Feds invest $7.8M to keep workers safe at Prairie meat plants
by CM Staff
The funding helps these businesses keep employees safe and the regional food supply chain running strong
U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) inspector does a visual examination of a beef for foreign material at a meat processing plant in Brooklyn, NY on June 15, 1995. USDA photo by Lester Shepherd.
WINNIPEG, Man. — The Government of Canada announced support of up to $7.8 million through the Emergency Processing Fund for 24 meat processing companies across the Prairies.
This funding helps these businesses keep employees safe and the regional food supply chain running strong.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on many challenges for the food processing industry, in particular for meat processing plants of all sizes,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, in a prepared statement. “The hard-working women and men in this industry continue to step up to ensure Canadians have high-quality food on their plates. Through the Emergency Processing Fund, we are giving businesses the support they need to keep their employees safe and our food systems running strong.”
Recipients are using this funding to make adjustments to enable social distancing, purchase reuseable personal protective equipment (PPE), install protective barriers, improve sanitation and develop training for employees. These changes are also helping the food plants avoid production bottlenecks and safely keep up with Canadian consumer demand.
The announcement was made alongside two of the 24 recipients:
- Winkler Meats Ltd., a federally inspected abattoir and processing plant in Manitoba, which is receiving up to $1,447,693; and,
- Viva Deli, a meat processing and retail operation in Alberta, which is receiving up to $70,184.
