Irradiated ground beef, such as these burger patties, is expected to have a lower potential presence of harmful pathogens such as E. coli.

NFU opposes ground beef irradiation

Irradiation will allow large companies to benefit from regulation and puts up another barrier to smaller packers, the NFU says

The National Farmers Union says Health Canada should kibosh its proposal to allow irradiation of ground beef and improve meat inspection instead. The department should also establish “appropriate and effective regulations that will support a diversified, regional food-processing strategy,” the NFU said. “These actions would increase Canadians’ confidence in meat packers to provide them with

Let’s get pickled!

Let’s get pickled!

Gate to Plate: Classic Dill Pickles, Multi-Coloured Pickled Cauliflower, and Homemade Hot Pepper Rings

It’s time to get pickling. While classic crunchy dill pickles probably come to mind, don’t stop there. Just about any fruit or vegetable can be preserved in a vinegar solution with added herbs and spices. Pickled veggies can be enjoyed as an appetizer, light snack or topper to main entrees. What’s a burger without pickles


Purdue University researcher Bruce Applegate and other collaborating researchers developed a process that extends the shelf life of milk.

Process extends milk shelf life

The new technique could reduce waste and 
make distribution more efficient

Researchers at Purdue University say a new process could extend milk’s shelf life to as long as nine weeks. Bruce Applegate, an associate professor of food science, says he and other researchers rapidly heated and cooled milk, which significantly reduced the number of harmful bacteria. Applegate and collaborators from Purdue and the University of Tennessee

ground beef

An appetizing case for irradiation

Canada is at least a decade behind other countries in adopting this proven and safe technology

When it comes to food, irradiation just does not sound all that appetizing. Visions of X-ray machines and the atomic bomb quickly come to mind and associating these images with food may not be compelling. Now that Health Canada is considering the use of food irradiation for beef products, the debate rages and most wonder

4-H foods projects teach lifelong lessons

4-H foods projects teach lifelong lessons

Prairie Fare: Bread Pudding

I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world.” If you recognize this pledge, chances are you have been in 4-H, or perhaps your child and/or other relative has been in


Person holding fresh lettuce

Are you taking steps to ensure safe fruits and vegetables are in your kitchen?

Prairie Fare: Asian-style Cobb Salad and B.L.A.T. Wrap with Bacon Mayo

Are the cucumbers at the store safe? Have any recent foodborne illness outbreaks occurred with spinach, peppers or lettuce? Lately, you might have heard or read about a recall of cucumbers imported from Mexico that reached various U.S. restaurants and retail stores. At the time of this column, 341 people in 30 states were sickened

rhubarb on a cutting board

Can rhubarb become toxic?

Prairie Fare: Rhubarb Cake

Do you remember the “telephone” game? You might have played it when you were a kid. In the game, one person whispers a message into the ear of the person next to him or her, then that person repeats the message to the person next to him or her and so on. By the end

women in a greenhouse

Women’s Institute focuses on food literacy

Gardening, food preservation and cooking come easy to its members 
so why not share those skills with others, say Woodmore WI members

Last spring they planted an extra row of vegetables in their gardens to donate to food banks. This year, members of a local Women’s Institute are going an extra mile to teach others to grow their own. The Woodmore WI held the first of three planned gardening workshops last week, and hopes to bring participants


potato salad

Safe food preservation advice comes early this year

Prairie Fare: Poached Turkey Salad with Fennel, Kale and Cashews

We have reached the time of year when church potlucks are plentiful and garages are cleared out to become open-air dining rooms for graduation parties. No one wants a special event with bountiful food and numerous guests to become a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, food prepared or stored unsafely can cause illness or even death.

Front cover of Irma Harding cookbook

The iconic Irma Harding returns

Recipe Swap: Carrot Cake Jam

Those of you who remember International Harvester (IH) farm equipment may also recall the company’s fridges and freezers — and maybe Irma Harding too. Postwar rural electrification was in full swing and farmhomes were installing freezers in the late 1940s when IH, maker of cream separators since the 1880s, seized upon another opportunity to sell