US Government Look To Take Meat Processors To Task

Jan 04, 2022

The US government is preparing to do battle with a handful of companies it says holds too much control when it comes to the price of meat and poultry.

President Joe Biden joined by USDA secretary Tom Vilsack, announced a four point plan to bring back competition to the industry and raise the prices that producers receive for their animals. There are groups on this side of the border that are suggesting the Trudeau government should be doing the same.

The US meat institute was quick to issue its' own statement following Biden's meeting on Monday. It says the US government is ignoring the real issue that packing plants and processors in the states are facing and that's a critical labour shortage. That's also an issue here as some plants in eastern Canada have a 40 percent vacancy rate. It's not quite that bad in Alberta, but it's getting there.

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Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

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.