More than 1,000 farmers marched through downtown Montreal Wednesday to protest a trade agreement that will change food regulations in Quebec.
On Thursday Trade Minister Clement Gignac is expected to ratify a deal that will harmonize food standards across Canada.
Farmers say those standards are lower than the ones that currently exist in Quebec.
Marcel Groleau of the Quebec Dairy Farmers' Association believes ratifying the
accord will lead to a flood of substandard food products.
"We have standards for fluid milk that force processors to [leave] protein in the milk. We have standards for yogurt, we have standards for cheese in Canada. All those standards would be challenged by the new accord," said Groleau.
Existing dairy standards dictate that yogurt must contain a minimum amount of dairy product, or that ice cream be made with actual cream.
Products that don't meet those minimum levels must, under current law, be labelled accordingly, such as "yogurt product" or "frozen dessert."
"Those standards are not for producers, those standards are mainly for consumers," said Groleau.
Farmers are hoping their last-minute rally will convince Premier Jean Charest to block the accord.
Increased competition
A spokesperson for the Quebec Agriculture Minister Claude B�chard told CTV News the trade agreement isn't about lowering standards. He said it's about opening up competition, and making it easier for Quebec farmers to sell their products everywhere else.
But some, like grocer John Esposito, argue that both Quebec farmers and shoppers will lose out if the regulations are changed.
"We have plenty of products here. We have good products, good quality, and I think that's what we should strive for -- better quality, not just more competition," said Esposito.
