The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) congratulates U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on his election win and looks forward to working with his administration in areas of common interest.

As the post-presidential election dust settles and the face of the new U.S. administration starts to unfurl, individual beef producers can continue to count on the CCA to work hard to represent them. The CCA will be prepared to continue our excellent working relationships with our U.S. counterparts and looks forward to getting to know the people who will be taking up roles in the Trump Administration. In terms of process, the Obama Administration continues into mid-January until the inauguration of Trump on Friday, January 20, 2017. In the meantime, Trump will be selecting his advisors and naming his Cabinet in a transition process that will continue well into the spring and summer of 2017.

It is early days and Trump has yet to outline specifics of his agenda. On trade, Trump will need to address his campaign promises to renegotiate and improve existing trade agreements, but before anyone starts worrying about those agreements being “torn up” or re-negotiated, they should pause and consider the process for doing so. There are ample opportunities to achieve this through existing working groups and initiatives (such as the U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council, of which CCA is a member) that are set up for precisely that purpose.

We believe that Trump’s advisors will recognize the fact that history has shown that trade is the best way to create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. (http://can-am.gc.ca/relations/commercial_relations_commerciales.aspx?lang=eng)

The CCA will work closely with Canadian government officials and the Embassy in Washington. D.C. to ensure the interests of Canadian beef producers are well represented.

This includes an uninterrupted focus on trade in the future. Exports are the lifeblood of Canada’s beef industry and forward-thinking trade pacts like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will ensure Canadian beef producers can compete fairly in a global marketplace. Free trade agreements like the TPP create jobs for Canadians and contribute to economic growth and long-term prosperity across the country.

The CCA strongly supports the TPP and encourages Canada and Japan to formally approve the agreement. However, recognizing that U.S. approval is necessary for the TPP to proceed, and that the path to approval in the U.S. is at present uncertain, the CCA is recommending that Canada and Japan aggressively reengage in a bilateral ‘Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement’ (CEPA) negotiation, embracing the important details that were negotiated for market access in the TPP.

Producers can continue to count on the CCA to work hard to represent them in the U.S.

In This Issue...

• Producers can continue to count on the CCA to work hard to represent them in the U.S.

• CCA talks beef on China trade mission

• Issues Management Monthly: Cattle stress and handling

• Research on cooking recommendations for tenderized beef, minute steaks and burgers

• Spotting and treating different types of lameness

• Considering various techniques for deadstock disposal

Volume 16 Issue 12 • November 14, 2016

CCA IS THE NATIONAL VOICE OF CANADA’S 68,500 BEEF FARMS

CCA Past President Dave Solverson participated in Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay’s trade mission to China recently as part of Canada’s largest-ever agriculture delegation.

More than 100 officials from across Canada participated in the trade mission including agriculture ministers from Alberta, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador along with industry representatives from agricultural, seafood and horticultural groups.

Solverson had positive interactions with Canadian and Chinese government officials and industry representatives during the stop in Beijing. The Chinese industry counterparts expressed tremendous interest in expanding trade, particularly in Canadian beef, he said.

Industry feels the bone-in access will be a big improvement and will lead to more commercially viable trade, Solverson said. There seemed to be a desire to progress to chilled beef as well, he said. Importers and exporters he met with expressed a keen interest in boosting supplies of Canadian beef.

In September, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced in Ottawa that China will begin to allow bone-in Canadian beef from cattle under 30 months of age (UTM) effective immediately. During the trade mission, Solverson took the opportunity to personally thank Minister MacAulay for achieving this important threshold in the staged access process Canada is engaged in with China. He reiterated the importance of market access and expansions to Canadian beef producers, and visited with PC MP Gerry Ritz, international trade critic.

China closed to Canadian beef in May 2003 when Canada discovered its first domestic case of BSE. During former Premier Hu’s visit to Canada in 2010, he announced that China would fully re-open to Canadian beef in stages. The first stage was boneless beef from UTM cattle. In 2013, China approved additional Canadian beef export facilities to increase our capacity to serve Chinese beef importers. In June 2014, China announced it would begin to consider the importation of bone-in UTM beef products. The September announcement represents the successful conclusion of that step.

