffinet - Elastic Netting - Fibrous Casings - Plastic Casings - Cellulose Skinless Casings - Non-edible Collagen Casings 800-465-8201

www.viscofan.com

info@canada.viscofan.com

Brazil - Canada - Czech Republic - China - Costa Rica - Germany - Mexico - Russia - Serbia - Spain - Thailand - United Kingdom - Uruguay - USA www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

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How to Improve Meat Processing Efficiency with Government Grants

I

ncreased competition and shifting consumer preferences are changing the ways meat processors operate in Ontario. Now more than ever, meat processors need to develop a mindset of productivity to reduce expenses and improve customer satisfaction.

A wide variety of meat processors have stayed competitive by expanding the size of their facilities, purchasing innovative equipment, and implementing employee development training programs. Although these activities require extensive planning and buy-in across the organization, the results are phenomenal.

Better still, these projects are well-aligned for government grants which can be used to offset a portion of project expenses.

Two government grants that Ontario meat processors should be using to develop their business’ strengths are the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) and the Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG). Used independently, these programs can help improve productivity; but used together, they can drive significant business improvements.

Facility Expansion and Technology Adoption Grants Scaling-up operations is necessary to address increased customer demand, but it can also be an expensive endeavour.

Often, this requires physical expansion or relocation of processing facilities, and adoption of innovative technologies. For small and medium-sized businesses, the costs associated with these projects can become an unavoidable barrier that is simply too difficult to overcome.

Thankfully, the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) is available to reduce 10-15% of business expansion project costs. The program provides grant funding up to $1.5 million, and if additional funds are necessary, up to $3.5 million in small businesses loans may also be received. Although facility expansion and equipment form most of the program’s eligible costs, some employee training expenses may also be included.

Case Study: Ontario Pork Processor Expansion A south-western Ontario meat processor sought to expand their existing facility, which employed 425 workers, processed 15,000 hogs weekly, and supported over $160M in annual revenues. Prior to expansion, nearly 1/3 of sales were exported to international markets.

In their first successful SWODF project, the company was awarded a maximum grant of $1.5 million to adopt innovative equipment. This included new processing and packaging lines for faster output, and a new freezer to store a more diverse range of products. Based on these changes, the company anticipated it could process an additional 1,000 carcasses per day – amounting to an increase of nearly $60M in revenue. Other efficiencies also enabled a longer product shelf life, improved energy efficiency, and the addition of over 100 full-time jobs.

Workforce Training Grants Although SWODF provides some support for training employees on new equipment, employee training should be considered as part of an ongoing business development plan.

Whether part of a larger business expansion project or used when fine-tuning the skills of workers, training programs are essential for productive, profitable manufacturers.

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BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

Considering that lack of skilled labour is the #1 concern of OIMP members, more employers should be looking at ways to provide this training. Luckily, the Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) supports a large portion of third-party training costs. As opposed to lumping training costs into SWODF applications, Ontario food processors would be best served by applying for COJG to access up to 66% of eligible training costs to a maximum $10,000 per trainee. www.oimp.ca

Facility expansion and technology adoption projects often include a training component; this is an opportunity for business leaders to recover additional funds and improve project outcomes.

Consider using stacking and other proactive funding strategies to maximize your success with government grants and loans.

Case Study: Ontario Pork Processor ERP Training Another south-western Ontario meat processor wanted to increase productivity, but did so in a much different way than the first example. To improve operational efficiency, the company purchased an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to track and communicate products as they’re purchased, processed, and sold. This would remove process silos and ensure all departments are working together seamlessly.

Mentor Works is a business support organization specializing in Canadian government funding. The Ontario-based business has helped hundreds of businesses build and execute their funding strategy through a mix of federal and provincial government grants, loans, and tax credits. Mentor Works offers free online resources, funding webinars, and news via their website at www.mentorworks.ca.

The Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) is an excellent funding option for a range of employee training programs, including wide-scale ERP implementation. For this project, the company offset the training costs of 24 employees, ultimately helping to save nearly $50,000. Because of the grant funding received, the pork processor could provide training for more employees, ultimately leading towards a more successful implementation.

Stack Government Grants for Larger Funding Wins As demonstrated through the case studies above, government grants and loans can greatly improve the outcome of a business’ projects. But while they can be used independently, government funding is best used when combined or “stacked” together.

Businesses can typically stack federal funding programs with other federal or provincial programs; however provincial programs cannot be stacked with other provincial programs.

belly MARKET chuck

Mentor Works Ltd. 151 Savage Drive, Unit 5 Cambridge ON N1T 1S6 888-599-3111 contact@mentorworks.ca www.mentorworks.ca

BRISKET rack

CHICKEN are you Ontario’s tenderloin SIRLOIN

PORK COMPETITION 2017 ribs BONE meat BEEF VEAL diced ROAST leg BBQ CUT HOCK eye of round FILLET

blade WI

Finest Butcher?

UTCHER shank

All competitors will begin by showcasing their technical knowledge and knife skills in an elimination round.

ts!

Imagine the bragging righ

The top three will then proceed to the finals at The Meat Industry Expo where they show-off their charming and creative selves, thinking quick on their feet, and adding value to an undisclosed protein.

Aside from the excellent bragging rights that come with the title, both the winner and the winning member company will receive a plaque commemorating this impressive accomplishment for all to see. The winner will be revealed at the OIMP Awards Gala.

belly MARKET chuck

rump

DEADLINE TO REGISTER: August 11

BRISKET rack ELIMINATION ROUND: September 11, Mississauga

CHICKEN tenderloin SIRLOIN Registration is open and you can’t win it, if you’re not in it!

See oimp.ca for more information.

FINAL ROUND: October 21, The Meat Industry Expo, Niagara Falls

PORK ribs BONE meat BEEF VEAL

UTCHER shank PROUD PARTNERS:

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

blade WI

WINNER ANNOUNCED: October 21, OIMPBLOCKtalk Awards -Gala, Niagara Falls Summer 2017 9

Funding Programs for Ontario Processors Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) The Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Program is a federal tax incentive program designed to encourage Canadian businesses of all sizes and in all sectors to conduct research and development (R&D) in Canada. The program is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), which delivers SR&ED tax incentives in a timely, consistent and predictable manner, while encouraging businesses to prepare their claims in compliance with Canada’s tax laws and the CRA’s policies and procedures.

Free online webinars provide a general overview of the Program, explaining the eligibility criteria, what expenditures qualify, and how to file a scientific research and experimental development (SR&ED) claim. For dates and registration information visit www.cra-arc.gc.ca.

Save on Energy Retrofit Program Save on Energy Retrofit incentives reduce project and operational costs for equipment upgrades – and open the door to new possibilities for your business. Whether it’s a lighting upgrade, motor and heating installations or new control systems, incorporating energy efficiency into your operations delivers benefits that reach far beyond your energy bill.

Get the most out of equipment upgrades by contacting your local hydro company and learn more about retrofit incentives and how they can help your organization gain a competitive edge.

Eligible measures under the program are those that provide sustainable, measurable and verifiable reductions in peak electricity demand and/or electricity consumption and below are some examples:

• Implementation of new operating procedures, including the purchase and installation of equipment (such as an energy management system, building automation systems, sensors, control equipment, metering equipment, or related communication systems) necessary either to obtain or to increase the effectiveness of an energy management system or building automation system For more information on the Save on Energy Retrofit program visit www.saveonenergy.ca.

SMART Green Funding Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) in partnership with Government of Ontario has launched a new $25 million SMART Green fund that will assist small and medium-sized manufacturers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and improve their energy efficiency. Application intake opened October 2016 through SMART’s online Grant Management submission portal.

Applications will be considered on a first-in, first-reviewed basis. Learn more on Smart Green Program’s website.

