The Calgary Herald cites documents saying meat inspection is
being cut to three days a week for some processing plants in Northern Alberta.
While inspection remains at full complement for exported
meats, there are cuts underway for meat to be sold to Canadians, the report
says.
This is old, old news. I have reported often that the CFIA places priority on exports. Canadians get thrown under the bus.
The controversy has erupted as the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency is trying to deal with a cut of $43.3 million to its budget.
Responsibility for the CFIA meat inspection service has been
pulled from under Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and given to Health Minister
Rona Ambrose.
Meanwhile, the Lilydale poultry processing plant in Alberta
is faced with another recall for Listeria monocytogenes food-poisoning
bacteria.
The first recall was for chicken; the second is for turkey.
The Calgary Herald says both were processed on the same line
and that Listeria showed up in swabs taken from processing equipment.
Professor Rick Holly of the University of Manitoba says
there has been a nine-fold increase in the number of CFIA recalls for Listeria
this year.
He also questioned a report the CFIA posted on its website,
boasting that Canada ranked first among 17 member nations of the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Holly said it’s difficult to compare information across
countries.
But Sylvain Charlebois, an economist
at the University of Guelph, cited that report and said there is no magic
number of food inspectors that will guarantee food safety.
Prof. Doug Powell concluded on his
website that “Rick knows food safety.”