The addition of bone-in UTM access is expected to add an additional $10 million per year in exports to China in the short term while the Canadian beef cattle herd remains contracted. In 2015 China stepped in as a major buyer while Canadian beef was temporarily shut out of Korea and Taiwan and the Canadian dollar was weak, purchasing $256 million that year. Through July 2016, Canadian beef sales to China have returned to being comparable with the first seven months of 2014.

Solverson said the mission was of tremendous value. It’s important to participate in such missions to show support for the government’s efforts to increase access for Canadian beef. Another benefit is meeting and interacting with both Chinese officials and food service and retail representatives through food events linked to the trade missions.

CCA talks beef on China trade mission

Minister MacAulay cooked up some delicious Canadian beef at the Canada Beef Booth in Shanghai

Volume 16 Issue 12 • November 14, 2016

This is the eighth installment in a new monthly column highlighting the work done on beef industry issues management by Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) staff, featuring Issues Manager Tom Lynch-Staunton

Originally, I fully intended to devote this column to explaining the reasons why the private member’s bill C-246 Modernizing Animal Protections Act was defeated in the Canadian parliament for the public. However, Gren Winslow’s editorial (http://www.canadiancattlemen.ca/2016/10/31/good-news-for-livestock-producer-in-defeated-bill-c-246/) in the October 24 edition of Canadian Cattlemen’s Magazine on this particular subject does such a great job of laying out the reasons that I decided to write about a related topic that is referenced frequently but also not well understood: the importance of minimizing cattle stress.

People already know that stress can trigger many health problems. In livestock production, increased stress can compromise immune function in animals, resulting in sicknesses or even mortality. Stress can also increase incidents of animals or humans getting injured, and can compromise eating and weight gain. It can even affect the meat quality and result in what’s called dark cutting at the packing plant. This meat has an unacceptable colour and shorter shelf life which means lost productivity.

Stress can compound other problems like increasing the need for antibiotics, both on an individual animal, and possibly the entire herd. As Dr. Reynold Bergen of the Beef Cattle Research Council noted in his recent article (http://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/antibiotic-alternatives/) on antibiotic alternatives, reducing stress on an individual animal can also reduce the need and amount of antibiotics used in a herd. Even though many stressors are beyond a producer’s control like weather or predators, it is our responsibility to try to reduce as much stress as possible with things we can control, and prepare for the ones we can’t. It is important to remember that much of the stress in cattle is caused by interaction with humans, whether it is intentional or not. Activities such as weaning, vaccinating, loading for transport, or moving animals from one pasture to another, could be creating stress in cattle, depending on how these actions are carried out. That is why cattle handling is so important for the overall health of our cattle, and the resulting viability of our ranches and feedlots.

When I was still living and working on the family ranch, we heard about Bud Williams’ (http://www.canadiancattlemen.ca/2016/07/11/proper-stockmanship-the-bud-williams-way/) stockmanship schools, which teach low stress cattle handling techniques. As third and fourth generation ranchers, my family and I thought we knew just about everything there was to know about handling cattle, having been taught through experience and succession.

However, we were still curious and thought that this stockmanship school may be worthwhile if it we could learn some small tricks like getting cattle through that one hard gate, or over that bridge that they never will cross.

We were convinced that other than learning these few tricks, Bud wouldn’t teach us anything new about general cattle handling. Luckily, he was even more stubborn than we were and his teachings significantly changed the way we move cattle and interact with them - for the better. He broke our bad habits and taught us about using simple movement techniques like when to apply and release pressure, moving back and forth, and positioning yourself so the animal can see you. He also taught us how to do this quietly without whistling or yelling, and we discovered for ourselves that quiet handling can be more efficient than the old ways. We were incredibly humbled by his knowledge.

