News Release
Listeriosis funding to be cut
Jan 16th, 2012
Agriculture Union asks food industry to object FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ottawa (January 16, 2012) – The federal government has quietly announced plans to cancel important food safety initiatives put in place to shore up a weak inspection system and to address a chronic shortage of inspectors after the Maple Leaf Foods listeriosis outbreak killed 23 [...]
Ottawa dumps meat inspection on British Columbia
Aug 10th, 2011
After providing meat safety inspection service for decades, the union has been advised by Canadian Food Inspection Agency that federal inspectors will no longer check BC establishments that produce meat for BC consumers exclusively for E. coli, listeria, salmonella and other contaminants that can have deadly consequences when eaten.
Ottawa dumps meat inspection on Manitoba
Aug 10th, 2011
Ottawa plans to dump inspection of some meat plants on the Manitoba government in a move that will expose unwitting Manitoba consumers to heightened risk of eating contaminated meat products, according to the Agriculture Union – PSAC, which represents federal food safety inspectors.
No one minding the food import store
Sep 23rd, 2010
Ottawa (23 September 2010) Canadians worried about the safety of imported food will take no comfort from an internal audit of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s imported food safety program which condemns the Agency’s lack of a strategy, management and accountability for ensuring the foods imported into Canada are safe. According to the audit, “CFIA [...]
Reality Check
Mar 17th, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 17 March, 2010 Ottawa — Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz’s appearance before the Agriculture Committee this afternoon will be an opportunity for the Minister to set the record straight on inspection of ready-to-eat meats produced for Canadian consumers. On Monday, the Minister misinformed the House of Commons. He said that plants that make [...]
Canadian meat inspection inadequate: USDA
Mar 15th, 2010
Minister Ritz has failed to deliver promised new investments for food safety FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 15 March, 2010 Ottawa – Canada has been quietly called out for inadequate inspection of meat processing plants by the US Food and Drug Administration which has demanded that Canada increase its inspection frequency in order to meet US safety [...]
PHANTOM TRUCKS SHOW NEW MEAT INSPECTION REGIME NOT WORKING: New Democrats Masse and Allen say safety of Canada’s food at risk
Feb 12th, 2010
NDP Press Release WINDSOR – New Democrat Border Critic Brian Masse (Windsor-West) says disturbing new information about trucks carrying imported meats that are failing to report for inspections shows that the Harper government’s new food-safety regime simply isn’t working.[More...]
Food safety report sets a prudent course on inspector shortage
Jun 18th, 2009
Ottawa – The federal government should move quickly to implement recommendations concerning food inspection resources contained in a report tabled in Parliament this morning, according to the Agriculture Union – PSAC, which represents government food inspectors. Following two months of public hearings, the parliamentary food safety committee expressed concern about the inspector shortage and CFIA’s [...]
Meat safety inspection spread too thin
May 25th, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ottawa – A new staffing survey shows the critical shortage of inspectors in meat processing plants in Canada continues to make it impossible for federal inspectors to verify industry compliance with safety rules. “These numbers show an inspectorate staffed far below minimum levels. With individual inspectors being in charge of five facilities [...]
Canadians place food safety trust in government – Nanos poll
May 20th, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ottawa (20 May 2009) – The vast majority of Canadians want government to step in and play a much more active role to ensure food safety because they don’t trust industry to do the job, according to a new Nanos survey. Seven in ten Canadians believe Ottawa should invest more resources and [...]
McCain’s food safety fix requires more inspectors
Apr 20th, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ottawa – Michael McCain’s pitch today to retain food industry self-inspection with tougher and uniformly applied safety rules requires more government oversight and inspection, according to the food inspector’s union. “Canadians want government safety inspectors verifying that companies like Maple Leaf are following the rules. After last summer, who can blame them [...]
Inspectors call for Parliamentary Investigation into Food Safety
Jan 20th, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ottawa – Canada’s food inspectors’ union is urging Parliamentarians to step in and conduct an investigation into the listeriosis outbreak last summer that left at least 20 Canadians dead after eating contaminated Maple Leaf cold cuts. “We welcome, with reservations, today’s appointment of Sheila Weatherill to conduct the Prime Minister’s investigation of [...]
