4 The Business of Canadian Hog Farming Better Pork | October 2024 national pork HEADLINES CFIA APPROVES ENZYME TO FIX MYCOTOXINS The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has approved the use of a novel enzyme which helps hog and poultry producers manage mycotoxins in feed. Company dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition and Health (DSM) announced recently that the CFIA’s approval paves the way for it to offer a new product, Mycofix FUMzyme, which contains the enzyme fumonisin esterase. “Fumonisin esterase is for the degradation of fumonisins present in swine and poultry feed,” Dr. Paige Gott, DSM’s strategic product manager, said in a statement. This approval expands dsm-firmenich’s commitment to innovation in mycotoxin risk management.” Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by fungi that infect corn, corn by-products and other cereals like wheat, barley and oats. This means that fumonisins can remain in finished feed products, potentially transferring toxins to animals and impacting their health. DSM surveys since 2014 in the U.S. found 80 per cent of its sampled corn contained fumonisins. The presence of these toxins can lead to various adverse effects in livestock, including poor feed conversion, liver damage, and reduced weight gain. About 25 per cent of global grain production is contaminated with mycotoxins, a CFIA fact sheet says. These mycotoxins can reduce livestock productivity and efficiency. And because fumonisins are heat stable, standard food-processing methods don’t destroy them. This means the toxins are transferred to products manufactured with contaminated raw grain, Penn State University says. The fumonisin esterase enzyme helps break up mycotoxin chemical bonds with water molecules through hydrolysis, the CFIA said. BP - Diego Flammini The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) and the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) both applauded the federal government for employing section 107 of the Canada Labour Code and imposing binding arbitration in the recent dispute between Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City and the Teamsters union. The CPC and CMC had urged the government to step in, “to mitigate the unprecedented damage to industry this disruption to service was causing. “This move provided needed certainty to Canadian farmers and processors, and their customers around the world.” “Canada’s red meat processors need stable, reliable supply chains to run their businesses. The action taken by the Minister of Labour will prevent millions of dollars in losses, irreversible reputational damage, environmental disposal challenges, and enormous waste,” said CMC CEO Chris White. Last summer’s Port of Vancouver strike disrupted $10.7 billion worth of trade during the 35 days of strike action. The impacts of two Class 1 railways striking at once would have had even worse, unprecedented ramifications. “The Canadian pork industry relies on the seamless operation of our transportation networks to feed our animals and deliver high-quality products to global markets. “Ongoing transportation disruptions would threaten the livelihood of our producers, the welfare of our animals, and Canada’s reputation as a reliable trading partner,” said CPC chair René Roy. “Actions like the ones the federal government just took are crucial to ensure the movement of perishable goods like pork and essential supplies like animal feed. The feed our pigs rely on to survive is shipped by rail, and without a reliable and steady supply, their welfare would be at risk. The stakes are simply too high to allow these disruptions to go unaddressed.” BP - Based on Canadian Pork Council release CPC APPLAUDS FEDS’ INVOLVEMENT Bruce Leighty - stock.adobe.com
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