THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017
VOL. 95 | NO. 16 | $4.25
Life after Bill 6 Alberta farmers adjust to new farm safety act. | P. 15
Feedlot emissions SERVING WESTERN CANADIAN FARM FAMILIES SINCE 1923
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Technology is helping determine methane levels in feedlots. | P. 24
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FOOD SAFETY
Glyphosate levels ‘not a safety issue’ CFIA says consumers have nothing to worry about in residue testing results BRANDON BUREAU
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency released a report on glyphosate residues in food last week, and the headlines were not positive. Global News and other media outlets said CFIA scientists found glyphosate in nearly 30 percent of Canadian food samples. The headlines were accurate, but did they reflect the actual health risk to Canadians? Aline Dimitri, the CFIA’s deputy chief food safety officer and executive director, said Canadians don’t
A test of 3,188 food samples found 29.7 percent contained glyphosate, and 1.3 percent had residues above maximum residue limits (MRLs). Health Canada evaluated the data and said no human health concerns were identified.
need to worry about glyphosate in food. “At the end of the day, what this (report) is saying to us is that the Canadian food system is safe,” she said. “Over 98 percent of our samples didn’t have glyphosate residues above the MRLs (maximum residue limits). And even within those (over the limit), none of them posed a health and safety risk.” CFIA scientists looked in 2015 and 2016 for glyphosate residues in 3,188 samples of food, which were bought from grocery stores across the country. SEE GLYPHOSATE, PAGE 4
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glyypho ph sat sa e r idu res idue det detect de etect ected eed d (%))
g phoosat gly sate rresidue abov bovee MRLLs (%))
B n/p Bea n/pea/ ea/len lentil til pr produ ductss du
47. 7.4% 7. 4 4%
0.6 0 .6%
Graiin pro Gra p ducts
3 6% 36. %
33.9 9%
Inf nfant fa ce cerea eall
31..7% %
n e non no
Infant Inf ant food
30.7% 30 30.
non n one
Juice Jui c & othe h r beve beverag rag ages ag
16. 6 3% %
0.2% 0.2 %
Proces Pro cessed sed d fr fruits its & veget getabl ables bl
12. 2 1% %
non n ne
Soy pr produ oducts odu cts ts
11.0% 0
non ne
Fo d type Foo pe
GETTY PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
Fresh Fr Fre sh fru fr its & veggeta et bless
7.33%
nonee non
T AL TOT TO A
29.7% 7%
1.3% 1.3 %
Source: CFIA | MICHELLE HOULDEN GRAPHIC
CHECKOFFS
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Non-refundable checkoffs may return to Alberta BY BARBARA DUCKWORTH CALGARY BUREAU
At least two agricultural commissions in Alberta plan to ask their members for permission to return to a non-refundable checkoff now that the provincial government has announced it will give them the right to do so. The Marketing of Agricultural Products Amendment Act 2017, or Bill 9, which was tabled in the Alberta legislature April 11, allows producer-run commissions to
decide if their checkoffs should be refundable or non-refundable. These levies are either collected every time a product is sold or a base amount is charged to each member of the commission. However, no changes can be made until commissions take the question to producers in a vote. “If a commission chooses to make a change to its service charge model, they must conduct a plebiscite to their members to ensure they are consulted,” said Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier.
Commissions once had the right to make their checkoffs nonrefundable, but the government changed the rules in 2009 so that all checkoffs were refundable by request. The money collected pays for promotion, trade missions, research and marketing. Alberta Beef Producers is going to have a plebiscite, said chair Bob Lowe. Resolutions have been passed at ABP annual meetings to restore the non-refundable checkoff, but Lowe said the logistics of running a
vote could take some time. The association will also have to work with the Alberta Products Marketing Council to see how to proceed. “It is not going to happen over night,” he said. “We are working with the (Alberta) cattle feeders and it is pretty hard to come to some sort of mutual agreement, but we can ask for a plebiscite together.” ABP charges a $2 refundable levy and a non-refundable, mandatory $1 national checkoff. SEE MANDATORY CHECKOFFS, PAGE 5
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APRIL 20, 2017 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Stn. Main, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4 The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Corp. Publisher: Shaun Jessome Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240
BY ROBERT ARNASON
GLYPHOSATE IN FOOD