Rural Economic Development (RED) The province will be accepting applications for the renewed RED program, which bolsters economic growth in rural and Indigenous communities across Ontario by providing support for projects that allow rural municipalities and partners to diversify and grow their local economies. Additional information on the RED program is available at ontario.ca/REDprogram.

Applications will be accepted during the following timeframe: July 31, 2017 to September 29, 2017.

• Lighting retrofits • Lighting controls • HVAC redesign • Chiller replacement • Variable speed drives • Improvement of thermal performance of a building envelope through measures such as increased insulation, installation of high performance windows and frames, low emissive window glazing or low emissive roof barriers

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www.oimp.ca

Competition Registration is now open!

Do you produce the finest meat and poultry products in all of Ontario? Here’s your chance to prove it by entering the Ontario Finest Meat Competition™!

Your best products will be evaluated against your peers by an elite group of non-partial media, chefs, foodies, and buyers using the following criteria: visual appearance, flavour, texture, aroma, and uniqueness. Awards (Platinum, Gold, and Silver), the Diamond Award and the Ron Usborne Award of Excellence will be presented at the OIMP Awards Gala October 21, 2017.

Monday, June 26, 2017 4:30pm Deadline for entry

Winning comes with privileges like being showcased at industry and government events, promotion to media, use of the award winning product logo, and increased sales due to the premium perception associated with competition winners.

Friday, July 21, 2017 Product entries ready for shipping (no charge to you)

*NEW* OPEN BACON: The new open bacon category is for those delicious bacon-style products made from anything but pork!

JUDGING ROSTER TO DATE: Emily Richards, P.H.Ec., Television Personality Jennifer McLagan, Chef, Author Andrew Coppolino, Writer, Broadcaster Julie Miguel, Television Personality Katie Compton Chemij, BHSc, RHN, Food Blogger PRODUCT CATEGORIES: Bacon - Open *NEW* Bacon - Back Bacon - Flavoured Side Bacon - Traditional Side Beef/Veal Whole Muscle Deli

IMPORTANT DATES:

July 25-26, 2017 Judging October 21, 2017 Awards are presented at the OIMP Awards Gala, Niagara Falls

Jill St-Amour, Executive Chef Liv Oh, Sobeys Anthony Davis, Sobeys Claire Tansey, Food Blogger

Cold Cuts - Deli Meat Ham - Boneless Kielbasa Poultry Whole Muscle Deli Premium Dried or Dry Cured

Premium Wiener Salumi - Charcuterie Sausage - Dry/Semi-Dry Sausage - Specialty Cooked and/or Smoked Sausage - Traditional Cooked and/or Smoked

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR COMPETITION PARTNERS:

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

For more information contact: Ontario Independent Meat Processors Tel: (519) 763-4558 BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017 11

Names in the News Canadian Meat Industry Welcomes New President and CEO The Canadian Meat Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher White as the organization’s new President and CEO, effective immediately.

Chris White has extensive industry organization, government relations, and public affairs experience.

Previous positions have included Chief of Staff for five federal cabinet ministers and Vice-President of Government Relations in the finance, insurance, and auto sectors.

Chris has a master’s degree in political science from the University of Windsor, as well as a bachelor’s degree in political science and a graduate diploma in international development from the University of Ottawa.

Ontario Pork Chair and Vice Chair Elected The Ontario Pork Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Eric Schwindt of Waterloo Region was elected as Chair and John de Bruyn of Oxford County was elected as Vice Chair at a board meeting on April 4, 2017.

Dr. Donald E. Buckingham Appointed CAPI CEO Ted Bilyea, Chair, and the Board of Directors of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute are very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Donald E. Buckingham to the position of CEO effective July 1, 2017. Currently Chair of the

Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal, Dr. Buckingham brings to CAPI a rich career founded in law but uniquely focused on agriculture and agri-food.

In previous positions, he has taught and researched a variety of agricultural and agri-food subjects in three Canadian universities, as well as provided legal counsel to both federal ministers and civil servants grappling with legislative and regulatory matters in the industry. He has an exceptional grasp of the issues, opportunities and possibilities in this critical sector and is energetically prepared to participate in “developing a strategy to unlock the growth potential of the ag food sector” as recently characterized in a report by the Government of Canada– appointed Advisory Council on Economic Growth.

New Acting GM, Meat Inspection Effective May 1, Rodger Dunlop will be Acting General Manager, Meat Inspection Program while Jason McLean is on assignment as Acting Director, Food Safety and Traceability Programs Branch.

Rodger’s career began with the Meat Inspection Program as an Inspector and Area Manager. From 2000-2008, he worked for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Enforcement Branch, as an Investigator/Supervisor with the Agriculture Investigations Unit. Since his return to the Ministry in 2008, he has been responsible for overseeing compliance, investigation, and enforcement actions under all legislation administered in his role as Manager of the Regulatory Compliance Unit (RCU) within the Food Safety and Traceability Programs Branch.

Accelerating success.

GTA Meat Food Service Operating Company & Plant GTA LOCATION

FOR SALE

• Newer purpose built plant, CFIA and HACCP certified • Plant is modern with excellent flow and clear height • Turnkey opportunity: fully operating with all equipment in place • Business successfully operating for over 20 years • If interested in this opportunity or the value of your company/plant, please contact us.

Glenn Forrest* +1 416 620 2823 glenn.forrest@colliers.com ** Broker *Sales Representative Colliers Macaulay Nicolls Brokerage Inc.

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Jarvis has three types of pneumatic penetrating and nonpenetrating stunners for better kill floor and Halal stunning.

USSS-1 Penetrating Stunner

USSS-2A Non-Penetrating Stunner

USSS-1/2 Penetrating Stunner

USSS-1, USSS-2/2A and USSS-1/2, U.S. Patent No. 6,135,871;German Patent No. DBP/603 48 402.6; European Patent No. EP1613164

Jarvis has power actuated cartridge stunners in .22 (5.6mm) and .25 (6.3mm) caliber made to withstand demanding stunning requirements.

Jarvis Cartridge Stunner Type C .22R (5.6mm) & .25R (6.3 mm) Caliber Available in Standard and Long Lengths

Jarvis Cartridge Stunner Type P Penetrating .22R (5.6mm) & .25R (6.3mm) Caliber

Jarvis Cartridge Stunner Type C Penetrating Cow and Bull .22R (5.6mm) &.25R (6.3mm) Caliber

Jarvis Model PAS Stunner Type P Penetrating Long Length .25R (6.3mm) Caliber

Jarvis Cartridge Stunner Type C Non-Penetrating Concussion .22R (5.6mm) & .25R (6.3mm) Caliber

Jarvis Cartridge Stunner Type P Non-Penetrating Concussion .22R (5.6mm) & .25R (6.3mm) Caliber

Jarvis also provides free training & service We also repair mesh apparel

Jarvis Industries Canada Ltd.

World Leader in Meat Processing Equipment

View Jarvis tools on our website www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

3915A-78th Ave. S.E. Calgary, Alberta T2C 2J6 Tel: 800 661-8493 / 403 236-5350 Fax: 403 279-8005 E-mail: info@jarviscanada.com Website: www.jarviscanada.com BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

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The Marriage between Product Development and Food Safety Melissa Stevenson, Principal Consultant, FS & RD Consulting

T

here are numerous steps involved with the development and launch of a new product into the marketplace. Line extensions are inherently a little easier than developing a new product, which involves a new process, but either way, being aware of food safety even at the initial development stages is an advantage.

By using a stage gate process and incorporating a strong innovation strategy, you can instill an innovation culture within your facility. This will enable you to come up with a plethora of ideas and concepts for the marketplace. But, how do you ensure that only the good ones get developed and go to market? This is where stage gate will greatly improve your innovation process.

This process along with the development of financial and volume hurdles (minimal volumes that are needed to ensure profit) that should be used at the gate will ensure only the best projects will make it to the launch stage.

