Posts tagged Food Inspectors
Immediate action on food safety needs to be taken
Apr 21st, 2010
By KIRSTY DUNCAN, CAROLYN BENNETT AND WAYNE EASTER Owen Sound Sun Times
Canadians have been fed a new vocabulary by the federal government: “global synchronized economic downturn,” “recalibration,” and “listeria outbreak.” [More...]
Pasteurization makes meat safer, scientist says
Mar 18th, 2010
By Joanna Smith, Toronto Star
Ridding deli meats of harmful bacteria through pasteurization and other technological advances could help protect consumers while reducing the frequency of inspections, a food scientist says. [More...]
Deli meat OK for Canadians but off-limits to Americans
Mar 17th, 2010
By Sarah Schmidt, Canwest News Service
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency cut off access to American markets for the Toronto plant at the centre of an ongoing listeriosis investigation connected to tainted deli meats while allowing the company to continue to produce food for Canadians, Canwest News Service has learned. [More...]
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 ready-to-eat meat exclusively [...]
Beef up number of food inspectors: Union
Mar 17th, 2010
By Bryn Weese, Toronto Sun
Canadian food inspectors are working overtime to meet American food safety standards, a move their union calls “unsustainable.” [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...]
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]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
