The federal government is spending more than $2 million to improve processing and packaging for halal beef and veal in Prince Edward Island. In the announcement Friday, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald said they are spending up to $2,256,786 through the new Kosher and Halal Investment Program to help Atlantic Beef Products Inc. upgrade their technology at their Albany, P.E.I., facility in hopes of getting higher yields for meat. “The Canadian beef industry is an important contributor to the economy of Prince Edward Island and the Atlantic region. By supporting innovation and efficiency at Atlantic Beef Products Inc., our government is helping to grow market opportunities for local producers, meet the evolving preferences of consumers, and encourage all to ‘Buy Canadian’ with confidence,” said MacDonald. Some of the upgrades coming to the Albany facility will include installing new steam vacuum systems, upgrades to equipment, adding new packaging technology and an X-ray analyzer to ensure accurate fat content. “We’re grateful for the support from the Government of Canada. This investment will help us secure new equipment for our plant in Albany, PEI, that will allow us to better meet the needs of our growing halal consumer market in this region and beyond,” said Atlantic Beef Products Inc. president and CEO Russ Mallard. “This investment will allow us to produce halal products for retail and foodservice that will give our halal customers full confidence that the products they buy from us will meet exacting halal standards, as they will be produced and packaged in our facility and certified to meet halal requirements.” According to the federal government, the goal of the Kosher and Halal Investment Program is to support federally beef and veal slaughter businesses to improve and expand product lines for kosher and halal markets. For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
