2017 Winter BLOCKtalk

Keeping Ontario’s Meat and Poultry Industry Informed Winter 2017

Vol. 23, Issue 4

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errington’s H 20 Quality Butchers

22 Multivac Canada

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Index BLOCKtalk - Winter 2017

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Vol. 23, Issue 4

And the winner is...

President’s Message......................................................... 4 Welcome to the Association.............................................. 5 Tech for Food at IFPT........................................................ 6 Save the Date – CFIA’s Recall Process............................. 6 ATP Testing for Sanitation Verification............................... 8 Tracing Canada’s Livestock.............................................. 9 Canadian Agricultural Partnership................................... 10 Names in the News......................................................... 12 Allergen Management Programs..................................... 14 Meet our 2017 Supporters.............................................. 15 5 Common Workplace Injuries........................................ 16 Business Member Profile: Herrington’s........................... 20 Associate Member Profile: Multivac Canada.................. 22 Thermal Processing Fundamentals................................. 24 New Energy for Protein Snacks....................................... 26 Building Strong Leadership............................................. 27 The World Wants Canadian Beef and Pork..................... 28 The Importance of Proper Labelling................................ 30 Mandatory Posting.......................................................... 32 OIMP Expo and Awards Gala.......................................... 33 Equipment Funding up to $500,000................................ 34 Ontario Finest Meat Competition.................................... 36 Advertiser Index.............................................................. 38 www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

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OIMP Expo and Awards Gala Recap

2017 Award Winning Products

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Heartfelt Thanks and Warm Wishes

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f you were fortunate enough to attend our most recent Meat Industry Expo and Awards Gala in Niagara Falls, I’m sure you will agree it was one of the best! It was great to see old and new members re-connect, discover new products, and have a chance to take a break from routine for a day or two. Thank you to all our successful bidders on the silent and live auction items at the gala. We raised a record $23,265 to be used towards the continuation of OIMP programs and services.

Our dedicated team of Laurie, Daphne, Heather, Derek and Jessy did another outstanding job in putting everything together. Our membership thanks you!

As 2017 ends, I can’t help but reflect on the past. It was a very busy year with many accomplishments and yet still so much to do. I encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities your membership has to offer. It is through our collaborative efforts that we can work toward the betterment of the industry.

We are so fortunate to have an organization armed with countless years of collective experience and wisdom. This gives us the opportunity and the ability to continue to shape our industry’s future. Don’t be shy, speak up. Working together we can make a difference.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, I would like to extend to you and your families warm greetings during this holiday season, and good health and prosperity for the New Year!

Carol Goriup, President

2018 Here We Come

A

s the New Year approaches I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all our members and industry supporters for their contributions to the association this past year. As a not-for-profit organization we rely on member support both financially and strategically. As we continue to work on our Strategic Plan for 2018-2020 I want to personally thank the members that took the time to complete the survey and to our Associate Members who attended the meeting.

In the coming year we anticipate changes to existing legislation such as the Food Premises Regulation 562 and CFIA’s Administrative Monetary Penalties, and we expect new provincial Fish Regulations and Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. The new minimum wage and other changes to the Employment Standards Act taking effect January 1 is certain to put additional financial pressure on your businesses.

We are hopeful the new funding programs set to launch on April 1, 2018 under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), formerly Growing Forward 2, reflects the concerns and challenges we raised with the previous programs. The $3 billion CAP funding agreement will support priorities in five areas: science, research and innovation; markets and trade; environmental sustainability and climate change; value-added agriculture and processing; and public trust.

Wishing you a joyous Holiday Season and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Laurie Nicol, Executive Director 4

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MEMBERSHIP Contact us and ask how you can help increase our voice in the industry. If you require membership literature, please let us know.

(800) 263-3797 | info@oimp.ca | www.oimp.ca Affiliate Members - 6 Associate Members - 57

Business Retail Members - 42 Retail Associate Members - 40

Business Members - 133

Total Members - 278

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

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

OIMP LONG TIME MEMBERS Thank you to our long time members who have been helping move the industry forward for over 25 years.

• Ontario Pork, Guelph (1980) • Gord’s Abattoir, Leamington (1982) • L’Orignal Packing, L’Orignal (1986) • MMIS/MONDO, Aurora (1986) • Nitta Casings, Markham (1986) • Walnut Hill Farms, Gads Hill (1986) • VG Meats, Simcoe (1987) • Rothsay, Dundas (1988) • Stemmler Meat & Cheese, Heidelberg (1988) • Chicken Farmers of Ontario, Burlington (1989) • 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) • Handtmann Canada, Waterloo (1992) • Hay’s Custom Cutting, Campbellford (1992) • Hoffman Meats & European Deli, Stayner (1992) • Newmarket Meat Packers, Newmarket (1992) • WIBERG Corporation, Oakville (1992)

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

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

OIMP Vision

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

Welcome to the Association

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

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

Business Members

B.J.S. Meats Stefano Parisi 133 Milvan Dr, North York (416) 763-4703 bjsmeats.com

The Big Carrot Anastasio Miras 30A Hazelton Ave, Toronto (416) 988-6038 thebigcarrot.ca

SGS Canada Karen Twerd 62-6535 Millcreek Dr, Mississauga

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 PRESIDENT | Carol Goriup Florence Meats, Oakville

SECRETARY/TREASURER | Marc Oliver Sargent Farms, Milton

(905) 858-8630 sgs.ca

DIRECTOR | Gerhard Metzger Metzger Meats, Hensall DIRECTOR | Kevin Schinkel Schinkel’s Legacy, Chatham

VICE PRESIDENT | Christine Hobson Halenda’s Fine Foods, Oshawa

Associate Members

BOARD LISTING

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

PAST PRESIDENT | Cory Van Groningen VG Meats, Simcoe

Grace Meat Products Joel Gold 644 College St, Toronto (416) 534-7776

&

DIRECTOR | Shannon Desborough Finest Sausage & Meat, Kitchener DIRECTOR | Adam Hayward Nesbitt’s Meat Market, Lindsay

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

ADVERTISING DEADLINES 2018 Spring February 2 Summer May 4 Fall August 10 Winter November 9 The information published in BLOCKtalk is compiled from a variety of sources, which we believe to be reliable; however, OIMP does not guarantee, and assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the information.

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Tech for Food at IFPT

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onestoga College’s Craig Richardson Institute of Food Processing Technology (IFPT) develops multi-skilled graduates with leadership and real-world plant-floor expertise. With the advantage of a Pilot Plant that incorporates industry equipment on three complete production lines: bakery, fresh vegetables and beverage, as well as a Food Testing Laboratory, IFPT partners with the food and beverage manufacturing industry to develop technological solutions to their challenges through a range of applied research collaborations.

In 2017 alone, IFPT has been awarded seven grants for funded research and is currently working in collaboration with eight industry partners. At this one-of-a-kind facility, Conestoga offers expertise and innovation in the areas of food safety, food science, packaging technology and food process engineering. While addressing specific industry problems, IFPT also provides students with an immersive and relevant experience that can be applied to in-demand jobs within the food and beverage manufacturing industry.

For more information on how to address technical challenges with the help of IFPT, contact Luis Garcia at lgarcia@conestogac.on.ca.

Save the Date January 16, 2018

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oin OIMP for a half-day session to hear from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on understanding their Recall process and learn more about the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations.

A company doesn’t plan to have a recall – it is something one hopes will never happen. However, if it does, as business owners you need to know your course of action. Adrienne Kong, Ontario Area Recall Coordinator for CFIA will detail the recall process, the roles and responsibilities of all parties during a recall and how you can best prepare your operation to “expect the unexpected”.

The proposed Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, expected to be published in the spring of 2018, will have implications for the non-federally registered sector with regards to import, labelling and traceability requirements. Hear from Mary Rutherford, Operations Manager at CFIA, on how theses regulations may impact your business.

Registration details coming soon.

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ATP Testing for Sanitation Verification You’ve got an ATP kit – Now what?

Wayne Sprung, Technical Specialist, and Adam Brock, President, Food Safety Alliance

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n the fall issue of BLOCKtalk there was an article from Food Safety Alliance on the benefits of using ATP testing to ensure the plant was clean before production. A recent survey in the U.S. of over 200 food processors for sanitation issues, showed that 65% of them used ATP as a verification tool, making it the number one choice.

When and Where to use ATP? Most sanitation experts as well as the kit manufacturers recommend testing after cleaning but before sanitizing, preferably daily. This allows the Sanitation crew to know whether they have done a thorough job of removing food residue with the cleaning chemical(s). It is also because many of the sanitizers have been found to interfere with the swab test reagents causing faulty results. Your testing areas should be on rotation. It should be various locations such as equipment and food contact surfaces.

How many tests should you do?

This question, although common, is not easy to answer. It depends on many things, such as plant size, complexity of equipment and so on. Your chemical supplier is a good place to start. The sanitation experts in these companies should have a good understanding of your plant and be able to assist. Of course, this also varies by what results you obtain. The more tests you perform the more accurate the results.

What are the pass or fail levels?

Each kit supplier has different levels of the Relative Light Units (RLU’s) or other numerical data that are displayed on the unit which are used to determine a PASS or a FAIL. Usually between these levels is a rather large so-called CAUTION zone. The manufacturer should supply suggested criteria, but it really depends on the actual use.

In Ready-To-Eat areas of the plant the pass limits should be lower (tighter) than in raw areas. Also swabs done on food contact surfaces should have again more restrictive limits than other swab locations.

It may really be up to you, the user, to determine your level of satisfactory cleanliness. Such things as shelf life, customer complaints and results from other tests for microbiological and or allergens or pathogen presence may dictate how clean is clean. Although rare, third party auditors for Global Food Safety Initiative audits, for example, or large customers may also have predetermined levels that they specify or recommend.

What do you do if you fail a test?

