CFIA ordered to inspect beef bound for Japan, not for Canadians

Workers "were instructed to do it one way for a Japanese carcass and another way for a Canadian carcass."

by Ish Theilheimer and Samantha Bayard

OTTAWA, Straight Goods News, November, 29, 2012 — New evidence suggests that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) safety standards are two-tiered, with one set of standards for Canadian consumption and another for those to be exported abroad. A September 2008 memo instructs inspectors to ensure all Japan-eligible beef has been 100 percent verified for removal of fecal, intestinal and spinal cord materials.

NPD agriculture critic Malcolm Allen told the House, "This memo was sent in 2008. We then saw 22 Canadians die of listeriosis and they resent the same memo. We then had the Weatherill report and they resent the memo.

"Was the minister really not aware front line food inspectors were being directed to ignore food safety procedures? Conservatives have lost all credibility on food safety, so will they now agree to an absolute audit of CFIA, as instructed in the Weatherill report, and do it now?"

Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz said the allegations were, "Totally unfounded. CFIA has the budgetary capacity, thanks to our government and not thanks to the NDP."

Later, however, Allen told SGNews he has been hearing from meat inspectors since the XL meat plant scandal came out. "What they’re saying is, 'Here’s what we were instructed to do. We were instructed to do it one way for a Japanese carcass and another way for a Canadian carcass.' So they don’t have to say it’s two-tier. We’re looking at a system that’s saying, 'Treat domestic cattle one way and treat export cattle totally differently.' And our view is they should all be treated exactly the same when it comes to fecal material that’s on cows and indeed spinal material that may be left in or ingesta that may be left on a carcass. It needs to all come off."

Malcolm Allen wants all meat to held to the same standard

As part of the inspection process any contaminated portions should be cut off, in the cases described here they were instructed to be washed off so as to not slow down or stop the line of production. Allen says veterinarians have suggested this is not an adequate option and could spread contamination throughout the carcass.

© Copyright 2012 Ish Theilheimer and Samantha Bayard, All rights Reserved. Written For: StraightGoods.ca