You can use the above streamlined stage gate process that has 4 stages and 3 gates. At each stage additional money and resources are put towards the project thus allowing many ideas/projects to be initially examined and ultimately filtering out the best ones to move forward through the process. You will be more effective at launching great products for the market by following this process.

When you develop a new product you will need to determine: 1. The base ingredient that you will be starting with i.e. beef, potato, etc. The additional ingredients that you wish to add into the product i.e. flavours, colours, stabilizers etc.

2. The process that you are going to put the product through i.e. smoking, baking, fermenting.

3. Th e process flow that the product will have to pass through.

4. Th e type(s) of packaging/labelling that you are going to use on the product.

Including food safety development within your stage gate process will make the launch run more smoothly and with less possibility of rework.

Ingredients: By giving some forethought around the ingredients that you already have in the manufacturing facility you can avoid adding in new species or new allergens, each of which would add complexity to your HACCP program and processing.

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Process: By developing products that maintain the process that you currently use in your facility ensures that the new product will fit easily into scheduling and manufacturing. However, there are times when a new process may be required in order to really develop something new and exciting. By incorporating HACCP and determining traffic and process flow at this stage you will be able to determine how to incorporate this new process into your existing manufacturing with minimal disruption to your schedule and flow.

Packaging: Again, it is always easier if the packaging stays within your comfort zone. But, when you want to truly innovate you will want to expand beyond your comfort zone and initiate something new. With packaging you will need the relationship between operations as well as product development and food safety/ quality to ensure that all aspects are covered. For example, new equipment, new process and traffic flow, addition to the HACCP program etc.

One of the best ways to ensure success within the product development process is to have a close relationship between your stage gate process and your food safety protocols. It will ensure that you will not have to rework as you couldn’t accidentally incorporate gluten (for instance) into a gluten free product as you would have looked at all of the ingredients prior to development.

The products that you produce through this process should meet all financial hurdles as well as all food safety requirements thus enabling a successful launch.

If you need help with creating a stage gate product development or food safety program please feel free to reach out to us for a free quote at melissastevenson@fsrdconsulting.com.

FS & RD Consulting (905) 334-1733 (905) 827-8273 melissastevenson@fsrdconsulting.com fsrdconsulting.com

www.oimp.ca

NOTHING EXTENDS SHELF LIFE LONGER THAN VACUUM SKIN PACKAGING FROM REISER.

Maximize the shelf life and eye-appeal of your perishable food products with Vacuum Skin Packaging from Reiser.

Reiser form/fill/seal Vacuum Skin Packaging (VSP) provides nearly twice the shelf life of a traditional MAP package.

■ Reiser VSP packaging wraps tightly around the product’s shape, acting as a second skin while removing all atmosphere from within the package.

■ High-clarity, wrinkle-free, glossy skin film provides an attractive presentation that puts the focus on your product.

■ Reiser VSP packaging machines are available in a range of model sizes to match specific application and output requirements.

■

www.reiser.com Reiser Canada Burlington, ON • (905) 631-6611 Reiser Canton, MA • (781) 821-1290 2017

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

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Understanding Equipment Breakdown Coverage

N

o matter what type of business you own, you rely on equipment to some degree to deliver products and/ or services to your customers. Whether it’s the air conditioning unit or your computer network, an equipment breakdown could negatively impact your operation - and ultimately your bottom line.

Equipment breakdown insurance helps keep your out-ofpocket expense to a minimum when your equipment bites the dust. This optional coverage can be added to your commercial property insurance policy.

Types of Equipment Covered If an accident damages your business equipment or it simply breaks down, equipment breakdown insurance can help cover the cost to replace or repair it. This coverage applies to any equipment you use to keep your business running including: • Mechanical and electrical equipment • Computers and communication equipment • Air conditioning and refrigeration systems • Boilers and pressure equipment • Security and alarm systems If you operate a meat business, coverage may also help replace food spoiled because of an equipment breakdown.

Covered Incidents There are many reasons your business equipment could become inoperable and force you to have to repair or replace it. Depending on the policy you select, covered incident may include: • Operator error • Power surges • Short circuits • Mechanical breakdowns To figure out the appropriate amounts and limits of equipment breakdown insurance that is right for your business, you should factor in more than just the cost of replacing the equipment. Also consider whether the breakdown could cause damage to your facility or cause you to shut your business down for several hours or several days.

Talk to your insurance broker about the various scenarios that could result if your equipment breaks down to ensure that you select a policy that protects your business no matter what situation occurs.

Donnell Insurance Brokers 3077 Mainway Drive Burlington, ON L7M 1A1 (905) 319-2252 info@donnellins.com • donnellins.com @donnellins

For over 30 years we have been protecting families and their businesses.

One place for all your insurance needs.

We remain committed to the association and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your insurance program.

We specialize in Food Processing and Agri-business risks. If your policy is 90 days or closer to renewal please contact us to enquire about special association coverages and pricing.

(905) 319-2252 | (877) 338-2252 | peterd@donnellins.com 16

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www.oimp.ca

NG FAMILIES F E ED I FEEDING HOPE The Ontario Association of Food Banks would like to say thank you to Ontario’s food industry!

Because of your support, our food banks are able to provide fresh meat and poultry to 336,000 adults, children and seniors in need every month!

HELP US PROVIDE LOCAL, HEALTHY FOOD TO ALL ONTARIANS TODAY! To make a donation, please contact us at 416-656-4100 or erin@oafb.ca. We ship by the pallet, and can move truckloads of timesensitive product at a moment’s notice.

You can learn more about the OAFB by visiting our website at www.oafb.ca. www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

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BUSINESS MEMBER PROFILE

Abate Packers: 50 Years in the Making Heather Nahatchewitz, Marketing and Communications Director

J

oe and Lori Abate and family, are celebrating 50 years in business as Abate Packers, a provincial abattoir located just south of Arthur, Ontario. Employing 40 people and with distribution across Ontario, I went to visit Joe to talk about the success of Abate and what the future holds.

It all began in 1967, when Joe’s parents, Salvatore and Phyllis, wanted to get out of Toronto (last time Leafs won the cup, Joe points out) and so they bought a farm raising primarily rabbits, but also goats, sheep, sometimes pigs and cattle. Teaching himself to butcher, Salvatore started with a few rabbits, then grew to 100, then 200 and so on. When inspection came in to force in 1974, they built a suitable plant obtaining the proper approvals and licenses.

To maintain cash flow as the farm and processing business grew, the Abates purchased live animals from farmers at the stockyards in Kitchener and sold them at market in Stouffville.

Salvatore gave his two sons each a wallet with a chain (so they wouldn’t misplace it), wrote the prices right on the crates, and made them responsible for sales. This is where Joe learned his bargaining skills. Yes he would lower the price but that meant you’d take ten instead of one!

One day Salvatore emptied Joe’s wallet to find $900 cash – a considerable amount of money back then – and since that day he emptied both boys wallets every hour or so. Joe, wanting to outsell his brother insisted his Dad at least count the money so he knew what he had done for the day; perhaps a foreshadowing of Joe’s future at Abate.

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Come see Abate Packers at Meat Industry Expo, October 20-21, 2017.

Booth B in the Flavours section.

“It was a good way of life,” said Joe. “We hung around with other families doing the same thing, booths besides ours, always there for each other. We’re still friends today.”

With an increase in customers asking for dressed animals, business at the plant began to grow, and trips to the stockyards slowed and eventually stopped altogether. Joe was on the line at the time but had to keep running to answer the phone and take orders. When everyone else went for break, Joe returned phone calls. Finally, he convinced his Dad that if he could come off the line and focus on sales he could double the revenue – a feat he accomplished within two months.

