Briefing Note

Briefing Note: Has a secret deal scuttled food inspection investment?

Ottawa (June 1, 2011) – Finance Minister Flaherty’s March 22nd budget included an investment to bolster food inspection of $100 million over five years, right? Well, maybe not. According to sources within the CFIA, a secret deal to win mention in the March 2011 budget that will be re-tabled next week may actually result in [...]

Briefing Note – Inspection of Imported Food

To: Members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food The inspection of food imports in Canada is one of the weakest components of the CFIA’s work.  Consider: There are no inspectors dedicated to imports for food safety purposes CFIA cannot afford to dedicate full time inspectors to ensure the safety of imported food products. [...]

New internal CFIA documents show meat inspection remains dangerously inadequate

Many of the shortcomings that contributed to the Maple Leaf Foods listeriosis disaster two years ago continue to plague the Canadian meat inspection system today, according to a trio of assessments of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s meat hygiene program quietly released last week. The government’s attempt to obscure this conclusion through a quiet release [...]

CFIA’s Mission Impossible

To: Members of the Sub-Committee on Food Safety The work you are about to undertake is critical to the safety of all Canadians. That’s why it’s important for you to know the unvarnished truth about the food safety inspection capacity shortfall at the CFIA. When it comes to delivering the legally required oversight of Canada’s [...]