10 • MAY 2006 WWW.FOODINC ANADA.COM

The high cost of doing business

Food and beverage manufacturers searchingfor ways to widen margins and tighten

expenses may be surprised to learn thatCanada is the second most cost-com-petitive country in the G7, withapproximately 5.5-per-cent lowercosts as compared to the U.S.

That’s according to KPMG’s2006 Competitive AlternativesStudy: A Guide to InternationalBusiness Cost. Launched in Torontoin late March, the bi-annual studycompares business costs in NorthAmerica, Europe and Asia Pacific bymeasuring 27 key cost components –including labour, transportation, utilities andtaxes – for more than 2,000 individual business scenar-ios. The material was collected between July 2005 andJanuary 2006, from nine industrialized countries.

This year Singapore takes the top spot as most cost-com-petitive country in which to do business, followed byCanada, France, the Netherlands, Italy, the U.K., the U.S.,Japan and Germany. Canadian cities also ranked high on thelist of most cost-efficient international cities (out of 128

cities), with Montreal ranking second and Toronto rankingfourth for cities with a population of at least two million(Singapore again took the top spot). Sherbrooke, Que.topped the list of smaller cities.

“Even with the strong appreciation of the Canadian dol-lar relative to the U.S. currency, Canada continues to have acost advantage relative to the U.S.,” says KMPG Advisorypractice director Mark MacDonald, noting that costs such aslabour, private medical coverage, real estate, and electricitywere all significantly lower in Canada as compared to theU.S. “Various federal and provincial tax cuts over the lastdecade have also made Canada’s tax system more competitivewith the U.S., and have contributed to the positive positionof the Canadian cities.”

Investing in the Future

Cambridge Fine Foods Ltd. is set to become the“go-to company” in the frozen prepared mealssector. So says president Pieter de Jonge, noting

that phase one of the strategy involved a $1.5-million investment in a spiral freezer, as

well as manufacturing and packagingequipment. “In order to compete in thefuture, investment in technology is amust to stay in business,” says de Jonge.

The investment comes on the heels of a management-led buyout of theCambridge, Ont.-based company, when

de Jonge, former director of Operations,purchased majority control of Cambridge

Foods from Guelph, Ont.’s Better Beef Ltd.Cambridge Foods company specializes in frozen

prepared meals for the private label sector, notablyentrées and single-serve meals. Its most recent launch in thefrozen prepared meal sector includes two single-servemicrowaveable bowls for M&M Meat Shops Ltd., ShanghaiBeef Bowl and Barbeque Beef Bowl.

As part of its growth strategy the company has appointedPeter Creditor as controller and accounting manager; FrankScanlon as director of Sales and Marketing; and Randy Huntas plant manager and production manager.

NEWSFILE

The Voice of the Canadian Food & Beverage Industry

The Dairy Farmers of Canada have announced the winners of the 2006 5th

Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. This year a record 189 cheeses entered the contest,

and were evaluated according to well-defined criteria, including flavour, colour, tex-

ture, body, firmness, general appearance and salt content. To be eligible to enter, the

cheeses must be made in Canada with cow’s milk from Canadian dairy farms, and

must be available to consumers at the time they are judged.

This year’s Grand Champion was La Sauvagine, a washed-rind cheese boasting

a smooth, creamy texture and a delicate flavour. The cheese is made by La

Fromagerie Alexis de Portneuf, which is based in Saint-Raymond de Portneuf, Que.

THE BIG CHEESE

FOOD04_010-016 5/3/06 5:36 PM Page 10

NEWSFILE

12 • MAY 2006 WWW.FOODINC ANADA.COM

Robert Gour has been appointed president of the Fine

Cheese Division of Granby, Que.-based Agropur

Cooperative Agro-alimentaire. • Robert McGowan, CFO of

Kelowna, B.C.-based Sun-Rype Products Ltd., will retire in

July. • Vancouver-based Clearly Canadian Beverage

Corporation has appointed Sonia Manson Marketing manager.

Manson was formerly national brand manager at Weston Bakeries

Ltd. • St. John’s, Nfld.-based FPI Limited has announced that

Kevin Kavanaugh, formerly COO of the Danvers, Mass.-based

Ocean Cuisine International operating division, is no longer with

the company. • The Calgary-based Canadian Cattlemen’s

Association has elected Alberta cattle producer Hugh Lynch-

Staunton as president. • Rob Clarke has been appointed execu-

tive director at Ottawa-based TransFair Canada. TransFair is a

national non-profit certification and public education organization

that promotes Fair Trade Certified products to improve the liveli-

hood of producers in the developing world. • Steve Stavro, a

founding member of The Canadian Federation of Independent

Grocers, has passed away. Stavro started with one grocery store in

Toronto, eventually expanding it into a chain of food terminals

known as Knob Hill Farms.• Seattle-based Jones Soda Co. has

appointed Hassan Natha CFO.• Chicago-based Wm. Wrigley Jr.

Co. has appointed Martin Schlatter global chief marketing officer,

a newly created position.

ON THE SUPPLIER FRONT:

Montreal-based BioEnvelop Technologies Corporation has

announced that it is realigning its core business. Nagui Naoum,

president and CEO, will step aside in order to allow Howard Pate

to take the position of CEO on an interim basis. Naoum will

remain director and will be engaged as a consultant.

BioEnvelop manufactures Longevita coating solution, a

biodegradable and edible protein-based coating treatment

that prolongs shelf life and inhibits humidity transfer. •Toronto-based Toyota Canada Industrial Equipment has

announced that Kosaku Yamada is now managing director of

Toyota Industries Corporation. He will oversee the design, devel-

opment and manufacturing process of Toyota lift trucks. • Kerry

Sweet Ingredients in New Century, Kan., has appointed Andrea

Logan Research and Development technician for the chilled and

frozen desserts initiative. • Benicia, Calif.-based InterHealth

Nutraceuticals Inc. has appointed Daniel Murray vice-president of

Sales – Food and Beverage. InterHealth researches, develops,

markets and distributes specialty nutritional ingredients. •Covington, Ga.-based Leggett & Platt Storage Products Group, a

provider of storage and material handling solutions, has

announced three new positions: Darrell Bower is vice-president of

Business Development, Eastern Area; Ray Broussard is vice-pres-

ident of Business Development, Western Area; and Ron Murray is

executive vice-president of Global Business Development. •Buffalo, N.Y.-based Multisorb Technologies International has

appointed Mark Celmer CEO. Multisorb manufactures sorbent,

desiccant and oxygen absorbing technologies. • Homewood, Ill.-

based Silliker Inc. has announced three new appointments: Leslie

Thompson is now Operations manager for the Silliker Food

Science Center in South Holland, Ill.; Todd Dechter has been

appointed Auditing account manager for Silliker Inc.; and Dianne

West is now Auditing client service manager for Silliker Inc.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Robert Gour

416.675.3999 1.800.447.3929

Automated Labelling & ScanningThe to run itPOWER PRECISION in reading it

Zebra PAX engine

DATALOGIC scanner

FOOD04_010-016 5/3/06 5:43 PM Page 12

NEWSFILE

• Langley, B.C.-based J.D. Sweid Ltd., a furtherprocessor, has acquired Waterloo, Ont.-basedElmira Poultry Inc., a poultry processor spe-cializing in value-added products.

• The marriage is on: Fairport, N.Y.-basedConstellation Brands is set to buy Mississauga,

Ont.-based Vincor International Inc. foralmost $1.1 billion. Vincor is North America’sfourth largest producer and marketer of winesand related products by volume.

• Winnipeg-based Winpak Ltd., a manufacturerand distributor of packaging materials and

innovative packaging machines, has announcedit will sell its land and buildings in Toronto.

• Coca-Cola North America is said to be launch-ing a 4,000-sq.-ft. retail store in Toronto forcoffee-related products. The company recentlylaunched Coca-Cola Blak.