Salvatore retired nine years ago at age 75, and Joe says he misses him at work. “We would sit in the office after everyone else had left and just shoot the breeze – about anything and everything. We are more than father son – we are friends,” says Joe. However, Joe still gets to see family every day as his high school sweetheart and wife, Lori, works in the office. All five of their kids also took a turn in the plant with the youngest two remaining. Daughter Sydney helps in the office and only son Nico manages operations.

Joe plans on handing over the day-to-day operations to a past employee, newly rehired, and will begin to take on all of the ‘special projects’ he’s wanted to get to but hasn’t had the time.

This includes an expansion to handle the growing volume, and a custom machine to package rabbits faster and extend shelf life.

www.oimp.ca

honest with your customers. Treat them the way you’d want to be treated. That young guy unloading the truck? Treat him with respect. One day he will be a meat manager somewhere else and will take Abate with him.”

It’s this philosophy that helped Abate grow to 400-500 customers, many still ordering after 40 or 50 years, including Atlas Meats in downtown Toronto (one of their first customers still with them today).

Joe Abate; Premier Kathleen Wynne; OIMP President, Carol Goriup, Past President, Cory Van Groningen

“We custom slaughter rabbit as there’s no one else doing it,” says Joe. “It’s also a way to promote rabbit meat. They are selling it to someone else and it gets around. People are talking about rabbit.”

Joe went on to explain how rabbit on restaurant menus helps rabbit sales at grocery. People don’t want to pay for a piece of meat they don’t know how to cook. If they try it in a restaurant they may be more inclined to purchase it and try it at home.

Fingers crossed it will be available by this summer; Joe is expecting to produce a rabbit roast deboned in one piece and tied – ready for the oven. How do you debone a rabbit exactly?

Joe taught himself with utility rabbits, learning by necessity and seeing how fast he could get at it. Once he perfected the technique he taught those on the line and is pretty sure they can do it even quicker now. It’s very labour intensive, so for now these roasts are by custom order only.

Rabbit, chicken and Cornish hen are Abate’s three main proteins by volume with sales of pheasants, partridge, duck, quail, and guinea fowl rounding out the offerings. You can find Abate products at Longo’s, Fortino’s and local butchers, many of which serve a European market and customer base.

“The future of the industry overall looks good,” Joe commented. “People have to eat, and guys who stick with it will do well.”

Joe attributes his success to living by The Golden Rule, both in work and at home. “We’re in this for the long haul. Be

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

“I have a lot of respect for Mom and Pop stores. That’s where we started. Our customers are like family to us. For years I have told people that we don’t want to be the biggest we want to be the best at what we do.” Not surprising, Joe’s favourite part of the job is the social aspect and dealing with a lot of different people.

I asked why is membership with the OIMP so important?

“Because it means everything.

It’s helped us tremendously,” answered Joe. “And the social aspect where we talk to other people, we have the same problems. OIMP arranges these events that bring us together.”

Joe Abate served OIMP as president from 2011-2013 and then as past president 20132017. “It was a rewarding experience,” said Joe. “To have the opportunity to positively influence decisions that affect members.”

To new president Carol Goriup, Joe wishes the best of luck, and to now past president Cory Van Groningen, he laughs as he says, “That’s the best job on the Board.”

To Joe, we would like to say, thank you for all that you’ve done.

For the industry, for members, for directors, and for staff. Don’t be a stranger.

Abate Packers Ltd. 7597 Jones Baseline Arthur, ON N0G 1A0 (519) 848-2107 info@abatepackers.com

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ASSOCIATE MEMBER PROFILE

Duropac: The Expert in Food Packaging Heather Nahatchewitz, OIMP Marketing and Communications Director

E

stablished in 1993, Duropac’s head office is located in Quebec with an Ontario sales office in Mississauga. Headed

by Jean-Francois and Olivier Bourdeau, co-owners, and general manager and sales representative respectively, it’s a family business employing 25 people serving the Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic regions.

Come see Duropac at Meat Industry Expo, October 20-21, 2017.

Booth #201

Offering personalized service and technical advice to more than 200 customers in Ontario alone, Duropac serves a wide range of businesses, whether delivering a full pallet to the large food processing plants, or a single case to smaller butcher shops.

Known as ‘the experts in food packaging’, Duropac specializes in vacuum pouches, shrink bags and modified atmosphere packaging. When decisions to purchase are being made in-store there’s nothing better than nicely designed, attractive packaging to help consumers choose. Duropac can print pouches, bags

and films but also offers unique alternatives to printed bags and pouches include stamping, digital and label printing and application.

What does to take to work at Duropac?

“Initiative, respect and teamwork are essential qualities needed.” ~ Jean-Francois

Duropac staff goes through an extensive and constant training process. According to Jean-Francois, even a quality product may become useless if improperly used, which is why they offer their clients a free consultation service. Their knowledge goes well beyond their products, being able to advise on the different types of

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equipment available on the market, on the life-span of different nutritional products, and on the regulations set forth by the MAPAQ, CFIA, UPC Standards and others.

Duropac has been a strong supporter of the OIMP for over 10 years, exhibiting at Expo, sponsoring our events, and advertising in BLOCKtalk.

Starting with your needs in packaging they will help you choose the most accurate packaging method, to give you the optimal sealing efficiency. The required shelf life, cooling and freezing methods, modified atmosphere packaging, distribution method and target market are just a few of the things they consider when coming to determine the best product for your needs. All of their products are USDA / CFIA / FDA approved and they can meet all the tracing specifications set by HACCP.

Jean-Francois explains why OIMP membership is important to Duropac, “We understand the importance of the single and unified voice for meat and poultry processors - we are dealing with a variety of customers in Ontario from the large food processor to the small operating unit with 1 or 2 employees.

OIMP is playing an important role in Ontario, bringing value and support to their members… our customers.”

New for 2017, Duropac will be offering breathable vacuum pouches for poultry, new films for thermoforming equipment and embossed bags for external vacuum machines, as well as stamping UPC and nutritional fact tables on pouches.

Improving coverage and support in Ontario is one of Duropac’s short term goals, while at the same time expanding services and products in flexible packaging. The future of the industry looks good since flexible food packaging meets the following needs: • Ensure food safety (security); • Protect the flavors and freshness of foods (tastes); • Reduce food waste by increasing shelf life (storage); •C ommunicate information to consumers (marketing through packaging); •F acilitate the preparation of the product (convenience).

Duropac 100 rue Goyer, Suite 103 La Prairie, QC J5R 5G5 (905) 848-6660 (877) 362-2552 duropac@duropac.com www.duropac.com

What does to take to work at Duropac? “Initiative, respect and teamwork are essential qualities needed,” says JeanFrancois. “Everyone works hard to meet and exceed our customer expectations. Employees are not working for the Bourdeau family – They are working for our customers. Without our customers there is no Duropac.”

“We are a family business,” Jean-Francois continues. “And since we spend 40 hours in an office with our colleagues we try to create a fun and healthy workplace.”

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

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21

AFFILIATE MEMBER PROFILE

#ThinkOutsideTheChops and Try Something new with Ontario Pork Christopher Wilkinson, Digital Marketing Coordinator, Ontario Pork

W

hat comes to mind when you think about pork? A perfectly grilled pork chop, a delicious tenderloin, or maybe some barbecued pork ribs? For many consumers, that’s as far as it goes. Pork belly, pork shoulder, even ground pork get lost in the shuffle. A 2015 Ipsos survey found that 61 per cent of consumers can name the “Big Three” (chops, tenderloin and ribs), but their pork knowledge after that is lacking. A problem for sure.

But for Ontario Pork, that problem presented an opportunity to launch an education and promotional outreach campaign to increase the depth of Ontarians’ food literacy when it comes to pork.

With the goal of consumer education and increased food literacy in mind, we launched our 2017 campaign, #ThinkOutsideTheChops, to inspire, promote, educate and have a little fun using pork products beyond the Big Three.

