Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  We all have potassium lactate and sodium lactate in our bodies. They are just metabolites that are part of our system. They are not dangerous at all. Diacetate is a chemical additive that quickly breaks down into acetate and something else. In any event, these are common metabolites in human physiology.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  The temporary status will stay in effect until another decision has been made. The decision was to allow its use, but it is not yet officially in the regulations. It will be eventually. It is just that they are giving themselves time to evaluate the situation and make sure that it was the right decision.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Yes, in conjunction with Health Canada, of course. Health Canada decides which additives are and are not permitted. The agency makes sure that they are correctly applied, by establishing allowable limits and concentrations.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Yes, there are a lot of additives on the list that are permitted in the United States but are not approved in Canada. There are probably about 40.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Antimicrobial agents like this are generally used to prevent pathogenic bacteria like listeria from multiplying when the product is being stored. They are additives that are put into the meat during processing, not at slaughter. The additives prevent the pathogenic bacteria from multiplying.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Good evening. The recommendations of the Canadian Meat Council, that Olymel is of course part of, are eight in number. The first recommendation deals with antimicrobial interventions. In our opinion, the industry in Canadian should have access to the same antimicrobials and interventions that our American counterparts have.