• McCain Foods India, a wholly owned sub-sidiary of Florenceville, N.B.-based McCainFoods, will set up a US$16.1 million potatoprocessing plant in the Mehsana district ofGujarat.

• Toronto-based SunOpta Fruit Group hasannounced it will continue supplying JambaJuice Company with key processed fruit prod-ucts. The contract represents a 20-per-centincrease over the prior crop year. Jamba Juiceoperates more than 500 stores in the U.S.

• Etobicoke, Ont.-based Great Lakes Brewerywas awarded a bronze medal at the 2006World Beer Cup in Boulder, Colo. The WorldBeer Cup received 2,221 entries from 540breweries in 56 countries.

IN BRIEF

Talking Turkey

Granny’s Poultry, Manitoba’s primarypoultry processor, is now produc-

ing finished product, with the introduc-tion of several new cooked turkey prod-ucts – including turkey Kulbasa, skinlesssmokies and sausage smokies – appealingto health-conscious consumers. Theproducts were introduced last summeron a trial basis and are now available toindependent food stores in Manitobaand Northwestern Ontario.

“This is our first entry into thecooked product market,” says BrianWalker, Granny’s director of BusinessDevelopment and Marketing. “Wewanted to see how well the productswere received before approaching themajor chain stores. We’re ready to takethis to the next level now.”

Walker notes that turkey is a low-fatprotein, and that the new products arelactose and gluten-free and contain notrans fat or MSG.

Granny’s, which celebrated its 25thanniversary last year, is working ondeveloping several more new value-added products for introduction laterthis year. – Myron Love

14 • MAY 2006 WWW.FOODINC ANADA.COM

Melt Your Inhibitions

www.parmalat-ingredients.com

Dreaming of superior performance from your milk replacers? The Researchmavens at Parmalat Canada have what you need.

Their understanding of the complex structure of dairy proteins and Parmalat’sproprietary processing techniques mean Prestige® Milk Replacer has featuresother products only dream of.

Imagine desirable mix viscosity… better water binding… smoother texture…improved melting characteristics for your ice cream products.What’s stopping you? Fulfill your dreams of improved ice cream profitability.

Wake up to Prestige® Milk Replacer from Parmalat.To find out more, contact Parmalat at 1.877.891.0811

or via email at ingredientsinfo@parmalat.ca.

FOOD04_010-016 5/3/06 5:43 PM Page 14

NEWSFILE

16 • MAY 2006 WWW.FOODINC ANADA.COM

• Chocolate milk isn’t just for kids – especiallywhen there’s a new premium-quality choco-late milk geared to grown-ups on the shelf.Georgetown, Ont.-based Neilson Dairyfound that adults consume half the choco-

late milk sold in Canada, but they wouldactually prefer a version with a more grown-up taste. So the company launched NeilsonThe Ultimate Chocolate Milk. The milk con-tains premium cocoa, one-per-cent milk and

all the nutrients in fresh white milk. It comesin a one-litre, resealable plastic bottle andwill be launched across Canada on aprovince-by-province basis. It retails forbetween $2.49 and $2.69.

• For those who like less of a biteto their mustards, France-basedMaille introduces Sweet &Mild. The new mustard is atangy condiment withoutthe spiciness often associat-ed with traditional French mustards such as Dijon.According to the company,the recipe includes a propri-etary blend of 11 herbs andspices, along with malt vine-gar, mustard seeds and a dashof honey. It has no fat or cholesterol and veryfew calories. Maille products are available atmost major supermarkets across Canada,and are distributed by Montreal-based IDFoods Corporation. A 250-mL size squeezebottle retails for approximately $3.29.

• Just in time for summer – and always in timefor chocoholics everywhere – is the newHäagen-Dazs Mayan Chocolate ice cream.The new flavour was inspired by the originalMayan cocoa drink recipe for “chocolatl,” acombination of roasted cocoa, chili, vanillaand honey. The ice cream is a blend of purecocoa beans and cinnamon sourced fromIndonesia. It’s available at grocery and retailoutlets across Canada for $5.99 for a 500-mLsize container.