Pork chops will always be a staple for consumers, so why not let shoulder, belly and leg have a little time to shine? Put them in the spotlight and show Ontario consumers all the tasty recipes out there if they expand their horizons. Hocks? Pork picnics? Jowls?

Oh yeah!

Some readers might wonder, why should we care? Consumers are already buying pork chops and a sale is a sale, right? Well,

yes and no. Greater food literacy from consumers leads to greater consumption of different cuts at retail. That in turn promotes higher carcass utilization and creates less waste all around. You can only get so many ribs from one pig, but if you have a consumer base that wants ribs, shoulders, belly and pork chops it becomes more economical, and farmers, processors and retailers all benefit in the long haul.

How do you go about promoting a campaign such as #ThinkOutsideTheChops? Well, as you might guess from the inclusion of a hashtag, social channels are a key aspect of any current campaign. The easiest and most effective way to connect with consumers is through the social channels that they most likely use every day already. Content shared on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is a great way to enter the consciousness of a consumer. It lets them engage with the content in their own way, on their own time, and offers opportunities to add their thoughts and ideas to a larger conversation. In addition to social channels, print ads in major publications, digital ads, e-newsletters, giveaways and events allow campaigns to reach people on multiple levels and help to create message recognition that can influence how customers spends their money at the meat counter.

Once the campaign is out there, how does a consumer know where their pork belly or pork shoulder are from? It is all well and good if you have consumers buying pork belly, but what good is it if they don’t know what is Ontario and what is not? Cue the heroic music and enter the Ontario Pork Branding Program.

Since launching the program in 2014, Ontario Pork has strived to create relationships with retailers and processors throughout the province. These partnerships give retailers and processors tools and resources to use our retail logo on Ontario pork products and displays, and lets the consumer know that what they are buying is guaranteed to be from Ontario.

The modern consumer is more conscious than ever about their food, asking important questions like how and where the things they buy were raised or grown. Having a person on the other side of the meat counter who is informed and can speak about the work that the dedicated pork farmers of Ontario are doing is quintessential. Without partners in all aspects of the food industry, the task of educating consumers and helping them get the best products becomes much more difficult.

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www.oimp.ca

Organizations in the food and agriculture industry rely heavily on those in the retail and processing sector to help establish stronger links with consumers who are buying pork products.

We don’t sell pork—we rely on others to sell Ontario pork to consumers. This means that our organization must foster mutually beneficial relationships with independent processors and retailers who see customers day in and day out. Our job is to make sure that our partners have all the resources and information they need about what it means to have pork raised in Ontario. When farmers, processors, retailers and organizations including Ontario Pork work together to meet consumer needs, everybody in the chain wins.

If you are interested in more information about the work Ontario Pork is doing either through our #ThinkOutsideTheChops campaign, or our branding program, including how to become a partner, you can connect with us at comm@ontariopork.on.ca or visit us at www.ontariopork.on.ca/retail.

Ontario Pork 655 Southgate Drive, Guelph, ON N1G 5G6 519-767-4600 877-668-7675 @OntarioPork @PickOntarioPork @OntarioPorkFanPage @OntarioPork

Honey Garlic Ham Hocks

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS : 2 hours and 10 minutes Prep time: 10-15 minutes • Cook time 4 x 500 g ham hocks HAM HOCKS: 1 large carrot, rough chopped . Add carrot, onion, celery and 1. P lace ham hocks in a large Dutch oven 1 onion, rough chopped herbs. Cover with water. and ce to medium-low 1 celery stick, rough chopped ring to boil over medium-high heat, redu 2. B 3 Tbsp fresh parsley simmer, covered, for 2 hours. place on a and id liqu from ks hoc ham ove Rem ºF. 1 bay leaf 3. P reheat oven to 400 off all fat to reveal the meat. roasting tray. Remove the skin and trim 1 tsp salt for 10 minutes. oven d eate preh in e Bak fat. and skin Discard 1/4 tsp pepper t away from the bones and emove ham hocks from oven. Pull mea 4. R either chop or shred.

HONEY GARLIC SAUCE below) and stir to coat. (see ce sau ic garl ey hon the to t mea 5. Add honey les, or in lettuce cups with a dash 1/2 cup 6. S erve with steamed rice and vegetab 4 cloves garlic, minced some sliced green onion. of sriracha. Top with sesame seeds and 3 tsp fresh ginger, grated 1 Tbsp rice vinegar HONEY GARLIC SAUCE: ll sma a in er, wat ch and 2 Tbsp canola oil ombine all ingredients, except cornstar 1. C 4 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce saucepan. and ry, slur a e mak to dish ll sma a ombine cornstarch with water in 2. C then stir into saucepan mixture.

2-4 minutes on low, stirring, ring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3. B until thickened. www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

1 Tbsp hoisin sauce 1 Tbsp cornstarch 1/4 cup water Sesame seeds Green onion, sliced

BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

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October 20 - 21, 2017 Scotiabank Convention Centre 6815 Stanley Avenue, Niagara Falls Friday, October 20, 10:00am to 5:00pm Saturday, October 21, 10:00am to 3:00pm www.meatindustryexpo.ca

Innovations. Connections. Solutions.

Join us in beautiful Niagara Falls this October for Meat Industry Expo 2017 at the Scotiabank Convention Centre.

Over 70 exhibitors will be on hand showcasing the latest and greatest innovations, technologies, equipment and service solutions for your meat processing, wholesale and retail operations.

Our Flavours section will showcase OIMP members sampling some of the best meat and poultry products found in Ontario complemented by samples of Ontario craft beer and wine.

Join

us

on the tradeshow floor Saturday afternoon where three finalists will dazzle the crowd, demonstrating the art of butchery while adding value to their mystery proteins as they compete head-to-head for the title of Ontario’s Finest Butcher 2017!

OIMP Awards Gala Get ready to walk the red carpet as we celebrate our members at the OIMP Awards Gala...

On Saturday, October 21, this premiere event recognizes and honours our members and their contributions to the industry and the association.

Awards include The Meat Industry Achievement (MIA) and Associate Member Recognition (AMRA) recipients, along with 10 and 25 year members. The highly anticipated winners of the Ontario Finest Meat Competition™ are unveiled and the evening culminates with the crowning of Ontario’s Finest Butcher.

Saturday October 21, 2017 | 6:00pm Marriott on the Falls

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ONTARIO INDEPENDENT MEAT PROCESSORS (519) 763-4558 | oimp.ca | meatindustryexpo.ca | info@oimp.ca

BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

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NUTRITION ANALYSIS SERVICE Cost Effective - members receive a 50% discount on services Compliant - meet your regulatory obligations Confidential - guaranteed!

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

CONTACT US TODAY! (519) 763-4558 oimp.ca | technical@oimp.ca

Productivity, Insight, Traceability‌ Success!

Carlisle helps food processors achieve their data collection, traceability and financial goals.

From scales, to scanners, to printers and computing technology Carlisle’s integrated solutions powered by Honeywell are designed to efficiently gather production data and provide you the insight you need to make better business decisions!

Our Advice is Free! www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

- Summer 2017 www.carlisletechnology.com BLOCKtalk | 1.800.806.2000

25

Information for Operators of Provincially Licensed Abattoirs on Emergency Slaughter Provisions Christina Wilken and Molly Elliott, Food Safety Advisors, Veterinary Inspection and Audit Unit

E

mergency Slaughter provisions in Ontario Regulation 31/05 (Meat) under the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001 (FSQA) allow for the slaughter and bleeding of a food animal on a producer’s premises and the transport of the carcass to a licensed abattoir for dressing and post mortem inspection. If approved, the carcass can be processed into an inspected meat product that can be sold, distributed, shared or donated.

A Regional Veterinarian, appointed by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), can authorize an Emergency Slaughter (ES) on farm when an otherwise healthy food animal: • i s injured and cannot be transported without undue suffering or distress; • has escaped confinement; or • c annot be transported without endangering itself, another animal or a person.

