(Canada Beef Inc. photo)

Mexico halts bid for COOL retaliation

Mexico City | Reuters — Mexico has halted a bid to impose retaliatory trade measures on the U.S. over meat labeling rules after U.S. lawmakers repealed them this week, a Mexican government official said. Mexico had announced earlier this month it would start internal procedures to strip benefits from some U.S. agricultural and industrial imports,

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


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

COOL saga winding down, but not over yet

CNS Canada –– The seven-year saga of U.S. country of origin labelling (COOL) rules and their adverse impact on Canada’s livestock sector may be nearing its final chapter, but the conclusion still needs to be written. After numerous complaints and appeals with the World Trade Organization, the COOL regulations in place since 2008 have been

She wouldn’t be so worried if she was assured the processing procedures were the same as in the U.S.

Americans will buy imported meat if assured of standards

USDA should help consumers make more informed decisions


With Congress currently debating the repeal of mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) for meat and poultry — federal law in the U.S. since 2002 — new research from the Sam W. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas shines a spotlight on how COOL labelling affects consumers’ purchase decisions. In “A COOL Effect: The


Jessica McKague is assistant curator at Steinbach’s Mennonite Heritage Village Museum where the exhibit, Mennonite Food: Tastes in Transition, is on display until early 2016.

Steinbach museum reveals a global recipe swap

A new exhibit at Steinbach’s Mennonite Heritage Village Museum explores the impact of migration and other influences on Mennonite food

Why do Mennonites eat watermelon and roll’kuaka? Where’d their recipe for varenikje come from? And what’s up with all that farmers’ sausage, anyways? A new food history exhibit at the Mennonite Heritage Village Museum in Steinbach answers those questions and more. Typical Mennonite foods like kielke (egg noodles, schmauntfat (white cream gravy) and/or pereschtje (meat-filled

Abe Van Melle, technical manager of the Beef Centre of Excellence, is working on adding value to Canadian beef by exploring underutilized cuts. Here he’s working with rope meat, also known as hanging tender, which traditionally is ground into hamburger, but can be made into a roast or steaks.

VIDEO: Canada’s Beef Centre of Excellence building demand through emotional connections

The goal is building brand loyalty by demonstrating Canadian beef is best in class

account_id=”2206156280001″ player_id=”ryGLIkmv”] Rob Meijer[/caption] “We need to change the paradigm to put (beef) producers and consumers in a space where they can talk and tell stories, because without that relationship, without the integrity, you cannot create trust, you cannot… earn what we call brand loyalty,” Meijer tells reporters visiting the centre June 10. The facility


Outright repeal of COOL defies consumer sentiment

Outright repeal of COOL defies consumer sentiment

It was how the meat-packing industry applied the law that caused the negative effects on imports

The fate of the U.S. COOL (country-of-origin labelling) program for beef, pork, and poultry hangs in the balance as Congress goes on its Independence Day recess. Given the May 18, 2015 WTO (World Trade Organization) ruling against COOL, the threat of $3 billion in retaliatory tariffs being imposed on U.S. products by Canada and Mexico,

Supply management compensation plan rumours dismissed by Ritz

Supply management compensation plan rumours dismissed by Ritz

News reports suggest the federal government may yield to outside pressure 
to grant increased access to Canadian markets

A front page Globe and Mail article claiming the federal government is planning a compensation scheme for supply management farmers “is pure speculation,” says Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. The newspaper said the compensation would be intended to blunt the impact on supply management from Canada joining the Trans-Pacific Pact. Speculation about a TPP deal this


U.S. Senate building

Progress on COOL, but Canada still threatening retaliation

U.S. Senate and Obama administration need to act quickly, warns Agriculture Minister Ritz

While the House of Representatives has voted strongly to repeal the country-of-origin labelling program, the Senate and the Obama administration need to act quickly as well, warns Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. Otherwise Canada along with Mexico will be putting their case for retaliatory duties to a special meeting of the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement

Canadian agricultural minister Gerry Ritz

Canada ups the ante in COOL dispute

Canada is seeking more than $3 billion in tariffs

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz is warning Canada will play hardball with American politicians who block legislation to scrap the U.S. country-of-origin labelling (COOL) program on beef and pork imports. Canada formally asked the World Trade Organization June 4 to approve slightly more than $3 billion a year in retaliatory tariffs on American food and consumer