CANADA: Safety of meats has been assured - but at a cost

08.aug.07
The Ottawa Citizen
Carly Weeks

OTTAWA - The federal government has, according to this story, issued nearly 90 food recalls and alerts so far this year - and only four involved meat contaminated with potentially dangerous bacteria.
Many people think of tainted meat when they hear food poisoning horror stories. In reality, federal health officials say they're actually becoming more worried about the risks presented by contaminated fruits and vegetables.
That's because while produce safety is a relatively new concept, any meat products that are sold in Canada are, the story says, subject to tough checks and high levels of scrutiny before they're allowed on store shelves.
It's a system that was created out of necessity as a result of past food scares involving tainted meat and the mad cow crisis of 2003, which devastated Alberta's beef industry.
Canadians got a stark reminder of the destruction that can result from the slightest hint of problems with the meat supply this week after news of a new foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Britain.
Almost immediately, Canada shut its border to imports of British meat products and began the daunting task of determining if any potentially contaminated products had already made it into the country.
The story says that now, meat that is imported into Canada and produced domestically may be safer than ever.
Although the changes have created greater accountability and assurance that meat for sale in grocery stores is safe to eat, they have also exacted a toll on the Canadian beef industry, which is still struggling to recover from the chaos left by the mad cow crisis. As a result, Canadian ranchers are spending more on safety measures, and in some cases, the cost is passed onto the consumer.
Ryan Copithorne, ranch manager at CL Ranches Ltd. outside Calgary, was cited as saying the changes are a necessary step to prove to consumers the industry and its practices are safe, adding, "I think the industry's moving toward more accountability of what we're feeding. I think we're a lot better off than we were."
While the changes require an investment by Canadian farmers, the mad cow scare also means many beef producers feel compelled to go above and beyond federal requirements just to convince consumers their product is safe, Copithorne said.
"It's a difficulty but that's the way life is," he said. "The whole secret is learning how to market what extra steps you're going through."