F.R.V.

annually to the Canadian Food Industry ScholarshipFund.

(k) Finance Committee - Concern was expressed about thenumber of members who had not paid their fees for1981. This year's budget is based on 2,000 paid mem­bers; 1,800 had paid to date.

The meeting was adjourned and the Executive met withthe Honorable Eugene F. Whelan, Minister of Agriculture,to discuss the objectives of the Institute.

F.R.V.

Address of the Minister of Agriculture to the CIFSTEditorial Note: The following article is the text of a speechgiven by the Honorable Eugene F. Whelan to the OttawaSection of the CIFST. Prior to the speech the CIFSTexecutive met privately with Mr. Whelan to inform him ofthe role of the Institute and the need for more funding in thearea of Food Research.

It has been just about two years since I last addressed theCanadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, and itis a pleasure for me to be with you once again.

I am always pleased to have a chance to meet a group likeyours with the potential to deeply affect Canada's position inworld food production.

Your group's concerns, like my own as Minister of Agri­culture, are directed towards bringing together talented andforward-looking individuals from across the agriculture andfood industry to solve common problems.

Your 2,500 members are among the finest professionalscoast to coast who work daily in the fields of production,processing, research, development and quality assurance offood. Since you represent government, indust(y and theacademic world, you recognize the vital need for co­operative efforts to get a job done.

As I look ahead to the coming years, it seems to me thatCanadians will have an increasingly large role to play in thesuccess of Canada's food and agriculture industry.

The world's population is now 4.5 billion and growing.During the 1970's, 69 out of 128 developing countries hadpopulations that were growing faster than their abilities toproduce food. Our food aid this year totalled $177 million,and we have committed $95 million to the World FoodProgram in each of the next two years. The federal govern­ment is also committed to increasing its overall food aid fromthe current.4% of the budget to .7% by 1990. So it's vitallyimportant that Canada's food and agriculture sector remainsstrong to fulfill its role in feeding the world.

In the last one hundred years, the battles of Canadianagriculture were fought in the fields by individual farmersfrom coast to coast. Their success was measured in back­breaking labour and sweat. But in the next one hundredyears, those all-important battles will shift more and more tothe laboratories and classrooms. In order to broaden thescope and size of Canadian agriculture, we will needadvances in food science and technology.

And that, of course, is where you come in. Researchers inall branches of government, industry and in our colleges anduniversities form an increasingly large behind-the-scenesstaff for those who feed the world.

Whether you are helping farmers increase yields ordeveloping new products and ingredients for domestic andworld markets, you are feeding people. And if you arehelping the food processor cut his energy bill or making surethe consumer gets top-quality produce on the table, you arealso feeding people. And that is an important job.

In fact, the federal government recognizes the importanceof research to the whole Canadian economy. John Roberts,

Can. Inst. FoodSd. Technol.J. Vol. 14. No. 3.July 1981

the Minister of State for Science and Technology. announcedlast week that federal research spending would increase 17%per year to 1985. By then the federal government will bespending more than $2.5 billion to finance about one-third ofCanadian research. That will be about 1.5% of our grossnational product in 1985 and a big step up from the $973million we spent on research in 1979.

Research is vitally important if our agriculture and foodsector is to continue growing. My department's total annualresearch budget is now about $155 million, and about $9million of that goes directly to food research. Our sixtyprofessional food researchers in processing and storage, atfour research stations across Canada, are working on avariety of food industry problems. Our projects concern foodprocessing technology, new products and ingredients, foodsafety and nutrition, to name just a few. Our budget worksout to about $150,000 for the salary, technical support, andequipment of every researcher in my department. And that isa very reasonable investment when you consider how thatmoney benefits all Canadians.

There is a continuing need for a close relationshipbetween researchers and manufacturers in the food industry.My department is considering expanding its network offoodresearch labs across the country to better serve the foodindustry. To a large extent, the PDR sector is becomingconcentrated in a few particular areas of the country. Wethink establishing future research centres in those areascould improve our ability to co-operate with industry.

Because we recognize the importance of research to astrong food industry, my department has also expanded itsprogram of contract research. About $1 million is beingspent on contract research. on meat, plant proteins andnutrition. Another $900,000 goes towards interdepartmentalPDR research. And through the Canadian Dairy Commis­sion, we allot about $2 million each year for milk research,particularly new uses of skim milk powder and milkcomponents.