As an operator of a provincially licensed abattoir, you may decide to make the business decision to accept and process ES carcasses. If you are interested in accepting ES carcasses, you need to consider

the following: • You must have OMAFRA Regional Veterinarian approval for each ES. •Y ou can accept ES carcasses year round for any species of food animal.

•Y ou must agree to dress the carcass.

•Y ou are responsible for all fees relating to ES authorizations and inspections. The fees associated with ES are set out in O. Reg. 223/05 under the FSQA. As an operator, you can charge these fees back to the producer.

• I f you choose to accept ES bovine carcasses, you must: - Have a valid CFIA permit to receive under thirty months and/or over thirty months ES cattle.

- Hold cattle carcasses and all of their parts (including hide) from injured ES bovines over thirty months of age for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) testing.

More information on Emergency Slaughter provisions can be found on OMAFRA’s website www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/ inspection/es_titlepage.htm or by contacting Dr. Alex Reid at Alexandra.Reid@ontario.ca or by paging her at 1-866-395-8957.

REGIONAL MARKETING INITIATIVE The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) Regional Marketing Initiative is a progressive marketing strategy designed to leverage regional opportunities, mitigate regional challenges and provide direct benefits to Ontario beef farmers through their check-off investment.

OPPORTUNITIES

CHALLENGES

Capture/maintain market share of local markets Mitigate impact of increased import competition Enhance the relationship between Ontario consumers and beef farmers Enhance collaboration with Ontario processors

Increased diversity in import competitors Mitigate cost of production disadvantages Lack of local representation

The Regional Marketing Initiative is a three year strategy that will focus on delivering tangible results against three strategic priorities:

Increase market penetration for Ontario beef brands

26

Maximize value of Ontario beef products

Enhance consumer confidence in the Ontario beef industry

BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017 For more information visit www.ontariobeef.com or email john@ontariobeef.com

www.oimp.ca

RESPECT THE CHOP.

Whether you’re a processor or retailer, let us help you get pork on their fork!

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BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

27

TECH TALK

Food Fraud: How Vulnerable is Your Business?

Daphne Nuys-Hall, OIMP Technical Director

F

ood fraud is not a new phenomenon. As long as humans have been consuming food and money can be made from its manufacture and sale, food fraud has existed. Most recently one of the largest food-fraud related investigations in Canadian history led to charges against Mucci Farms under a variety of regulatory offences resulting in a $1.5 million fine after importing produce from Mexico and selling as “Product of Canada”.

Food fraud is defined as “A collective term encompassing the deliberate and intentional substitution, addition, tampering or misrepresentation of food, food ingredients or food packaging, labelling, product information or false or misleading statements made about a product for economic gain that could impact consumer health.” (Reference: Spink, J. & Moyer, DC (2011) Journal of Food Science, 76(9), 157-163.)

Food fraud incidents are reported on a daily basis in different parts of the world and are a constant challenge for the food 3.5 x 4.5 ads_Layout 1 2/5/13 5:22 PM Page 1

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BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

industry sector, food regulators and consumers. Although it is not understood how prevalent the problem is in Canada, U.S. data shows that fraud affects about 10 per cent of all food products globally. The consequences of food fraud are experienced across the full value chain; producers, processors, retailers and consumers are impacted.

Food fraud hurts consumers’ confidence in the integrity and authenticity of the food they purchase. A study by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University recently reported that 63% of Canadians are concerned that the food they are purchasing and consuming may not be what the label says it is. Although the vast majority of fraud incidents do not, some cases have resulted in actual or potential public health risks. Food that is adulterated or diluted can cause direct risks to consumers from microbial contaminants, chemical contaminants, allergens or unhygienic handling of the food during any adulteration or substitution. Dr. Robert Hanner, Associate Director for the Canadian Barcode of Life Network, spoke at OIMP’s Industry Day of the risks associated with food fraud, such as people being hospitalized after eating what they thought was monkfish, but turned out to be the toxic pufferfish, or sausages labelled as all beef yet contained a significant amount of pork.

Food fraud can pose a significant risk to your business. With the globalization of the food supply ingredients and packaging materials are sourced from around the world. In this competitive, price sensitive marketplace the opportunities for counterfeiting, ingredient substitution or dilution, or misrepresentation are greater than ever before. Willful ignorance, or the failure to ask, is not an excuse!

What can you do? Conduct a Vulnerability Assessment of your products and processes.

The term ‘vulnerability assessment’ refers to a risk-assessmentstyle evaluation of a food’s vulnerability to food fraud.

The aim of a vulnerability assessment is to: • Understand the likelihood of food fraud affecting a food product • Understand the impacts of food fraud on consumers and the food brand • Provide a framework to prioritize strategies to prevent food fraud occurring and mitigate the risks if fraud does occur To conduct a vulnerability assessment you must first investigate the susceptibility of your product or raw material to food fraud.

Start by understanding the general susceptibility as a whole. www.oimp.ca

Is it commonly affected by food fraud? Are there any emerging issues that may increase the risk of food fraud for this material in future? Once you have an understanding you should dig deeper by considering aspects of the supply chain of the material that you actually purchase, as well as your company’s purchasing policies and the format of the material.

Now consider the impact or consequences on the food product, the consumer and brand or company if food fraud was to occur.

Will the consequences be negligible as in the case of labelling a product as local when it is not versus severe in the case of substituting a non-allergenic containing ingredient for one that contains allergens?

Create a risk matrix and plot the results of the susceptibility (likelihood) of food fraud and the consequences. If the product or material falls into a red square, it should be considered very vulnerable and actions must be taken to prevent, detect and mitigate food fraud for the material.

What is OIMP doing?

OIMP is a member of the Food Integrity Initiative, a partnership formed in 2016 with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ontario Independent Meat Processors, BIO, Greenbelt Fund and Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance. The objective of the initiative is to decrease the prevalence of food fraud in Ontario to help protect the sustainability of the agri-food industry (safety, economics, etc.) and maintain consumer trust. The Initiative established three specific goals: to build awareness and understanding about food fraud throughout the agri-food value chain, identify priority areas and how to target, and to identify, develop and/or promote tools to combat food fraud.

OIMP has developed a Vulnerability Assessment INFO Sheet as a resource for our members. Contact OIMP’s Technical Director, Daphne Nuys-Hall at technical@oimp.ca for more information or for a copy of the INFO sheet.

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

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29

SAFETY FIRST

New and Young Worker MOL Blitz Daphne Nuys-Hall, OIMP Technical Director

S

ummer is here and it’s that time of year when many new and young workers are looking for their summer jobs. Many employers in the meat industry take advantage of this insurgence of labour and hire these students to cover vacations, work the farmers’ markets or retail counters, or to help in the plant with the increase in demand for seasonal BBQ items.

Young workers - and new workers of any age - are often keen to learn and can bring new ideas and energy to your workplace.

However, young workers often can’t recognize health and safety hazards and may hesitate to ask questions. New and young workers are three times more likely to be injured during the first month on the job than more experienced workers.

Between 2011 and 2015, 33 young workers aged 15 to 24, died in work-related incidents, according to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) statistics.

In the same timeframe, the WSIB approved 31,689 lost-time claims from young workers. In 2015 alone, injuries to young workers resulted in more than 6,400 lost-time claims. More than 60 per cent (4,072) of those claims were from male workers.

In 2015, many of the injured young workers aged 15 to 19 years old were food counter attendants and kitchen helpers. Many of the injured young workers aged 20 to 24 years old were labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities.

These are important statistics to take into consideration as the Ministry of Labour begins its annual New and Young Worker Blitz which runs from May 1, 2017 to August 31, 2017.