Looking back at the way we previously moved cattle - total old fashioned western movie cattle drive stuff, usually with a lot of noise, yelling and whistling (at the cattle and at each other) - it was stressful for the cattle, and for ourselves. Today, using the techniques taught to us by the late Bud Williams, it is far less stressful and much more quiet and enjoyable - even if there isn’t as much excitement as there used to be. Shoot, my family and I don’t even get to yell at each other anymore! Don’t get me wrong, there will always be stressful situations and problems when dealing with livestock, but now we know how to respond to them, so they occur much less frequently. I’m sure we still don’t deploy these techniques as well as Bud did, but we are much more aware of how our cattle react to the way we handle them and the outcome is healthier animals.

Issues Management Monthly: Cattle stress and handling

Volume 16 Issue 12 • November 14, 2016

There are other times in our cattle’s lives where handling can induce stress. Probably the most stressful situations for animals are weaning and transporting. Preconditioning and low-stress weaning techniques (nose flaps and fence line weaning) are very important ways to reduce overall stress to both the calves and the mother cows, which will result in fewer animals getting sick. The Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle (http://www.nfacc.ca/pdfs/codes/beef_code_of_practice.pdf) and Canada’s Livestock Transport regulations contain many protocols designed to reduce stress for all classes of animals in transit (cows, calves, yearlings etc). It is in nobody’s best interest if an animal gets sick or injured en route, or at their final destination. Like Canada’s Animal Cruelty laws, animal transport laws are under scrutiny. We need to make sure that any changes to the regulations results in reduced overall stress for the animal. For example, we know that unloading and loading animals creates stress for cattle. If the science shows that a longer haul is less stressful than breaking it up with a rest stop, we must make sure this is considered in new regulations.

How we handle our cattle is becoming increasingly scrutinized, including by the public. Like us, the public wants to know that animals are treated well, and that they are healthy and content. It is important to understand stressors for the animals in our care, and seek ways that we can try to reduce or mitigate those stressors, further demonstrating the importance producers place on animal care and welfare. Cattle producers are genuinely motivated to ensure their livestock are well cared for. When our cattle are healthy and happy, so are we.

The CCA’s E. coli O157 Research and Education Strategy was developed in consultation with Canadian beef processors to address key food safety issues arising from the 2012 recall with a view to preventing future reoccurrences. A major focus of the strategy was in relation to the food safety of the so called “non-intact” product category including tenderized, cubed or ground beef products where bacteria may be transferred into the centre of the beef product during processing.

When this occurs, if harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157 are present, these products may be protected to some degree from the hotter temperatures at the product surface during cooking. In research conducted under phase I of the CCA E. coli O157 Research and Education Strategy, it was demonstrated that cooking mechanically tenderized steaks to 63°C with flipping twice or more during cooking can ensure food safety. Ultimately, research conducted under the Strategy contributed to the scientific rationale for new labels for tenderized beef across Canada. In phase II additional laboratory research was conducted at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lacombe Research and Development Centre by varying cooking temperatures, cooking time, internal product temperatures, and flipping frequency where applicable.

The following summary provides the research outcomes:

Findings for roastsWhen tenderized roasts were cooked in a convection oven at temperatures of 140 to 180°C it was possible to inactivate even very large amounts of E.coli O157 artificially injected into the meat provided the roast reached 60°C internal product temperature. However, if oven temperatures were set at 120°C or at 200°C it was necessary to cook to a higher internal product temperature of 63°C to achieve an adequate bacterial reduction. For a conventional oven, the use of higher cooking temperatures (210°C) required that product be cooked to an internal temperature of 71°C. For crock pots set at either the low or high setting, cooking the tenderized roast to 63°C was sufficient to ensure food safety.

The findings indicate that both the temperature at which the oven is operated and the internal temperature of the tenderized beef roast following cooking are important to food safety. It is recommended that mechanically tenderized roasts be cooked at 140 to 180°C oven temperature to a product temperature of 63°C. At oven temperatures higher than 180°C with small roasts it would be advisable to cook mechanically tenderized roasts to higher temperatures.

