December 2003

SPECIAL EDITION

Are Canadian Exporters Ready for the December 12 Deadline?

OTTAWA, Dec. 10, 2003 -- A change in U.S. policy, under the Bioterrorism Act of June 2003, requires Canadian food facilities that manufacture, process, pack, distribute, receive or hold food for consumption by humans or animals in the U.S. to register with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by December 12, 2003.

The registration which began October 16, 2003 will continue, but timely registration with U.S. officials will help assure the smooth flow of exports.

As of December 12, the Bioterrorism Act also mandates that the FDA must receive prior notice of food to be imported into the United States. Road, rail, air and water shipments have different notice requirements which must be met.

To assist Canadians exporters affected by the new American regulations, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has established a Web site with extensive links to the most pertinent trade-related information. Canadian industry has quick access to the most accurate information. The names, telephone and fax numbers and email addresses of departmental contacts across the country are listed.

The site, http://ats.agr.ca/access/bioterrorism_e.htm, links to an index of FDA help pages, connects to an electronic tutorial and to pages to help facilities register in order to comply with American law. Also a click away are U.S. customs and border protection regulations and programs, and factsheets which include details of the prior notice requirement for imported food shipments.

Except for specified exemptions, the new regulation will apply to all facilities for all food and animal products regulated by the FDA. These regulations do not apply to products or facilities which at the time of import are under the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Contact:
Media Relations, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, (613) 759-7972
Media Relations, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, (613) 228-6682

A Natural Beauty

Other than housing Santa Claus at the North Pole, there is another important Canadian contribution to the holiday season – Christmas trees. Almost half of the nearly six million Canadian trees sold annually find their way into homes outside the country because Canada's major exporters, in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan, deliver what clients want. Naturally beautiful, fragrant trees are a Canadian hallmark. Most importers appreciate balsam fir and Fraser fir for durability, colour and that evergreen-scent associated with Christmas. Scots pine and white spruce are also popular as Christmas trees. The annually pruned trees branch quickly and soon achieve the thick, full look consumers seek. Buying a Canadian-grown Christmas tree is a tradition for millions of people that brings the industry about $78 million a year in revenue.
Mike Leclair, (613) 759-6274
Marc Gaudet, Canadian Christmas Tree Growers Association, (819) 682-8444

Cleaning-up Cranberries

There's a surprisingly common, environmentally friendly pesticide - water. Cranberry growers have traditionally used water to drown the root-destroying larvae of the cranberry girdler. But as numbers of submerged larvae were found to survive immersion, growers wanted to know if flooding is an effective pest control. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers decided to find out how many larvae survived immersion at temperatures and durations representative of controlled floods in August for cranberry girdlers. A series of tests were conducted in Agassiz, B.C. When larvae were submerged at 20oC for 72 hours, about 65 per cent of the pests were killed. This may not be the 100 per cent kill rate expected, although rarely achieved, from chemical insecticides, but it's a non-toxic solution contributing to safe, high quality food. Environmentally sound agriculture helps conserve living things and means improved water, soil and air quality.
Sheila Fitzpatrick, (604) 796-2221 x208

Natural Born Weed Killer

Dr. John O'Donovan has a way with weeds. A researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Beaverlodge, Alta., he has spent more than a decade studying the leafy pests plaguing prairie crops. This knowledge has helped him develop systems for different crops that predict in the early season where and when weeds will grow and how they will impact crops. These economic models maximize efficiency of herbicide use, indicating when and how much to spray. The upshot is savings of up to 17 per cent on herbicides and reduced impact on the environment. The models are the basis of two software programs being used by farmers across the Prairies. They are also one of the projects that helped grab Dr. O'Donovan the ASTech innovation in agricultural sciences prize, one of Alberta's top scientific honors.
Dr. John O'Donovan, (780) 354-5144

A Christmas Beverage for Young and Old

Hot Spiced Apple Punch

Ingredients:

Method:
Combine ingredients. Bring to boil and simmer 15 minutes. Strain. Serve hot with cinnamon sticks. Makes about 2.5 L.

Find more apple recipes at www.agr.gc.ca/malus