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CCA celebrates as Health Canada steps back from meat labeling

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association was one of many organizations that had an opinion on the recent decision to put saturated fat warnings on ground beef and pork products by Health Canada.

The label would have gone on all ground beef and pork, including lean and very lean varieties.

Their "Don't Label My Beef" campaign was one of the factors which ended up reverting that decision.

Reg Schellenberg, the president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association says that the change was helped out by all of the people who contributed their voices.

"We recognize that consumers, customers, producers, and provincial organizations all weighed in on the conversation and that had a huge impact on the success of the entire campaign."

Schellenberg says the original proposition didn't make sense, considering what was and wasn't set to be labeled by the new regulation.

"Single-ingredient proteins like ground beef and pork should not be categorized as something that is harmful to consume. Highly processed foods and ultra-processed foods compose 40% of the saturated fats that Canadians consume.

"75% of the ground beef sold in Canada is lean or extra lean, so I guess our concern is why would they include single ingredient proteins."

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association, along with other organizations, put out a statement thanking the people who helped revert the labeling on Thursday."

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Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.