Food safety funding for wineries

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

Wineries in Canada are getting government funding to help update their Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points food safety system.

On Wednesday, Niagara West-Glanbrook MP Dean Allison announced the $333,000 in funding for the Canadian Vintners Association. He made the announcement on behalf of federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz at the Vineland Estates Winery.

The project includes developing new training tools and guidelines, online training and communications materials so wineries can tell industry members about the system. The federal government money comes from the Canadian Integrated Food Safety Initiative under Growing Forward, the national agricultural policy.

The HACCP food safety system outlines step-by-step standards for wine producers.

Through the Canadian Integrated Food Safety Initiative, the federal government is helping organizations to develop national, government-recognized on-farm or post-farm HACCP or HACCP-based food safety systems, which help to reduce the risk of food-borne illness.

Dan Paszkowski, president and CEO of the Canadian Vintners Alliance, says in a press release the money will help develop a recognition process and online training tools for all Canadian wineries interested in implementing a HACCP-based preventative control program. BF