Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Avian flu has wiped out 50.54 million birds in the United States this year, making it the country’s deadliest outbreak in history, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed Thursday. The deaths of chickens, turkeys and other birds represent the worst U.S. animal-health disaster to date, topping the previous record of 50.5 […] Read more
U.S. avian flu outbreak of 2022 wipes out record number of birds
Vast majority of caseload originated with wild birds: USDA
Lab-grown meat cleared for human consumption by U.S. regulator
FDA's review not technically approval
Reading Time: < 1 minute Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first time cleared a meat product grown from animal cells for human consumption, the agency announced on Wednesday. Upside Foods, a company that makes cell-cultured chicken by harvesting cells from live animals and using the cells to grow meat in stainless-steel tanks, […] Read more
Pork packer Olymel laying off dozens of managers
Market unpredictability, 'growth challenges' cited
Reading Time: 2 minutes Major Canadian pork and poultry packer Olymel has laid off 57 people from its management ranks and eliminated another 120 administrative positions, citing the company’s current “market context and growth challenges.” Olymel, the meat packing arm of Quebec-based Sollio Cooperative Group, said Tuesday its affected employees were notified Monday and have received their layoff notices. […] Read more
Ontario halal processor to buy poultry packing capacity
Amir Quality Meats taking up Wellington Poultry
Reading Time: < 1 minute An Ontario meat processor specializing in the halal market has a deal in place to boost its capacity by buying a nearby chicken and specialty fowl packer. Amir Quality Meats, which operates a federally registered HACCP-certified boning and cutting plant at Brampton, has an agreement in place to buy the processing plant and “associated supply” […] Read more
Cargill, Continental close U.S. chicken deal
Reading Time: < 1 minute Washington | Reuters — Cargill and Continental Grain said on Friday that they had closed their deal to buy Sanderson Farms, the third largest chicken producer, in a deal worth some US$4.53 billion. Under the deal, which was announced last August, Sanderson is being combined with Continental Grain subsidiary Wayne Farms. Sanderson will cease trading […] Read more
H7N3 avian flu found in chickens in Mexico, near Texas border
Reading Time: < 1 minute Mexico City | Reuters — Mexico’s agriculture ministry on Saturday reported outbreaks of highly pathogenic H7N3 bird flu virus in two hatching egg production barns in the northern state of Coahuila, which borders on Texas. The strain in question has existed in some regions of the country since 2012, the ministry said in a statement. […] Read more
High-path bird flu reaches Manitoba airspace
H5N1 confirmed in wild birds found last week in province's west
Reading Time: 3 minutes Manitoba’s feather sectors and backyard flock owners are being reminded to take the necessary precautions now that highly pathogenic avian flu has been confirmed in wild birds found last week. The province’s natural resources department reported Wednesday that the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) has confirmed the presence of high-path H5N1 avian flu in two […] Read more
Avian flu arrives in Saskatchewan poultry
More outbreaks also confirmed in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec
Reading Time: 3 minutes Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in a poultry flock and a non-commercial flock in separate areas of Saskatchewan. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it confirmed high-path avian flu on Thursday in a small non-commercial flock in the RM of Moose Mountain, near Carlyle in the province’s southeast, and on Saturday in a […] Read more
Chicken abuse caught on video nets $600,000 in fines
Sofina Foods, chicken-catching company fined; other charges stayed
Reading Time: 2 minutes A poultry processor and its “chicken-catching” service provider whose handling of chickens in British Columbia wound up on network TV are now each on the hook for $300,000 in fines. The fines were levied against Sofina Foods and Elite Farm Services after the two companies pled guilty to two counts each of Health of Animals […] Read more
U.S. tornadoes destroy chickens, tractors, silos
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — A Deere dealership and a Pilgrim’s Pride chicken hatchery were destroyed when deadly tornadoes swept through Kentucky on Friday, while silos holding millions of bushels of corn suffered damage, the companies and the state’s agriculture commissioner said on Monday. At least 64 people, including six children, lost their lives in Kentucky […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
