Canadian Beef is Local Beef
Wed, Jul 22, 2009
A lot of news media recently have been asking about how to identify the Country of Origin for the products we find at the grocery store, like meat. And, with the World’s Longest Barbecue just around the corner I think it would be helpful to know how to easily identify Canadian Beef and understand why it’s important to ensure the beef you are buying for your weekend barbecue, Monday night steak salad or the beef dish you order in a restaurant is Canadian.
Why Canadian Beef? By choosing Canadian Beef, you are supporting your neighbours and Canada’s economy. Canadian Beef is the single largest source of farm cash receipts, totaling $6.6 billion in 2008. Canadian Beef, as part of the Canadian cattle industry, contributes approximately $25 billion annually to the Canadian economy. In addition, the meat processing industry is Canada’s third largest manufacturing industry (ranking behind motor vehicles and petroleum) employing over 27,000 Canadians.
With 86,000 beef producers in Canada, and beef produced in every province, eating locally raised beef is as easy as making sure it’s Canadian. Each of Canada’s 86,000 beef producers serve as stewards of the land, dedicating their lives to ensuring both the land and cattle are raised and maintained in the healthiest way possible.
But how do you know if the beef you are buying is Canadian?
There are a few ways to identify Canadian Beef:
If you see this Canadian Beef logo on packages of beef in grocery stores or see it listed beside beef dishes on menus in your favourite restaurant, it’s Canadian Beef.
If the beef has a branded name, like Ontario Corn Fed or Original Alberta Beef, listing the province of origin within the name, it’s Canadian Beef. The origin of branded beef is usually verified by a third party agency.
If your local butcher or meat shop can tell you exactly what farm or processing plant they purchase their beef from (and it’s in Canada), it’s Canadian Beef.
If you see the official Canada Grade Name clearly printed on the beef package, it’s Canadian Beef. To be ‘official’ the Canada Grade name must be noted as “Canada AAA” or “Canada AA” etc. It must be shown in these words with or without the maple leaf.
If you are unsure or do not see any identifying logos or names, simply ask if it’s Canadian.
I always make sure the beef our family eats is Canadian. Do you always ensure the beef you are buying is Canadian? How do you do that? Why do you feel it’s important to choose Canadian beef?
Written by Heather Travis.
Tags: beef, food labels, local food
This is great information, Heather! Thanks for this article. It’s good to see that it is possible, at least with beef, to get some information about origin.
How about other products? Can any of our friends at the other commodity organizations help us wade through the labeling issue?
Thanks Amy! Yes, it’s great to able to choose Canadian Beef. If anyone is looking for more information on Canadian Beef visit http://www.beefinfo.org
I agree with amyproulx, this is great information! I think with all the recent problems in the food industry it is so much more important to know the origin of our food.
We buy our beef on the hoof from one of two farmers who happen to be friends. Both farmers raise pasture the cows but supplement with hay during the winter months and hormone free which is a real plus. It’s nice that we can stop by anytime and see how our cow is doing. So we always eat Canadian beef when served at home. We do the same thing with chicken and pork. Buying meats in bulk this way from local farmers is one way to ensure you are eating Canadian meats.
I think it is important to choose Canadian beef because this supports our local community which in turn makes our community stronger.