The Rural Voice, 1997-06, Page 41need to be continuedwhen the project
goes beyond the pilot stage to be
used on a wider basis with Ontario
producers.
Phase two of the pilot project
involves assuring meat isn't infested
with bacterias. Luckily, says
Blackwell, pork has never been
associated to any of the outbreaks of
disease like the e coli "hamburger
disease" that has taken lives and
made headlines in recent years.
Though the committee has chosen
to tackle the "drugs" part of its
mandate first, it's this "bugs" phase
that's "infinitely more important,"
says Blackwell.
This phase will involve, nearly
exclusively, the packing plants. The
main danger is when the bacteria in
the gut of the pig are spread to the
rest of the carcass, he says. It's also
the part of the project that will
involve the most expense with plenty
of testing involved. Blackwell is still
trying to find the funding for this
phase, scheduled to start next year
once the committee is satisfied the
program it has designed for
producers is working.
The pilot project was given an
initial budget of $30,000 from
Ontario Pork and some county
producers' associations, such as
Huron and Wellington, have
provided $2 per
member to help out.
But with Phase two
involving hundreds of
thousands in testing,
support from packers
and others in the food
system is also needed.
hale three,
involving envir-
onmental and
animal welfare con-
cerns is "flimsy at this
point," says Black-
well and may never
take place. It's
designed to deal with
possible future impos-
ition of non -tariff
barriers. Perhaps the
European Economic Union could say
that won't accept pork unless it has
been produced under the same
housing requirements as are used
there, or the the same manure
restrictions as in Holland. Since the
Europeans currently won't accept
Canadian pork because they even
disagree on packing plant sanitation
requirements, however, it's unlikely
it will ever become an issue.
Blackwell says. However !l
Japanese buyers feel pork
from Denmark meets higher
standards than pork from
Canada, Ontario producers
may want to to be able to
prove they have standards
that are equally high.
But these are possible
trade barriers in the future.
he says. The problem now is
refusal of Canadian pork
because of drug residues.
Even if the Ontario
program works, however,
there will be concerns about
standardized QA programs
all across Canada.
"Ontario Pork isn't
marketed (overseas) as
Ontario pork but as Canadian pork,"
says Richards. Already there are
conflicts between provinces about
coming up with a system all can use.
In a country like Denmark, he says, a
decision is made to design one
program and it gets done while in
Dave Linton
Ontario's out front in QA.
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