The Canadian Food Inspection
Agency is on the hot seat because CTV News has a memo from a CFIA supervisor at
the XL Foods Inc. plant at Brooks, Alta., telling his underlings to ignore
visible manure contamination on carcasses – except those destined for Japan.
The CFIA says this allegation
of a double standard is “categorically false.”
That's a denial I find hard to swallow, given that CTV has the memo.
"Within meat plants, there are specific
inspection tasks conducted at various stations and production points in
production," the CFIA statement reads.
"The memo referenced simply emphasized this
division of labour."
Really? Carcasses destined for Japan need to be clean. Those for further processing in Canada don't. That's a "division of labour"?
CFIA is fast losing all credibility.
It's statement says "this information was clarified with the union
and front line inspection staff over three weeks ago when the union first
brought their allegations to the CFIA's attention. It was also explained in
detail on two occasions to CTV.
"What the union and CTV fail to mention is
that every carcass processed in Canada must meet Canada's high food safety
standards.
“There is zero tolerance for any form of
contamination, and critical control points to detect problems are in place at
multiple points throughout the inspection process," the CFIA said.
Zero tolerance? Then how come the biggest beef recall in Canadian
history was carried out in October when beef from XL Foods was found
contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7?
That discovery came first from U.S. inspector
checking beef at the border.
Later the CFIA shut down the plant, conducted a
thorough audit and identified a number of deficiencies.
Yet the CFIA says now that "if at any time
during inspection a potential risk to food safety is detected - regardless of
the product’s destination - the line is stopped and product is held until the
concern is resolved and product is in compliance."
