Categories: Need to know

No wine-fed beef: Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Cattle breeder says CFIA is on a “power trip”

by macleans.ca on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 12:42pm - 0 Comments

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has put a cork in a B.C. rancher’s plan to put wine-fed beef on the menus of Vancouver restaurants this fall. The agency said wine is “not an approved ingredient,” which will likely kill the burgeoning industry in a province where ranchers have struggled economically. Southern Plus Feedlot operator Bill Freding, who spearheaded the movement, told The Canadian Press that CFIA officials are on a “power trip.” He’s vowed to fight the decision.

Winnipeg Free Press

Maclean’s

Tags: Canada

Albert

"Power trip"? Hmmm.
Sounds like grassroots, western kinda, "I got conservative connections", fight coming on.
And as an argument? Not all that convincing.
Rnanderson

An approved ingredient? Since when did they control what the cattle consume, that thoroughly? Do they instruct the grass fed cattle to eat only clover, alfalfa and timothy hay but leave the brome grass alone! Geesh. And yet, it's ok for the CHEFS to use the wine in the sauces, braising, marinades, etc… The beef fed out in McDonalds is much more dangerous, full of gmo corn and soy and antibotics than this will be. Control freaks at their finest.

true north

I was talking to a rancher, and he told me if the grape was in its natural form ( whole and fermented ) there wouldn't be a problem… but a fermented squashed ( liquified ) grape presents a problem….Maybe they should just let the cattle graze in the Vineyards and eat all the fallen fermented grapes…

TheRealKuri

I find this bizarre, and it's also unfortunately that neither of the sources appear to have any explanation or reference to risk from the CFIA. (A search for 'wine' and 'beef' on the CFIA website yielded no meaningful results.

I was looking forward to trying this beef. :-(

true north

The beef is excellent..There are various places in the Okanagan you you can get this beef…You can Google..Sezmu Meats for more info….you won't regret it !

http://okanagandailyspecial.blogspot.com Sean Peltier

Oops, turns out all this is false. Sezmu is still operating and wine beef is not banned. Turns out the CFIA is just curious about cows eating winery waste such as yeast.
Ariadne

Is it better tasting to marinate steaks longer? The BC ranchers might just be proactive and help us marinate them way before they are slaughtered for the kitchen (pickled by then) ?
Jenna

This story is incorrect. The CFIA has declared Sezmu Beef fit for human consumption according to CBC. We can still buy it here in the Okanagan. Had it for dinner this evening in fact!
martin

I just tasted wine fed beef on a satay stick at the cambie liqoure store…. it was fantastic…. felt guilty trying four sticks…. yummy
Andrew (not PorC)

This does sound like a bit of a power trip. I can't imagine the rationale for banning beef that had been fed wine for human consumption. After all, humans are permitted to drink wine, so I doubt the concern about wine as a food additive.

Beyond that, I doubt feeding wine modifies the flavour of the meat in a substantial way.
http://okanagandailyspecial.blogspot.com Sean Peltier

Did you know that water and hay are not on the approved list as well. I guess that it's okay to feed ruminants corn though. And what about the possibility of feeding cows wine hindering e. coli bacteria. Power tripping heath inspectors may not be the best argument but the lined pockets of the CFIA by companies such as Cargill may be a better one…Don't ya think.

I have personally seen these cows and worked with this meat. Both the live cows and their aged meat is stunning. This wine beef could have put the Okanagan on the map as a culinary destination to go along with the pre-existing wine industry. Yet again the elected governments have made it impossible for a "grass roots" entrepreneur to make a legitimate go of it. Way to go CFIA for sticking it to the hopes and dreams of ingesting health local food.

Pathetic.