• Another treat in time for summer is Toronto-based Nestlé Canada’s The Skinny Cow 98%Fat-Free Vanilla & Caramel Bar. The Vanilla & Caramel Bar is the newest addition to the Skinny Cow line,which was introducedin 2004 and whichincludes sandwichesand bars. The newVanilla & Caramel Barhas one gram of fatper 90-mL serving,no trans fats and 100calories per serving.The suggested retail price is $6.79 for a boxof seven frozen dessert bars.

NEW CONSUMER PRODUCTS

FOOD04_010-016 5/3/06 5:44 PM Page 16

S p e c i a l A d v e r t i s i n g S u p p l e m e n t

I n F o o d A p p l i c a t i o n sT R E N D S

Avicel BV 2815 stabilizer is based on proprietarytechnology consisting of microcrystalline cel-

lulose and pectin, which are both considerednatural. In many of today’s high growth mar-kets, including soy-based drinks, drinkableyogurts, functional drinks, energy drinks andfluid milk products, Avicel BV 2815 providessuperior stability and viscosity control whencompared to other stabilizers, such as pectin,xanthan gum and propylene glycol alginate.

At protein levels ranging from approximately3 grams/8 oz serving in a milk/juice beverage, to 7grams/8 oz serving in a whey/juice beverage, Avicel BV2815 enables lower stabilizer use levels to achieve suspension.Pectin by itself may appear to produce a stable acidified bever-age as it has minimal serum separation. However, higher levelsmay be needed to prevent sedimentation over time, especially at higher protein levels, which may result in higher viscosity

beverages. Avicel BV 2815 stabilizes and sus-pends at lower viscosities than HM pectin

in these applications. Avicel BV 2815 issuitable for food products that must meetnon-GMO standards, and either Kosheror Halal certification.

Avicel BV 2815 stabilizer innovativetechnology is patent pending and is one of

many examples of the Avicel Advantage.To discover the complete Avicel Advantage

in acidified protein beverages contact CanadaColors.

Avicel® BV 2815 Stabilizer – A new ingredient technology for stabilizing acidified protein beverages.

Canada Colors and Chemicals Limited80 Scarsdale Road

Don Mills Ontario M3B 2R7Tel: 416-449-7750

Avicel is a trademark of FMC Corporation.

FOOD04_017 5/3/06 5:24 PM Page 17

NEWSFILE

18 • MAY 2006 WWW.FOODINC ANADA.COM

Cologne, Germany welcomed the world againthis year for Anuga FoodTec, the largest

international food and drink technology exhibi-tion. More than 39,000 visitors from 146 coun-tries visited the triennial food show, which tookplace this year April 4 to 7, representing a 13-per-cent increase over 2003’s attendance record. Also notable was the fact that 55 per cent of visitors came from outside of Germany, a two-per-cent rise since 2003.

Organized by Koelnmesse GmbH and the German AgriculturalSociety (DLG), this year’s Anuga FoodTec featured 1,178 exhibitorsfrom 45 countries, displaying new product innovations in all aspects ofthe production process, from processing to packaging through to distribution. All sectors of the food industry were represented at theshow, as well as cross-sector solutions in food safety, automation, quality management, information technology and technical services,appealing to food and beverage manufac-turers working in a wide range of industrysegments. This year represented AnugaFoodTec’s largest show ever, occupying six halls and 100,000 sq. m of the newlyexpanded Cologne exhibition centre.

“This year’s Anuga FoodTec is toppingthe impressive results of the last event,while strengthening its leading position inthe international trade fair business,” saidexecutive vice-president of Koelnmesse

Wolfgang Kranz prior to the trade fair’s opening. “The unique three-dimensional crossover approach behind Anuga FoodTec is internation-al, interdisciplinary and process-oriented,” said Kranz, noting that thecrossover concept represents cross-technology, cross-category andcross-culture. “Anuga FoodTec is the place where the entire global foodindustry meets, across all national and cultural boundaries. It bringstogether worldwide demand with worldwide supply in Cologne.”

