Much Ado About Saskatoons

Saskatchewan's agriculture minister, Mark Wartman, is not pleased with Britain's Food Standard Agency. The agency has removed products containing saskatoon berries from store shelves and has ordered a market safety evaluation because of a lack of evidence of the safety of the fruit for consumption by Europeans.

The berries, which are very popular in Canada (especially in the west), have been used by indigenous peoples for centuries and were a staple of European settlers. Saskatoons have been grown commercially in Canada since the 1960s. Minister Wartman is prepared to fight to open the European markets to the tasty crop.

Link: Saskatchewan minister in a jam over U.K. berry ban from CBC News

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:40 AM on June 21, 2004

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