Seven VersaCold facilities approved to export meat to China

Vancouver-based VersaCold Logistics Services has announced that seven more of its facilities have been approved to export meat and meat products to the People’s Republic of China. The company had already received approval for three of its refrigerated warehousing facilities in 2014 and 2015, so VersaCold now has 10 total approved facilities in Canada.

According to VersaCold, there are only 30 facilities in Canada that have received approval to export meat and meat products to China, one third of which are owned and operated by VersaCold.

All 10 of the VersaCold refrigerated warehousing facilities (located in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia) met the requirements of the Meat Inspection Act and the requirements of the Chinese veterinary hygiene and public health regulations. The approval followed a rigorous review process. In order to meet the stringent requirements of the process, VersaCold engaged with senior government officials, retained the services of legal firms, and worked with industry groups in both Canada and China, according to the company.

The 10 VersaCold refrigerated warehousing facilities now approved to export beef and pork to China are: VersaCold Surrey (Surrey, B.C.), VersaCold Foothills (Calgary), VersaCold Brandon (Calgary), VersaCold Dawson (Winnipeg), VersaCold Lethbridge North (Lethbridge, Alta.), VersaCold Delta (Delta, B.C.), VersaCold Derwent (Delta, B.C.), VersaCold Cliveden (Delta, B.C.), VersaCold Valley (Abbotsford, B.C.), and VersaCold Walker (Brampton, Ont.).

“We are extremely proud to have the largest number of refrigerated warehouses in Canada approved to export beef and pork to China,” says Douglas Harrison, president and CEO of VersaCold. “We fully intend to continue to expand our reach globally in key markets such as China and to always be looking for new and innovative solutions and services that will drive business success and revenue growth for our valued customers within the highly sensitive and regulated environments in which they operate.”