Thanks, Madam Chair.
I want to start with Mr. van Raalte from the Treasury Board.
We have a growing demand across the world for plant-based proteins. Our government has made a bet on plant-based proteins. With respect to the super cluster, there's obviously great integration with our agricultural sector as it relates to pea proteins and other pulses, yet I received a note from Impossible Foods noting the challenges they face in sending products to the Canadian market, including simulated meat regulations. I wonder if this is on your radar at all.
They note, as an example—it is bizarre to even read some of it—that, regarding chicken nuggets, a simulated poultry product must have at least 16% total protein and no more than 15% fat, per B.22.029. However, an animal-based chicken nugget of white meat only, per food code 7035, has only 14% protein. Animal-based white and dark meat chicken nuggets, per food code 7034, have 12% protein and 16% total fat, which do not meet the requirements that simulated chicken nuggets must meet. There's one example. There are other examples within simulated meat.
Is this not red tape? I mean, you have a company here that wants to send product to the Canadian marketplace, and we are effectively telling them to reformulate their products for the Canadian marketplace based on Byzantine regulations.