Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program
Guelph, ON.
Meet the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program, one of CRSB's Certification Bodies, for Ontario-based cattle feeding operations.
About Us
Managed by the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association (OCFA). OCFA has a membership base of beef producers who produce over 300,000 head of fed cattle in Ontario annually.
The mandate of the organization is to enhance and maintain a sustainable beef industry in the province. The priority assigned to sustainability led to the launch of the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program in 2001.
Recognizing the importance of food safety and quality protocols on the farm and throughout the supply chain, a comprehensive Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program was developed. The program provides for producer training and consultation as well as auditing services to achieve certification.
All producers must achieve certification through an OCFB QA audit on initial enrollment and undergo additional audits to document ongoing adherence to requirements.
The program consists of three components:
- registration and audit,
- good production practices (GPPs) and
- cattle identification with detailed record keeping.
Registered producers are responsible for implementing and following all procedures.
The ultimate goal of the quality assurance program is to produce a naturally great tasting product that is consistently tender and juicy.
Sustainability Practices
Good production practices (GPPs) are the overall guidelines which shape the OCFB Quality Assurance Program. Our GPPs include things that address things like:
- receiving and shipping of cattle,
- feed and nutrition management,
- the cattle feeding environment,
- animal health management
- sanitation, biosecurity and training of production personnel.
A consistent approach to management of GPPs is supported by the development of Standard Operating Procedures which are the documented management protocols and record keeping maintained by Ontario Corn Fed Beef producers.
Animal Care
A significant focus of the OCFB good production practises is animal care. This principle recognizes that maintaining animal welfare is an important responsibility and an essential contributor to quality.
The highest quality beef is produced by carefully specifying feed ingredients, monitoring animal health as well as maintaining low stress handling practices.
Well-designed facilities for cattle which consider their instincts and behaviors can reduce the risk of bruising and make animals healthier and more productive.
A veterinarian works with OCFB producers to develop programs and protocols to prevent disease. If illness does occur there must be an accurate diagnosis before effective treatment can begin. Only approved medications may be utilized and records must be maintained by OCFB producers that document their use.
Our Role as a CRSB Certification Body
In 2020, we were proud to become the third approved certifying body for the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, enhancing our commitment to bringing certified sustainable beef to consumers.
We are pleased to have added the option for Ontario feedlot operations to include CRSB Certification in addition to their Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance designation.
View announcement for details.