After the dissolution of the Metro Vancouver Consumer Protection Inspectorate from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), food safety has not been the same in Canada. With many of the food inspectors no longer ‘inspecting’ places like slaughterhouses and other meat production facilities.
The inspectors that used to be a part of Metro Vancouver had one important role. They had to protect the consumers from things such as fraud and unsafe food displays and many other problems. That has all changed now. Having been absorbed into the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, it becomes something for the government. But from observation, this has led only to an erosion of food safety standard because the food safety inspectors no longer focus there efforts in the field.
With less authorities looking out for the food preparation methods, it is up to the owners to uphold goof food safety practices. Unfortunately, this has not been going too well. Take the 2008 Maple Leaf Foods listeriosis outbreak. With their ‘self’ policing, 22 people died from eating their deli meats. Click here, for how America views self policing food safety.
Canada brings more bad news as they prepare to further reduce funding for the meat and poultry safety “sub-program”. There will be an estimate of a drop of 152 full-time employees, from 1,599 to 1,447.
For more information, please click here.