Don’t panic. If you have used the system enough to understand its benefits you can react to fail results properly. Suppose for example you do several tests in a plant area and one or more show fail, the first step is to immediately re-clean the area and re-test. Remember the ATP test is ideally done by the crew doing the cleaning and the results are obtained within seconds so it is therefore an immediate check on the process. If in caution levels remember the swab is done before the sanitizer is applied so there is also an opportunity to eliminate pathogenic or spoilage bacteria which are present and causing the high ATP level. You cannot sanitize a dirty surface so be sure the area is visibly clean.

The best thing to do with repeat fails is to reassess your complete sanitation program (SSOP’s) including the chemicals used, concentrations, concentration verification and re-train the sanitation staff.

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How can you best benefit from ATP testing?

Many benefits were detailed in the previous article. However, after using the test for a short period you may find that you are underusing chemicals or labour in some areas but overusing them in others so cost savings may be found. Of course, the major benefits are a cleaner plant and safer food.

What to do if you don’t have an ATP test kit? Contact your sanitation chemical supply company. They should be able to help.

Food Safety Alliance (FSA) 1020 Hargrieve Road London, ON N6E 1P5 (519) 601-4444 abrock@thefsa.ca thefsa.ca

www.oimp.ca

Tracing Canada’s Livestock Livestock premises identification helps A free safety net Livestock PIDs are free to Canadian farmers looking to protect Canada respond to emergencies The Canadian government is proposing changes to the Health of Animals Regulations that will require all farmers with livestock to have a premises identification number (PID). A PID is a unique national number assigned to a piece of land by a provincial or territorial government. Under the proposed amendments, anyone who sends or receives livestock will need a PID—including producers, auction marts, assembly yards, abattoirs and deadstock collectors.

How it works PIDs make it possible to trace an animal’s movements from one point to another throughout the supply chain, making it easier in turn to control the spread of disease and minimize any impact on the industry. The proposed amendments are expected to strengthen Canada’s ability to respond quickly to health threats and other emergencies.

“As farmers, we use traceability as a farm management tool. It helps us manage our animals better and bring more value to the market,” said Pascal Lemire, a Québec dairy farmer. “Traceability is key to the future of Canadian agriculture.”

their livestock should a safety issue occur, such as a flood, fire or disease outbreak.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is encouraging producers and stakeholders across the supply chain to raise this issue with their peers and register as soon as possible.

Getting involved now will help stakeholders be compliant by the time the proposed amendments are compulsory, and will prevent a surge of requests from premises yet to be identified.

Canada’s reputation for producing safe and healthy food is world-class. A robust traceability system will help uphold this reputation at home and around the world.

Please visit www.inspection.gc.ca to learn more about premises identification and how to participate.

Find out more: Canada’s Livestock Identification and Traceability Program Canadian Cattle Identification Agency

But not every Canadian livestock operator has a PID number yet. Although all jurisdictions can issue PIDs, only Québec, Alberta, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan have laws requiring them.

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@Bridging_Intel BLOCKtalk - Winter 2017

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Getting Ready for the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Growing Forward 3) Jeff Shepherd, Mentor Works

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he following article is based off announcements made by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada and details of both the federal and provincial variants have yet to be finalized.

Please note that any items mentioned in this are speculative and readers should consult with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada directly once the framework has launched in 2018.

For over 15 years, the Canadian government has used agriculture policy frameworks to enhance the competitiveness of agriculture and agri-food companies. The latest active framework is called Growing Forward 2 (GF2) and provides cost-sharing support to businesses within the agricultural sector through several support programs, many of which led to revenue growth, market expansion, and risk mitigation.

funding for competitiveness-enhancing and market expansion activities, among others. Each province has their own priorities; the same goes for the federal program’s mandates.

Consultation on the Next Framework In May 2016, the provincial and federal governments began consulting the agricultural industry about what worked and didn’t work through GF2. By surveying companies, constructive feedback was received to help improve and re-focus the framework to support another five years of industry success.

Based on these suggestions solicited by the government, several opportunity areas were identified as ways to strengthen the next framework. Some of these include providing more support for:

Growing Forward 2 is a five-year (2013-2018) framework that will, as of April 1 2018, be succeeded by Canada’s next agricultural policy framework called the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). Like GF2, CAP will have a five-year mandate, active from 2018-2023. With this new framework, government funding programs will be developed/modified to provide better support for the sector.

• Fostering science, research and innovation;

To benefit from the next agricultural policy framework, agri-businesses and agri-organizations should be aware of how the programs are changing and should also develop a plan for strategic projects to complete over the coming 12-24 months to facilitate the flow of funding and support.

• Addressing labour shortages; and

Shifting from Growing Forward 2 to the Canadian Agricultural Partnership When Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) supersedes the current Growing Forward 2 agricultural policy framework, agri-organizations re-orient themselves.

What is Growing Forward 2?

Growing Forward 2 is a federal-provincial-territorial partnership that pools funds from these levels of government in support of an ambitious cross-country agricultural support program.

In Ontario, food and beverage producers/processors can access federal GF2 funds, such as Agri-Insurance, and provincespecific funding, such as GF2 Ontario for Processors. Through these federal and provincial programs, businesses can access

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• Adapting to climate change; • Investing in market access/development; • Consumer education and awareness; • Business risk management (BRM) programs; • Farm transition and succession planning; • Emphasizing the importance of value-added processes.

Anticipating the Canadian Agricultural Partnership The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year, $3 billion investment contributed through the federal, provincial, and territorial governments across Canada. When it’s ushered in as of April 1, 2018, it will be the primary financial support mechanism used by the governments to stimulate growth in the agricultural and agri-food sector.

Funding Priority Areas The new Canadian Agricultural Partnership will include industry funding programs to support the sector’s strategic projects. These funding programs will be closely aligned to six priority areas: 1. Markets & Trade: Opening new domestic/foreign markets and helping improve competitiveness through skills development, improved export capacity, and an efficient regulatory system.

2. S cience, Research & Innovation: Using science and innovation to improve resiliency and increase productivity.

www.oimp.ca

3. Risk Management: Enabling proactive and effective risk management, mitigation and adaptation.

4. Environmental Sustainability & Climate Change: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the environment to climate change by enhancing sustainable production growth.

5. Value-Added Agriculture & Agri-Food Processing: Introducing and expanding value-added processes to diversify product offerings and increase Canadian-based services.

6. Public Trust: Building public trust through solid regulations, improving assurance systems and product traceability.

Business Risk Management Programs As with Growing Forward 2, the new Canadian Agricultural Partnership will continue to maintain a focus on four Business Risk Management Programs: • AgriStability: Supports producers experiencing a large margin decline; • AgriInvest: Cash flow to help producers manage income declines; • AgriInsurance: Cost-shared insurance against natural hazards to reduce the financial impact of production or asset losses; and • AgriRecovery: Helps producers recover following natural disasters.

Prepare Your Business for the Canadian Agricultural Partnership To get ready for the Canadian Agricultural Partnership framework and suite of government funding programs, agriorganizations should begin planning for strategic projects over the coming 12-24 months. In doing so, they’ll be well positioned to develop government funding proposals and submit them when these new programs have launched, as most government funding grants outside of tax incentives are for future projects, not retroactive reimbursements. Applying for funding early can help bypass back-ups in application review process, which is common when programs become more widely known and accessed.

Companies should also look for updates about the Canadian Agricultural Partnership in the coming months, since updates about specific government grants, loans, and other incentives could be announced prior to April 1, 2018. Being ready to apply early in the process, with a strong project, will greatly improve your chances of funding success.

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

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Names in the News New CEO at Greenbelt Fund Edward McDonnell joined the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation and the Greenbelt Fund as CEO in October 2017, bringing more than 20 years’ experience as an entrepreneur, public sector executive and senior advisor to a broad range of public sector organizations.

Edward McDonnell

“I am passionate about the CEO, Greenbelt Fund interconnected systems that work together to determine the health and vitality of people and communities. There are connections between what we eat and where it comes from, and between the economic vitality of rural communities and the quality of life that residents enjoy. These connections are at the root of the work the Greenbelt Fund has been doing since its inception,” says McDonnell.

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Taste Your Future and FoodGrads Food and Beverage Ontario announced an exciting partnership between Taste Your Future, an industry talent attraction program and FoodGrads, an initiative that connects grads, educators and industry professionals. With this partnership, Taste Your Future and FoodGrads will build an exclusive community for the food and beverage industry to specifically support youth and young professionals with resources and connections to employers.

Food and Beverage Ontario’s Taste Your Future program is expertly guided by a team of food and beverage HR professionals, college and university leadership and Ontario educators. The program, which was launched in 2016, raises awareness and promotes the food and beverage processing sector as a place for exciting careers for youth, new Canadians and second career individuals. FoodGrads was founded by Nicole Gallace, a career HR professional who recognized the incredible opportunity the food industry offers to students and recent grads. FoodGrads provides HR advice and guidance in addition to connecting youth to employers.

Premium acquires Leadbetter Foods Premium Brands Holdings Corp., a producer, marketer and distributor of branded specialty food products, has acquired Ontario-based Leadbetter Foods Inc., a maker of specialty bacon, fresh and frozen burgers and portion-cut steaks. Leadbetter has annual sales of about $55 million. It operates two production facilities — including a modern 47,000-square-foot custom designed bacon operation built in 2012 — both of which are in Orillia, Ontario.

“This transaction is the next step toward our objective of building a leading specialty protein platform in Ontario. Not only does Leadbetter perfectly complement our Ontario-based Belmont Meats burger business but it will also help with the launch of our Centennial business’ Ontario operations when Centennial opens its new 105,000-square-foot custom cutting and distribution facility in the Toronto region at the end of this year,” Premium Brands President and CEO George Paleologou said.

New Staff Members of CMC Chris Nash is the new Director of Regulatory Affairs, Marcus Mattison is the new Manager of Communications, and MarieFrance Mackinnon will join the CMC effective December 11, 2017 as their new senior Director of Public Affairs.

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SUPERIOR PACKAGING STARTS WITH REISER Reiser packaging expertise and Repak technology are the powerful combination you need to produce a superior form/fill/seal package.

