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Attention:
Political/Consumer For Immediate Release:
Removal of Provincial Trade
Barriers A Win For Consumers November 29, 2001 (Toronto) -- Members of the Edible Oils
Foods Association of Canada, producers of vegetable oil products, applaud the
Ontario government for introducing Bill 87, the Food Safety and Quality Act,
which will repeal the Edible Oil
Products Act, providing producers with the opportunity to market new blended
dairy/vegetable oil products to meet consumer demand. The current Edible Oil Products Act makes it illegal to
manufacture or sell in Ontario any imitation dairy product that combines a
non-dairy oil or fat with a dairy product.
In September 1997, edible oil products and imitation dairy products were
included in the scope and coverage of the Agreement on Internal Trade, thereby
obliging all provinces to remove legislation that restricts the movement of
dairy/vegetable oil products in Canada. “Ontario’s initiative to repeal this protectionist
legislation should provide leadership to other provinces to abide by their
commitments under the Agreement on Internal Trade,” said Doug Sparks,
President of the Edible Oil Foods Association of Canada.
“Opening up the market for
blends will lead to new consumer products that borrow the best qualities from
dairy and vegetable oil products. For
example, dairy ingredients blended with vegetable oil will deliver a uniquely
flavourful spread product low in saturated fat.” Currently, only a few of the provinces allow the sale of a
limited number of specified dairy/vegetable oil blend products.
Some provinces provide exemptions on a product-by-product basis.
In spite of Premier Landry’s statement to the Toronto Board of Trade
this week that Quebec is a free trader, that province maintains some of the most
restrictive protectionist legislation on food products in the country including
a margarine colour restriction and a prohibition on blends. Based on the market share in other jurisdictions – blends
have three per cent of the global dairy and edible oil market -- the immediate
market potential for blends in Canada, in terms of direct sales, is $226 million
including both retail and foodservice sales with corresponding direct employment
of 2,000 new jobs. These products
also represent new market opportunities for Canada’s soybean and canola
growers and export opportunities for dairy/vegetable oil blend producers. In addition to
these economic benefits, numerous studies have demonstrated the health benefits
of lowering the level of saturated fat, derived from animal sources, in the diet
and substituting plant based unsaturated fats.
More than 40 per cent of Canadians are believed to have elevated
cholesterol levels. Almost one half
of Canadian adults on a diet do so because of concerns about elevated
cholesterol. On a population basis,
lower levels of saturated fat in the diet have been conclusively linked to lower
levels of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Members of the Edible Oils Food Association of Canada include Archer Daniels Midland (ADM Agri-Industries Ltd.), CanAmera Foods, Canola Council of Canada, Innovative Foods Corp., Kraft Canada Inc., Margarine Golden Gate, Michca Inc., Margarine Thibault Inc., Nestlé Canada Inc., Ontario Soybean Growers, Parmalat Canada and Unilever Canada. --
30 -- For Information:
Sean McPhee
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