CANADA: Parliamentary sub-committee releases final report

18.jun.09
Maple Leaf
Michael McCain

The Parliamentary sub-committee on Food Safety released its final report
today. Maple Leaf welcomed the opportunity to participate in the
investigation. My own testimony spoke to the need we saw for a much
stronger set of regulatory requirements, especially in the area of
testing, and resources such as the number of CFIA inspectors. 
The final outcome is a comprehensive report that has important
implications for strengthening the food safety system in Canada and
builds on the stringent new Listeria policy introduced in April this
year which we believe makes for a safer system. The report also provides
clear direction for further improvement. 
In terms of key recommendations and improvements, Maple Leaf reinforces
the following:
* We continue to believe that the patchwork of existing regulatory
regimes be pulled together as one national standard. Consumers shouldn't
need to worry about whether the food they purchase is made in a
federally or provincially regulated plant or imported from other
countries. All food for sale in Canada should meet a consistent and
enforced standard.
* Maple Leaf supports the call for a comprehensive review of CFIA
resources, recognizing that there must be sufficient inspectors to
ensure compliance with tough new standards with the necessary training
to conduct sophisticated root cause analysis of test results to identify
potential risks.
* Maple Leaf continues to advocate for any changes that result in faster
identification of proven food safety risk, whether through increased
inter-governmental and agency coordination or through accelerated
testing and expansion of laboratory capacity.
There will continue to be global advancements in food safety knowledge
and technology and it is our promise to learn from these and implement
ongoing improvements. We will also be strong advocates for food safety
with industry and government, sharing what we know and pushing to raise
the bar to protect consumers. After the tragedy of last August, which
resulted in the death of 22 Canadians, it is our responsibility to be a
leader in food safety; a responsibility we take extremely seriously.