Requirements for meat exports

By Cameron Prince, Windsor Star February 26, 2010

Re: Meat Safety, Star editorial, Feb. 19.

I am writing to correct the misinformation that appeared in the editorial, Meat Safety, published in The Windsor Star on Feb. 19, which discusses border inspection for meat coming from the United States.

Canada's food supply is one of the safest in the world. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency remains committed to verifying that all food, whether domestic or imported, is safe and meets federal safety standards.

Random sampling and inspection of imports at the border is just one of a number of steps designed to make safe meat available to Canadians. Meats imported to Canada must comply with Canadian food safety standards.

Meat products imported from the U.S. are produced in plants that are inspected and certified by the United States Department of Agriculture as meeting the standards set out in Canadian regulations.

In addition, the CFIA routinely audits U.S. meat plants that are eligible to export to Canada to verify that the requirements of the U.S. food safety system are equivalent to those of Canada's.

Initially, a small number of shipments were not presented for full inspection as intended. However, they were immediately identified, located and inspected at alternative sites.

Trucks carrying meat across the border are aware of the CFIA and CBSA requirements. They must comply with an instruction to present for inspection. If they do not, they face warnings, increased scrutiny, fines, prosecution and product seizure.

CAMERON PRINCE, Vice-president, operations, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa

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