Page 48 - RealDirtENG2020

CHAPTER 7
Healthy and safe food
Safe, quality food choices are something most Canadians don’t have to think about very often. The shelves in grocery stores and farmers’ markets are rarely empty, and we don’t have to worry about whether what we’re eating is safe.
That’s because there are regulations and safety systems throughout the Canadian food chain, and ultimately, safe food starts on the farm, with farmers.
Food safety rules for farmers
Just as with other food businesses, farmers follow the rules of food safety programs based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) that identify critical points on the farm where food safety could be at risk. That risk could occur when new animals come onto the farm, or when fresh produce is sorted and packed into bins.
Although every farm will have slightly different on-farm food safety programs, depending on what they grow or raise, each program includes:
• Evaluating what you’re doing and how you’re doing it
• Keeping detailed records
• Completing regular audits
• Knowing what to do if things go wrong
Others in the food supply chain, from livestock feed manufacturers to processing facilities and grocery stores, follow similar rules.
Grain Farmers of Ontario
Ashton Irwin
Traceability
Being able to assure Canadians and consumers in other countries that the food we produce is safe is important. A big part of that is “traceability”. It means having checks and balances in place to assure customers that they’re actually getting what they think they are getting—and that we can trace a product right back to its origin, in case something goes wrong.
For example, an IP “identity preserved” program for food grade soybeans tracks every step of production to prove to international buyers that the beans are authentically food grade, and have been produced to exacting standards.
RFID (radio-frequency identi cation) ear tags for livestock, and a national database of animal movement, mean that we know where animals are and where they’ve been—critical information to have in case of a disease outbreak or food safety problem112.
48 The Real Dirt on Farming
Goat with identi cation tag