Ontario’s largest beef processor, Better Beef, has sent 487 of its workers home as demand for its product plummeted following the news last week that a cow with BSE had been discovered in Alberta.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Production at the company has been slashed from 1800 head of cattle slaughtered per day to just 900, with just one shift operating instead of the usual two.

It is hoped that the layoffs will be temporary, and that the US border will be reopened soon as testing allays fears of further cases of BSE.

Meanwhile officials said that a further 700 cattle in Canada will be killed for testing, in a bid to get normal international trade back on its feet as soon as possible.

The discovery of the cow infected with BSE has had huge ramifications on Canada’s beef industry – for recent news click here.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact