Cereals Canada announces new Habitat Friendly Winter Wheat Ecolabel Program

Cereals Canada, Ducks Unlimited and prairie winter wheat producer groups have created the Habitat Friendly Winter Wheat Ecolabel Program to encourage winter wheat acreage.

Leif Carlson, the director of market intelligence and trade policy at Cereals Canada, says Ducks Unlimited research has shown that ducks that nest in winter wheat stubble are 24 times more successful than those that are nested in spring-planted cereals.

"Recognizing these benefits, we saw that there was an opportunity to highlight this unique benefit of winter wheat and worked with the provincial lead associations to create this eco-label, and allow consumers to have this bit of information."

Consumers will be able to recognize the products that use winter wheat flour by a specific label.

To participate in the ecolabel program the product has to contain 30 per cent Western Canadian Winter Wheat flour.

Coyote Pancake and Waffle Mix from Rockport Flour Mills at Magrath, Alberta is made with whole wheat flour milled from spring wheat and winter wheat.