Canadian Dairy Industry Looks Forward on Food Safety

    OTTAWA, March 16 /CNW Telbec/ - Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC), the Dairy
Processors Association of Canada (DPAC) and the Canadian National Committee of
the International Dairy Federation (FIL/IDF-Canada) held a conference on
managing food safety in the dairy industry and the food chain on March 11 and
12, 2009.
    "We eat everyday. Food is essential to life and must be treated with
respect," Don Jarvis, CEO of Dairy Processors Association of Canada told
participants at the beginning of the conference. "Outbreaks, though
infrequent, are highly publicized and remind all of us in the food industry
that we must remain diligent in managing risks. In the dairy industry, all
partners realize that Canadians deserve safe food and that we must do all we
can to deserve and earn consumer confidence."
    Canadian food is safe. Incidents are few and far between. This very fact
means they will attract attention and can undermine consumer confidence in the
food industry.
    The food industry is very conscious of the need to show consumers we do
everything we can do enhance food safety. In Canada, the food industry has
adopted a HACCP-based system for food safety. Food producers and processors
identify hazards and train their staff to be vigilant and manage hazards to
keep food as safe as possible as it is handled, processed and distributed to
consumers.
    "We have a food safety system in place that controls the risks we face in
Canada and it has been fairly effective overall," said Richard Doyle,
Executive Director of Dairy Farmers of Canada. "However, during this
conference, we have learned how science has evolved and given us new tools,
new approaches to help us in growing forward."
    "The purpose of the conference was to develop a better understanding, by
industry and government, of the new 'metrics' approach to food safety using an
integrated chain management for food safety," explained Mr. Doyle. "This
approach is widely discussed around the world and Conference participants had
the opportunity to hear experts talk about its application to food safety both
in Canada and beyond its borders."
    The field of metrics measurement is fairly young. It is based on risk
management and helps quantify the hazards identified with the HACCP food
safety system. The conference helped the dairy industry better understand the
advances in science and the direction food safety technology and regulation
are moving. With this information, the Canadian food chain will be able to
better address food safety issues at times of crisis but more importantly in
the development of programs, procedures and regulations.

    All the presentations from the conference are available at:
http://www.dairyinfo.gc.ca/index_e.php?s1=idf-fil

For further information: on the conference: Thérèse Beaulieu, Dairy
Farmers of Canada, [phone] x 2750, Cell: [phone]; Sally
Rutherford, Dairy Processors Association of Canada, [phone]