Posts tagged PSAC
Our inspectors can’t stop dangerous food imports
Jun 14th, 2011
By Bob Kingston, Ottawa Citizen The Canadian Food Inspection Agency might be trying hard to protect Canadian consumers from unsafe imported food. But, the simple fact is the agency is too broke to keep such products from store shelves. Canada’s import food inspection is a patchwork that ignores some products, while others are examined, with [...]
Briefing Note: Has a secret deal scuttled food inspection investment?
Jun 1st, 2011
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 [...]
Inspections of food weights, nutrition claims suspended
Apr 29th, 2011
By Sarah Schmidt, Post Media News OTTAWA – The federal government has suspended inspection activities indefinitely that were meant to make sure food companies and restaurants don’t mislead consumers with underweight products or exaggerated nutrition claims, Postmedia News has learned. [More...]
CFIA to name food companies, importers that break rules
Mar 17th, 2011
By Sarah Schmidt, Postmedia News The federal government is starting to out food manufacturers that run into serious trouble with its inspectors, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said Wednesday. [More...]
B.C. meat plant covers up positive E-coli test
Jan 20th, 2011
CBC.ca One of British Columbia’s largest meat processing plants covered up lab results that showed a sample of its product was contaminated with the deadly E. coli O157 strain, CBC News has learned. [More...]
Critics bite into food safety
Nov 30th, 2010
By Laura Payton, Toronto Sun It’s hard to know whether the food you’re buying at the grocery store is safe, say critics of Canada’s food inspection system. [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...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
