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SunOpta Appoints Tony Tavares Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Erratum Re: Article "Grenville Poultry Plant to Close" Product of Canada Labelling Hearing Tariff Quota Advisory Committee Meeting Ninety Days Since C & D Completed in Saskatchewan Health Canada/ CPEPC National Poultry Kidney and Cadmium Study Animal Welfare Advocate Rejects Gas Stunning of Animals International Poultry Expo / International Feed Expo Takes Message to Canada First Human Trials Of New Bird Flu Vaccine - Vietnam Conferences, Courses and Workshops
Accommodation - The Westin Bayshore is now sold out over the period of June 6-10, 2008. If you have not yet made your reservation, please book immediately at the overflow hotel -- the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside. A link to the hotel is on our website under "Convention". In the event that this property fills, we have made arrangements for some rooms at the Listel Hotel. Contact information for this hotel is also on the website. Both hotels are within easy walking distance of the Westin. If you wish to be put onto a priority wait list at the Westin Bayshore Hotel, the host hotel, e-mail Mo Dupuis at mo.dupuis@westin.com. If space clears, she will try to look after you. Registration - There are a number of you who have reserved a room in Vancouver but have not yet registered for the Convention or the Golf Tournament. Please register right away as it helps considerably in organizing the Convention and social events. If you want your name to appear in the Annual Report list of delegates, make sure you register by May 9 -- Convention materials will be printed starting May 12! Sponsorship - If you would like to sponsor an event at the Convention or the Golf Tournament, this too can be done online. Check it out! All contributions are welcomed and if processor members or associate members have merchandise suitable for golf prizes, please bring them with you to Vancouver. Sponsorship and ads will be cut off May 9 so we can begin copying display materials May 12! Golf Tournament - Registration for the Golf Tournament is lagging somewhat this year. Take the opportunity to participate in the tournament being held at one of the most scenic courses in Canada. See you in Vancouver!
SunOpta Appoints Tony Tavares Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Toronto, Ontario, April 24, 2008 – SunOpta Inc. (Nasdaq:STKL) (TSX:SOY) today announced the appointment of Tony Tavares to the position of Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, SunOpta Inc., effective June 1, 2008. In this role Mr. Tavares will report to Steve Bromley, President and Chief Executive Officer, SunOpta Inc., and assume operational and strategic responsibility for the Company’s SunOpta Food Group operations and global supply chain initiatives. Mr. Tavares brings over 20 years of food industry experience to this role with a focus on increasing organizational profitability in changing environments through a combination of innovative marketing, lean manufacturing and strong organizational development. Prior to joining SunOpta, Mr. Tavares was Chief Executive Officer of Maple Lodge Farms Inc., a Canadian food company with revenues of approximately $550 million and extensive operations in fresh and deli meats, pet foods and feed milling. Mr. Tavares has also held a number of senior positions in the Canadian food industry including President of Maple Leaf Poultry, a division of Maple Leaf Foods and President of Tyson Canada. Steve Bromley, President and CEO of SunOpta Inc., commented, “We are most pleased to have Tony join the SunOpta team. His extensive experience in the food industry will be a valuable addition and will be key as we focus on maximizing our strategic strengths and driving improved profitability and return on equity.”
Erratum Re: Article "Grenville Poultry Plant to Close" The April 18 English version of the CPEPC Highlighter contained an article entitled "Grenville Poultry Plant to Close" in which it was incorrectly stated that "the company ..... processes 1,400,000 chickens every two weeks at its facilities in Saint-Anselme, Saint-Damase and Grenville." The sentence should have read "the company ..... processes 1,400,000 chickens every week at its facilities in Saint-Anselme, Saint-Damase and Grenville." We apologize for any confusion caused by this error.
Product of Canada Labelling Hearings The House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food is looking at the current "Product of Canada" labelling rules with an eye toward changing them to allow consumers to better understand where their food products are grown or raised. The committee is in the process of holding hearings and inviting industry representatives to make presentations and answer questions as witnesses. Robin Horel appeared as a witness, along with representatives from CMC & FPPAC, on April 10th. CPEPC noted that Canadian poultry and egg processing companies understand the basic requirements for the current “Product of Canada” label to be:
We noted that some members support the current labeling requirements, while others would like to see a label that reflected where the poultry products were raised or produced, rather than processed. We stressed the need for labeling to not mislead or confuse consumers and not cause extra cost for processors. It was also noted through both the presentation and the question and answer period that the regulations must be enforced in order to preserve the integrity of the label. Hearings are continuing but, based on the comments of the Standing Committee members, Robin believes that the final result of the process may well the elimination of the current "Product of Canada" label to be replaced by two labels. One could read something like "Processed in Canada" and would likely have the same requirements as today's label, while another could read something like "Raised or Grown in Canada" and would refer to where the poultry product was farmed. Processing members had an opportunity to comment on Robin's speaking notes prior to the presentation.
Tariff Quota Advisory Committee Meeting A Tariff Quota Advisory Committee (TQAC) for chicken and turkey was held on April 24th in Ottawa. The majority of the meeting focused on the allocation of chicken TRQ for 2008 and beyond. Several different proposals were discussed in depth at that meeting. DFAIT agreed to develop and distribute their proposal, which will then be circulated to the chicken members for comment. The turkey discussions also focused on solutions to the 2008 turkey TRQ shortfall. CTMA, CPEPC and FPPAC staff agreed to meet and develop a proposal over the next weeks. An update on the IREP program was presented at the meeting, which has been circulated to the CPEPC members. Another topic discussed was to hold separate chicken and turkey TQAC meetings, which would allow each sector to focus on specific industry issues in more depth.
