Canada has strong frameworks but needs to stay on top of its game as the spotlight intensifies.
It's no secret agri-food customers around the globe are increasingly focused on food safety and environmental stewardship. The malting barley area is no exception.
Here's a quick look at how this trend is viewed by two players in complementary components of the malt industry in Western Canada.
For Bob Sutton of Rahr Malting based in Alix, Alta., upholding high standards across the board has always been part of good business. The spotlight today on food safety and environmental attributes is more intense, but outfits such as Rahr are keeping pace by regularly monitoring developments and keeping their approaches up to date.
Having top standards for food safety is a no-brainer for anyone in today's malting and brewing business, says Sutton. "Food safety is a given these days. In our business you just can't offer our product without having a HAACP or ISO safety program in place. It's just simply a requirement by pretty much every brewer that I've dealt with, so that one is a given. Everyone has their own determination as to which program they're going to fall within. We've gone the ISO 22000 route and are fully certified in that."
Environmental stewardship is an area where he agrees there is a lot more talk and rising expectations around the industry. "For our business, it's fair to say we're conscious of it and we do everything we can working with our suppliers to uphold good environmental practices. While the environment is an area where there has been a lot of discussions, we have yet to see much in the way of specific commitments out of those discussions. It's an area we monitor like everyone else."
A big market for Rahr is export to Japan, he says. "We promote that Canada is a clean environment with fresh water and good production practices. We're conscious that's an image we need to do our best to uphold in all our relationships."
Sheryl Tittlemier of the Canadian Grain Commission, Grain Research Laboratory, is on the front line of dealing with potential food safety threats such as contaminated grain. She agrees that, in general, markets are moving towards more specific qualifications and verified or audited approaches for addressing and mitigating risks. In the technical scientific areas she deals with, there is an increasing trend toward more targeted risk assessment.
"There is a push to evaluate risk using scientific data for specific, as opposed to general, situations – so evaluations are much more detailed," says Tittlemier. "From the science side of things, I see more information or data being made available for risk assessment and management as our techniques become more sensitive. I'd say what's happening in Canada is generally consistent with what's going on in other parts of the world, such as the EU and Japan."
While the power of science to monitor threats and provide a foundation to standards is expected to continue to rise, Tittlemier says there is another critical element to preparing for and dealing with potential issues.
"In the experiences I've been involved with, it never ceases to surprise me how important communication is. That' another key factor we always need to keep at the forefront of our minds," she says.
Information on stewardship and the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan initiative is available at www.albertaefp.com.