File photo of raw and cooked ground beef. (Lime and Lemon Media photo via Canada Beef Inc.)

Beef sector calls for Health Canada label exception

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association wants ground beef exempted from proposed rules

The cattle sector is less than pleased by a Health Canada proposal that would put a ‘high saturated fat’ label on retail ground beef. The proposal is part of a suite of changes proposed for Canada’s Food and Drug Regulations. As well as adding a front-of-packaging (FOP) label requirement for foods deemed by Health Canada […] Read more

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Manitoba cautions on manganese in well water

About a third of wells exceed updated limits, province says

A significant number of wells in Manitoba may be carrying water with manganese levels well above new health standards, particularly for infants. The province on May 3 issued an advisory for owners of private wells that their water “may exceed a new health-based guideline” for the trace element. The element occurs naturally, and commonly, in […] Read more


A hemp plant in Alberta. (Jennifer Blair photo)

Hemp poised for year of gains

Nationwide increase in acres expected

MarketsFarm — The hemp industry in Canada is set for a good year in 2021, according to Canadian Hemp Trade Association (CHTA) CEO Ted Haney. “It looks like we are looking at another 15 to 20 per cent increase in seeded acres nationally, which should take us over the 100,000-acre level for sure,” he said. […] Read more

A mayfly on water. (SBTheGreenMan/iStock/Getty Images)

Health Canada steps back from bans on two neonics

New limits, some cancellations to be put in place

A federal proposal to protect aquatic insect habitat by cancelling all registered outdoor uses for two popular ag insecticides has been walked back in a major way. Health Canada on Wednesday announced its special review decisions on the risks to aquatic bug life from the use of clothianidin and thiamethoxam, both pesticides and seed treatments […] Read more


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Canada weighs tighter rules for grow-your-own pot producers

Spending on illicit pot still ahead of legal purchases

Reuters — Canada on Monday launched a public consultation seeking to tighten rules for individuals who are allowed to grow their own medical cannabis, in an effort to clamp down on pot seeping into black markets. In a draft guidance issued for the consultation, Health Canada highlighted recent police raids and arrests at production sites […] Read more

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People growing too much pot at home, Health Canada warns

Pressure on to prevent abuse of home-grow program

Reuters — Health Canada on Thursday raised concerns about the large quantity of medical marijuana people were growing at home, after its data showed a significant jump in daily average production permitted by health care practitioners. While the practitioners can allow registered patients to grow a limited amount at home for personal use, the regulator’s […] Read more


Using a product on a crop that is not registered could cause major trade consequences and the producer could be held responsible.

What you need to know about maximum residue limits

Q & A with an expert

Q: Maximum residue limits: what are they and why are they important?  A: In the agricultural industry, we hear the term maximum residue limit (MRL) referred to on numerous occasions. The term refers to the maximum amount of pesticide residue expected to remain in food products when a crop protection product is used according to […] Read more

Mosquito control would be one of the few uses still allowed for chlorpyrifos under a proposal from Health Canada’s PMRA. (Tskstock/iStock/Getty Images)

Corteva to stop making Lorsban

Chicago | Reuters — Corteva will stop producing the agricultural pesticide chlorpyrifos by the end of the year, the company said on Thursday, removing the world’s largest manufacturer of a chemical that has been linked to low birth weight, reduced IQ and attention disorders in children. Corteva, spun off last year after a merger of […] Read more


Manitoba’s Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority (LGCA) has been running billboards such as this one in Winnipeg to educate the public ahead of edibles’ entry to the recreational market. (Dave Bedard photo)

Cannabis patients boost Aurora edible sales

Toronto | Reuters — Aurora Cannabis this week became the first major Canadian company to sell edibles and vapes for medical use, a small base that nevertheless helps shore up margins and paves the way for sales in the much larger European medical market. Medical marijuana has been legal in Canada since 2001, and recreational […] Read more