One of my department's chief aims is to improve ouroverall responsiveness to the food industry. Our FoodProduction arid Inspection Branch now co-ordinates all thefood inspection activities of Agriculture Canada. That kindof co-ordination is vital to ensure we don't duplicate servicesin some areas and leave others unattended. I think we'redoing a good job in responding to the need for efficiency inall phases of the food processing industry.

The Canadian food industry is one of the most importantparts of our economy. In 1980 our food and beverageindustry sales reached an all-time high of$25.4 billion, whichwas more than 15% higher than 1979. That makes it thelargest secondary industry in Canada.

The industry employs about 230,000 people, and whenyou consider the number employed in related activities suchas distribution, retailing, and the restaurant business, thatfigure rises to about one million people. So there are a lot ofCanadians who depend on the strength of the food industryfor their livelihoods. And all of us depend on the industry forthe high-quality food we have come to expect.

Researchers at our Food Research Institute are studyingnot only the quality of raw agricultural products, but thequality of food as it's actually consumed. And that meansfinding out not only what prompts consumers to select thefoods they do, but how storage and processing may affect thetaste, appearance, or nutritional quality of the meals we eat.

More and more, food research in my department isgetting down to what we call the "fork level." Since it isultimately the consumer we want to please, it just makesgood sense to find out what he or she is looking for in food.Quality is important to the consumer. A recent USDA

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survey found consumers consider quality nearly twice asimportant as any other characteristic when buying foods likebread, apples, chicken and beef. Even nutrition is less signifi­cant to many shoppers than quality. That is the kind ofinformation we have got to have to respond to the changingconsumer tastes that affect markets.

Agriculture Canada is co-operating with other provincialand federal government departments in dramatically in­creasing research into food safety, nutrition, and quality. Weare working hand in hand on this with Health and Welfare.We have stepped up our research in these areas because weneed as much knowledge of the safety and nutrition of ourproducts as we can get.

The research program in these areas is just getting under­way in my department, but its concerns are broad. Theyinclude the effects of processing and distribution on theultimate nutrition of foods, how diet can relate to disease,and residue problems with agricultural chemicals or toxicsubstances in our food. The main direction is always toensure public safety and help consumers select foods thatensure their own health and well-being.

But to make this kind of advice, we have got to have thatfork-level data I mentioned earlier. And that means collect­ing a Canadian data base about the foods people actually eat.We need a really good picture of what people eat, how often,and how and where they eat it.

Our research program is certainly geared towards provid­ing better products for the consumer as well as improving theefficiency of the processors who deliver the food. There is nobetter example of this than our New Products and IngredientsResearch Program.

It is geared towards increasing the uses of our Canadianagricultural resources. First, by developing new food prod­ucts based on commodities we already produce economical­ly, or by using our agricultural products more efficiently andeffectively to replace some of the costly food ingredients wenow import.

Work at the Food Research Institute is focusing onbreaking down milk, oats and canola into high-proteinfractions. These fractions can be used in a variety of ways inother manufactured foods or even industrial products. Wehave been using canola oil for about thirty years now, and weare at the point where we can now turn the rest of the canolainto a dry, powdery protein flour that could have a numberof uses in processed foods.

We are also pretty excited about the prospects for theingredients we've been able to produce from oats. Some ofthe oat starches and gums have never been used in humanfood. But our researchers have found they are useful asthickeners for sauces and puddings, among other things.And of course, fractions that are not useful for human foodcan be added to animal feed or used in industrial glues,binders, or foams. The list is just about endless.

Right now we are working with a Canadian companyinterested in using that canola process commercially inaddition to the canola oil it already markets. We are hopingthis will be a first step towards opening new markets forCanadian primary and secondary agricultural products inthe coming year.

In 1979, Canada exported a record $6.1 billion worth ofagriculture and food products, while we imported $4.7billion worth. That left us with a healthy $1.4 billion surplusin our food trade.

A large portion of that surplus results from our aggressiveattempts to market high-energy grains and oilseeds, whichnow account for about 65% of our agricultural exports.Canada should, of course, seek every avenue for even greatergrain sales. But greater economic gain could also result from

158/ Affaires de I'Institut

increasing our value-added or semi-processed food manufac­turing for domestic and world markets. Our research intonew products and ingredients is meant to lay a foundationfor that kind of industrial development.