During the blitz, inspectors will be looking to make sure employers are complying with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations. In 2016, the three most frequently issued Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) orders involved employers’ failure to: • post an OHSA copy in the workplace [OHSA s. 25(2)(i)] - 229 orders • maintain equipment in good condition [OHSA s. 25(1)(b)] - 170 orders • take reasonable precautions to protect workers’ health and safety [OHSA s. 25(2)(h)] - 138 orders

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The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) sets out the rights and duties of all parties in the workplace. It establishes procedures for dealing with workplace hazards and it provides for enforcement of the law where compliance has not been achieved voluntarily. Under OHSA, employers have many obligations such as: • Ensuring that equipment, materials and protective devices are provided, maintained in good condition, and always used as required by law.

• Ensuring that workplace health and safety policies, programs, measures and procedures are current and always followed.

• Providing ongoing information, instruction and supervision to protect workers.

• Knowing the hazards in your workplace and make sure that workers and their supervisors are aware of them.

• Assisting, responding to, and cooperating with health and safety committees or representatives as required by law.

• Comply with sector-specific minimum age requirements. For example the minimum age in Ontario to work in industrial establishments such as offices, stores, arenas, restaurant serving areas is 14. Most factories including restaurant kitchens, automotive service garages, produce and meat preparation or shipping and receiving areas in grocery stores, laundries and warehouses the minimum age is 15.

Be a leader in workplace health and safety!

Encourage these best practices: • Include health and safety in your company’s strategic plan.

• Show your commitment to health and safety with your own consistent, safe work practices — and emphasize that unsafe work practices are unacceptable.

• Reinforce your company’s health and safety priorities in all workplace communications.

• Encourage all workers to alert their supervisors immediately if they see something that endangers their safety.

• Introduce new workers to the person responsible for Health and Safety, Joint Health and Safety Committee members or Health and Safety Representative.

• Arrange for experienced workers to coach new workers.

• Encourage supervisors to periodically take young workers on health and safety inspections to check for hazards and unsafe work practices.

• Encourage new and young workers to come forward with ideas and suggestions.

Employers, supervisors and trainers should emphasize the need for new and young workers to communicate any questions or concerns they may have about workplace hazards, and supervisors or others who will be involved in training new workers should be familiar with some of the unique health and safety concerns faced by new and young workers.

For more information on Ministry of Labour Blitzes or how to protect New and Young Workers visit the Ministry of Labour’s website at www.labour.gov.on.ca or Workplace Safety and Prevention Services website at www.wsps.ca.

2017 marks the 50th anniversary of our family business and we could not have possibly made it this far without the help of many people over the years.

Our family would like to thank the many family farms that have supplied us with the best Ontario has to offer, many spanning three and four generations.

To our dedicated staff in helping us provide the best quality product and service possible.

The entire OIMP organization from Laurie and staff members to the many volunteers whom have served on the board. We couldn’t have succeeded without the continual guidance in navigating through the many challenges over the years.

And most of all our valued customers and consumers whom have entrusted us for the past 50 years with feeding their families and friends.

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

7597 Jones Baseline, Arthur ON, N0G 1A0 | Tel: (519) 848-2107

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31

Sanitation: How to Lower Cost, Reduce Risk, and Improve Quality Adam Brock, President, Food Safety Alliance

W

e all know how to get our production facilities clean.

What some of us don’t know is how to do it efficiently, effectively, safely and at a reasonable cost. Owners and operators of smaller and medium sized plants often believe that we must install intricate, expensive equipment to reap all the benefits we see at large food manufacturing facilities. That’s just not true anymore. The days of having to spend 10’s of thousands or even 100’s of thousands of dollars on night time sanitation equipment have gone by the way side. There are many low cost (in some cases no cost) options on improving your night time sanitation program.

Central foam and central sanitizing systems are available on many different levels of intricacy depending on your specific situation and needs. A central system is generally located in your chemical storage area. The foam cleaner and sanitizer are diluted to the proper use concentrations and then distributed out to the plant from there. A typical central system would consist of a dilution / mixing station (Hydro minder, Dosatron, Prominent dosing pump, venturi style mixing station, etc.), a use concentration holding tank, a distribution pump (can be water feed, air diaphragm pump or electric motor driven pump) and drop stations throughout the plant. The equipment is easy to install and maintain at a plant level. There is no need for outside services once the systems are installed although your supplier should verify concentrations on a periodic basis such as monthly.

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8-1020 Hargrieve Rd, London, ON, N6E 1P5 519-601-4444 • www.thefsa.ca 32

BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

Efficiency: Once central systems are installed your sanitation crew can start to clean as soon as their shift starts. There is no need to be mixing chemicals in buckets or carrying various chemicals throughout the plant to different application sites.

When sanitation starts it’s as easy as opening a ball valve.

Effective: One of the major advantages to central systems is you know you are using the correct concentrations all the time.

They still need to be verified on a test kit but that is easily done in a couple minutes by an in house employee. You are no longer dependent on a sanitation employee to dilute the chemicals where human error could and will occur. When foam concentrations are applied at proper concentration it makes the soil removal quicker, easier and more thorough. When sanitizer is applied at the correct concentration you can be confident you are within compliance of no rinse approvals, your micro results and pre op swabs will be improved and you will not be running the risk of creating bio films on surfaces or equipment.

Safety: The chemicals we use to clean and sanitize food and beverage plants can be dangerous. At full strength most chemicals can cause severe burns, eye irritation, and lung irritation and are considered dangerous goods. If you choose to install central systems it eliminates the need for employees to be diluting chemicals. It also eliminates employees from carrying full strength chemicals throughout the plant often in open top buckets. When an employee goes to a drop station the chemical is already diluted to the use concentration which alleviates all the concerns mentioned above.

Cost: Depending on the size of your facility you may be offered a no charge loan agreement. Generally chemical suppliers will offer equipment in trade for a commitment to purchase chemical for X number of years. If you are a smaller facility you may have to purchase the equipment. There are a lot of low cost options or some suppliers will still loan the equipment but would expect a longer term commitment. Even when the equipment is purchased you can expect to see the ROI within 6-12 months depending on your current sanitation program. You can expect chemical usage to go down and possibly see a decrease in labour hours or have available labour for other tasks.

I hope you found this informative and it starts a conversation within your company. Sanitation has often fallen second to production because operators have a hard time investing in nonproduction related equipment. The truth is there is money to be saved with little to no capital cost.

Food Safety Alliance (FSA) 1020 Hargrieve Road, London, ON N6E 1P5 (519) 318-6725 abrock@thefsa.ca thefsa.ca

www.oimp.ca

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BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

33

Cost Savings: Group Benefit Alternatives Bonny Koabel CPA, CGA

I

n today’s competitive business environment where all additional costs are scrutinized in order to remain profitable, Employee Group Benefits coverage usually ends up being reduced, or is never made available to employees.

Group Benefits are traditionally medical and dental benefits given to Employees, where the Employer pays all of a part of the monthly premium and the Employee may contribute part payment to the Group Benefits coverage. These annual premiums may increase as Group Benefits use increases, which is usually the case. As a result most companies are forced to reduce Employee Group Benefit coverage, have Employees pay part of the coverage or get rid of the Group Benefit coverage completely.

If you are looking to reduce Group Benefit costs here are some alternatives to traditional Group Benefits that can save your company thousands of dollars on an annual basis: Government Paid Drugs- The Ontario Drug Benefit Program (ODBP) Most companies are completely unaware that the Government provides drug prescription coverage to anyone in the Province on Ontario who does not have Group Benefit Coverage or does not have 100% Prescription coverage. The program is called Ontario Drug Benefit Program (ODBP) and information on the program and application forms can be found on line at: www.health.gov.on.ca. It is important to note there is a deductible based on your annual family income.

How to Use the Ontario Drug Benefit Program The ODBP can be used strategically in several areas: 1. Employers without Group Benefit Coverage: If you are an Employer that does not provide Group Benefit Coverage, you can let your Employees know that the Government provides prescription coverage and provide your Employee with the link or application.