Known as a showcase for new trends, Anuga FoodTec is held everythree years to correspond with the industry’s innovation cycle. This year the food industry’s fastest-growing trends were represented

in the form of robotics, aseptic filling systems, easy-to-open packaging andcontrolled atmosphere packaging, con-venience-oriented products, traceabilitysystems, hygiene solutions and automa-tion systems.

Exhibitors making their mark thisyear included Tetra Pak, which hosted theshow’s largest booth, featuring a multi-level construction and several large-scaleaseptic packaging lines. The company

GERMANYON THE WORLD STAGEAnuga FoodTec offers a unique forum for some of the globe’s best new food technology

FOOD04_018-021 5/2/06 4:58 PM Page 18

was highlighting its Tetra Recart and TetraTop innovations. The Robotik-Pack-Line fromK-Robotix was also a crowd-pleaser, demon-strating its highly hygienic, robot system forsausage production for the first time at anytrade show. Norway’s Elopak drew visitors toits impressive multi-media presentationlaunching its new packaging product Slim.And Alpma’s Formatic system for producingboth soft and hard yellow cheese – touted bythe company as the only continuous cheese-making machine in the world – drew visitorsto its unveiling to learn about optimizing thecheese-making process.

Products aimed at aging consumers werealso in the spotlight at the “Senior Special”booth, an interactive exhibit allowing visitorsto experience the everyday challenges seniorcitizens face when dealing with food and beverage packaging. New products aimed atmeeting some of these challenges with appro-priate container openings, product sizes andlabelling visibility were also on display.

A highlight of the fair was the EuropeanFoodTec awards for innovation, presented onApril 4. This year the DLG presented five goldawards (for new products with new functionsor concepts) and three silver awards (forexisting products with significant improve-ments). Out of 36 shortlisted companies,gold awards went to: Germany’s AlpmaAlpenland Maschinenbau and Poland’sHochland Polska for their Formatic cheeseportioning system; Switzerland’s Buehler AGfor its extrusion process to fortify rice withvitamins; Finland’s Valio Ltd. for its technolo-gy eliminating lactose in milk; Germany’sKrones AG and Molkerei Gropper for theiraseptic dairy filling system; and Liechtenstein’sWorld Pac International for its impregnatedhigh-barrier sausage casings. Silver winnersinclude: Germany’s Gebrüder AbrahamSchinken GmbH for its high-pressure treat-ment for packed ham; Germany’s K-Robotixand Homann Feinkost for their Robotik-Pack-Line; and U.K. and Sweden-based Muntersfor its Icedry Frost Prevention system.

According to DLG chief executive Dr.Rhinehard Grandke, the success of this year’s exhibition proved Anuga FoodTec was still “the international meeting place forfood technology, manufacturing and proces-sors. Since the first show we’ve concentratedon a holistic approach,” says Grandke,

explaining the trade fair’s continued domi-nance in the industry. “Manufacturers can’tbe separated from concerns with packaging,quality assurance and environmental conser-vation. It also demonstrates how importantsustained development is. It’s the soil onwhich progress can grow in the development

of technology and in the manufacturing offood.”

While the next Anuga FoodTec will not beheld until March 2009, the city will host theCologne FoodTec Congress March 28 to 30,2007. For more information, see www.anu-gafoodtec.de.

NEWSFILE

WWW.FOODINC ANADA.COM FOOD IN CANADA • 19

...in every great sauce. Unseen perhaps, but certainlynever unappreciated is the subtle supportive flavor-enhancing capabilitiesof IDF. That’s because IDF provides consistently high-quality naturalmeat and poultry products that form the building blocks in your favoriteculinary creation, from sauces and soups to breadings and dressings, andan infinite variety of other delectable edibles. And IDF has the technicaland production expertise to match your culinary genius so every creationseems an inspired work of art. With IDF food ingredients as your silentpartner, you’re sure to bring great taste to life.

