CFIA study shows most food complied with chemical residue and metals limits Thursday, November 1, 2012 by SUSAN MANNMore than 98 per cent of food samples tested by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as part of its annual monitoring program complied with Health Canada standards for chemical residues and metals, according to an agency study released Tuesday.And that’s very good news, says Art Smith, CEO of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.The CFIA study, part of the National Chemical Residue Monitoring program, was done in 2009/10 and included 160,000 tests done on more than 20,000 samples that produced in excess of three million results, CFIA says in a news release. The tests were done on both domestic and imported foods, including dairy, eggs, honey, meat, poultry, fresh and processed fruits and vegetables and maple products.“This and other CFIA studies are part of an ongoing testing regime to help keep the food safety system strong for Canadian families,” the release says.The study tests animal and plant foods for multiple hazards, including residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs and environmental contaminants.CFIA says the amount of chemical residues detected would not pose a health concern to Canadians. Smith says that’s also great news. “It just shows that farmers are sticking with the regulations, both on the imported and domestic side,” he notes.Information obtained through this program allows the CFIA to identify violations and trends, gauge the effectiveness of policies and programs, plus develop strategic plans to minimize potential health risks for Canadians.CFIA says the consistently high compliance rates across all domestic and imported commodities tested in the 2009/10 chemical residue-monitoring program are similar to previous years’ results. BF Nominations sought for ag awards Food processing survey explores government red tape
2025 Election Results Prompt Concern and Reflection Among Prairie Farmers Tuesday, May 6, 2025 Users on Agriville.com weigh-in on the 2025 federal election outcome As news broke that Mark Carney’s Liberals had won the 2025 federal election, many western Canadian farmers on Agriville.com shared their reactions. The mood was largely one of disappointment, with concerns about the... Read this article online
Mother’s Day Q&A with Davina Garner Tuesday, May 6, 2025 Mother’s Day is this Sunday (don’t say we didn’t remind you), and all this week Farms.com is connecting with moms in the ag sector for a Q&A about motherhood, what makes it great, and what makes it tough. Davina Garner (DG) and her husband Kurtis run a dairy and cash crop farm in Embro,... Read this article online
OFA viewpoint on growing future farmers Tuesday, May 6, 2025 Agriculture is arguably among the most important industries we have. Not only is it one of the biggest sectors of the Ontario and Canadian economies, but it’s also fundamental to our very existence. After all, everyone has to eat—and in Ontario, we’re luckier than most in the wide... Read this article online
Looking for the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift for Women who work in Agriculture? Friday, May 2, 2025 Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to show appreciation for the incredible women in agriculture than by supporting products and services created by women in agriculture? Whether she’s managing livestock, growing crops, running a farm-based business—or all of... Read this article online
FCC Predicts Canadian Farmers will Wait to Buy New Farm Equipment Thursday, May 1, 2025 This year may not be the year to buy a brand-new John Deere X Series combine. No matter how great it would be to raise harvest capacity by 45 percent, Canadian farmers may put off their purchase until later. Rising farm equipment prices due to trade disruptions will alter farmers'... Read this article online