WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Canada’s chicken industry received a government grant in support of an initiative to strengthen food safety systems on Canada’s chicken farms.

The Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) will receive a grant of up to $72,500 (US$70,990) toward an audit of its on-farm food safety system. The CFC will then move to the final stage of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's On-Farm Food Safety Recognition Program, which follows the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles. The CFC is working toward becoming the first organization to achieve full recognition by the program.

"We are committed to food safety and growing the quality Canadian chicken that consumers can trust," said Dave Janzen, CFC chair, "As a leader in on-farm food safety programming, Chicken Farmers of Canada is proud to be the first commodity to pilot the final steps of the recognition program and provide lessons learned for other commodities. We are committed to partnering with government so that that we remain responsive to the needs of the Canadian consumer."