Food safety policy-making at the national level is largely conducted behind closed doors, shrouded in secrecy and driven by a cost-cutting agenda.

The move toward industry self-policing has been done quietly by Ottawa politicians, bureaucrats and food company executives who fear news of these changes would spark a public backlash. The spotlight of media attention fell on the government’s plans when a secret government document became public that outlines the government’s plans for the:

  • “shift from full-time Canadian Food Inspection Agency meat inspection presence to an oversight role, allowing industry to implement food safety control programs and to manage key risks,” and;
  • “elimination of federal delivery of provincial meat inspection programs” in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

Further evidence of the government’s secretive ways emerged during the aftermath of the Maple Leaf listeriosis outbreak which left 22 people dead.

According to a CFIA briefing note, released to the parliamentary committee on food safety, Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture, was told in January 2009 that the “inspection program (is) experiencing workload challenges in meeting delivery requirements”. The same note declares that an “in-depth assessment of the plant revealed that Maple Leaf Foods experienced challenges in environmental control and sanitation in May and June 2008”, just before the outbreak.

In spite of these internal warnings, the Minister behaved as if there were no problems, and took great care to avoid questions arising from these documents.

Meanwhile, Ottawa has quietly killed the publication of audit reports of Canadian meat processing facilities because of complaints from the industry that these reports caused the companies bad press.

Currently, the only source of independent information about safety in Canada’s meat processing industry comes from the United States.

The US Department of Agriculture conducts an annual audit of Canada’s meat, poultry and egg products inspection system. The American audits, which include visits to a limited number of Canadian food factories, have revealed

some shocking findings which were reported by the Globe and Mail.

Complete USDA audit reports are available here: