Thursday, October 10, 2013

Public Health Agency doesn't cross provincial borders

Belmont Meat Packers burgers have crossed every provincial border across Canada, but the Public Health Agency of Canada isn't posting any information about how many people have been sickened so far after heating burgers processed at the Toronto plant.

Loblaws is recalling its President's Choice products from across Canada.

Sobeys is recalling its Compliments products from across Canada, and maybe we'll soon learn that it, too, will be recalling them from across Canada.

But as far as the Public Health Agency is concerned, it's not involved until people are sickened in more than one province or territory.

But the agency did post information from the Ontario Ministry of Health indicating that seven people in Ontario have so far been linked to these burgers.

It makes me wonder how things are going to work out as food safety transitions from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to Health Canada where it will be joined at the hip with the Public Health Agency of Canada.

At least being joined at the hip promises to be better than being under the head of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz of "death by a thousand cold cuts" fame.