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Allergen Management Programs Melissa Stevenson, Principal Consultant, FS & RD Consulting

O

ver half of the recalls in Canada are due to a product that contains an undeclared allergen. An allergen is a substance that is foreign to the body and can cause an adverse reaction in certain people. For example, pollen, nuts or mold. This adverse food reaction can either be a food intolerance or a food allergy. Allergic reactions to foods can vary from mild gastrointestinal discomfort, to skin rashes and/or potentially life-threatening asthma and anaphylaxis. For this article we will focus on the allergens that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) require to be effectively controlled within food facilities.

These allergens are: Egg, Dairy - Milk and milk ingredients, Wheat, Gluten, Soy, Fish / Crustaceans / Shellfish, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Sesame, Mustard and Sulphites at a level >10 ppm.

The allergen management program needs to outline how you will identify and control: 1) upon receiving and storing 2) ingredients and product through the processing 3) packaging and labelling

Received and Stored Allergens

It is important that you store allergen-containing materials in a manner that cannot cross contaminate other non-containing allergen (e.g. packaging closed, intact). One common practice is to sticker allergen containing products with different coloured stickers so that you can identify the types of allergens that you have.

Maintaining a segregated area within your storage area for allergen containing ingredients makes it easier to ensure that they don’t contaminate other ingredients. By ensuring that you always store non-allergenic ingredients above allergenic ones or by storing ones with a lesser number of allergens above those with more of the same allergens, you can minimize any risk that a spill would potentially contaminate the other non-allergenic ingredients.

Processing

There are two key actions that will control allergens as they are being processed within your facility. The first is ensuring scheduling arranges products with non-allergens to be run first, before products that contain allergens. Products with allergens will be scheduled later and in order by number of allergens i.e. one with soy to be done before one with soy and wheat.

At times you may not be able to schedule allergens in this fashion and may need to produce the allergen product first. If this occurs, then you will require a full cleaning prior to the changeover to the non-allergen. This cleaning process would need to be validated to ensure that it removes the allergenic protein effectively.

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The second action is to ensure that all transfer equipment scales, buggies, carts, racks, scoops etc. are kept for the allergen products. A few ways that this can be done would be to colour code them or tag them so that they can easily be identified which allergenic products it is being used for.

Special care will likely need to be taken around the ovens and cooling if they are found within your process as this is often where multiple products are kept together prior to packaging.

Packaging and Labelling

Packaging and labelling is important as this is where employees will need to ensure that the right package or label is applied to the product. You may have two products that are extremely close in visual appearance, but one contains an allergen and the other doesn’t i.e. regular hot dog, hot dog stuffed with cheese. Therefore, you should ensure that you have checks and balances to ensure the right label is getting onto the correct product. Removing packaging from the floor prior to converting to a new product helps to ensure that incorrect packaging isn’t accidentally placed on the wrong product.

This step starts, however, when the labels are developed to ensure that all allergens are included on the label. Therefore, strong relationships with your suppliers is important to make sure you always have correct specification / ingredient information.

Then, it is important that you take great care during the creation of the new label to ensure that all allergens are included on the label. You also need to review your process to determine whether you can effectively eliminate all allergens. If you can’t then you do need to use a ‘may contain’ statement. For example, in a bakery where sesame seeds are being used, it may not be possible to ensure 100% elimination of this allergen and therefore you would need to put this on the label as a ‘may contain sesame’ statement.

By effectively maintaining and controlling allergens as they pass through your facility you can keep your name off the “Undeclared allergens” recall list. Just one more way to maintain brand integrity. If you feel that there is more that can be done with your program and you aren’t sure where to start, feel free to email me at melissastevenson@fsrdconsulting.com or check out my website at www.fsrdconsulting.com. I can review and identify any areas of improvement that you may wish to make.

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

www.oimp.ca

Meet our

2017 S U P P O R T E R S Please join us in acknowledging and thanking OIMP’s corporate supporters: Diamond Supporter

Platinum Supporters

Gold Supporters

Silver Supporters

Canada Compound | Duropac | Farm Credit Canada | Foodcon Food Safety Alliance | MMIS | Multivac Canada Quality Engineered Solutions | WIBERG | YES Group Bronze Supporters

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. www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

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5 Common Workplace Injuries Business Owners Can Prevent

I

n Ontario, someone gets injured on the job every 10 minutes according to the Association of Worker’s Compensation Boards of Canada. Many of these workplace injuries can be prevented with a commitment from business owners to create a work environment where health and safety are a priority.

Because we know the safety of your workers matters to you, we’ve compiled a list of five of the most common injuries workers sustain as well as tips to prevent them.

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

2. Slipping or Tripping The second leading cause of workplace injury is falling on slippery floors or tripping over items left in the walking path. To

prevent these completely avoidable injuries, make sure you have a policy in place for safe and immediate cleanup of spills and zero tolerance for leaving boxes and other obstructions in areas with heavy foot traffic.

3. Falling from Heights If your employees work on roofing or use a ladder to perform their job duties, there is a risk of falling and suffering serious injury. You can reduce the chance of this happening by giving employees proper training on ladder safety and providing appropriate protective gear to keep them safe whenever they perform tasks on elevated ground.

4. Repetitive Motion Injuries Although not as obvious as other injuries on the list, repetitive motion injury can be just as harmful and impact the productivity of your employees. Outfitting your employees’ workspace with ergonomic equipment for repetitive tasks can help reduce muscle

WE CARE ABOUT OUR CLIENTS. We take pride in knowing our clients and being able to tailor fit an insurance program that provides protection for your assets and personal possessions that are near and dear to your family.

We offer protection for your crops, barns, livestock, equipment, production facility, auto fleets, general liability, product recall and many other industry specific coverages.

You are a specialist in what you do and we are specialists in what we do.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss the difference we can make in your own insurance program.

From our family to yours let us show you how easy it is to deal with our brokerage.

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strain, back pain, vision problems and prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. It’s also important to train employees on the proper use of ergonomic equipment.

5. Vehicle Accidents On-the-clock vehicle accidents are common for businesses where employees must drive to do their job. Even employees with an excellent driving record can get into the occasional accident or fender bender. Conducting regular safe driver training and reminding employees often about safe driving policies can help reduce accidents.

Remember, both employer and employee play an important role in preventing these five workplace injuries. If you have an employee newsletter, share this list with your workers and remind them how important it is to make safety a priority for themselves and their fellow co-workers.

Finally, if you have concerns about your liability coverage if one of these injuries occurs at your workplace, talk to your insurance provider.

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

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Deep-Fried Turkey Courtesy of Turkey Farmers of Ontario

Preparation

For best results, choose a turkey weighing less than 14 pounds.

Turkey parts, such as wings, thighs and breasts can also be used.

To begin, remove thawed or fresh turkey from the plastic wrapper, remove giblets and neck from the cavities and rinse with cool water. If marinating or injecting, do so and place bird into a large clean bag or large non-corrosive pot. Return to the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours. Canola oil is recommended because of its high smoke point and is generally considered free of allergy concerns, but peanut oil is also popular.

To measure the correct amount of oil: 1. P lace turkey in an empty deep fry vessel 2. F ill vessel with water until it reaches about 2” above the turkey 3. R emove the turkey 4. S ubmerge a measuring stick into water to measure height of the water in the vessel. Mark the measuring stick at the watermark 5. D ispose of water and thoroughly dry the pot 6. Stand measuring stick upright in empty vessel and fill vessel to marked point with oil Before cooking, ensure that the bird is dry by patting with paper towel, both inside and out. Excess moisture on or in the bird will cause the oil to splatter.

Frying

Preheat oil to 375°F (190°C). This can take about 45 minutes to one hour. Use a candy or deep-frying thermometer to ensure accuracy. If the temperature is not high enough, the turkey will absorb more oil and may taste greasy. If the temperature is too high the turkey may burn. Continue to monitor temperature throughout the cooking process.

Using oven mitts and a turkey basket or holder, CAREFULLY lower the turkey into the oil. The turkey should be totally immersed in the oil to ensure even cooking.

The optimum endpoint temperature is 170°F (77°C).

When done, remove your golden brown turkey from the oil, ensuring that the oil is drained from the cavity. Place on a rack and cover with foil. Let the turkey stand for at least 20 minutes to allow it to finish cooking. This is a very important procedure… don’t rush and skip it.

Your completed turkey will be tender and juicy. Enjoy!

Additional Safety Tips:

• Keep pets and children away from the deep fryer at all times • Always follow the instructions that came with your deep fryer • Do not stuff your turkey • If you are using a frozen turkey, be sure the turkey is completely thawed before immersing in the oil. If the turkey is still frozen, the oil can spill over the top and be dangerous • Be aware that the sides and handles of the fryer can become dangerously hot • Overfilling the pot with oil can cause it to spill over and potentially catch fire • Deep frying should only be done outside on a level dirt or grassy area and never on wooden decks or inside a garage • Never use water to extinguish a grease fire — have a fire extinguisher available • Allow oil to cool completely before disposing or storing it • Do not store oil in the cooking pot

Estimate 3 minutes per pound i.e. a 10lb turkey takes approximately 30 minutes to cook. To check for doneness, remove turkey from oil, and insert a meat thermometer into the thigh.

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www.oimp.ca

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visit us onlineBLOCKtalk ca.multivac.com - Winter 2017 19

BUSINESS MEMBER PROFILE

Herrington’s Quality Butchers Heather Nahatchewitz, OIMP Marketing and Communications Director

P

eople have only good things to say about Herrington’s Quality Butchers in Port Perry. Don’t believe me? Just google Herrington’s or look it up on Facebook where fivestars abound. It’s everything you would ever want in a butcher shop. Plenty of variety in the fresh meat counter, friendly and helpful customer service and a butcher who knows his stuff.

So much so, that owner (and butcher) Brent Herrington made it to the finals of the Ontario’s Finest Butcher competition both in 2016 and 2017. “I’ve never been so nervous in my life about competing,” admitted Brent. “The fear of not knowing what proteins [in the black box final round]. I am very confident in what I do but when it’s put to the test by my peers, it’s hard.”

