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

Maple Leaf Steps Up Its Battle With Listeria

“If one of our facilities doesn’t find it during regular testing, we would audit them to make sure their testing was thorough enough.” – MAPLE LEAF FOOD SAFETY OFFICER RANDY HUFFMAN Maple Leaf Foods is tackling listeria on several fronts in its 27 Canadian food plants to try to keep the wily bacteria out of


Salmonella Insurance Soon Available For Egg Farmers

Anew program to insure Canada’s egg industry against the effects of Salmonella enteritidis (Se) should be ready this spring. The program, expected to be ready April 1, will compensate egg farmers for economic losses stemming from Se in their operations. It will also extend to hatcheries, Manitoba egg producers were told at their recent annual

Stop Recycling Pathogens In Animal Feed

“Something needs to be done to show reduced levels of these frequencies.” – RICHARD HOLLEY, U OF M Two recent high-profile cases of foodborne illness have once again raised concerns about the safety of North America’s food supply. Last year, 20 Canadians died and 36 more sickened after eating processed meat contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes


Fungicidal Treatment For Cereals Registered

U. S. chemical firm Chemtura and ag input retail firm UAP Canada have registration in hand for a new fungicidal seed treatment for use by Prairie cereal growers. Rancona Apex will be available this season for use by farmers in Western Canada, UAP said in a release March 6. UAP has the Chemtura product’s Prairie

Get The Cold Facts About Your Refrigerator

You’re not alone if you don’t know the recommended temperature for your refrigerator. We often hear about a foodborne illness outbreak (formerly known as food poisoning). Oftentimes these outbreaks are traced back to commercial operations, food service establishments and restaurants. But what about foodborne illness caused in homes? Approximately half of all cases occur from


MPs To Probe Listeria Outbreak

The Commons agriculture committee has agreed to establish an inquiry into last summers listeria outbreak that killed 20 and sickened more than 50 others. A motion by NDP Farm Critic Alex Atamanenko to launch the inquiry was backed by the other parties including the Conservatives after it was broadened to include an examination of how

New twists on growing nitrogen, building soil organic matter

It is well known that alfalfa and other legumes in a crop rotation fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil. What may be less widely understood, however, is the extra boost that more diverse crop rotations offer to long-term yields in the form of increased organic matter. This phenomenon is described by soil scientists


Salmonella outbreak may spur U. S. food safety

The latest U. S. salmonella outbreak could spur food safety reform in the U. S. Congress, but the process will be slow and consumers will remain at risk until the shattered regulatory regime can be fixed. “Congress is poised to take early action on food safety legislation,” said Caroline Smith DeWall, a director of food

Philippines investigates Ebola in pigs

The Philippines has asked the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for help in stopping the spread of Ebola-Reston virus after an infection was found in some hog farms early this year, an official said on Dec. 17. The Agriculture Department has sent requests to the FAO to test an initial 10,000 swine in two