Abatch of poultry feed products from an unnamed Alberta rendering plant is being pulled from sale for disposal on concerns that it may contain prohibited cattle parts.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said March 28 that it’s investigating what it calls “potentially contaminated feed products.”

“Information to date indicates that a limited amount of poultry feed may have been inadvertently contaminated with specified risk material (SRM)” earlier in March, the agency said.

CFIA didn’t say in its statement how the poultry feed may have been “inadvertently” contaminated, nor where it may have been shipped.

SRMs are tissues known to harbour the prions that cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in infected cattle. They’re removed from all cattle slaughtered for food, have been banned from ruminant livestock feed since 1997 and have been banned from fertilizer, all pet food and all livestock feed since 2007.

The poultry feed that may contain SRMs “poses no health risk to poultry and does not affect the safety of poultry meat and eggs,” CFIA said.

2009 Hog Carcass Competition Results

Awards for the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair 2009 Hog Carcass Competition took place April 1. This year there were 38 entries from 11 competing farms.

The judging took place at East 40 Packers. A number of factors including overall weight, quality and texture of muscle, eye, and marbling were considered in choosing the top carcasses. Each of the winners contributed a portion of their prize to a Manitoba charity.

The winners and their charities are as follows:

First: Spring Valley Colony – Brandon Regional Hospital;

Second: New Rosedale Colony – Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba;

Third: Maxwell Colony – Portage Hospital;

Fourth: Boundary Lane Colony – Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba;

Fifth: Spring Valley Colony – Brandon Regional Hospital.