Opening Remarks Dr. Cornelia Kreplin Director, Food Safety Division Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the attendees to the 27th Poultry Service Industry Workshop. As well, I extend a special welcome to all our out-of province and out-of-country guests. I understand that we have is our midst a service professional who has come all the way from Sri Lanka to participate in this year’s program. To all of you, I hope that you enjoy the conference, and find much to take back to the service community and industry of your respective provinces and countries. The sights and sounds of this part of Alberta are a pleasing complement to the Workshop, so while here, take full advantage of the opportunity.

The key outcomes that we hope to achieve at this conference is a broader knowledge and awareness of the issues and challenges that the poultry industry faces coupled with a good grasp of new technologies and information to assist in overcoming these. As I scan your program I notice that it addresses issues such as drug use and misuse, bio-security, farm wastes and water quality, the ethical treatment of food animals, and the food-borne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni. A number of topics deal with practices, products, and programs that you hope to coalesce into intervention strategies not only to help you produce safer poultry meat and eggs, but also to do it economically right along the entire supply chain. The greatest gain, however, is the enlargement of your resource network that will assist you in on-going and future challenges and the establishment of friendships.

We all encounter food whether it is in our own kitchens, restaurants, institutions, or other such places, and as consumers, we all want food that is safe, wholesome and nutritious. Right at the frontlines of this food-consumer interface are processors and retailers — the most visible links in this chain. Imperative to their success is their ability to accurately track consumer trends (their likes, dislikes, phobias, etc.) and in response, to satisfy their needs. Since the production of safe poultry and poultry products is a cooperative effort, it is also important for retailers and processors to convey these trends up the supply chain to the primary production segment. Today, we will hear a processor discuss how his industry is responding to consumer trends. We also hope to get a good view of European consumer signals and how their retailers are responding. I am confident that we will learn much from the impressive array of speakers that your planning committee has assembled to deal with these issues.

Consumer signals and trends are equally important to government. Our response, however, is different. It is in the creation policies, standards and a regulatory environment all based in science that allow industry to satisfy the food safety expectations of their consumer, both domestically and globally.

So how are Governments responding to increased demands for Food Safety as food sources become more global?

Agriculture Policy Framework

This is a Federal / Provincial / Territorial agreement signed by ministers of agriculture committed to resource common goals in the area of Environment, Renewal, Science and Innovation, and Food Safety and Quality. The Food Safety and Quality chapter outlines areas where governments and industry work together to improve the information regarding the safety of Canada’s food supply. As well, it outlines priority areas that they can resource to improve the industry’s ability to meet safety, quality, and traceability standards for domestic and international markets.

A few of the more important items that I see developing out of the Agriculture Policy Framework include:

Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development is working with the Federal government in the development of bilateral agreements to promote these outcomes in the province, but we are also working with the Federal government to ensure that the system is effective at a national level as well.

Some of the things we are focusing on as a provincial government include:

1) Outcome based standards

With the development of National model codes and standards, provinces are moving towards the adoption of food safety regulations that are based on the outcome of safe food rather than the control of design and protocol. This will allow processors to utilize technology and develop processes to increase confidence in the safety of their products. Good Manufacturing/ Production practices, Generic HACCP plans and HACCP - like systems will provide industry with more control in the production of safe food and will assure both the government and the public that there is due diligence in providing the consumer with a safe food product.

2) Policy based on assessment of the science - Risk Assessment

Risk assessment, including risk analysis, risk communication, and risk management is playing an increasing role in government in the development of policy and trade requirements. Internationally, risk assessments are used to provide a basis for discussion of trade, standards, and industry requirements. Alberta is not only increasing its expertise in the understanding and development of risk assessments but it is utilizing them more often in developing and modifying policy and regulation.

3) Adequate surveillance and monitoring of food throughout the food chain

Alberta is a leader in Canada in the area of animal health and food safety surveillance. Our historical strength has been in the surveillance for animal, and zoonotic diseases in the livestock industry. We are now moving to develop scientifically sound, effective surveillance that will validate the safety of food further down the production chain with the goal of increasing consumer confidence in the safety of food produced in Alberta.

4) Rapid Test validation and development

Governments recognize the limitations of scientific test methods for monitoring product safety. While food process control systems (like HACCP) decrease the need for final product testing, there is still a need for the testing of inputs and partially complete products in the food industry. Rapid test development using PCR and other innovative techniques will help both regulators and industry build confidence in the results of tests in a rapid manner. With Alberta’s laboratory expertise we hope to develop and validate tests that are available so that both the industry and regulators can use them with confidence.

The PSIW Committee with input from its sub-committees from the three other western provinces and others have put together an excellent program on issues and technologies that are critical to your success and the success of the poultry industry. For this, I congratulate the Planning Committee. I extend best wishes for a successful conference, and in this regard, I declare open, the 27th Poultry Service Industry Workshop.

Thank You.

Dr. Cornelia Kreplin
Director, Food Safety Division
Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.