Breadings & Coatings Pasta Marinades Side Dishes Soups/Bouillon Food Bases Broth Sauces & GraviesFlavors Seasonings & Dressings Main Dish Meals Topical Coatings

in the sauce:Powdered Chicken Broth

Chicken Fat

in the rice:Powdered Chicken Fat and Broth

Ingredients Meat, fat & broth powders Shelf-stable chicken fat Frozen/shelf-stable chicken broth

We’re here...

idf.comCanada: 800-268-6798US: 800-641-6509 417-881-7820 fax: 417-881-7274

FOOD04_018-021 5/2/06 4:59 PM Page 19

NEWSFILE

Point Claire, Que.-based Sika Canadahas purchased the assets and technolo-gies of Pickering, Ont.-based Covercrete(Canada). Integrating Covercrete’s waterdispersed polyurethane technologieswith Sika’s global flooring range will pro-vide food processors in North Americawith a wider selection of products, serv-ices and support from one manufacturer.• Italy-based Rossi Motoriduttori Grouphas established a direct operation inOakville, Ont. in partnership withHabasit Canada Limited. Rossi manu-factures gearmotors and electric brakemotors. • Rome, Ga.-based JEMAnalytical Laboratory Services has pur-chased a Warnex Rapid PathogenDetection System from Laval, Que.-basedWarnex Inc. The system offers real-timePCR pathogen testing services. •Philadelphia, Pa.-based David Michael &Co., a flavour, stabilizer and naturalcolour manufacturer, has received thefirst Supplier’s Innovation ExcellenceAward from Le Mars, Iowa-based Wells’Dairy Inc., an ice cream manufacturer. •The U.S. Patent and Trademark Officehas issued a patent to Chr. Hansen forthe “Purification process for improvingtotal yield of curcuminoid colouringagent.” The patent refers to a productionprocess that improves the total yield ofcurcuminoids from turmeric and othercurcuminoid-containing materials by 30to 40 per cent. Curcumin is the primarypigment in the spice turmeric and isused as a food colour in dairy products,beverages, cereal, confectionery, icecream, bakery and savory products. Inother news, Chr. Hansen has introduceda new natural cure for cured meats. •Brampton, Ont.-based Maritime-Ontario Freight Lines Limited hasannounced that its On Ice (Canada) Inc.group is now operating under the newbusiness name of M-O COLDChain. M-O COLDChain is a Canadian transporta-tion company specializing in tempera-ture-critical small drop deliveries. • Twoof Philadelphia, Pa.-based CrownHoldings Inc.’s North American facili-ties will be increasing their capabilities tomanufacture specialty beverage cansizes to meet growing demand for ener-gy drinks, juices and beers. The two facil-ities are in Montreal and Batesville, Miss.• Tralee, Ireland-based Kerry Group PLC,the global ingredients, flavours and con-sumer foods group, has acquired two

North American food ingredients busi-nesses, Custom Ingredients, which hasfacilities in Toronto and St. Genevieve,Mo., and Blue Earth, Minn.-based NuvexIngredients. • In an independent study,Reed Research Group has namedToronto-based Toyota Industrial Equip-ment’s lift trucks number 1 in quality and

value. Toyota Industrials is a division ofToyota Canada Inc. • Augusta, Ga.-basedPalmetto Industries International Inc.recently opened a 20,000 sq.-ft. state-of-the-art technology centre in Chennai,India. Palmetto manufactures and dis-tributes polymer and paper packagingproducts.

SUPPLIER’S UPDATE

WWW.FOODINC ANADA.COM FOOD IN CANADA • 21

◆ Equal length

◆ Exact weight

◆ Reliable cutting

◆ Natural or collagen casing

PLS 115◆ Versatile linking line for all types of casing

◆ Distinct reduction of downtime

◆ Up to 1000 portions/min. with natural casings

◆ Exact portioning with equal length

◆ Exact weights and superior product appearance

PVLH 226

Future Oriented Technology

More success with higher profitability, performance and quality

More Innovation from handtmann

JAHREYEARS

VF 630VF 630

VF 620VF 620

VF 616VF 616

VF 612VF 612

VF 610VF 610

More success with higher profitability, performance and quality

handtmann Canada Limited654 Colby Drive, Waterloo, On N2V 1A2, Tel: 519-725-3666, Fax: 519-746-0803e-mail salinfo@handtmann.ca www.handtmann.de

FOOD04_018-021 5/2/06 5:00 PM Page 21

22 • MAY 2006 WWW.FOODINC ANADA.COM

regulatoryaffairsG a r y G n i r s s

There comes a time when the many myths and legendssurrounding food labelling must face the facts. For

those of you still harbouring a few misunderstandings regarding Canada’s food labelling requirements, here’s a fewmythbusters.