When I asked the question everyone wants to know, will you return to compete for the title in 2018, there was no hesitation, “In a heartbeat. Yes. I loved it,” was his immediate response. “Win or lose, it’s imperative to industry we continue to promote butchering as a skill.”

And Brent’s skill goes back some time starting in a butcher shop in Campbellford through a high school co-op. A second round of co-op, this time in Port Perry, landed Brent at Pine Ridge Packers in the early 90’s where he worked the kill floor, then on to Windcrest Meat Packers.

“I cannot say enough good things about Brent; he has always been there for me. He’s a very skilled butcher and business leader with a big heart to help his community and friends.” ~Adam Hayward, Nesbitt’s Meat Market, Lindsay

“A lifetime friend and fellow butcher, Brent takes pride in his shop and product. He takes time to mentor his student workers and apprentices, working intently to advance the craft. His shining personality and integrity makes him a leader in our industry. Brent practices old fashioned values while diversifying to accommodate modern trends, acting as a prime example of where our industry is moving.”

Unbeknownst to Brent at the time, butchering is in his blood. He only found this out through a visit from his dad’s dad one day on the kill floor. Not understanding why his grandfather was there at first, he was told he also used to slaughter but in Brighton. “He did this job. I had no idea!” said Brent.

A move to Pine Valley Meats had Brent doing more cutting than killing. “They had a smokehouse and that interested me. My boss said if you’re that interested in the smokehouse you can do it and I will oversee it. It added a whole new level that I loved.”

~Angie and Derek Hay, Hay’s Custom Cutting, Campbellford

Brent even entered a bacon in the Ontario Finest Meat Competition™ many years ago. “It came dead last,” he laughs. “But I sat down with one of the judges, Dr. Usborne, and he explained why I lost. I came away with a lot of knowledge.”

Brent and his high school sweetheart Jacqueline purchased Reg Cook Quality Butchers in 1999, moving the business to its current location in 2008. If Brent does the butchering, what are Jacqueline’s responsibilities?

“Everything,” answered Brent. “Retail, ordering, customer service, general management, HR, scheduling.”

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Their son William, 15, helps cleanup after school. “Whenever I can, I put him in the role of serving,” says Brent. “Life skills learned in serving other people will take him a long way, regardless of his path.” Daughter Victoria, 12, is busy with her competitive figure skating, but may also help out at the shop in a few years.

At peak times, Herrington’s employs up to 18 people, and every single one of them is taught the importance of customer service.

“People are searching out little stores like mine, looking for service, looking for quality,” says Brent. “Service is the one thing that will bring people back over and over and doesn’t cost me a thing.”

“I do my best to elevate the profession, giving something old like butchering a rebirth. Like barbers giving a straight razor shave, and the return of gentlemen. I give everyone a uniform and they wear it proudly, greeting every customer and treating them respectfully.” Whether they buy a half pound of bacon, or they’re looking for striploins for a dinner party, they are all ‘best’ customers to Herrington’s.

Another key to Herrington’s success is keeping focus. “Do one thing and do it really well. I sell meat, not diapers or cereal,” says Brent. But it’s also important to be different. For Herrington’s, it’s their incredible meat pie selection. “I was shown how to make four basic types in the beginning, and now we carry 21 kinds. It’s our niche and accounts for 50% of sales.”

But if something isn’t selling, Brent sees it as a challenge. “What do I have to do to sell this product?” he asks himself. A firm believer in using his craft, Brent buys whole chickens and breaks them down instead of just buying the breasts that will naturally sell on their own. It’s more labour intensive but worth it.

“Membership with OIMP is important because there’s a lack of skilled butchers in Ontario and the ones that are around need opportunities and events like the gala to network and grow the sector.”

In fact, cutting for the counter is still Brent’s favourite part of the job. “It’s like a finest butcher competition every day.

Trying my best to put out the best product possible. Every time.”

But the future of the industry looks scary according to Brent.

Restaurants have changed the way people eat and people don’t cook the way they used to. “Grocery chains can put something on as a loss leader and it makes guys like me look like criminals.

Trying to educate consumers as to why I charge what I charge versus a chain without lolling them to sleep is very difficult.

There’s a lot of pressure from big stores and the market in Port Perry hasn’t grown.”

Helping to hold and ultimately grow their market share, Brent is a firm believer in the power of social media, managing all their channels himself. “It’s free and it’s widely received,” Brent explains.

“It’s about educating consumers. Telling them to ask their butchers questions. Learn about what you’re serving your family.”

Although the least favourite part of his job are the HR obligations, Brent has had a positive influence on the many students that have come and gone over the years, keeping in touch and occasionally receiving texts that they miss the butcher shop and that their new place just isn’t the same. “I’m happy they’re doing well. We wouldn’t have gotten to where we are www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

~Brent Herrington without the help of our exceptional staff, both current and past,” says Brent.

I asked Brent if you could convey to your younger self one thing what would it be, he responded, “Keep your modesty in check. Remember where you’re from, remember your roots, and your hard work will pay off.” A personal philosophy he teaches, and words to live by.

Herrington’s Quality Butchers is open seven days a week, serving the people of Port Perry and surrounding communities.

Can’t make it in? Take the virtual tour and see what you’re missing at: www.portperrybutcher.com.

Herrington’s Quality Butchers 251 Queen Street Port Perry, ON L9L 1B9 (905) 985-1456 brent@hqb.ca portperrybutcher.com Herringtons-Quality-Butchers @butcherherri @brent.herrington BLOCKtalk - Winter 2017

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ASSOCIATE MEMBER PROFILE

Multivac Canada – Better Packaging Heather Nahatchewitz, OIMP Marketing and Communications Director

I

had the privilege of sitting down with Regional Sales Managers, Nick Tate (Western Ontario) and Sonia Tarantini (Eastern Ontario), recently to learn more about Multivac Canada and their core products - thermoformers, traysealers, and chamber machines.

What started in 1961 with the invention of a vacuum machine in a garage in Germany, Multivac Evan Segalowitz has grown to 82 offices around the world, serving 142 countries through supplementary distributors and agents, and is a market leader in thermoforming packaging with an estimated 60% of global market share.

Still privately owned and managed by a board of directors, Multivac serves customers world-wide with their range of products.

Over the past year, Multivac has launched new compact packaging equipment models plus new technology upgrades, an example being the R081 thermoformer, an entry-level machine capable of running flexible and rigid films with the machine being available on castors for production flexibility. Slide-in technology enables quick and easy change of the forming and sealing dies, and the machine can be used for packaging a range of products of small and medium sizes efficiently.

“Because of our size people assume we are too big, and our

“We bought a Multivac R105 for our brand-new facility a year ago. It has performed flawlessly and communicates very well with our conveyor system and high-speed labeller. The Multivac staff has been very supportive and knowledgeable which helped us achieve our needed results.”

Recently celebrating its 10th anniversary, Multivac Canada is 47 employees strong with 15 service technicians in Canada, nine in Ontario, serving the needs of all size ~Kevin Stemmler, Stemmler Meats & Cheese, Heidelberg operations from mom and pop shops to international manufacturers. All equipment is still manufactured in Germany, with standard equipment costs too much,” says Sonia. “But our number one machines held in inventory in Brampton and Vancouver, ready to product today is compact thermoformers to meet the needs of be customized to the customer’s specifications. small to medium processors, like OIMP members. They offer the same features as on the large machines, and can offer a quick changeover resulting in greater efficiencies, reduced energy, and increased production flexibility.”

“We have had years of uninterrupted service with our Multivac machine and we’re very happy with the unit.”

~Sean Kelly, Black Angus Fine Meats & Game, Thornbury “What differentiates us is we don’t sell off the shelves, we build to suit their needs. Custom doesn’t mean unaffordable, and generally it’s been done before somewhere around the world. We use a base model adding features they want, the bells and whistles,” says Sonia.

In the last five years, they’ve grown their portfolio of compact and mid-range sizes to address quick changeover with over 200 patents approved or pending.

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Multivac plans to become a single-source packaging provider offering everything in the packaging line, while also becoming more heavily involved in automation and robotics.

Working her way up from sales coordinator, Sonia says, “I’m passionate about giving people a solution. And it doesn’t feel like work if you’re passionate about what you’re doing. I love the end result – when the customer is happy with their purchase.”

Nick has been with Multivac for eight years and says, “I’m proud to sell the best equipment for a company that stands behind their products.”

www.oimp.ca

Nestor Plawiuk retired as President and Managing Director in July, with Evan Segalowitz officially taking the reins after several months of travel to Multivac daughter companies around the world immersing himself in the company’s history and culture.

Segalowitz previously held the positions of Director of Retail Sales, Canada at Canada Bread, Director of National Foodservice Distributor Sales, Canada, at Canada Bread Frozen Bakery/Olivieri Foods, and Business Development Manager for Foodservice at Maple Leaf Foods. Most recently, Evan held the role of General Manager of Markem-Imaje (a Dover Company).

This valuable industry experience along with his Business Degree from the Richard Ivey Business School at Western University will serve Multivac customers well.

About Multivac:

“Sonia and the staff at Multivac were very professional and informative in our dealings. Buying specialty equipment, you need a great sales team, service and quality, which you will find at Multivac.”

MULTIVAC is one of the world’s leading suppliers of packaging solutions: the company is a global market leader in thermoforming packaging machines and it manufactures a comprehensive range of traysealers, vacuum chamber machines, chamber conveyor machines, labellers, quality control systems, automation solutions and even ready-to-use lines.

From its Canadian headquarters, located in Brampton, ON, the company provides strategic consultation, technical design, sales, distribution, and service of Multivac’s complete line of packaging systems. Multivac maintains a comprehensive on-site parts inventory, and offers 24/7 technical assistance and certified training for its entire line of equipment. To date, the company has designed and implemented over 100,000 packaging solutions.