Research on cooking recommendations for tenderized beef, minute steaks and burgers

Volume 16 Issue 12 • November 14, 2016

It is easy to assume that an animal with a limp has footrot, but many of the other types of lameness don’t respond to the antibiotics that treat footrot. Helpful hints on diagnosing and treating many different kinds of lameness so you’re better able to treat the animal properly the first time can be found here: www.beefresearch.ca/research-topic.cfm/lameness-64

Spotting and treating different types of lameness

A survey of Canadian consumers commissioned by the CCA showed that the majority of Canadian consumers prefer to cook their roasts in ovens (77%) or slow cookers/crock pots (54%). Oven temperatures in the range of 160 to 180°C are used by about 50 per cent of Canadian consumers. More than 90 per cent of Canadian consumers cook their roasts to internal temperatures of 63°C or higher.

Findings for minute (cubed) steaksOne of the popular ways of mechanically tenderizing meat is cubing in which a machine with two sets of pointed discs cut muscle fibers from boneless cuts without tearing them. Cubing can also be done manually using a butcher’s mallet. Cubed steak is also called a minute steak because it can be cooked quickly (see Figure 1).

Minute steaks were artificially injected with large amounts of E. coli O157 in the laboratory and then were cooked on a hot plate operated at 200°C, to simulate medium to high heat pan frying. Various cooking times and flipping frequencies were examined along with several end-point internal temperatures. When minute steaks were turned over twice during cooking to a final temperature of 71°C at the thickest point of the meat, it was possible to destroy one million or more E. coli O157. When minute steaks were cooked to 63°C and flipped twice there was not always an adequate reduction of E. coli O157.

A survey of Canadian consumers commissioned by CCA showed that the majority prefer to cook their minute steaks by pan frying (63%) and to a degree of doneness of medium (71°C) or higher (68%). The vast majority of consumers (96%) flip their minute steaks once or more during cooking.

Findings for beef burgersWhen burgers artificially injected with E. coli O157 in the laboratory were flipped once during cooking to 71°C, the reduction of E. coli O157:H7 throughout the burgers was not uniform and not always sufficient, especially when they were cooked from a frozen state. However, when burgers were flipped twice during cooking to 71°C, E. coli O157:H7 was eliminated.

A survey of Canadian consumers commissioned by the CCA showed that 51 per cent of Canadian consumers prefer to cook their burgers by barbecue grill (51%) and to a degree of doneness of medium (71°C) or higher (90%). Most consumers (75%) turn their burgers twice or more frequently during cooking.

ConclusionsThe findings from the second phase of the E. coli O157 research and education strategy provide some practical recommendations on how food safety can be enhanced.

Download the full brochure, ‘O157 Cooking Recommendations for Tenderized Beef, Minute Steaks and Burgers’ here (http://www.cattle.ca/assets/action-news-pdfs/CCA-E.-coli-O157-Strategy-Cooking-Recommendations-Nov-10-2016.pdf). Any questions regarding the cooking recommendations outlined above can be directed to teelg@cattle.ca

Figure 1. Cubed or minute steak

Volume 16 Issue 12 • November 14, 2016

CCA Action News

Staff Contributors: John Masswohl, Tom Lynch-Staunton, Mark Klassen, Tracy Herbert, CanfaxWritten, edited and compiled by: Gina Teel

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association is the national voice for Canada’s beef cattle industry representing 68,500 beef farms and feedlots.

To sign up for CCA’s “Action News:” For more information, contact:

Visit www.cattle.ca and click on “Sign-up for Action News” CCA Communications at feedback@cattle.ca or visit our website at www.cattle.ca

Head office:Ste. 180, 6815 8th Street NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7H7Phone: 403.275.8558 Fax: 403.274.5686

Ottawa office:1207, 350 Sparks Street, Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8Phone: 613.233.9375 Fax: 613.233.2860

http://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/what-is-the-environmental-footprint-of-beef-production-webinar-november-28/

Considering various techniques for deadstock disposalComposting is an efficient way to dispose of deadstock, and manure can be used to help heat compost, especially in cold winter conditions. This link leads to a video and more information on composting deadstock, as well as other methods of disposal: www.beefresearch.ca/research-topic.cfm/disposal-of-cattle-mortalities-55

Volume 16 Issue 12 • November 14, 2016