For Immediate Release
January 28, 2008
ONTARIO GOVERNMENT HELPS SMALL MEAT PLANTS MEET
FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS
Funding Deadlines Extended For Small Freestanding
Meat Plant Operators
TORONTO - The McGuinty government is helping small
freestanding meat plants in Ontario meet provincial food safety
standards, Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs, announced today. Plant operators will continue to have
access to business advisory services and now have more time to apply
for funding to make improvements to their operations.
"We are providing $800,000 to the Ontario Independent Meat
Processors so they can continue to deliver Meat Plant Assessment
Services to small freestanding meat plants," said Dombrowsky.
"We are also extending the application deadlines for funding.
It is important that these plants have the time and resources they
need to meet new food safety requirements."
"This new funding for the Meat Plant Assessment Services will
be a real boost to the industry," said Tony Facciolo, President
of the Ontario Independent Meat Processors. "It will give more
operators the tools they need to make better business decisions
as they move forward."
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Contacts:
Kelly Synnott
Minister's Office
416-326-6439
Brent Ross
Communications Branch
416-326-9342
Fact Sheet
MEAT PLANT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
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Meat plant operators can apply to the Meat Plant
Assistance Program to make plant upgrades to meet new food safety
put in place in 2005. Plant operators can obtain up to $25,000
in financial assistance under this program.
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The Meat Plant Assistance Program is part of a
larger, $25.35-million program to assist the meat industry through
education, training, and facility and operational upgrades.
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As part of its Meat Plant Assessment Services,
the Ontario Independent Meat Processors carries out a gap analysis
of a meat plant's facility, operations and documented programs
in relation to the standards in the Meat regulation. The organization
also provides strategic business advice to any small freestanding
meat plants and determines the estimated costs of changes required
to meet the standards. These services are offered free of charge
to plant operators.
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There are 170 provincially-licensed slaughter
plants and more than 630 freestanding meat plants in Ontario.
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Freestanding meat processors include businesses
that process products like bacon, deli meats and smoked ham, and
businesses that produce items like roasts, chops and steaks and
sell them to wholesalers, food service operations and retailers.
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Freestanding meat plants are defined as Category
1 or Category 2 depending on the level of risk inherent in what
they do.
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Category 1 activities are considered to be "low
risk" meat processing activities and include: aging or breaking
a carcass or part of a carcass; aging, boning, marinating, slicing
or tenderizing a meat product; packaging a meat product for wholesale,
other sale or distribution.
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Category 2 activities are considered to be medium
to high risk activities and include: canning, curing or dehydrating,
fermenting or smoking a meat product; or, manufacturing a ready-to-eat
meat product.
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October 1, 2008 for freestanding meat plants
carrying out Category 2 activities and producing less than 500,000
kg annually in 2004 or who were not operating in 2004.
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October 1, 2009 for freestanding meat plants
carrying out only Category 1 activities and producing less than
500,000 kg annually in 2004 or who were not operating in 2004.
Contacts:
Kelly Synnott
Minister's Office
416-326-6439
Brent Ross
Communications Branch
416-326-9342
For more information:
Toll Free: 1-877-424-1300
Local: (519) 826-4047
E-mail: ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca
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