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

~Karl Ulrich, Max Meat, North York Sonia Tarantini (416) 936-0406 sonia.tarantini@ca.multivac.com Nick Tate (416) 919-5238 nick.tate@ca.multivac.com Multivac Canada Inc. 6 Abacus Road Brampton, ON L6T 5B7 (905) 264-1170 ca.multivac.com

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Thermal Processing Fundamentals – Part 2 of 2 Renzo G. Gómez, B. Sc. Bio. Eng. (Hns.), Food Safety & Thermal Processing Specialist, Quantum Food Solutions Inc.

T

here are thousands of cooking processes being used daily in the meat industry. In fact, according to the Canadian Meat Council, the meat industry is the largest sector of Canada’s food processing industry, representing 10% of Canada’s agri-food exports and employing more than 65,000 Canadians.

It is also one of Canada’s leading manufacturing sectors with annual sales of over $24.1 billion. Even though there are countless variations of cooking programs, most cooking processes use the same underlying principles. Part 1 examined fundamental aspects of batch cooking, and Part 2 examines the factors affecting temperature variation and food safety.

Factors Affecting Temperature Variation

The oven design, product load density, inter product contact, product shape, and cooking program will all affect the temperature variation within the oven.

Oven Design In batch ovens, the oscillating airflow system continually sweeps the air from side to side in the oven cabinet, but the general direction of the airflow is still vertical from bottom to top. The dry-sensor temperature decreases as the hot air passes through the cold product, and thus the hottest air is located along the sides and bottom of the cabinet whereas the coolest air is at the top-center.

At the end of the process when the product is warmer and drier, the supply-to-return air temperature difference for most products is typically only 1–3 °C. During steam cooking there is no dry heat and no evaporative cooling, and thus the supply-to-return air temperature difference is negligible. Whereas the supply-toreturn air temperature difference in batch ovens causes product at the bottom of the racks to cook faster than the product near the top-center. Therefore, as a good processing practice, endpoint temperature checks should be measured in product in the cold zone near the top-center of the racks. In addition, to minimize temperature variation, the finishing step(s) of a cooking program should use steam or high-humidity conditions whenever possible.

Product Loading For all forced-air convection ovens, product should be evenly spaced leaving adequate gaps for airflow around the product.

Touching product (touchers) results in color defects at the touch spots and also tend to come out at lower temperatures than nontouchers. Touchers are an acute food safety and quality problem for belt ovens using processes that depend on dry heat for cooking – pieces that are touching or overlapped dry more slowly

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than non-touching pieces, resulting in much colder temperatures and distinct color defects for the touchers.

In batch ovens, a minimum clearance of 30 cm should be maintained between the product and the oven floor and side walls to allow free flow of air around the racks. This 30 cm clearance should also be maintained between the rack structural members and the oven floor. Any rack structure that is closer than 30 cm to the floor should be positioned to be parallel with the airflow (i.e., perpendicular to the ovens walls) so that the structure does not impede air circulation around the product. For partial loads, the product racks should be evenly spaced from front to back in the oven to maintain a balanced airflow from front to back.

Cooking Processes Cooking processes that use dry conditions induce more temperature variation than high-humidity or steam-cooking conditions. Higher wet-sensor temperatures during the finishing steps of a process will reduce product temperature variation. As a good processing practice for minimizing temperature variation, in the final step of a cooking process in a batch oven or in the final zone of a continuous line, the wet-sensor temperature should be set equal to or higher than the target core temperature.

For example, if the target core temperature for a product is 72 °C, then the wet-sensor temperature in the finishing step or the final zone should be set at 72 °C or higher. This practice will reduce temperature variation, decrease cooking times, and increase yields.

Common Sources of Error and Pathogen Outbreaks

Given the extent of use of cooking processes and the number of control variables needed to effectively run these processes, errors can be introduced in several ways and daily. Some of the most persistent sources of error in forced-convection ovens include, but are not limited to: i. Temperature sensors become ‘out of calibration state’ (i.e. outside of regulatory requirement +/- 1 C); ii. Physical damage to any of the temperature probes (i.e. dry-bulb, wet-bulb or dew point); iii. Product temperature probe is inserted incorrectly inside the product (i.e. not in the largest/thickest piece; or at an angle, not on center axis); iv. Product temperature probe does not take into account actual location of ‘cold-zone’;

v. Dual fans equipped with variable-speed drives, or rotating dampers become misaligned; www.oimp.ca

vi. P roduct load density overcomes actual cooking capacity of oven, or burner malfunction; vii. O ven is loaded incorrectly (i.e. uneven distribution of product in partial loads); viii. More than one product type/size is loaded in same oven, followed by incorrect insertion of product probe (i.e. probe not inserted in thickest, or biggest piece); ix. Changes in production set-up interfere with normal processing conditions (i.e. adding an additional oven generates a variation in thermal profile of adjacent oven (s)); x.

Malfunction of digital controller (i.e. power outage during processing).

Any of the items listed above could result in under processed product. As such, current regulations have included requirements through preventative maintenance and cold-spot validation to prevent outbreaks involving organisms of public concern (L. mono, Salmonella spp., E. coli 157:H7). Further, the current regulatory framework requires that each high-risk establishment can demonstrate that each pathogenic risk has been evaluated for each cooking process and for each product type (i.e. MHMOP Chapter 4, section 4.4.1).

Conclusion

Everyday across the meat industry, thousands of different processes are used to cook and smoke a countless variety of meat

products. These myriad cooking processes, though, share a few principles of heat and mass transfer that are common to all. Most importantly, given the powerful forces at work during forcedconvection cooking, even small changes in oven variables may have a large effect on quality, throughput, and food safety.

Cooking equipment should be designed to take full advantage of our knowledge of the effects of these variables on products during cooking, thus enabling processors to fully optimize processes to ensure safe meat products that meet quality specifications while maximizing throughput. It is crucial, too, that processors gain a thorough understanding of the functions and limitations of their cooking equipment for controlling each key variable, so that the equipment can be optimized to its full potential.

References: RE. Hanson, Smoking and Cooking Equipment, Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences, 2nd Ed., Volume 3 (2014) Quantum Food Solutions Inc. 35 Brian Peck Crescent, Suite 510 East York, ON M4G 0A5 (647) 963-0182 renzo.gomez@quantumfoodsolutions.com quantumfoodsolutions.com

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New Energy for Protein Snacks

T

he demand for jerky products, meat sticks and meat bars is growing and processors of all sizes are capitalizing on this opportunity. Once a niche segment relegated to convenience stores, meat snacks have undergone an evolution in product formulation and marketing and now offer consumers convenience, nutrition and premium quality through a variety of retail channels.

Handtmann has taken a closer look at how processors are adapting to consumers’ refined tastes when it comes to savory snacking and has worked with editors of Meat + Poultry magazine to better understand why the meat snacks segment has made such meteoric strides. Instead of most often just positioned at the check-out counter of roadside convenience stores, meat snacks now have become refined, palate-pleasing, tender jerky products posing no dental threat and meat sticks possessing sophisticated flavour profiles with quality sourced proteins from a variety of species!

According to Information Resources Inc., the popularity of jerkystyle meat snacks is surging as of late, but the entire segment is growing as food companies introduce a growing variety of options. With the category of meat snacks split into the jerky segment and meat snacks, sales of beef jerky in the 52-week period ending Feb. 19, 2017, grew at a rate of 9.4 percent over the previous year. The rest of the dried meat snack segment grew just 1.4 percent. But according to Sally Lyons Wyatt, executive vice president and practice leader at IRI, jerky and the meat snack category in general are more diverse than ever. During a presentation at SNAXPO 2017, Lyons Wyatt said variety in more than just flavours is driving market growth.

“It isn’t just about beef jerky anymore,” she said. “It can be about chicken, it can be about turkey.” Being positioned in a new way, having different forms of meat snacks, having different flavours, having different packaging- these are just examples of the innovation…,” said Lyons Wyatt.

Demand for variety increases with the diversity of consumers.

In terms of flavour profiles, barbecue is hot, according to IRI, and hot and spicy is even hotter with sales growth of these flavours growing by 40 percent and 41 percent respectively over the past year.

“Because of the changing demographics,” Lyons Wyatt said, “really understanding the flavour profiles of your target consumer is extremely important,” she said.

Enviable Attributes

As demographics and flavours evolve to meet changing tastes, the demand for convenience is unrelenting.

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Alisa Harrison, senior vice president of global marketing and research for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in the US, says beef jerky’s attributes typify what it is that makes meat snacks so appealing to today’s consumers.

“Beef jerky provides all of the convenience of a traditional savory snack with no cooking or refrigeration needed, but packs a punch of protein and essential nutrients that make it stand out on the snack aisle,” she says.

Convenience with Nutrition

“Beef jerky is the most underrated component of a busy person’s life when trying to eat healthy,” according to Michael Roussell, Ph.D., a nutrition consultant with NCBA. “It helps solve the tricky balance of how to get enough protein throughout the day when you live a hectic, on-the-go lifestyle because it’s extremely portable, compact and high quality,” says Roussell. “All my clients travel with beef jerky, and I recommend it to enhance meals and snacks that are lacking protein.”

Meat snack popularity is the part of the broader salty snacks category, including chips and pretzels, that has reshuffled the deck in the segment. According to Nielsen, sales of potato chips in 2016 grew 1.7 percent while pretzel sales slipped by 0.5 percent, contrasting dramatically with the growth in meat snack sales which increased by 3.5 percent in the 12-month period that ended Feb. 25, 2017. Interestingly, when considering the meat snack subcategories, jerky showed more growth (just under 7 percent) in 2016 while sales of meat sticks remained flat.

Prime Targets

According to Nielsen, while 45 percent of consumers purchase their salty snacks at traditional grocery stores, only about 23 percent purchase meat snacks there compared to ap¬proximately 21 percent who purchase them at club stores and 25 percent of them purchasing at super centers.

