FROM THE EDITOR: May 2006

I remember very well the day in May of 2003 when the announcement that a
cow in Canada had tested positive for BSE hit the news.  Working in
agriculture, I understood how significant this event would be, and how
drastically it would affect Canada’s cattle industry.

Iremember very well the day in May of 2003 when the announcement that a cow in Canada had tested positive for BSE hit the news.  Working in agriculture, I understood how significant this event would be, and how drastically it would affect Canada’s cattle industry.

Although the industry suffered huge losses for several years and is not yet fully back on track, something extraordinary, in my opinion, occurred.  Instead of shunning beef, Canadian consumers showed their support by continuing to eat beef.  In fact, as reported by Alberta Auditor General Fred Dunn, Canadian consumers actually consumed five per cent more beef in 2003 than they had the previous year.

Will the same thing happen for poultry?  If H5N1 appears in Canada – as many industry professionals predict – will Canadian consumers stand behind the industry and show support by continuing to eat poultry?

It’s hard to say at this point.  I would like to think that Canadian consumers are intelligent enough to realize the stark difference between how poultry is raised in Canada and in many of the countries, particularly those in Asia, that have had human victims of the virus. The majority of these people have had direct contact with poultry, and their birds have been in contact with other animals that act as vectors. 

There are cultural differences that may help the North American poultry industry as well.  Raw poultry products are not common ingredients in the diet of people of Western European heritage, at least not to my knowledge. 

However, irresponsible media jumping on the pandemic wagon have created a worldwide panic.  The line between the actual potential for a pandemic, how the virus is transmitted, and how the rearing practices differ amongst countries has been blurred.  It’s just downright difficult for a consumer to make sense out of it all. 

The reality is that H5N1 has become synonymous with flu pandemic, and unfortunately we are left doing the damage control. Consumption in affected countries has dropped dramatically, by as much as 70 per cent.  At a recent breakfast meeting held during the Poultry Industry Conference and Exhibition in London, Ontario, the audience was told that in Turkey, poultry was no longer on menus to ensure consumer safety. 

Consumer perception is becoming a grave concern. The Canadian poultry industry needs to start, or at least be prepared, to assure consumers that poultry is safe to eat.

This is exactly what the Canadian beef industry did in the wake of the BSE crisis.  It was able to maintain consumer confidence by branding its product as ‘Canadian Beef’ in a blitz of ad campaigns and nationalist appeals from politicians to support the struggling industry. I, like many others, proudly displayed my “I love Canada Beef” bumper sticker.

I don’t think a blitz on advertising is necessarily the answer.  Given the panic mode of the media, we may be asking for trouble. 

Rather, we need to arm ourselves with the facts and constantly be aware that the majority of consumers know pathetically little about agriculture or animal disease.  All they know is H5N1 means pandemic and possible death. 

Those of you who had the chance to attend the Poultry Industry Conference and Exhibition would have noticed that pins with the slogan ‘Poultry is Safe. Just Cook It!’ were given out to attendees. 

The pins were produced by the U.S. Poultry and Egg Export Council and are part of a worldwide campaign to assure consumers that poultry is safe to consume when properly handled and cooked.  The same slogan appeared on large banners during the International Poultry Exposition this past January in Atlanta.

It may seem a little simplified, but I think it’s effective.  It conveys an important message – that eating poultry doesn’t mean falling ill with bird flu.  This is something that we cannot let consumers forget.