US suspends Canadian canola meal imports on salmonella concerns

The US has stopped canola meal shipments from five Canadian plants at the border over concerns of salmonella contamination.

Farmers are calling on the government to resolve the issue before canola production and price are affected.

Canola is a key cash crop on the Canadian Prairies, and canola meal is a lucrative byproduct.

 The canola crop in Saskatchewan was worth C$2 billion (US$1.9 billion) last year, while Alberta's crop was worth about half of that.

The affected plants were operated by Bunge Canada in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, Cargill Limited in Saskatchewan and Viterra in Manitoba.

The plants are now on the FDA Red List, which allows inspectors to detain shipments because they appear to contain salmonella. 

Meanwhile, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said it is up to individual companies to meet US import rules.

An industry source said the blocked shipments were a huge surprise and the salmonella issue could greatly affect Canada's canola sector. The source added that canola crushing plants in Canada are operating well below capacity.