Stopping the illegal chicken trade: A senator vows to act
Chicken chicanery at the border is costing Canada $140 million a year and 4,500 jobs – and the federal government is doing nothing to stop it.
“Why the minister is not moving on this, that’s a good question,” said Senator Percy Mockler.
He’s still searching for a good answer.
United States broiler chickens are entering Canada disguised as “spent fowl” – an industry term for egg-laying hens that are past their prime.
Tender, succulent broiler chickens are subject to import controls but spent fowl are not; some unscrupulous U.S. exporters exploit this loophole to avoid paying tariffs.
There’s an easy solution.
Scientists at Trent University have developed a DNA test that can be used by food inspection agents to make sure chicken imports are truly spent fowl.
“The industry is ready to co-operate with them,” Senator Mockler said.
But when he asked Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay about the “illegal importation of chicken” during Question Period in the Senate last month, the answer was decidedly non-committal.
“We are evaluating the situation,” Minister MacAulay said, despite conceding the problem “has been going on for many years.”
Meanwhile, lax labelling requirements mean Canadian consumers may inadvertently be buying old U.S. laying hens at the grocery store.
“Labelling the product is a must,” Senator Mockler said. “And more so than ever, consumers are looking at labelling.”
If the government won’t act, Senator Mockler will.
He’s prepared to table a public bill that would implement DNA testing and that would allow Canadians to know what they’re eating.
“If there would be a control on those spent fowl coming into Canada, we would create economic activity of $140 million […] plus we would create 4,500 jobs across Canada,” Senator Mockler said.
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Stopping the illegal chicken trade: A senator vows to act
Chicken chicanery at the border is costing Canada $140 million a year and 4,500 jobs – and the federal government is doing nothing to stop it.
“Why the minister is not moving on this, that’s a good question,” said Senator Percy Mockler.
He’s still searching for a good answer.
United States broiler chickens are entering Canada disguised as “spent fowl” – an industry term for egg-laying hens that are past their prime.
Tender, succulent broiler chickens are subject to import controls but spent fowl are not; some unscrupulous U.S. exporters exploit this loophole to avoid paying tariffs.
There’s an easy solution.
Scientists at Trent University have developed a DNA test that can be used by food inspection agents to make sure chicken imports are truly spent fowl.
“The industry is ready to co-operate with them,” Senator Mockler said.
But when he asked Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay about the “illegal importation of chicken” during Question Period in the Senate last month, the answer was decidedly non-committal.
“We are evaluating the situation,” Minister MacAulay said, despite conceding the problem “has been going on for many years.”
Meanwhile, lax labelling requirements mean Canadian consumers may inadvertently be buying old U.S. laying hens at the grocery store.
“Labelling the product is a must,” Senator Mockler said. “And more so than ever, consumers are looking at labelling.”
If the government won’t act, Senator Mockler will.
He’s prepared to table a public bill that would implement DNA testing and that would allow Canadians to know what they’re eating.
“If there would be a control on those spent fowl coming into Canada, we would create economic activity of $140 million […] plus we would create 4,500 jobs across Canada,” Senator Mockler said.