"Helping Canadian farmers continue to produce safe, high-quality food for the marketplace is critical, as our government's top priority remains the economy," said MP Bezan.

"This project will help chicken farmers proactively manage food safety risks so they can continue to meet growing market demands."

The CFC will use this investment to undergo an audit of its on-farm food safety system, helping to ensure that the chicken industry follows top-notch safety procedures and practices. The CFC will then proceed to the final stage of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's On-Farm Food Safety Recognition programme. This national programme follows the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles to make sure that potential food safety problems are caught before products leave the farm gate.

The CFC is working toward becoming the first organization to achieve full recognition by this programme, and other organisations will be able to learn from the experiences of this pilot project. A strong, government-recognised food safety system will give Canadians more assurance that food products are handled safely, helping to boost farmers' bottom line.

"We are committed to food safety and growing the quality Canadian chicken that consumers can trust," said Dave Janzen, CFC Chair.

"As a leader in on-farm food safety programmeming, Chicken Farmers of Canada is proud to be the first commodity to pilot the final steps of the recognition programme and provide lessons learned for other commodities. We are committed to partnering with government so that that we remain responsive to the needs of the Canadian consumer."

This federal Growing Forward investment is being made through the Canadian Integrated Food Safety Initiative (CIFSI). The Government of Canada is helping organisations develop national, government-recognised on-farm and/or post-farm HACCP or HACCP-based food safety systems. To find out more about this initiative, click here.