Links

• Government Links
• Industry Associations
• Other Links

Government Links

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The Canadian Dairy Commission is a Crown corporation that coordinates federal and provincial dairy policies and creates control mechanisms for milk production to help stabilize revenues and avoid costly surpluses.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for establishing dairy product standards, grading products, inspecting dairy plants and enforcing the food safety and nutritional quality standards established by Health Canada.

CFIA Food Labelling Inquiries Hotline:
(800) 667-2657 or (416) 954-0623
Email: labelwindow@inspection.gc.ca

Health Canada, Health Products and Food Branch

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)

Industry Associations

The Alliance of Ontario Food Processors is a non-profit organization of food processing companies and industry organizations that promote and represent the Ontario food processing sector on issues of common interest and concern.

Dairy Farmers of Canada is the national policy, lobbying and promotional organization representing Canada’s 16,000 dairy farms. It works to create favourable conditions for the Canadian dairy industry, today and in the future. The organization is run for producers, by producers.

Dairy Farmers of Ontario is the provincial dairy marketing group and is owned and operated by Ontario’s dairy farmers. It provides leadership in the production, transportation and marketing of milk in Ontario.

The Dairy Practices Council is an American non-profit organization of education, industry and regulatory personnel concerned with milk quality, sanitation and regulatory uniformity. It publishes educational guidelines for the dairy industry.

The Ontario Cheese Society is a broadly based group of artisan cheesemakers, milk producers, retailers and enthusiasts. Its roles include facilitating networking and professional development; advocating the value of the farmstead, artisan, regional and specialty cheese community; informing members on emerging trends; and promoting Ontario artisan, farmstead and regional cheeses.

Ontario Dairy Council is a provincial not-for-profit trade association representing the interests and concerns of dairy processors in Ontario. It promotes progressive policy making, keeps members up-to-date on current industry issues, facilitates access to technical expertise, provides continuing education, and offers important networking opportunities.

The Ontario Dairy Sheep Association is a group of sheep producers that was established to help make sheep milking an economic reality in Ontario.

The Ontario Food Processors Association does not currently have a website, but you can contact them at:

1 Stone Rd. W. 4th Floor
Guelph, Ont. N1G 4Y2
Tel: (519) 826-3590
Fax: (519) 826-3591

The Ontario Food Protection Association provides food safety professionals with a forum to exchange information on protecting the food supply. Members include food safety professionals from every facet of the food industry (including dairy), supply and service businesses, all levels of governments, research and testing laboratories, academia and public health.

The Ontario Goat Breeders Association works to provide sound information about goats, improve and develop goat breeds, encourage and promote the expansion of all areas of the Ontario goat industry, and assist in the development of meat, mohair and dairy product markets in Ontario.

The Ontario Goat Milk Producers’ Association promotes effective dairy goat management, promotes dairy goat products, promotes cooperation and exchange of information among goat’s milk producers, and informs the public about goat dairy products.

The List is a search engine designed to provide a comprehensive search of provincially based associations dealing with rural communities, and the entire agriculture and food industry in Ontario. The List can be used to find associations, download information, and even print mailing labels.

Other Links

Every two years, Dairy Farmers of Canada holds the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix to make Canadian cheeses better known and appreciated by consumers, the food industry and hotel and restaurant professionals. All Canadian cheesemakers are invited to enter their products.

The Canadian Dairy Information Centre is a single-window access to dairy market information and Canadian dairy policy. It is a partnership between Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Dairy Commission and Dairy Farmers of Canada.

The Dairy Business Innovation Centre is a non-profit Wisconsin-based organization dedicated to growing specialty and artisan cheese and dairy businesses. It provides an array of technical services including product development, processing technology, equipment expertise, business planning and market development.

The Guelph Food Technology Centre is an independent, industry-driven, not-for-profit organization that helps food companies and food entrepreneurs improve their competitiveness and profitability by helping them develop new products, design new processes, train their staff and implement safety and quality systems.