If we really want to take advantage of the opportunitiesthat stem from research, we have got to back up that researchwith an equally strong push towards new markets for ourprocessed foods.

We at Agriculture Canada now have a structure that dealswith just that market priority. Our Market DevelopmentDirectorate brings together the staff we need to promote ourprocessed foods both at home and abroad. Our economistsand marketing specialists constantly monitor market oppor­tunities for our good food, and of course, we are in closetouch with what is going on in research.

I see it as my job as Minister of Agriculture to do all I canto boost the reputation of Canadian food. When I travelaround the world, as I have recently to Mexico and China, Ikeep my eyes open for ways to enter new markets and expandold ones.

And that is why I have recently proposed a CrownCorporation be established to aid in the marketing ofCanada's agricultural products abroad. This organizationwould be called CANAGREX. I think CANAGREX wouldhelp us increase our exports of raw materials as well asprocessed food. And it would help strengthen the processingindustry and create new jobs as additional markets openedfor Canadian products.

Energy is one of the main factors that will shape the wholeagriculture and food industry in the coming decades.Canada's food and beverage industry is the fourth mostenergy-intensive industry in the country. It already accountsfor about 10% of all industrial energy used in Canada. And ituses about one-third of all energy consumed by the agricul­ture and food sector. But I am pleased that my department,through research, has begun to meet some of the conserva­tion challenges that kind of energy consumption presents.

Scientists at our Kentville Research Station in NovaScotia recently developed a food blancher that uses one­tenth the energy and produces one-tenth the waste ofconven­tional systems. That blancher, which can process 10,000 lb.of vegetables per hour, is now being built by a Nova Scotiacompany with assistance from the federal Co-operativePrograms with Industry.

The company tells me interest in the blancher has takenoff within the food processing industry. In fact, there havealready been six inquiries from as far away as Australia andIsrael. And that is really something when you consider thatthe blancher will not be officially unveiled until a trade showin San Francisco in about three weeks.

The people who make up Canada's agriculture and foodindustry are the real strength of this country. Your ability toset a productive example, to thrive on challenges, and toincrease your efficiency has built Canada. I am sure Canada'sfood researchers will continue to play a key role in helpingthis country to grow and prosper in the years ahead.

There is no denying that Canada's resources are being putto the test. The human resources, the natural resources andcertainly the national resources of unity are being stretchedevery day. A purely regional outlook is no good, and I ampleased to see that your organization has a national outlookon the issues of the day.

The challenges that face you in the food industry aresimilar whether you work in an Ottawa lab or in a processingplant in British Columbia or in the Atlantic Provinces. Yourpast record of accomplishments shows you can pull togetherto find new solutions to both new and old problems. I urgeyou to take that co-operative spirit and show your fellow

J. Inst. Can. Sd. Technvl. Aliment. Vol. 14. No. 3, Juillel 1981

Canadians what it can accomplish. Show them that prob­lems are solved by unified action rather than regionalbickering.

Let us continue working together, all of us in government,in industry, and in the universities, to build the Canadianagriculture and food industry.

Human Nutrition Research Council of OntarioEstablished

A one million dollar award from the Provincial Lotteryhas led to the establishment of the Human NutritionResearch Council of Ontario. Incorporated as a non-profitorganization, the Council has the objective of improvingknowledge and practice of human nutrition by promotionand support of research and advanced training. Or. G.Harvey Anderson of the University ofToronto is the CouncilChairman. Or. Harold H. Oraper of the University ofGuelph is the Secretary and Treasurer.

In meeting its prime objective of improving the knowl­edge and practice of human nutrition, the Human NutritionResearch Council of Ontario will award grants for research,establish research priorities and provide an inventory ofresearch programs and resources.

A second objective is to increase the participation ofscientists and interested laymen in nutrition research. to thisend the Council:

- promotes interdisciplinary studies on problems in nutri­tion research;

- offers a means whereby individuals and groups cansupport nutrition research;

- makes available to other agencies a mechanism for expertreview of nutrition research proposals; and

- presents an opportunity for private companies to supportresearch of interest to the food industry.

Aided by an additional $500,000 in start-up funds fromthe Ontario Ministry of Health, the Council has alreadybegun its work. Some $63,000 was awarded in 1980 toinvestigators in five Ontario universities. These funds arebeing used to support research projects on diet and bloodcholesterol; urinary electrolytes, prostaglandins and hyper­tension; diagnosis of food allergy; and development ofprograms and facilities to assess nutritional status and foodintake. For fiscal year 1981-82 Council has availableapproximately $250,000 for research grants.

The Council seeks collaboration with other agenciesengaged in any aspect of human nutrition. Those interestedin additional information are urged to contact: Or. T.K.Murray, Executive Oirector, Human Nutrition ResearchCouncil of Ontario, P.O. Box 38, Stittsville, OntarioKOA 3GO.

CASAFANo, this is not a new food but merely a new acronym,

which stands for Commission on the Application of Scienceto Agriculture, Forestry, and Aquaculture (CASAFA), aninter-U nion commission set up by the International Councilof Scientific Unions (lCSU).

The President of IUFoST, Mr. J.H. Hulse, is theChairman of CASAFA, and the members are Or. E.S.Ayensu (U.S.A.), Or. M.F. Oay (Australia), Or. FonsecaMartinez (Costa Rica), Or. Y.N. Mishustin (U.S.S.R.), SirCharles Pereira (U.K.), Or. M.S. Swaminathan (India), andDr. D. de Zeeuw (Netherlands). At the first CASAFAmeeting held in Rome last November, representatives werepresent from IGU - the International Geographical Union;IUNS - the International Union of Nutritional Sciences;IUFRO - the International Union of Forest Research

Can./m'l. FoodSci. Technol. J. Vo!. 14. No. 3.July 1981

Organizations; FAO - the Food and Agriculture Organiza­tion; and SCOPE - the Scientific Committee on Problems ofthe Environment.

ICSU has charged CASAFA to propose recommenda­tions for well-defined basic research, the results of whichwould serve to increase the availability and improve thequality of food, particularly in developing countries.

Mr. Hulse requests suggestions from all IUFoST dele­gates, and from any other food scientists whom they are ableto contact, concerning food science research problems thatneed a greater amount of attention. It is envisaged that suchproblems might be tackled by established research institu­tions in universities, government and industrial organiza­tions, either alone or in co-operation with othe'r food andagricultural research institutions throughout the world.Typical areas that may serve as examples are:

- objective standards of desirable quality to be provided toplant breeders of important food crops; and

- identification of the factors that influence post-harveststability among the main sources of food.

Editorial NOIe: Reprinted from IUFoST Newsletter, NewSeries: No. 2, March 1980.

D.B.C.

Food Fact HandbookA recently revised Handbook on Food Expenditures,

Prices and Consumption has been prepared by the FoodMarkets Analysis Division of Agriculture Canada's Market­ing and Economics Branch. The handbook is a comprehen­sive and convenient source of data for researchers and thepublic to answer questions related to Canadian food buyinghabits. It contains statistical information on Canada'spopulation and personal income trends, personal expendi­tures on consumer goods and services, retail food prices andsupply and disappearance quantities for more than 160 foodcommodities.

Also included are selected tables from recent familyexpenditure surveys across Canada and selected tables forthe United States, the Organization for Economic Co­operation and Development, and developing countries.

All supply and disappearance tables are in metric weightsand volumes. However, a supplement has been released withthe 1980 handbook giving the tables in imperial measure­ments as well.

Copies of the handbook and supplement are availablefrom: Andre Trempe, Marketing and Economics Branch,Agriculture Canada, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa,Ontario K IA OC5.

Nova Scotia Fisheries PolicyThe Province of Nova Scotia has released a comprehen­

sive statement of general policy for the province's fisheries. Itis a well-developed document which provides a good solidframework for industrial planning in the province. Thefederal Department of Fisheries had begun the preparationofa similar policy paper during the short term of the Progres­sive Conservative government but on the return of thepresent government this was abandoned for the ad hocapproach to policy.

The Nova Scotia paper sets out development objectives, aseries of nine provincial policy statements, and follows with aseries of strategies and programs. The policy statements insummary:

I. A Canadian Resource and Industry - no provincialallocations or trends to provincial "territorial waters";a planned phasing out of foreign fishing effort; Canadian

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