Federal Government to Unveil Food Safety Bill

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Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters Dec 21, 2011

The Conservative government said Monday it is working on new food safety legislation to improve consumer protection and help food companies innovate.

The final report on the government's response to the recommendations of an independent investigator — appointed in the wake of the deadly listeriosis outbreak in August 2008 — also says that Ottawa has taken steps to address all of Sheila Weatherill's 57 recommendations.

"The government has enhanced its overall performance and effectiveness in managing food safety risks, identifying new and emerging food safety issues, and responding to food safety events when they arise. There is heightened awareness of the significance of food safety, and its high priority, at all levels of government," the report states.

The government appointed Weatherill to probe how listeria-contaminated meat processed at a federally regulated plant operated by Maple Leaf Foods led to the death of 22 Canadians in the summer of 2008. She presented her report, flagging a "vacuum in leadership" among senior government officials, in July 2009.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz released the final report Monday on behalf of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

On the legislative front, the report says Health Canada and CFIA have reviewed five separate food statutes — the food provisions of the Food and Drugs Act, the Consumer Packaging and labelling Act, the Meat Inspection Act, the Fish Inspection Act and the Canada Agricultural Products Act.

"Some improvements could be made to strengthen food safety, for example, by enhancing protections against wilful contamination of food," the report says.  Other provisions could be updated or simplified to "further encourage innovation and improve the competitive position of food producers and processors, while maintaining food safety."

Previously, Ritz said the government accepted all of Weatherill's recommendations, and announced $75 million in funding in September 2009 to act on the recommendations. Last year's federal budget also allocated $100 million over five years to invest in inspector training, tools and technology and science capacity.

"One of the tangible results of the recommendations is that they collectively impress on all stakeholders involved in food safety the need to adopt a culture of continuous improvement," Brian Evans, the government's chief food safety officer, says in the report.

On Monday, following the report's release, the union representing meat inspectors at CFIA said improvements and additional hires made in the wake of Weatherill's report are now on the chopping block.

"The only thing CFIA has discussed with us is cuts to food safety and inspection. CFIA is planning for a five per cent to 10% funding cut. They are not expecting to be left alone, which is what they would need to maintain the enhanced staff put in place to address Weatherill's recommendations and the problems she uncovered in processed meat inspection," said Bob Kingston, president of the Agriculture Union of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.  "At this point all CFIA can do is cross their fingers and hope they won't get cut too deeply."

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