As protein variety choices have increased exponentially over the past several years, the popularity of meat snacks has ensured animal-based sources haven’t become a casualty. The introduction of boutique-style and upscale, gourmet jerky and the convenience of products like meat sticks have helped buoy both the meat and the entire snack category.

Contact Graham Dalziel at graham.dalziel@handtmann.ca for a video link and more information.

Handtmann Canada 654 Colby Drive Waterloo, ON N2V 1A2 (519) 725-3666 graham.dalziel@handtmann.ca handtmann.ca

www.oimp.ca

Building Strong Leadership for Ontario’s Meat Processing Industry

E

ffective governance and strategy are integral to the sustainability and long-term effectiveness of a nonprofit operating in today’s complex and competitive world.

Ontario Independent Meat Processors (OIMP), as the voice for the independent meat and poultry processors, has a responsibility to ensure we are providing effective leadership. To be successful we must continuously renew the link between what we do and the needs and interests of the community we serve.

With support from Growing Forward 2, the OIMP Board of Directors participated in a training session on governance and

a session on strategic planning. The training session consisted of an online assessment tool identifying strengthens and areas of growth along with a review of the roles and responsibilities of serving on a not-for-profit board. The knowledge gained in development of a strategic plan will ensure we are providing the services needed and valued by our members and in ways that are consistent with the organization’s core values and principles.

Providing Board members with the knowledge and confidence to excel as leaders not only supports our members but the entire value chain.

This project was funded in part through Growing Forward 2 (GF2), a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The Agricultural Adaptation Council assists in the delivery of GF2 in Ontario.

IMPROVE PROFITABILITY WITH SYSPRO FOOD MANUFACTURING SOFTWARE As a food manufacturer and distributor, you need industry-specific management tools designed for your unique business to increase operational insight to maximize effectiveness and profitability—while maintaining compliance.

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SYSPRO is an award-winning, best-of-breed food manufacturing software solution simplifying manufacturing and distribution operations worldwide.

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The World Wants Canadian Beef and Pork From an FCC AgriSuccess article by Trish Henderson

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etween 60-70% of Canadian pork, and about 40% of Canadian beef, is sold abroad. Millions of live hogs and hundreds of thousands of live cattle, both for slaughter and further feeding, are shipped annually to the U.S. alone, further strengthening Canadian pork and beef producers’ reliance on export markets.

Ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994 was a key step in the evolution of Canadian red meat exports.

“Prior to 1989, the Western Canadian beef sector was dominated by small feedlots. The Canada-U.S. Trade Agreement – the precursor to NAFTA – spurred investment, including the construction of Cargill’s beef processing facility at High River, Alberta, in 1991,” says Brenna Grant, Manager of Canfax Research Services.

Soon after NAFTA was signed, the Lakeside beef packing facility at Brooks, Alta., was expanded. Favorable exchange rates led to expansion of the beef cow herd, and the removal of the Crow Rate for hauling grain by rail in 1996 provided more affordable feed grains on the Prairies.

We extend our Best Wishes for a happy Holiday Season and a New Year filled with Peace, Joy and Success.

Combined with provincial government incentives, these factors spurred feedlot expansion and consolidation in the late 1990s. By 2001, there were 210 feedlots in Alberta feeding 2.39 million head – more than double the capacity of the province’s cattle feeding sector a decade earlier.

NAFTA had a similar effect on the Canadian pork industry, stimulating an era of prosperity and growth – although not without blips – from 1996 to 2006, according to Statistics Canada.

The Canadian pig herd peaked at just over 15 million head in the mid-2000s.

Since the early 2000s, Canadian cattle and hog markets have been rocked by animal health events like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv), world-record feed grain prices, a volatile Canadian dollar and foreign trade policies like the U.S. mandatory country of origin labelling (COOL). Despite these challenges, Canada remains a net exporter of beef and pork.

Global markets

The U.S. is Canada’s biggest customer, taking 72% of beef and 32% of pork exports, but other markets around the globe are increasingly important. In 2015, Canada’s other major export destinations were China and Hong Kong, Mexico, and Japan.

Similarly, Japan, China, Europe, Mexico and Russia were the biggest buyers of Canadian pork in 2015, after the U.S. “Global market trends are extremely important to Canadian beef and pork producers; this is where the biggest opportunities lie,” Grant says. “Exporting to different culinary cultures – ones that prefer different cuts of meat – also increases carcass value.”

Statistics indicate the Canadian livestock herd may not be growing right now, but elsewhere in the world, beef, pork and poultry production are on the rise.

According to Brett Stuart, president of Denver-based Global AgriTrends, both beef and pork production are expanding in the U.S., with increasing cow numbers and construction of new hog barns and pork processing facilities.

As the world’s largest pork-consuming nation, China is a key driver of world pork markets and an important economy to watch.

CANADA COMPOUND

391 Rowntree Dairy Road, Woodbridge, ON L4L 8H1 Tel: (905) 856-5005 www.canadacompound.com 28

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“Chinese pork imports surged in 2016, but Chinese hog farmers have experienced record profits and are beginning to expand,” Stuart says. “This will eventually reduce demand for Chinese pork imports and have a major impact on all global protein markets.

Where will one million tonnes of Canadian and European pork, previously destined for China, go?”

www.oimp.ca

Grain-fed beef advantage

While Canadian pork producers have targeted the ultra-highend market in Japan, there remains little differentiation between Canadian pork and that from other countries. The same cannot be said for beef, Stuart maintains.

“In general, North American beef is a grain-fed, high-quality product that brings premium prices. In the last seven years, as global beef production has stagnated, tighter beef supply caused grain-fed beef premiums to emerge.”

India recently became a leading global beef exporter, supplying large volumes of low-quality water buffalo meat to emerging markets such as Middle Eastern and Northern African – MENA – countries. Brazilian beef is also exported in volume, but is predominantly grass-fed.

“Every country has a high-end hotel, and the gold standard in these hotel restaurants is grain-fed beef. As global economies grow, demand for grain-fed beef will grow,” says Stuart, citing a recent study predicting the global middle class will increase by three billion people by 2030.

Cyclical markets

Despite major changes in the red meat sector, traditional cattle and hog market cycles prevail as relevant indicators of the future.

producers were willing to discontinue use of the growthpromoting agent ractopamine because of their strong reliance on exports. Smaller Canadian packers are also more willing to accommodate requests from overseas customers for unique meat cuts.”

Grant encourages Canadian beef and pork producers to continue responding to market signals.

“There is no longer a homogenous group of consumers,” she explains. “Many consumers make purchases based solely on price, but others are looking for specific qualities or attributes.

“For example, in the last five years we’ve seen more focus on high quality (AAA and prime) beef production, based on price signals from the market. At the primary producer level, attributes like ‘no added hormones’ or ‘sustainable’ are growing. Substantial price premiums don’t exist for them yet, but could appear in the future,” Grant says.

FCC Agribusiness and Agri-Food 100 - 120 Research Lane Guelph, ON N1G 0B5 (519) 824-6360 onguelph@fcc-fac.ca • fcc-fac.ca @FCCagriculture @fccagriculture

“Cycles of the past have been driven by the biological lag between when producers receive the price signal to expand or contract their herds, and the length of time until they can actually achieve that change. Hog cycles are typically four years in duration, with beef cycles lasting ten to twelve years,” Grant explains.

“Market information is more readily available now than in the past, meaning producers respond faster with their production decisions, but markets will always involve sentiment swings from optimism to pessimism.”

Increased productivity and larger carcasses mean fewer cows and sows are required to produce the same amount of red meat domestically, rendering national cow and sow herd numbers less indicative of the current stage of the market cycle.

“Breeding herd numbers are still an indicator for industry optimism,” Grant adds, “but carcass weights are increasingly important. Higher carcass weights, as animals are on feed longer, can have a substantial impact on production.”

Preparing for the future

Stuart recognizes that the U.S. may have the upper hand with larger pork and beef production volumes and lower processing costs, but believes the Canadian industry has its own strengths to build on.

“As a smaller producer, Canada is more nimble at meeting consumer demands. For example, the Canadian beef traceability system offers a point of differentiation, and Canadian pork

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

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TECH TALK

The Importance of Proper Labelling Daphne Nuys-Hall, OIMP Technical Director

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abels are an essential component of selling prepackaged meat products. It tells the consumer who you are, what products you are selling and why they should buy your products above all others in the meat counter. However, inaccurate, misleading or incomplete labels could negatively affect your consumer’s perception of your product or could be in violation of one or more labelling regulations which could lead to an immediate audit failure or potentially a product recall.

Labelling continues to be one of the top reasons members contact OIMP for assistance. Questions cover core labelling requirements, nutritional facts panels, bilingual labelling or responsibilities with regards to allergen labelling. Labelling, specifically the improper use of the inspection legend, has also been identified as the most frequent non-compliances, resulting in immediate audit failures this past OMAFRA audit cycle.

In accordance with Ontario Meat Regulation 31/05, the inspection legend cannot be applied to anything other than a meat product. This includes fruits and vegetables, dairy

products, pet food, and any other grocery item. Although not intentional in most cases, if the inspection legend is found during an audit applied to anything other than a meat product, it results in immediate audit failure and suspension of license to operate. It is critical to ensure that any labelling equipment or software is programmed to only apply the inspection legend to meat.

‘Undeclared allergens’ remains the number one reason for a product recall in Canada. Ensuring that your labels are accurate, truthful and identify any and all of the 10 priority allergens that may be present in your products is of the utmost importance.

As part of your business’ allergen control plan you should develop procedures to review ingredient listing on labels at least annually or when changes are made to product formulations.

Verify label accuracy when changing over products, ensuring the label matches the product. Compare the ingredient declaration on the label with the ingredients on the incoming materials to make sure they match. Mistakes with allergen labelling are not just costly for your business but also to the allergenic consumer.

PORK ribs BONE meat BEEF VEAL diced ROAST leg BBQ CUT HOCK eye of round FILLE

BUTCHER shank and the winner blade W is...

