8 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | September 2024 Beyond the Barn The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is giving Canadians – including farmers – the opportunity to weigh in on labels for plantbased alternatives to egg products. “The guidance clarifies how to distinguish plant-based alternatives from egg products and explains how the different components on labels (such as words, images and packaging) should be used to create an overall impression of the product that is not misleading,” the CFIA said in a recent release. In Canada, under the Food and Drugs Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Act, food packaging must be accurate. Plant-based beverages, for example, cannot include the word “milk” on the packaging. And plant-based proteins can’t be labelled with words or images to imply they are comparable to meat or poultry products. Just Egg, a company that makes egg alternatives from plant-based ingredients, indicates on its packaging that the product is “made from plants (not chickens).” Canadians have until Oct. 28 to submit comments for the egg product labels. Ontario’s farm community are encouraged to take the online survey. The anonymous questionnaire asks participants to identify themselves as a farmer, retailer or another option. It also asks the person’s home province or territory, and if the respondent plans to make food in the future. As the CFIA explains online, “as consumer preferences and habits evolve and inspire industry innovation, product labelling and representation must also evolve so consumers can make informed food choices. “The purpose of this guidance is to: Help industry comply with the relevant legislation when labelling and representing plant-based alternatives to egg products, (and) help the CFIA assess compliance with this legislation.” A spokesperson told Better Farming that Egg Farmers of Canada would have a comment once the assessment is further along. BF - Diego Flammini Tada Images - stock.adobe.com CFIA SEEKING INPUT ON LABELS A FARMING LIFE: MICHAEL SNOBELEN Husband, father, grandfather, business owner, agriculture innovator. Born Oct. 18, 1947; died June 1, 2024. Michael Snobelen of Goderich was a farmer and entrepreneur who had a lifetime commitment to agriculture. Sam Snobelen, Michael’s son and current president of Snobelen Farms, fondly recalls his father’s persistence and drive. “Our dad was a hard-working individual who led by example. A visionary businessman who spent a lifetime making opportunities out of obstacles,” he tells Better Farming. With the nearest grain elevator an hour away, Michael decided to build a grain elevator and two concrete silos on his home farm in Ripley in 1971. Through Michael’s leadership, he and his family nurtured Snobelen Farms into the thriving business it is today. Snobelen Farms is known as one of the largest family-owned grain businesses in Ontario, with eight elevators across the province. In 1997, Snobelen farms began shipping food-grade soybeans to satisfy consumer demand from Europe. This was a first for Ontario farmers, and those first customers from Belgium and England are still buying from the business today. He was an active member of his community and local politics. He was elected as reeve of Huron Township in 1976, served terms as the school board trustee for Huron Township and Ripley in 1980, and served as the chair of the Bruce County Board of Education. After Michael retired in 2009, he spent his recent years farming in Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh. He enjoyed spending time with family and rooting for the Toronto Blue Jays. BF - Leslie Stewart Michael Snobelen
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