Food recalls likely to come slowly
Mar 9th, 2010
By Sarah Schmidt, Canwest News Service
It could take months for some food companies to figure out whether a popular flavouring ingredient contaminated with salmonella found its way into their products, industry experts say. [More...]
Brace for massive food recall: officials
Mar 9th, 2010
By Sarah Schmidt, Canwest News Service
Canadian consumers can likely expect an avalanche of food recalls after an ingredient used in thousands of processed foods was found to be contaminated with salmonella, government investigators said Friday. [More...]
Foodborne Illness Costs U.S. $152 Billion Annually, Landmark Report Estimates
Mar 5th, 2010
Make Our Food Safe.org
Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration economist Robert L. Scharff estimates the total economic impact of foodborne illness across the nation to be a combined $152 billion annually. [More...]
Contamination scare leading to food recalls in Canada
Mar 5th, 2010
CTV.ca
The recall in the U.S. of a commonly used food additive because of a risk of salmonella poisoning has sparked the recall of a number of food products in Canada — and could lead to many more. [More...]
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...]
Obama Boosts FDA Food Safety in FY2011 Budget
Feb 3rd, 2010
by Helena Bottemiller , Food Safety News What Obama’s budget means for food safety: FDA gets big bump, but relies on fees in pending food safety legislation; FSIS budget leaves experts concerned. [More...]
Canadian Coalition Wants on PM’s Agenda
Feb 3rd, 2010
by Dan Flynn, Food Safety News
The Canadian Supply Chain Food Safety Coalition is asking Prime Minister Stephen Harper for a new round of consultations between Ministers of Health, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the agri-food industry. [More]
Government gets failing grade on food safety from union, consumers’ group
Jan 27th, 2010
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The government hasn’t improved the food-safety system six months after the fatal listeriosis outbreak, food inspectors and a consumers group said Wednesday. [More]
Food inspection agency hasn’t acted on safety recommendations: report
Jan 27th, 2010
By Sarah Schmidt, Canwest News Service
OTTAWA — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Wednesday received a failing grade from its own meat inspectors for not acting on the “vast majority” of recommendations made six months ago to improve food safety. [More]
Independence of food safety probe questioned
Nov 12th, 2009
By: Sarah Schmidt, Vancouver Sun
OTTAWA — The federal government has appointed the top bureaucrat at Agriculture Canada to lead Ottawa’s overhaul of food safety after an investigation into last year’s deadly listeriosis outbreak called for an independent expert to direct the effort.
Sheila Weatherill zeroed in on a “vacuum in senior leadership” among government officials during [...]
E. Coli Path Shows Flaws in Beef Inspection
Oct 3rd, 2009
By: MICHAEL MOSS, New York Times
Stephanie Smith, a children’s dance instructor, thought she had a stomach virus. The aches and cramping were tolerable that first day, and she finished her classes.
Then her diarrhea turned bloody. Her kidneys shut down. Seizures knocked her unconscious. The convulsions grew so relentless that doctors had to put her in [...]
Thanks to you!
Sep 21st, 2009
The federal government made an important announcement on food safety that is a direct response to you and thousands like you who have voiced their concern about the shortage of food safety inspectors.
Beginning immediately, the federal government will invest $75 million to improve food safety, including the hiring of 70 new processed meat inspectors, an [...]
Report calls for listeria inquiry
Jun 19th, 2009
Panel blames ‘turf wars’ for time lost in warning public about meat crisis
By: Robert Cribb, Toronto Star
Canadians need a full public inquiry into the death of 22 Canadians from last summer’s listeria outbreak and increased inspection oversight in meat plants, a parliamentary investigation has concluded.
After two months of hearings, the parliamentary food safety report also [...]
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 inability [...]
Agriculture committee calls for public inquiry into listeriosis crisis
Jun 18th, 2009
CBC News
A parliamentary committee is calling for a public inquiry into the actions of the federal government and its agencies during last summer’s deadly listeriosis outbreak.
Slicer machines at a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto were disassembled to allow cleaning of internal components deep within the equipment in the wake of last summer’s listeria crisis. [...]
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 on average [...]
Canada’s food safety in question
May 25th, 2009
Inspection understaffed, warns union
By: Sarah Schmidt, The Windsor Star
Government meat inspectors in Canada’s biggest cities would have to work double shifts on a regular basis to complete all the tasks required to make sure operators are complying with food safety rules, according to newly released data from their union.
The agriculture union of the Public Service [...]
Few meat inspectors mean more ’shortcuts’
May 25th, 2009
By: Robert Cribb, Toronto Star
Federal meat inspectors are each responsible for monitoring about five plants on average – a workload that makes ensuring safe food impossible, says their union.
In a staffing survey to be released today, the agriculture union says it’s impossible for meat inspectors to complete minimum safety tasks in more than two plants.
In [...]
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 be more [...]
Few trust companies over food safety: Poll
May 12th, 2009
By: Sarah Schmidt, The Vancouver Province
OTTAWA — Most Canadians don’t trust the food industry to ensure their products are safe and want the government to be more hands-on in policing food companies, according to national survey.
The survey of 1,001 Canadians, with findings to be released today, determined that only 13.7 per cent put their faith [...]
CFIA’s Mission Impossible
Apr 20th, 2009
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 meat [...]
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 for their [...]
CFIA can’t track meat-inspector numbers
Mar 26th, 2009
By: Sarah Schmidt, The Ottawa Citizen
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency cannot be sure how many meat inspectors are stationed at plants across the country, according to an agency briefing note released to parliamentarians as they begin their investigation into the state of food safety.
The document didn’t sit well with members of the special parliamentary committee, [...]
Food agency can’t count staff
Mar 26th, 2009
By: Joanna Smith, Toronto Star
OTTAWA–The federal food safety watchdog told a parliamentary committee it does not know how many meat inspectors it employs eight months after a nationwide outbreak of deadly listeriosis bacteria found in ready-to-eat meats.
“Given that there are a number of positions that are multi-purpose, in that they do not focus on one [...]
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 the outbreak. [...]
Food industry not trusted to police itself, poll suggests
Sep 29th, 2008
CBC News
A majority of Canadians believe that allowing the food industry to police itself puts the public health at risk, according to a new poll.
The survey, commissioned by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, suggests eight of every 10 Canadians want the current government to reverse a decision to cut food safety [...]
