Western Canada’s Wheat Quality Control System: Future Directions The Current Wheat Quality Control System Wheat quality control in Western Canada has evolved over the last decades to depend on four key elements: Table of contents Abbreviations

Varietal Registration and Kernel Visual Distinguishabilty Grading System Uniformity Cleanliness and Safety

Varietal Registration and Kernel Visual Distinguishabilty Kernel Visual Distinguishability (KVD) is one of the key components in the Canadian registration system and its impact moves right through the entire grading and quality control system. It is unique to Canada. Before a variety can be registered for production in Western Canada, it must undergo careful scrutiny for end-use quality, agronomic performance and disease resistance, and be proven to be equal to or better in all these criteria than the reference variety for its class. It must also be shown not to conflict with the visual distinguishability rule that is used to separate wheats of different classes. The objective is to ensure that buyers receive wheat with consistent end use performance characteristics (e.g., milling and baking) and high inherent quality regardless of the class or grade they purchase. There are two important features of KVD: First, each of the seven wheat classes has been assigned a combination of seed-coat color and physical kernel configuration that is distinctive. The differences have to be great enough to permit grain inspectors to readily distinguish one type of wheat from another as they move from farms through primary elevators, terminals, and into ocean vessels. This separation is critical to assure consistency in end use quality. In the absence of replacement technology, contamination of one type of wheat with another would be inevitable without KVD. A second aspect of KVD is just as important. This feature stipulates that a variety of wheat with the kernel shape of one of the wheat classes will have specific quality characteristics. The association between kernel shape and quality is direct and automatic. A variety that looks like a Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat must possess the established agronomic, disease resistance, and end-use quality characteristics (e.g., flour yield, protein content, gluten properties) or it will not be registered. Without such a guideline there would be little uniformity. The same principle holds true for the other wheat classes. Because of the well-established and successful characteristics of the more important CWRS and CWAD classes, specific varieties have been designated the varietal standard of quality for the class – Neepawa for the CWRS class and Hercules for the CWAD class. This means that any new variety must equal the end-use quality characteristics of the standard . "Equal" does not mean "identical;" rather, the requirement is to be not unacceptably different. The concept is vital to maintaining quality standards as a new variety with superior performance in one area, (such as a significantly higher crop yield), must also meet the minimum requirements of all the other characteristics of the standard and must maintain the KVD for the class. The development concept is the same for the smaller wheat classes only using reference varieties that have been shown to exhibit good characteristics for the class. If newer varieties can be developed that demonstrate significant improvement, then they, in turn, could become the reference varieties for future breeding efforts.

Grading System The grading system in Canada sets maximum tolerance levels for a range of characteristics that ensure functionality, cleanliness and freedom from disease, noxious seeds or other deleterious factors. The grading system is responsive to the customers’ end-use requirements and operates on a foundation of scientific support. Grade standards are based on the milling and final product requirements. The Grain Research Laboratory and the Industry Services Division of the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) continually review the effects on end-use quality of the many grading factors encountered in Western Canada. As well, there is a direct line of feedback from customers either through the CWB or through the CGC when changes to grading standards are needed. This means that the grading factors for Canadian wheat are continuously relevant and responsive to the needs of customers. In Canada, all export shipments are accompanied by a Canadian Grain Commission Certificate Final which indicates the official grade and weight of the shipment.

Uniformity The geography of Western Canada and the marketing structure have created a transportation and handling system which causes grain of the same grade grown in different regions to be combined and blended by the time it reaches export position. Further to this, all classes of wheat delivered to Canadian export terminals are binned according to grade. These minimize regional variability, imparting uniformity between and within lots of similar grade. During loading of a vessel, the wheat is inspected on a continuous basis to ensure that each shipment meets or exceeds the CGC official export standards established for each grade of grain. Only when the Canadian Grain Commission’s Inspector-in-Charge is satisfied that the grade and weight of grain loaded to a vessel are correct is the Certificate Final issued. This certificate is the buyer’s assurance of quality from the Canadian government. In Canada uniformity is also assured through the registration system. With the strict quality requirements inherent in this system, there are very few new varieties introduced. Currently in Western Canada there are from 15 – 20 million metric tonnes of CWRS grown annually and about 80 per cent of the production comes from only seven varieties. This continuity contributes significantly to the maintenance of uniformity within and between shipments. Canadian wheat has an enviable reputation for predictability (uniformity or consistency) from shipment to shipment and from year to year. In terms of flour yield, flour ash, protein content, gluten properties, falling number, baking absorption, loaf volume, or whatever the quality criteria may be, millers have a better idea of what they are going to get before they get it simply by buying the higher grades. This is very important to a miller in a wheat importing country, especially when a replacement shipment for a poor quality product could be weeks, if not months, away.

Cleanliness and Safety All exports of Canadian grain are cleaned at terminal position and are thus "commercially clean," meaning that there is no dockage allowed. Therefore, Canadian wheat is extremely clean with respect to insect infestation, other cereal grains, or foreign material such as chaff, straw, weeds, or a dozen other possible contaminants. The strict grading standards and cleaning procedures, both at primary and export levels, ensure that buyers get exactly what they pay for, and that millers do not have excessive dockage to clean out. Higher milling yields are the result. Grain safety is a major quality requirement. The Canadian Grain Commission monitors for numerous chemical residues, mycotoxins, and trace elements, providing the customer the assurance that grain shipments will meet the most stringent tolerances. Canada’s cold winter climate greatly reduces the use of pesticides compared to those used by other exporters. This means that Canadian wheat has negligible levels of infestation and there is very little use of chemicals.

Why Change? Table of Contents

Abbreviations AQT Automated Quality Testing CFIA Canadian Food Inspection Agency CGC Canadian Grain Commission CPSR Canada Prairie Spring Red CPSW Canada Prairie Spring White CWB Canadian Wheat Board CWAD Canada Western Amber Durum CWES Canada Western Extra Strong CWRS Canada Western Red Spring CWRW Canada Western Red Winter CWSWS Canada Western Soft White Spring GMO Genetically Modifed Organism HPLC High-Performance Liquid Chromotography KVD Kernel Visual Distinguishability PAGE Polyacryamide Gel Electrophoresis SKCS Single Kernel Characterization System

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