COMPETITION 2017

Damian Goriup, owner of Florence Meats, Oakville, is Ontario’s Finest Butcher 2017. Damian proceeded to the final round of competition in 2014 and 2015, but couldn’t beat three-time winner Peter Baarda. After taking 2016 off as a competitor but joining as an elimination round judge, Damian was determined to take it all in 2017, performing on stage in front of a team of judges and attendees at the Meat Industry Expo.

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"I cut meat every day in front of my customers but cutting meat in front of your peers is a whole new ball game. The pressure is on!” says Goriup.

belly MARKET BRISKET rac chuck CHICKEN tenderloin SIRLOIN Facing off in the final round against Brent Herrington from Herrington’s Quality Butchers, Port Perry, and Nicholas Matusiak from Halenda’s, Oshawa, all finalists received two Cornish hens, leg of lamb, and a beef top sirloin butt, to prepare several incredible-looking display ready items in the short half hour they were given. Both the judge’s score and the attendee’s votes determined it was Damian that would carry the honour.

PORK ribs BONE meat BEEF VEAL leg diced

BUTCHER shank 30

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BLOCKtalk - Winter 2017

blade W

BBQ

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www.oimp.ca

Ontario’s Finest Butcher, Damian Goriup, Three-time winner, Peter Baarda

I am often asked “when is it required to have the nutrition facts panel?”. Nutrition facts panels are required on prepackaged products with more than one ingredient, those that make any health or nutrition claims and on all ground meat products.

In 2016, Health Canada published the final amendments to the Nutrition Labelling requirements in the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR), making improvements to the nutrition facts table and list of ingredients on food labels. The five-year transition period, beginning on December 14, 2016, provides manufacturers with sufficient time to adapt and update their labels to be in compliance with the new regulatory requirements.

When are you required to have French on your labels?

According to the Food and Drug Regulations almost all prepackaged food products must have both French and English on the labels except for shipping containers, products sold only within your local area or test market products. In layman’s terms, unless you are only selling out of your own retail store you are best to have French and English on your labels.

The various levels of government have important roles with regards to food labelling in Canada. Federal responsibility for development of Canadian food labelling requirements is shared between Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs provides all provincial inspection services in accordance with the labelling provisions in Ontario Regulation 31/05 Meat.

It is important to keep up to date on changes to labelling regulations as both the CFIA and Health Canada are in the midst of labelling modernization initiatives. The objective of these initiatives is to develop a more modern food labelling system that responds to current and future challenges.

Health Canada is currently seeking stakeholder input on frontof-package (FOP) labelling approach aimed at helping Canadians make healthier and more informed food choices, particularly on sugars, sodium and saturated fat. This may require manufacturers to use symbols or colour codes on their label to identify products that are of concern to consumers, e.g. high sodium.

The proposed Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, expected to be published in Canada Gazette II in the Spring of 2018 will incorporate the food related components of the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and Regulations, including labelling requirements for consumer prepackaged that are also applicable to intra-provincially traded foods (foods that do not cross a provincial border), such as net quantity declarations, advertising, and bilingual labelling requirements. It will be the responsibility of industry to know where to look for this information and remain compliant.

OIMP encourages operators to contact us with any of your labelling questions or concerns. To assist in complying with the nutrition labelling requirements, OIMP offers a cost-effective Nutrition Analysis Service. For more information please contact me at technical@oimp.ca.

SERVING ONTARIO’S FINEST GAME & POULTRY MEATS SINCE 1967 Our family has been working with generations of local farm families to bring your family the best Ontario has to offer.

www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

BLOCKtalk - Winter 2017

7597 Jones Baseline, Arthur ON, N0G 1A0 | Tel: (800) 692-2283

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SAFETY FIRST

Mandatory Posting: A Commitment to Health and Safety for All to See

W

hile there has been a spirited discussion or two about certain government rules and regulations - with differing opinions coming in to play, it’s hard to dispute the value of mandatory posting.

It really is just one of those good ideas and for some very good reasons: It keeps workplace health and safety in plain sight.

Posting all mandatory components in a high traffic location acts as a constant reminder that it is crucial to work safely and that there are a full range of options should any issues arise. It also makes an important statement about an organization’s commitment to the well-being of its employees.

It is an instant resource.

While many of us take for granted our understanding of key rights and responsibilities of workplace parties, the three workers’ rights and other fundamental workplace legislation, there are many who are not up to speed. And given the number of seasonal and young workers in place across the agriculture sector, having this information visible and available can play an important role in ensuring they understand their responsibilities, as well as the responsibilities of those with whom they work.

By recycling food and animal by-products we promote sustainability and provide responsible value-added solutions Our suite of services includes: ▪ Animal By-Product recovery for butcher shops, abattoirs, grocery stores ▪ Oil & Grease recovery for restaurants and food processors ▪ Grease Trap & Interceptor cleaning

Our quality standards and HACCP registered system assure you of only the finest products.

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

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It is a definitive resource.

The Act is the centerpiece of mandatory postings and is the final word on health and safety in Ontario. It contains all workplace legislation and gives every operation, large and small, definitive information on the roles and responsibilities of all workplace parties.

It is the law.

If there is any doubt as to how important mandatory postings are considered, operating a business while not being in compliance will result in a fine.

The following are the current mandatory posting requirements in Ontario. They apply to workplaces with more than five employees unless ordered by an inspector: 1. Employment Standards in Ontario Poster: This poster outlines employees’ rights and employers’ responsibilities in the workplace.

2. Health & Safety at Work - Prevention Starts Here Poster: This one also details the rights and responsibilities of workplace parties as well as providing a Ministry of Labour phone number to report critical injuries, fatalities, work refusals and to obtain information about workplace health and safety.

3. Occupational Health and Safety Act: Employers are required to post a copy of this resource featuring all workplace legislation in Ontario.

4. Health and Safety Policy: This document must be prepared and reviewed at least once a year and cover your organization’s health and safety policy and its implementation.

5. Workplace Violence and Harassment Policies: Employers must prepare policies and programs specific to workplace violence and harassment and review them at least once a year Take advantage of the benefits associated with mandatory postings. Positioning them prominently in your operation can only result in a more informed team and lead to a safer working environment for all.

Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) provides free access to these resources, and more. Visit the WSPS Small Business Centre and follow the Roadmap for Small Business.

Workplace Safety & Prevention Services 5110 Creekbank Road Mississauga, ON L4W 0A1 (877) 494-9777 customercare@wsps.ca www.wsps.ca

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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Equipment Funding Up To $500,000 for New Energy Efficient Projects Bonny Koabel CGA

I

n November 2016, the $25 million SMART Green funding program was announced, which funds projects that reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions in Ontario. The funding program which initially focused on the reduction of natural gas use in plants has since increased it’s scope to include the reduction of electrical energy consumption in companies.

Examples of qualifying projects include replacing old ovens and smokehouses with new energy efficient equipment. If the increase in energy efficiency from the old to the new equipment is 40% or more, the purchase of the new equipment may qualify for funding.

How much can a company receive in funding?

The SMART Green Funding Program will reimburse companies up to 50% of eligible costs to a maximum of $500,000 in non-repayable Grants. For multi-plant companies funding is up to $1,500,000 in non-repayable Grants.

As with all Grant programs a company must first apply for funding and receive approval before moving forward with the

project. If the GHG reduction project is underway or already completed before receiving funding approval your company will no longer be eligible to receive funding for that specific project.

The SMART Green Funding Program will support the following types of GHG projects: • product or process improvements • capital investment projects that will reduce emission • implementation of energy efficiency technologies • upgrades to process/production equipment Projects that do not demonstrate reductions in GHG will not be considered eligible for funding under the Program.

Who is Eligible?

In order to apply for SMART Green Funding companies must meet the following criteria: • Company must be located in Ontario.

• Company must be a small to medium manufacturer with 10 or more employees. All employees must be on payroll and all related payroll taxes must be on employee’s salaries.

• Annual GHG emissions for the facility must be under 25,000 tonnes per year.

• Company must not be participating in Ontario’s Cap & Trade program.

Specialists in Government Funding, Energy Efficiency Grants, SR&ED Tax Refunds and Hiring Grants for the Meat & Food Processing Industries.

Call us and find out how you can recover your costs

Season’s Greetings!

T: (905) 678-6368 | F: (905) 677-1700 info@akrconsulting.com

• Companies can apply for one project per facility and can include one assessment audit per facility.

• Companies with more than one facility may apply for funding for a maximum of five facilities.

How do I find out if my company qualifies?

If you would like to find out if your company qualifies for funding a walk-through assessment should be scheduled. The SMART Green program will pay up to $2,500 for the assessment.

If is it determined that your company does have qualifying projects a detailed assessment must be made, the SMART Green will cover up to $15,000 for the assessment.

Here are some examples of SMART Green eligible projects: • Advanced Boiler Controls • Automated Blowdown Control • Automated Temperature Control • Boiler Right Sizing and Load Management • Compressor Air Upgrades

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www.oimp.ca

• Condensing Boilers

Application Submission Dates Applications will be accepted on a first in – first reviewed continuous basis until all funding has been committed. All projects approved for funding must be completed by December 31, 2018.

• Energy Management • Energy Efficient Motors • Feedwater Economizers • Furnace Insulation • High-Efficiency Burners and Furnaces • High Efficiency Heating Units • New equipment or machinery that replaces old units • Minimize Door Openings • Process Heat Recovery • Process Improvements (i.e. changing cleaning chemicals, set points, exhaust, moisture control) • Process Integration and PINCH Analysis • Radiant Heaters

Funding Process In order to qualify for SMART Green funding your projects will be required to have a technical assessment that includes a baseline of current (pre-project) GHG emissions. Once the project is complete a 12-month post-implementation audit is required to verify the GHG reduction.

Bonny Koabel CPA, CGA is President of AKR Consulting Canada a Mississauga, ON 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

• Regenerative Thermal Oxidizers • Solar Walls • Ventilation Optimization • Ventilation Heat Recovery • Warehouse Loading Dock Seals If your company has a GHG reduction project that is not mentioned above, it is still eligible for funding.

