This is great news for a Manitoba company that just doesn’t give up. Why has it been such slow slugging? “We’re the first,” says company president Willie Hoffmann of Winnipeg, MB Canada.
On June 8, Prairie Orchard Farms, under its Verdancia Farms Trademark, officially received label approval from the USDA to market their naturally Enriched Omega-3 Pork in the United States. This means the meat processor is the first naturally enriched Omega-3 pork producer to receive USDA approval in North America.
“We are extremely pleased to be North America’s first producer of naturally produced Omega-3 pork and will now be in a unique position of being able to export high quality, naturally produced Omega-3 enriched pork to the United States,” said Hoffmann.
Prairie Orchard Farms, which works with hog barns near Elie, Manitoba, feeds its hogs with a stringent diet enriched with vitamins and organic minerals, supplemented with a plant-source of essential fatty acids. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed in April 2005 that levels of Omega-3 Fatty Acid in meat from hogs in Prairie Orchard Farm’s Omega-3 program increased significantly when compared to regular retail pork.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Omega-3 Fatty Acids reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by preventing blood platelets from clotting and sticking to artery walls. Some studies suggest the addition of Omega-3 Fatty Acids to the diet can reduce the risk of fatal heart disease by up to 44 per cent.
Prairie Orchard Farms, under its Verdancia Farms trademark will provide American health-conscious consumers with fresh pork products produced by Sioux Preme Packers in Sioux City, Iowa. Webster City Meats in Webster City, Iowa will soon produce its bacon and sausage. Canadian consumers with a flavour for heart-healthy products can also enjoy Prairie Orchard Farms chops, bacon, ribs, roasts and loins in Manitoba, North West Ontario, Alberta and Quebec.