Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced an investment of more than $50,000 today for the Turkey Farmers of Canada's on-farm food safety programme.

Minister Ritz said: "Through Canada's Economic Action plan, the Government of Canada has made agriculture and food safety a top priority. We are delivering real results for families by making smart investments in the turkey industry so that farmers can meet market demands while continuing to ensure the safety of our food."

This investment will help the Turkey Farmers of Canada update their On-Farm Food Safety Program (OFFSP), including their training course materials to ensure that farmers keep up to speed with new science and food safety practices. The OFFS program identifies potential on-farm food safety hazards and provides producers with best management practices to mitigate those risks. It is a national programme based on Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles, to make sure that potential food safety problems are caught before products leave the farm gate.

Mark Davies, Chair of the Turkey Farmers of Canada, commented: "We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Government of Canada to continue the development of our On-Farm Food Safety Program. To assure our industry partners and consumers that our farmers take their roles very seriously, we work with our members to ensure the effectiveness of on-farm food safety practices. Canadian turkey continues to be a healthy protein of choice for the consumer."

This federal Growing Forward investment is being funded through the Canadian Integrated Food Safety Initiative (CIFSI). The Government of Canada is creating real results for farmers and helping organisations develop national, government-recognised on-farm and/or post-farm HACCP or HACCP-based food safety systems.

Further Reading

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You can find out more about this initiative by clicking here.