Health Canada to allow sale of irradiated ground beef

Optional process already permitted in U.S. aims to reduce harmful bacteria

The federal government has approved the sale of ground beef that has been treated with radiant energy similar to X-rays.

Health Canada says irradiation can reduce levels of harmful bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella that could be in the meat.

It also says irradiation of fresh and frozen raw ground beef can prevent premature spoilage.

“Health Canada developed the new regulation after conducting a thorough assessment and concluded that irradiation is a safe and effective treatment to reduce harmful bacteria in ground beef,” the department said in a release Wednesday.

“Irradiation is an optional tool that the food industry can use to treat certain foods to maintain quality or enhance safety.”

Under the new regulation, irradiated ground beef products must be labelled as such and include the international on packaging. The symbol is usually green and resembles a plant within a circle.

Health Canada noted that the United States has permitted the irradiation of ground beef products since 1999. Canada’s beef cattle industry has been asking the Canadian government to approve ground beef irradiation since 1998.

After meeting Trump earlier this month in Washington, Abe affirmed the need for a “free and fair common set of rules” on trade, and said a bilateral trade agreement between the U.S. and Japan might be possible.

A Japan-Canada bilateral deal would just one piece of the larger trading puzzle of how Canada engages with Asia, said International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, who took office last month.

Champagne said in a recent interview that he will explore “whether there is the possibility to pursue something on the multilateral level with the coalition of the willing or bilaterally.”

The work on that begins in three weeks when Champagne travels to Chile for talks with the 11 remaining TPP countries, as well as two significant countries not in the pact — China and South Korea.

Canada’s focus is on carving out free trade deals with Japan, China and India, said Champagne.

Chile’s trade minister convened next month’s meeting, known as the High Level Dialogue on the Asia-pacific region, after Trump served notice to withdraw from the TPP.

Champagne laid the groundwork for the Chilean meeting this week in Australia, where he held talks with that country as well as neighbouring New Zealand.

He said was “trying to initiate the brainstorming of what's next.”

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told the Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum — which was also attended by former prime minister Stephen Harper — that talks with the remaining TPP signatories would try to “use the work that has been done to capture the TPP’s enormous economic and strategic benefits.”

Turnbull said Canada and Australia “will speak with one voice on the imperative of defending free trade and open markets around the world, because we know this is the road to prosperity.”

Numerous analysts have said the U.S. decision to abandon the TPP has opened the door for China to become the leading rule maker for trade in Asia.

Champagne was at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month when Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a major speech extolling his country as a champion of free trade and a campaigner against protectionism.

“It was a positive signal,” said Champagne, given that “people might be questioning whether we still need these multilateral trade agreements and the institutions.”