10 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | November/December 2023 Beyond the Barn Researchers from the University of Manitoba have created a new food packaging plastic alternative, made with canola meal. “Canola is one of Canada’s leading crops and the world’s second-largest produced oilseed crop. The main purpose of growing canola is oil extraction, and a high amount of canola meal is produced as the byproduct,” says Thilini Dissanayake, one of the student researchers on the project. “In the present context, canola meal is only used in animal feed industries without any other use, and therefore, it is highly available at a low cost. Therefore, we thought giving value to this by-product could increase the income of canola growers and also provide a solution for plastic pollution.” The principal investigator on the project is Dr. Nandika Bandara, assistant professor and Canada research chair in food protein and by-products, who is interested in finding new alternatives to meet consumer demands with more environmentally friendly methods. “Today, environmental pollution and health concerns created by plastic food packaging and microplastics have become serious threats,” says Bandara. “Throughout the planet, everyone is struggling to find solutions for those, and introducing environmentally friendly, biodegradable food packaging using a by-product at a low cost can generate lots of interest from food industries all over the world. “If this food packaging is available in the market, this will be a great contribution to both environmental and economic sustainability,” he says. Initial stages of research have produced strong and flexible materials which would be suitable for packaging, and further development is being explored to increase the water barrier properties, enhance tensile strength, and develop active packaging material. The group is also working on downstream processing of whole canola meal, hoping to use not only protein but other lignocellulosic materials in the meal, for valueadded products such as nanocellulose, adhesives, and platform chemicals. BF - Colleen Halpenny Thilini Dissanayake photo SASK. COW DIES FROM ANTHRAX EXPOSURE A cattle herd in the rural municipality of Cote No. 271 in Saskatchewan has been affected by anthrax. “Anthrax was confirmed by laboratory results on Sept. 25, 2023, as the cause of death in one cow and is suspected in two additional deaths in the same herd,” says a release from the Government of Saskatchewan. Anthrax is a federally reportable disease. A veterinarian must be notified if anthrax is suspected and all positive tests for anthrax must be immediately reported to the provincial chief veterinary officer. The bacteria Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax. These bacteria can survive in soil as spores for decades. The spores are brought to the surface when the ground is disturbed by erosion, heavy rain or other factors. “Beef cattle and bison are most likely to contract the disease because they graze lower to the ground than many other herbivores, particularly in drought conditions or overgrazed pastures,” the Beef Cattle Research Council explains. One challenge with anthrax is how fast it can spread through an animal’s system. The spread can happen so quickly an animal can die within hours of ingesting spores without showing any symptoms. “Affected animals are usually found dead without any signs of illness,” according to the Saskatchewan release. Some symptoms, however, can include trembling, high temperature, difficulty breathing and convulsions. Vaccination is the best way to protect livestock from anthrax infections. “The Sterne vaccine is the only licensed vaccine in Canada, and is only labelled for use in cattle, sheep, horses, goats and pigs,” a Saskatchewan fact sheet says. Saskatchewan livestock have died from anthrax in 2021, 2019, 2016 and 2006. BF NEW CANOLA-BASED PACKAGING Thilini Dissanayake, student researcher, at work in the lab.
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