Invite The “Good Guys” Over For Compost Tea

Conventional agriculture’s overwhelming focus on chemistry is fundamentally flawed, according to Matthew George, a lab director with Soil Foodweb Canada. By neglecting the important role played by soil biology, chemically dependent farming tries to supply the entire scope of a plant’s nutrient needs through artificial means, effectively bypassing natural processes. The result, he said, is

Essential Oils Tested For Disease-Fighting Qualities

Oils derived from cinnamon and cloves do more than taste and smell good – they can also fight foodborne diseases, such as E. coli and salmonella, researchers are discovering. This natural ability of some ancient natural oils – from geraniums, cloves, wild oregano, cinnamon and thyme, for example – offers promise in finding alternatives to


E. coli vaccine for cattle gets full licence

Ontario’s Bioniche Life Sciences has picked up full licensing approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for its vaccine to reduce shedding of E. coli 0157:H7 by cattle. The vaccine, to be marketed under the name Econiche, is now available for “unrestricted use” by Canadian cattle producers and their veterinarians, the Belleville company said. Supplies

Some meats cleared to leave Maple Leaf plant

Deli meats produced at Maple Leaf’s Bartor Road processing plant in Toronto are cleared to leave the plant if they came off other processing lines besides the one that’s turned up further contamination with listeria. The Bartor Road plant had been shut for deep cleaning after its production was linked to several dozen cases of


Listeria inquiry may become CFIA review

“It will be hard to do anything of substance that fast.” – FOOD LAWYER RONALD DOERING As concerns about listeria and other food safety issues percolated through the Oct. 14 election campaign, federal officials tried to find candidates to head an inquiry promised by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The appointment i sn’t expected until after