Governments Invest In Manitoba's Milk Safety and Quality

The federal and provincial governments have announced an investment of more than $397,000 to ensure the safety and quality of Manitoba milk.

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced Monday that Winnipeg's Horizon Lab Ltd. will receive the funding to purchase new equipment designed to provide a more detailed and comprehensive analysis of locally produced milk.

"Our government is proud to support innovative initiatives like these that ensure top-quality food products and increase consumer confidence," said Minister Ritz. "Demand for safe and nutritious Canadian milk creates jobs and opportunities for our farmers and processors to expand their operations."

The new equipment will be used to identify and measure any potential impurities in milk, including a wide range of antibiotics.  All milk produced in Manitoba is tested for quality at Horizon Lab and for antibiotic residues at processing plants before it is sold to the consumer.

"The quality of milk produced and sold in Manitoba continues to be the top priority with this new, state-of-the-art equipment," said Minister Kostyshyn.  "I commend Horizon Lab for finding ways to improve the quality and types of testing performed at their facility.  Together, we are building local capacity and expertise related to food safety and quality."

Horizon lab is a subsidiary of Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, which provided an additional $190,000 to install and accredit the new equipment.

Source: PortageOnline