The Rural Voice, 2001-02, Page 12CANADIAN
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John Farrell
R.R. 2, Wingham, Ontario
Phone/Fax 519-357-1058
BARN
RENOVATIONS
• Renovations to
farm buildings f,
• Concrete Work `=a
• Manure Tanks
• Using a Bobcat Skid Steer
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stabling equipment is now
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519-887-9598
8 THE RURAL VOICE
Scrap Book
Poultry code of practice under review
The voluntary, but widely followed
code of practice for Canada's poultry
industry will be reviewed for the first ,
time in more than a decade in 2001
and public opinion has shifted
significantly in that time, a Humane
Society official warns.
"People are becoming very
conscious of the way their food is
raised," Joy Ripley, president of the
Canadian Federation of Humane
Societies said. "Humane treatment of
poultry is going to be front and centre
in all these issues."
The federation, which got the ball
rolling on the original code of practice
in 1980, will join farmers,
veterinarians, processors, scientists
and bureaucrats in the review. The
poultry industry will first come up
with a draft of the code to examine
during several day -long meetings over
the year, until consensus is reached on
changes.
Ripley said several issues are likely
to come up in the discussions of the
new committee.
Housing: The current recommendation
of 410 to 450 square centimetres of
space per caged hen will be
challenged. Ripley said the current
standard is inadequate but her
organization does not have a new
standard in mind.
Ian Duncan, a poultry scientist who
holds the chair in animal welfare at
University of Guelph, said there's
increasing evidence laying hens are
too crowded in their cages. Duncan,
who'll be involved in the discussions,
said his personal view was the
standard should be increased by one-
third to 600 square centimetres.
Forced molting: The practice of
withholding feed from laying hens for
as long as 12 days to increase
production is common in the United
States, but not in Canada. However
Ripley said it's important the code
addresses the practice lest it become
popular in the future.
Beak Trimming: Poultry farmers have
a dilemma when it comes to beak
trimming, said Duncan. There's
evidence it causes birds pain, but
without trimming, birds will peck at
and cannibalize each other.
"Somehow we've got to persuade
breeding companies to select birds that
do not require (beak trimming)."
Slaughter issues: Ripley said the way
chickens are killed at slaughter plants
may come up for discussion.
Duncan feels the length of time old
hers spend in transport to processing
plants could be an issue.
Ripley acknowledged the
difficulties of balancing the ethics and
economics of animal welfare in codes
of practice but, she said, it's in
farmers' economic interest to
recognize consumers' concerns about
animal welfare.°
—Source: Western Producer
Shocking news in juice purification
University of Guelph researchers have developed a way to pasteurize fruit
juices without using heat.
Engineering Professor Gauri Mittal is part of a research team that has
discovered and patented a unique way to pasteurize liquids such as juices
through uniquely shaped high-voltage electrical pulses, up to 30,000 volts, for
just a microsecond. The voltage is high enough to split the cell walls of micro-
organisms such as bacteria, in the fluids, so they can't repair themselves and are
destroyed.
The new technique reaps the same benefit as standard pasteurization —
eliminating bacteria — and offers some unique advantages over thermal
pasteurization. By using high-voltage pulses to kill undesirable micro-organisms
without increasing the temperature of the food, the nutrient value remains stable
and flavour is maintained. In contrast, heat pasteurization reduces vitamin A
content in apple juice and milk and vitamin C content in orange juice. As a
result, producers must replace the lost vitamins to meet nutritional standards.
What's more, flavour can be adversely affected during the thermal pasteurization
process. The team expects the process will be ready for application in two years.°
Source: University of Guelph Research Magazine