Health Canada responds to baby formula shortage, PEI's alternative crops for cash program, and more

May 23, 2022

The week will soon be coming to a close and if you’re looking to catch up on the latest in Canadian food news, you’ve come to the right place.

From a Health Canada update on the North American baby formula shortage to a P.E.I. potato proposition that could potentially help Island farmers find a new source of income, here are five food stories you might have missed this week.

After last week’s baby formula shortage continued into this week, Health Canada confirmed that it has begun working with manufacturers to expedite product importation wherever possible. Until the crisis comes under control, Health Canada is advising against using homemade formulas or substitutes such as cow’s milk, goat’s milk, and evaporated milk.

Health Canada has also said that parents should avoid buying in bulk and should not buy products from unknown sources.
Following a recent announcement from P.E.I.’s agriculture minister that there will be no exports of Island seed potatoes until at least next year, the province recently proposed that farmers who are unable to export their potatoes convert to alternative crops until next season.

Those who are able to qualify will receive $1,000 per acre, which the province hopes will help keep farmers afloat while also sustaining the farms for future harvests.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.