The Egg Grading and Processing sectors decided at their last sector meetings to contract RANA International Inc. to work with the sectors to develop a business plan. A meeting with a small group of graders and processors was held on April 21st to work on the framework for the plan. A draft plan will be presented at a joint session of graders and egg processors in Vancouver and finalized at the sector meetings in October.
Ninety Days Since C & D Completed in Saskatchewan CFIA announced April 25 that ninety days have passed since cleaning and disinfection activities on the affected Saskatchewan farm were completed. No further cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been detected through surveillance during this period. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has been notified that Canada is now considered to be free of highly pathogenic avian influenza in accordance with the science-based standards adopted by the international animal health body.
Health Canada/ CPEPC National Poultry Kidney and Cadmium Study CPEPC has published a report quantifying the amount of cadmium found in poultry kidney and poultry products from slaughter establishments across the country. CPEPC member companies sampled and tested over 450 samples of chicken and turkey kidney tissue, MSM (mechanically separated meat) and FTM (finely textured meat) and submitted the results to the CPEPC office. Results were analyzed and through mathematical modelling demonstrated that the cadmium concentration in poultry MSM made from carcasses with kidney left intact contributes virtually nil to the overall daily intake of cadmium in Canadian diets. The report has been forwarded to a scientific committee within Health Canada for review. This national survey provides Health Canada with the necessary scientific evidence allowing them to re-examine their position on the removal of kidneys from poultry carcasses. CPEPC members can obtain a copy of the report by contacting ericacharlton@cpepc.ca.
Animal Welfare Advocate Rejects Gas Stunning of Animals A leading academic advocate of animal welfare has stated that gas stunning of food animals is not humane because the animals must feel that they are being suffocated. Gas stunning relies on the displacement of air by heavier, non-oxygenated gases, such as carbon dioxide or argon. “There is no distress as severe as the feeling of not being able to breathe,” said Dr. Bernard Rollin, a philosophy professor and specialist in animal ethics at Colorado State University. “This feeling of suffocation is not only a result of lack of oxygen but also the inability to blow off carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide drives respiration. Even though controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS) creates unconsciousness, there must be a period when the animal feels a sense of suffocation. For this reason, I do not accept CAS as a humane method of euthanasia.”
Gas stunning is being promoted by People for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals, especially as an alternative to the electrical stunning
of poultry. The American Humane Association, which has published its
own animal welfare program, called American Humane Certified, joined
Rollin in rejecting gas stunning. - National Chicken Council Washington Report of April 18, 2008
International Poultry Expo / International Feed Expo Takes Message to Canada The International Poultry Expo / International Feed Expo was one of two Atlanta-based trade shows selected to participate April 6-11 in the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau’s first trade mission to Canada. The trip was designed to promote the 2009 IPE / IFE as well as the upcoming International Woodworking Fair to prospective attendees and exhibitors and to showcase Atlanta as an exciting host city. The mission team made presentations in Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Mississauga, and Saint Hyacinthe. The ACVB was assisted in its outreach efforts by the U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Service, Canadian Poultry magazine, and several Canadian poultry and egg associations. “The International Poultry Expo has a long standing history with Atlanta dating back to over 60 years,” said Spurgeon Richardson, president and chief executive officer of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The trade mission is ACVB’s latest initiative that supports attendance building and promotes Atlanta’s hospitality industry.” The International Poultry Expo / International Feed Expo is the world’s largest trade show for the poultry, egg, and feed sectors of the industry. The 2008 event drew over 20,000 people from more than 100 countries to see the latest products, services, and technology offered by 894 exhibitors. Canadians make up approximately 20 percent of the international attendance. “That makes Canada a natural partner in our international marketing outreach,” said U.S. Poultry & Egg Association President John Starkey. “Through efforts such as this mission and our participation in the U.S. Commercial Service’s International Buyer Program, we will continue positioning the IPE / IFE as the premier event in our industry.” Funds raised at the IPE are distributed back into the poultry industry in the form of research, education, communications, and technical assistance. For more information on the trade show, go to www.ipe09.org.
First Human Trials Of New Bird Flu Vaccine - Vietnam It has been reported that the first large-scale trial of a Vietnamese H5N1 vaccine has taken place. Thirty healthy students and staff members aged 18-45 from the Military Medical Institute (MMI) volunteered to take part in the trial. The vaccine, 4 years in the making, has been developed from monkey kidney cells and was produced by the Vaccine and Bio-technology Products Company (VABIOTECH) from the National Hygiene and Epidemiology Institute. All of the volunteers. As scheduled, the volunteers will first have their blood tested six times to evaluate the levels of antibodies and any side effects, head of the Epidemiology Department at the MMI Colonel Doan Huy Hong said. After 28 days they will receive the second shot and be monitored for 90 days. According to the World Health Organisation, one dose of avian influenza type A (H5N1) vaccine is effective after two 1ml injections. The second injection is given 28 days after the first. If the trial is successful, another 240 students and teachers at the MMI will take part in a second trial in June. If everything goes according to plan, the avian influenza H5N1 vaccine will be produced across the nation in 2009 at a price of nearly US$2 per dose. According to director of VABIOTECH Prof Nguyen Thu Van, because the vaccine is totally new, it was very difficult to predict how the test would go. "Tests on animal have around an 80% success rate. However, we still did not know the appropriate dose for humans. So far, everything has gone as planned, we just have to wait for the results." www.worldpoultry.net
Conferences, Courses and Workshops
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At least 51% of total direct manufacturing or processing costs must
be Canadian