Canada - Meat inspection under fire

31 Jan 2010 Meat Trade News Daily

Canada's food safety system lags behind other nations and significant
investment is needed to get it up to speed, according to a report from
the University of Manitoba. 

United States, European Union and Australia all have surveillance
systems that allow them to collect information on "food vehicles" and
organisms that cause food-borne illnesses. The researchers said Canada
does not. 

The researchers said that there are an estimated 11 million cases of
illnesses in Canada caused by E.coli, salmonella, campylobacter and
listeria. 

They said that the country's multi-government system with national,
provincial and local governments that share responsibility and
information about health issues, is one of the main reasons why tracking
these illnesses is so difficult. 

The report appears in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.com