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CONTACT US : 1-800-668-6111

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Ontario

FINEST MEAT Competition

TM

2017 AWARD WINNING PRODUCTS BACK BACON

POULTRY WHOLE MUSCLE DELI

Platinum ◆ Franz’s Butchershop & Catering - Maple Back Bacon Gold ◆ Stemmler Meat & Cheese - Cured Pork Back in Cornmeal Silver ◆ VG Meats - Smoked Back Bacon

Platinum ◆ VG Meats - Smoked Turkey Gold ◆ Finest Sausages & Meat - Finest Spiced Turkey Silver ◆ Halenda’s - Homestyle Turkey Breast

FLAVOURED SIDE BACON

PREMIUM DRY / DRY CURED

Platinum ◆ Stemmler Meat & Cheese - Pepper Bacon Gold ◆ VG Meats - Cowboy Coffee Rubbed Breakfast Bacon Silver ◆ Sikorski Sausages - Porchetta/Slow Roasted Pork Belly Roll

Platinum ◆ Paganelli’s Salumi - Wild Boar Capocollo Gold ◆ Halenda’s - Lacshinkin Silver ◆ Paganelli’s Salumi - Lamb Prosciutto

TRADITIONAL SIDE BACON

PREMIUM WIENER

Platinum ◆ Halenda’s - Double Smoked Bacon Gold ◆ Halenda’s - Ukrainian Smoked Bacon Silver ◆ Stemmler Meat & Cheese - Double Smoked Bacon

Platinum ◆ Halenda’s - Veal Wiener Gold ◆ VG Meats - Beef Wiener Silver ◆ Stemmler Meat & Cheese - Jumbo Beef & Pork Wiener

BEEF WHOLE MUSCLE DELI

SALUMI - CHARCUTERIE

Platinum ◆ Halenda’s - Montreal Smoked Brisket Gold ◆ VG Meats - Beef Pastrami Silver ◆ VG Meats - Chipotle Rubbed Roast Beef

Platinum ◆ Sikorski Sausages - Petite Pepperette Gold ◆ Paganelli’s Salumi - Gentile Salami Silver ◆ Sikorski Sausages - Dried Krakowska

COLD CUTS - DELI MEAT

DRY / SEMI-DRY SAUSAGE

Platinum ◆ Sikorski Sausages - All Beef Salami Gold ◆ Stemmler Meat & Cheese - Fire Roasted Red Peppper & Olive Silver ◆ Oakville Meats - Tiroler Salami

Platinum ◆ Karlovo - Beef Sudjuk Gold ◆ Lavergne Western Beef - Hungarian Csabai Silver ◆ Denninger’s - Hungarian-Style Csabai Salami

HAM - BONELESS

SPECIALTY SAUSAGE

Platinum ◆ VG Meats - Boneless Country Style Ham Gold ◆ Denninger’s - Smoked Maple Black Forest Style Ham Silver ◆ Sikorski Sausages - Hetmanska Ham

Platinum ◆ Franz's Butchershop & Catering - Smoked Curry Mango Gold ◆ Sikorski Sausages - Debrecyna BBQ Sausage with Cheese Silver ◆ Stemmler Meat & Cheese - Texas Jalapeno with Cheddar Sausage

KIELBASA

TRADITIONAL SAUSAGE

Platinum ◆ L'Orignal Packing - Kielbasa Gold ◆ VG Meats - Turkey Kielbassa Silver ◆ Sikorski Sausages - Polish Ham Kolbassa Ring

Platinum ◆ Oakville Meats - Farmer’s Sausage Mild Gold ◆ Sikorski Sausages - Debrecyna BBQ Sausage Silver ◆ Halenda’s - Kranska

Denninger’s 55 Brant St. Hamilton, ON L8L 4C7 (905) 522-2414 denningers.com

Finest Sausage & Meat 268 Trillium Dr. Kitchener, ON N2E 1X2 (519) 748-9003 finestsausageandmeat.com

Franz’s Butchershop & Catering 172 Lansdowne St. E Peterborough, ON K9J 7N9 (705) 742-8888 franzs.com

Halenda’s 915 Nelson St. Oshawa, ON L1H 5N7 (905) 576-6328 halendasmeats.com

Karlovo 8 Six Point Rd. Etobicoke, ON M8Z 2W8 (416) 503-2950 karlovo.com

Lavergne Meat & Deli 3971 Navan Rd. Navan, ON K4B 1H9 (613) 824-8175 lavergnewesternbeef.com

L’Orignal Packing 2567 County Rd. 17 L'Orignal, ON K0B 1K0 (613) 675-4612 lorignalpacking.ca

Oakville Meats 467 Speers Rd. Oakville, ON L6K 3R9 (905) 582-7644

Sikorski Sausages 41 Childers St. London, ON N5W 4C1 (519) 659-1219 sikorskisausages.com

Paganelli 46 Milford Ave. Toronto, ON M6M 2V8 (416) 242-2777 speducci.com

Stemmler’s Meat & Cheese 3031 Lobsinger Line Heidelberg ON N0B 2M1 (519) 699-4590 stemmlermeats.ca

VG Meats 966 Concession 6 Woodhouse Rd. Simcoe, ON N3Y 4K4 (519) 426-2000 vgmeats.ca

Congratulations to all 2017 winners!

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www.oimp.ca

Ontario Finest Meat Competition™ The biennial meat competition is the largest of its kind in Canada with product categories that embrace both modern trends and the enduring heritage of Ontario’s artisanal meat and poultry products. Open only to OIMP members and encompassing 115 products, across 14 categories and 14 companies, products were judged over the course of two days in July. Judges included food writers, authors, chefs, and meat buyers and forty-four awards were presented with placing for Silver, Gold, and Platinum in each category.

Ontario

FINEST MEAT Competition

TM

VG Meats earned two platinum, four gold, and two silver awards, thereby achieving the highest accumulated score to also take home the Ron Usborne Award of Excellence for a third time (previously Gold ◆ Beef Pastrami winning in 2007 and 2009).

Kevin & Cory Van Groningen, VG Meats

"The competition is stiff. We work all the way back to the farm to get the best results and these awards confirm its working!" comments Kevin Van Groningen, 4th born.

The Diamond Award was presented to Halenda’s for producing the item with the top score across all products, Double Smoked Bacon. Halenda’s was also awarded three platinum, two gold, two silver awards.

Diamond ◆ Double Smoked Bacon

“There are so many OIMP members that we believe are the finest sausage makers that winning a medal in any category is a testament to the quality of product we make. Winning the Diamond award is an absolute honour,” says Richard Halenda, owner. oimp.ca | ontariomeatandpoultry.ca www.ontariomeatandpoultry.ca

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The Halenda Family & Friends

Advertiser Index Abate Packers

pg. 11 & 31

www.abatepackers.com AKR Consulting

pg. 34

pg. 9

pg. 28

pg. 17

pg. 16

pg. 6

pg. 17

www.handtmann.ca

Pemberton & Associates

pg. 35

Poly-Clip System

pg. 12

Reiser

pg. 13

Rothsay

pg. 32

www.rothsay.ca pg. 8

www.thefsa.ca Handtmann Canada

pg. 19

www.reiser.com

www.erbgroup.com Food Safety Alliance

Multivac Canada

www.polyclip.com

www.duropac.com Erb Transport

pg. 25

www.pemcom.com

www.donnellins.com Duropac

Meat Depot, The

www.ca.multivac.com

www.carlisletechnology.com Donnell Insurance Brokers Ltd.

pg. 7

www.themeatdepot.ca

www.canadacompound.com Carlisle Technology

Jarvis Industries Canada Ltd. www.jarviscanada.com

www.bioLinks.ca Canada Compound

pg.29

www.innocente.ca

www.akrconsulting.com BIO

Innocente Brewers

SYSPRO Canada

pg. 27

ca.syspro.com pg. 39

VC999

pg. 2 & 40

www.vc999.com

MEMBERS, ARE YOU RECEIVING OIMP ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS? Word on the BLOCK, our bi-weekly email delivered Monday morning, highlights the latest news within the industry including upcoming training events and funding opportunities.

Technical eBulletins are distributed as needed with information including regulatory changes, MOL blitzes, animal rights activist events, and business opportunities.

As this important industry information is often time-sensitive, please make sure your spam safe list includes news@oimp.ca, technical@oimp.ca, and member@oimp.ca.

If there are other people within your company that should be receiving information contact Jessy 763-4558 or member@oimp.ca to have them added to our lists.

38 at (519) BLOCKtalk - Winter 2017

www.oimp.ca

Power & Precision

PREMIUM PACKAGE

VC999 Packaging Systems is Proud to Introduce,

The SL600 High-Speed Slicing System.

Several Cuts Above The Rest.

The VC999 SL600 Slicer.

(R)evolutionize Your Production with Nine Highly-Effective Advantages: 1. Warmer Slicing Temperatures - NO crust freezing required!

2. Wider Temperature Window - The SL600 operates effortlessly at a wide temperature window, allowing the product to come first.

3. Precision Product Alignment from Slicing to Packaging - Products are automatically loaded from the rear and sliced in a centered position – independent of their diameter or shape.

4. PUSH & DRAG Cutting - A constant push-and-drag due to the unique blade geometry assures a smooth and consistent slice quality, Every Time.

5. 500 Millimeter-Wide Slicing Throat! - 800 rpm blade speed for a smooth line speed and a high output.

6. Product/Application Change-Overs in Less Than 3 Minutes with No Tools.

Visit VC999: 7. Cat Claw Gripper Design for an Easy 15% Higher Yield.

OIMP Meat Expo • AAMP 8. Off-The-Shelf Parts Policy - NO surprises, just fair pricing: buy your own parts of the shelf.

Pack Expo • Process Expo 9. Blade Design - Twice the standing time, stays sharp twice as long, & twice the grinding range.

And More!

Find Out How VC999 Can Help Your Business!

See More at VC999.com Call 877-435-4555 · Sales.Canada@VC999.com