LANGUAGE

Perhaps the number 1 most misunderstood feature ofCanadian food labelling is language. The common belief isthat Canadian food labels must be in English and French ata minimum. For Canadians, the crafters and caretakers ofbilingualism, it generally comes as a surprise that officialbilingualism, from a federal retail package perspective, onlyapplies to mandatory information such as, but not limited to,the common name, net contents, ingredient list and nutritionfacts. Romance copy and preparation directions are notmandatory under federal regulations and need not be inEnglish or French. Furthermore, prepackaged foods not forretail (for further manufacture or foodservice) are onlyrequired to include mandatory information in one of the offi-cial languages. There are some exceptions to the latter, butthese are unique cases.

Quebec has its own language requirements. To label a foodfor sale in that province, French information must be pre-sented on the label in equal prominence to any other languageused. To sell food products across Canada, therefore, Englishand French will be on the label to some extent, and Frenchwill be at least equally prominent to any other language.

What certainly contributes to the confusion of labellingrequirements is the multitude of federal and provincial regu-lations governing language.

PROCESSING AIDS

Almost everyone in the food labelling business refers to theterm “processing aid.” But does anyone actually know whatthis means in Canada? The term is often used in the contextof not declaring an ingredient or component in a list of ingre-dients. It’s a pretty daring thing not to declare an ingredientwithout a solid definition of a processing aid. Before you con-vince yourself that you understand processing aids, youshould also understand that there is no clearly regulated def-inition of these. Unless exempt by some other regulation, allingredients must be declared.

To fill in some of the void regarding processing aids the

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) provides anadministrative definition in the Guide to Food LabellingAdvertising. However, it’s woefully impractical in the contextof most people’s understanding of processing aids. As a resultour American neighbours fare better, given their regulateddefinition of incidental additives. Unfortunately, applyingthis logical U.S. definition in Canada doesn’t always work.

ALLERGEN LABELLING

If you’ve read any of my past columns, it won’t come as a sur-prise to learn that federal regulations on food allergenlabelling are weak, and in some cases counterintuitive togood labelling practices. Canadian food labels for the mostpart are kept up to par by labellers going above and beyondthe requirements of current regulations and CFIA guidelines.More recently food labels have appeared with a “contains”statement (a common U.S. labelling feature today) followingthe list of ingredients, identifying the presence of priorityallergens. However, this isn’t mandatory in Canada. Thisstatement also can’t be used in Canada in lieu of proper ingre-dient nomenclature. Remember too that it’s different than a“may contain” allergen statement, which identifies allergensthat may be present as a result of unavoidable cross contam-ination. The latter is not mandatory either.

DATE CODING

Many manufacturers believe all foods must be date coded inCanada. This is not the case at all. In fact, there are severalvariants to date coding depending on the product. Generally,a product with a durable life of 90 days or less requires a best before date or a packed on date, as applicable. Theappropriate storage conditions must also be listed on thelabel (for example, “keep refrigerated”). A durable life date(best before date) simply means that the product is of best-appreciated quality before the date shown, but can still beconsumed after this date. However, some products such asmeal replacements and infant formula are required to includeexpiration dates. Low acid or commercially sterilized foodsalso require special date coding considerations.

Gary Gnirss is a partner and president of Legal Suites Inc., aMansfield, Ont.-based firm specializing in regulatory softwareand services. E-mail: president@legalsuites.com

The stuff of legendsConfused over labelling fact or fiction? You’re not alone

FOOD04_022 5/2/06 5:04 PM Page 22