2. Employees with Partial Group Benefit Coverage: If your company has a Group Benefit Program where the Employee pays for a portion of the Group Benefit coverage, the Employee can apply to the ODBP. Once the Employee’s prescription bills exceed their yearly deductible they will receive reimburse through the ODBP. 3. Employees with Full Drug Benefit Coverage: If your company provides 100% coverage of prescription drugs under your Group Benefit Plan and you have an Employee using a high dollar amount of prescription drugs the Ontario Drug Benefit Program can be strategically used to keep your Group Benefit premium rates from soaring in the next year due to high Group Benefit use. In this scenario, the Employee should register through the ODBP, and for prescription purchases above the Employee’s Ontario Drug Benefit deductible, these bills should be submitted to the ODBP. Administration Services Only (ASO) Group Benefit Coverage An alternative to traditional premium based Group Benefit is Administrative Services Only (ASO) Group Benefits. An ASO system works as follows: you only pay for what the company uses plus an administrative fee to the ASO provider, usually 10%. If an Employee does not use the Group Benefits coverage over the course of the year, it will cost the Employee nothing, only if the Employee uses the Group Benefit Coverage will Employee be charged the cost of the Prescription Drugs or Dental fees plus 10%.

In addition to minimizing your exposure to any Employee that uses a high dollar amount of Prescription Drugs during the year, a “Stop Loss” policy is purchased. A Stop Loss Policy limits the amount of Group Benefits exposure you must pay for any one Employee.

For example you have a $2,000 Stop Loss Policy. For each dollar an employee uses for Group Benefits over $2,000 will be paid by the Stop Loss Policy. Therefore, if an Employee used $16,000 worth of Prescription Drugs over the year, your company would pay $2,000 + the 10% ASO fee, and the Stop Loss Policy would cover the additional $14,000.

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

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BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

In order to determine if ASO Group Benefit Coverage will benefit your company an analysis is done of Group Benefit use over the last two years. Remember it doesn’t cost you anything to speak with your Group Benefits provider and ask for an ASO quote. It could save your company thousands of dollars annually.

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 www.akrconsulting.com www.oimp.ca

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017

35

Effect of Sausage Casing Size and Fat Levels on the Inactivation of E. Coli O157:H7 in Dry Fermented Sausages James DeSouza, Shai Barbut, and S. Balamurugan

D

ry fermented sausages (DFS) are a class of traditional ready-to-eat meat products that are manufactured without thermal processing and are preserved by a combination of acidification by lactic acid bacteria fermentation, controlled drying (low aw), and the addition of curing agents such as salt, nitrite and spices. The final DFS product must have a pH ≤ 5.0, a aw of ≤0.90 and a moisture protein ratio (MPr) of ≤1.9:1 (CFIA, 2014). As there is no heat treatment in the process, pathogen reduction heavily relies on ingredients (e.g., salt) and processing parameters (e.g., drying rate). In the past, some DFS products have been linked to outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7.

Regulatory protocols have been put in place giving processors the choice of using one of five options to control E. coli O157:H7 in DFS products. Two of these options include the use of a process that have been validated to achieve a 5-log reduction, and the implementation of a HACCP system using a process that has been validated to achieve a 2-log reduction of E. coli O517:H7. As costs involved with testing can be high and due a lack of information pertaining to the role of casing size (product diameter) and fat levels on the reduction of E. coli O157:H7, it can be difficult for processors to know whether or not a change in product diameter

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and formulation will result in a consistently safe product. Thus, a study to evaluate the effect of casing size and fat level on the changes in pH, aw and inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 during DFS production was undertaken.

A high (18.46%) and low (9.67%) fat sausage batter was prepared by mixing ground beef and pork blend, meat fermentation starter culture (0.03% wt/wt; used as per manufacturers recommendation) and a five-strain E. coli O157:H7 cocktail (outbreak associated strains of human and food origin) to obtain a final concentration of 7-log CFU/g. Salt (2.98%), salami cure (0.73%) and spices were added during the mixing and the mixed batter was stuffed into fibrous cellulose casings of 32, 55 and 80 mm diameter to make sausages of length that are at least twice the diameter. The sausages were fermented at 26°C and 88% RH and then dried by a stepwise reduction in temperature and RH to 14°C and 75% and then held for 35 days. Sampling included testing for pathogen reduction, as well as pH, aw, fat, protein, and moisture analysis.

Results indicate that neither casing size nor fat levels affected the growth of the meat fermentation starter culture and the resulting reduction in pH. Sausages of all casing sizes and fat levels reached a pH of <5.0 within 3 days, while the time required for the reduction in aw to <0.8 was significantly extended with increase in casing size. Similarly, increasing the casing size of the sausages also significantly extended the time required to produce a shelf-stable DFS (MPr <1.9) and meet required pathogen reduction. For instance increasing the casing size from 32 to 55 and 80 mm would require at least 9, 12, and 21 days for drying, respectively, to achieve a 2-log reduction or 27, 34 and 48 days of drying, respectively, to achieve the required 5-log reduction of E. coli O157:H7. Unlike casing size, fat levels did not affect the reduction in pH, aw, and MPr or E. coli O157:H7 inactivation in the different sausages.

To summarize, casing size significantly affects the physicochemical properties and inactivation of pathogens in DFS. It is therefore recommended that processors looking to increase the size (product diameter) of their product would require longer drying times to produce a shelf-stable product and achieve the required 5-log reduction in E. coli O157:H7.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Guelph Research and Development Centre 93 Stone Road West. Guelph, ON N1G 5C9 (226) 217-8091 balamurugans@agr.gc.ca www.agr.gc.ca www.oimp.ca

Meet our

2017 S U P P O R T E R S Please join us in acknowledging and thanking OIMPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corporate supporters: Diamond Supporter

Platinum Supporter

Gold Supporter

Silver Supporter

Canada Compound | Duropac | Farm Credit Canada Foodcon | Food Safety Alliance | Multivac Canada Quality Engineered Solutions | Yes Group Bronze Supporter

BIO | Malabar Super Spice | Pemberton & Associates Our association is dependent upon the ongoing ďŹ nancial 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 d.boudreau@oimp.ca or (519) 635-9281.

BLOCKtalk - Summer 2017 www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

37

Advertiser Index Abate Packers www.abatepackers.com

pg. 31

Duropac www.duropac.com

pg. 20

AKR Consulting www.akrconsulting.com

pg. 34

Erb Transport www.erbgroup.com

pg. 36

BIO www.bioTrack.ca

pg. 30

Food Safety Alliance www.thefsa.ca

pg. 32

Canada Compound www.canadacompound.com

pg. 8

Handtmann Canada www.handtmann.ca

pg. 39

Can-Tex Protective Systems Inc. www.can-texfloors.com

pg. 6

Jarvis Industries Canada Ltd. www.jarviscanada.com

pg. 13

Carlisle Technology www.carlisletechnology.com

pg. 25

Meat Depot, The www.themeatdepot.ca

pg. 27

Colliers International www.collierscanada.com

pg. 12

Multivac Canada www.ca.multivac.com

pg. 33

Donnell Insurance Brokers Ltd. www.donnellins.com

pg. 16

Pemberton & Associates www.pemcom.com

pg. 27

Poly-Clip System www.polyclip.com

pg. 28

Quality Engineered Solutions Ltd. www.qes.ca

pg. 35

Reiser www.reiser.com

pg. 15

Rothsay www.rothsay.ca

pg. 38

Stock Canada www.stockcanada.ca

pg. 29

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Rothsay P.O. Box 65647 Dundas, Ontario Canada L9H 6Y6

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Toll Free: 1.800.263.0302 Fax: 905.628.8577 Web: www.rothsay.ca Email: ontariosales@rothsay.ca

www.oimp.ca

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